Hemingray
Enlightened
This uses one of those (very cheaply made) Russian
"dynamo" flashlights, which has a small AC generator inside, powered by repeatedly squeezing the metal lever. The bulb socket is a 9mm threaded type, the original bulb is a 2.5V 150 mA round glass bulb. Gives a sickly yellowish light with more rings and voids than I ever dreamed possible.
Mod rev 1 was to simply take out the incandescent bulb and screw in a 3-white-LED replacement bulb - (from a C-Crane LED Hobby Kit). This works fine, but there are concerns about dumping raw AC into a white (or blue) LED, as reverse-biasing them can cause premature death and stinky blue smoke generation.
Mod rev 2 was to add a 1N4004 diode and a 1000 uF
6.3 V cap to feed the LEDs DC. Works well, eliminates any AC flicker, and gives a tad more light output with less physical effort. Due to the cheap construction of this device, I had to use hot melt glue and a lot of vulgar language to get it assembled. hence, the dumb, stupid and ugly categorization...
Mod rev 3 will be to try to fit in a .1 Farad "supercap" and see if it gives longer light duration with less squeezing required.
The problem here is that room inside this light is at a premium, and that the socket assembly is as cheap, lousy and crummy as I have ever seen, basically soft white plastic with a couple of metal strips of unknown composition (they don't like taking solder, and plastic meltage is a real problem).
/ed in NH
"dynamo" flashlights, which has a small AC generator inside, powered by repeatedly squeezing the metal lever. The bulb socket is a 9mm threaded type, the original bulb is a 2.5V 150 mA round glass bulb. Gives a sickly yellowish light with more rings and voids than I ever dreamed possible.
Mod rev 1 was to simply take out the incandescent bulb and screw in a 3-white-LED replacement bulb - (from a C-Crane LED Hobby Kit). This works fine, but there are concerns about dumping raw AC into a white (or blue) LED, as reverse-biasing them can cause premature death and stinky blue smoke generation.
Mod rev 2 was to add a 1N4004 diode and a 1000 uF
6.3 V cap to feed the LEDs DC. Works well, eliminates any AC flicker, and gives a tad more light output with less physical effort. Due to the cheap construction of this device, I had to use hot melt glue and a lot of vulgar language to get it assembled. hence, the dumb, stupid and ugly categorization...
Mod rev 3 will be to try to fit in a .1 Farad "supercap" and see if it gives longer light duration with less squeezing required.
The problem here is that room inside this light is at a premium, and that the socket assembly is as cheap, lousy and crummy as I have ever seen, basically soft white plastic with a couple of metal strips of unknown composition (they don't like taking solder, and plastic meltage is a real problem).
/ed in NH
