YAAAA can't decide. Need some help

[clicker]

YAAAA can\'t decide. Need some help

Ok so I've gotten bit by the bug again. I thought my first titanium LUXIII creation would calm my desire. HELL NO.

So I've decided to build another...smaller,sexier, and brighter?

Anyway I'm now having a brain aneurism from trying to decide on a few things and have spent better part of the day searching CPF for some ideas.....AGAIN brain aNeUrSm

First I want to run off a single 123. (I'm not completely sold on this one, cause it's real easy to put two 123 in line with a resistor. Somebody please push me off the fence with this one and tell me why boost/regulated circuits are the better way. And when you do which board should I go with. madmax, badboy, fatboy chefboy RD??

Second, I want to decide on current draw, I'm pulling slightly over 1000 ma with my first creation - DD LUX III and 2x123. I like the brightness but hate the fact I only get about an hour and a half out of it. I was thinking about 800ma for a good overall setting. But how much umpf am I going to lose with a TWOK emitter?

Finally I'd like to have multi brightness settings. Again I know it can be done with a board.....I just don't know how.

Thanks in advance, hopefully once I get it built I'll get some pics of it.

 

[greenLED]

Re: YAYAAAA can\'t decide. Need some help

Dude, you should review the definition of brain aneurism. Not something you wanna be joking about. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif

 

[bwaites]

Re: YAAAA brain aneurism. Need some help

Clicker, there are LOTS of 123 lights.

Why not a CR2 light?

Bill

 

[clicker]

Re: YAAAA brain aneurism. Need some help

bwaites- two reasons.

A. cr2 wouldn't meet my needs for brightness & runtime.

b. I have about 45 123 batteries.......

green led- sorry if I hit a sensitive spot, wasn't my intent

 

[HarryN]

Re: YAAAA brain aneurism. Need some help

Just for fun, I will take a contrarian view. (after all, this is a custom / home made - right)

Skip the 1x123 - not enough power. Silverfox did some nice graphs in the battery section on what happens to 123's when you try to pull close to 2 amps (which is not so far from reality in a truly driven Lux III from a single 123). Not that pretty IMHO. This probably explains why so many small lights with Lux III are using Lux I drive currents.

Go for a bigger cell pack and some real Luxeon power - maybe a couple of them.

 

[Darell]

Re: Small light Need some help

Clicker -

Please change your subject, or I will soon do it for you. Nothing wrong with the thread, but as has been mentioned - a brain aneurism is not what you need help with, and I think it is in poor taste to use it this way.

** Well done. thanks.

 

[xochi]

Re: YAAAA brain aneurism. Need some help

Why not li-ion? Lots of current and with unprotected cells it would be cheap plus you could learn even more by building your own charger for'em. They are higher voltage than the lithium primaries. Lionheart is direct drive on them. Just thought I'd make your seat up on that fence a little more comfy /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif.

I'd sure like to see pics of the first titanium light you made.

 

[clicker]

Re: YAAAA can\'t decide. Need some help

Thanks for the thoughts guys.

xochi, harryN you guys aren't making the fence any easier to get off of.

So let's say I do stick to a dbl 123 what current draw would you guys go with.

Darrel-sorry for the poor taste, I went in and updated the thread title, please make sure it happened.

 

[HarryN]

Re: YAAAA can\'t decide. Need some help

It might be just me, but I would like to see someone do something creative with a Li D cell design. They are nominally 3 volts, and have lots of power. HDS sells them from SAFT. They haven't won any popularity contests due to the $ 15 price tag, but they are remarkably similar in dia. to some standard reflectors.

If you could get an H bin Vf, a small resistor might make it all work at 1 + amps. 3 of them in series would make an amazing Lux V light.