Just finished modding a light and then disaster....

I spent the last few hours shaving away plastic with a dremel and resoldering connections on a small 2AA LED bike light that I modded with a Luxeon I.

So, I was 99% finished (all that was left was to screw the parts back in the case) and wanted to go to the bathroom to test the circuit board with the new LED and lens assembly. With the battery pack and components in my left hand, I stood up from my desk and forgot that I had my headphones on!

My head snapped back and as I fell forward, I reached out for a chair to brace myself. Then contents in my left hand shifted and I swear I saw a little spark as the battery pack terminals slid over the pcb.

*sigh* The board is fried and will no longer light up. Waaaah! Christ, that's what I get from being so excited and careless!

Wellll, looks like I won't be posting my documented how-to tonight.

Go Chargers. OH hey, this is my 100th post!

Everything went wrong!! What circuit was it?

I wish I understood this circuitry better so I could pinpoint the problem and maybe fix it. I need more CPF experience points before that happens.

The board is about 1" square and has 2 ic chips, 2 capacitors, and an epoxy blob. The LED has a single button used to power-up, select the led to blink or remain constant, and switch the incan from high to low.

bummed!

whats the battery config? you might be able put a micropuck or other cheap boost circuit in it's place.

The blob is probably the IC that controls blink/switching from ican to led. The other stuff is probably boost for the LEDs (assuming it uses like 2AA's or somethign)

2 AA's in series. I have a 350mA BuckPuck sitting right here too. Ooooh, this is salvagable?! I'll post pics tomorrow if it helps.

buckpuck is buck circuit, so you need higher voltage supply than what the led needs to use that. you need a boost circuit.

Post pics, I'm sure someone would be able to pick the circuit apart. You might be able to hook a new boost circuit into the exsisting interface. If not then just yank the board and put more switches to control everything.

BTW how many leds did it drive? if you put a luxeon in there, then would the stock boost circuit have powered it anything decent anyways?

Ya know what Isaac, I've decided to not try and salvage this piece. Instead, I'm going to yank out this 3v circuit and make it a dual 123 setup. I've been learning about boosters and bucks lately so I've a better grasp on my approach.

I've learned so much damned info from this site that it's driving me crazy! and I LIKE IT!

Hhehehe. I think you said you had a buck puck so sounds like a good idea to drive a luxeon with some 123a's. I know what you mean about the site. I wish I had more time and money!

:candle: I can relate. :laughing: I spent more money while trying to build a light for my brother, than I would've spent buying him a brand-new ArcLS (at premium price). The culmination of my circuit-killing spree was when the circuit died after I had epoxied it into the head! :hairpull: Fortunately I was using 24-cure epoxy, and I was able to extract the pill after some major and cursing.

It was a very frustrating way of starting into modding. I take modding with lots of patience and humor now days (and a healthy dose of swearing too ) It's much more fun that way. Remember the "dead ones", but keep modding!