Hemingray
Enlightened
This one is a very quick and easy mod... It literally takes less time to perform the mod than it takes to read this.
I was checking out the flashlight shelves at the local Wal-Mart, they have a small 2-AA Eveready "swivel head" flashlight for $6.97. This comes with two reflector assemblies, one with a clear lens, the other with a red lens. Takes the same bulb as a 2AA Maglite.
The mod is simple - take the spare reflector, carefully take it apart, and use a 7/32 drill bit to manually ream out the little hole so it will fit a 5 mm LED. Pull out the bulb (a little carrier comes out with it). Take a good bright red, orange or yellow LED, trim the pins so a little longer than the original bulb's pins, insert it and put it back in the flashlite. If it doesn't light up, reverse it and try again.
(I chose R, O or Y as they run bright on 2 AAs, and don't really need a resistor). Reassemble the reflector assembly, using the clear lens (or red if you like) and presto, you have an LED flashlight for $7 to 8! There is room inside to shoehorn in a red or yellow Luxeon Star, with a little careful trimming, I'll have to get another one and see how it works out...
If you are uncomfortable with direct driving an LED with 3 Volts, just use 2 AA NiMH or NiCd cells.
/ed brown in NH
I was checking out the flashlight shelves at the local Wal-Mart, they have a small 2-AA Eveready "swivel head" flashlight for $6.97. This comes with two reflector assemblies, one with a clear lens, the other with a red lens. Takes the same bulb as a 2AA Maglite.
The mod is simple - take the spare reflector, carefully take it apart, and use a 7/32 drill bit to manually ream out the little hole so it will fit a 5 mm LED. Pull out the bulb (a little carrier comes out with it). Take a good bright red, orange or yellow LED, trim the pins so a little longer than the original bulb's pins, insert it and put it back in the flashlite. If it doesn't light up, reverse it and try again.
(I chose R, O or Y as they run bright on 2 AAs, and don't really need a resistor). Reassemble the reflector assembly, using the clear lens (or red if you like) and presto, you have an LED flashlight for $7 to 8! There is room inside to shoehorn in a red or yellow Luxeon Star, with a little careful trimming, I'll have to get another one and see how it works out...
If you are uncomfortable with direct driving an LED with 3 Volts, just use 2 AA NiMH or NiCd cells.
/ed brown in NH
