Tips For Building A Luxeon K2 Flashlight

Maybe I'm in way over my head, but I've decided to try to build a flashlight using the relatively new K2 Led. I've started by buying the Led at . It is in the form of a Star. I have done the calculations, and at first I was planning on using a 9V battery, but that would be impractical. It seems that I do not need a driver or resistor if I use 4.5V (The resistance needed was only .33 Ohms, and the Dynamic resistance is .6 Ohms). At first I tried using one of those cartridges for 3 AAA batteries, but it only gave off light equal to that of a 1W, so I had to step it up to 3 D cells. This seems to be able to run the Led at about 1 amp, which is what it is specified for. I was never planning on making a huge flashlight, but it needs to be run on bigger batteries in order to receive the right amount of current. So the final question is how to make a driver, or is it possible to be able to run the K2 on just 3 AAA or AA batteries.

Try looking at the sandwich shoppe.They have a lot of boost converters that should let you do what you want.Id offer more advice ,but Im no expert. Dont want to steer you wrong.

Welcome aboard the good ship - home made. Lots of info in the electronics section, wiki, and of course, the home made section.

Step one is of course to keep it all cool and manage the heat coming off.

As far as cell/ battery pack selection, there is a LOT of good info on the discharge curves pasted in the top of the battery section. That will help you with battery options.

You don't need a driver, but keeping a small amount of resistance in the circuit is a good idea, as different types of cells will deliver much different current for a given voltage than others.

Last but not least, enjoy your hobby. Don't get discouraged if you burn a few things out along the way.