What options do I have?

Hello everyone.

As a newly converted CPF addict, I've been looking at cheap flashlights I have at home to modify. I am very pleased with how my 6D and 2D Mag modifications came out and my next potential subject is a 4D Garrity Lantern, which is displayed below:


I would love to put an LS in this thing because of the reflector. It is incredible how tightly this reflector focuses its beam. My dilemma right now is heat. This particular flashlight has a rubber body, which, no doubt is horrible at dissipating heat (in that it doesn't heh). Heat is definitely an issue with a 5 watter so I'm wondering if:

A) Anyone knows of an aluminum-bodied 4D or 6V lantern
or
B) Has any idea about how to solve the heat issues.

Thanks for your time.

Are you worried about water resistance? If not, perhaps it might be possible to run out several spokes of aluminium or copper rods from the LEDs, through the side of the flashlight, and connect to some heatsinks outside.

if you have a lot of mass for your heatsink (especially if it's copper...) you should be fine so long as you limit the current to a reasonable level.

the goal is to get heat away from the luxeon. usually, the heat is drawn through the sink and into the body and into the air, but if you compensate with a very large-mass heatsink, and if you use something like copper, which has great heat absorbtion capabilities, you should be fine for regular runtime...so long as you keep it at a reasonable drive level.

Hah -- no 9v mods for me this time. Is 700ma an appropriate current?

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Rothrandir said:
if you have a lot of mass for your heatsink (especially if it's copper...) you should be fine so long as you limit the current to a reasonable level.

the goal is to get heat away from the luxeon. usually, the heat is drawn through the sink and into the body and into the air, but if you compensate with a very large-mass heatsink, and if you use something like copper, which has great heat absorbtion capabilities, you should be fine for regular runtime...so long as you keep it at a reasonable drive level.

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Actually Roth, copper has superior thermal transmission ability over aluminum, while aluminum has greater thermal volume over copper and of course I'm talking about pure or near pure metals here. I hope this helps to clarify things a bit.

Dan

dan...where did you here that?

while copper does have better thermal transmission, i've always believed that if you had 2 1"x1" heatsinks, in aluminum or copper, the copper would work better.

[ QUOTE ]
Rothrandir said:
dan...where did you here that?

while copper does have better thermal transmission, i've always believed that if you had 2 1"x1" heatsinks, in aluminum or copper, the copper would work better.

[/ QUOTE ]

Aluminum Characteristics. Actually I got the data out of one of my manuals, but the first chart on this page is close enough. Check out the thermal characteristics for nylon, it takes a long time to heat up but man, it really holds the heat! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif

LukeK,

For what duration do you want this light to operate? The reason I ask is, without a way to dissipated the heat generated into the environment, the heat will be retained in the flashlight, regardless of the size or material of the heatsink. Just something to think about.

Dan