alpg88
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2005
- Messages
- 5,352
another lantern is done.
the purpose was to test new ideas.
first idea, the lens.
normally stock lens is a 1\8 simple Plexiglas, even thou it is relatively strong, it is brittle, and hot pressed into the head, upside watertight seal, downside, not replaceable, and as previously discovered is not resistant to scratches, and common chemicals like OFF, leaves permanent stains.
so i cut out original glass and replaced it with 3\16 polycarbonate lens. used silicone to make it waterproof, everything seemed to be ok, after all my earlier mod had lens made of the same piece of polycarbonate. but when i thought i was almost done, problem, my 385nm uv couldn't make anything glow, first thing i did i took my old lanterns with stock glass, put on uv, all was ok, it made things glow, but not identical module in other lanten, also the light with the same glass i build earlier worked fine, putting a small piece of polycarbonate in front of lantern with stock lens gave me the answer.
lesson 1. polycarbonate glass, will not let thru 385nm uv, but will pass 395-400nm uv no problem.
had to take it apart and replace 385nm uv leds with 400nm.
my other idea was to do away with toggle switches, this particular lantern designed as a plastic shell with a rubberized slip on cover\skin, there is room in the handle to fit switches under the skin, i installed 4 switches.
on the outside you only see 1 stock switch, that controls xp-g drop in, drive was removed, and heatsinked, so was the drop in itself, with a copper piece.
so far switches work fine.
on the left fon of the handle i have 1 3 way switch, in control of red green, and uv, in the middle of the handle 1 switch controls 4 5mm rgb flashing leds.
on the left side, 3way switch controls 2x5mm white cree leds, white flood, a maglite reflector, with 25 small smd leds, (it has flower shaped beam), and 8 leds in what little left of original reflector, those leds are hooked to chaser circuit, it has 16 patterns and demo pattern (all in sequence), last switch is a mode change of that chaser controller.
mag reflector, uv cluster, and remaining of original reflector were covered with gitd tape.
in all there are 8 white cree leds, on chaser circuit, 4 0.5w 10mm green leds, 2 white cree in metal holders, 9 400nm uv leds, 4x5mm rgb flashing leds, 1 xp-g module, 8 5mm red leds, and led bulb with 25small smd leds in maglite reflector as are red leds.
the lantern runs on 12 eneloops. recharge port is in the back with a waterproof cover.
the purpose was to test new ideas.
first idea, the lens.
normally stock lens is a 1\8 simple Plexiglas, even thou it is relatively strong, it is brittle, and hot pressed into the head, upside watertight seal, downside, not replaceable, and as previously discovered is not resistant to scratches, and common chemicals like OFF, leaves permanent stains.
so i cut out original glass and replaced it with 3\16 polycarbonate lens. used silicone to make it waterproof, everything seemed to be ok, after all my earlier mod had lens made of the same piece of polycarbonate. but when i thought i was almost done, problem, my 385nm uv couldn't make anything glow, first thing i did i took my old lanterns with stock glass, put on uv, all was ok, it made things glow, but not identical module in other lanten, also the light with the same glass i build earlier worked fine, putting a small piece of polycarbonate in front of lantern with stock lens gave me the answer.
lesson 1. polycarbonate glass, will not let thru 385nm uv, but will pass 395-400nm uv no problem.
had to take it apart and replace 385nm uv leds with 400nm.
my other idea was to do away with toggle switches, this particular lantern designed as a plastic shell with a rubberized slip on cover\skin, there is room in the handle to fit switches under the skin, i installed 4 switches.
on the outside you only see 1 stock switch, that controls xp-g drop in, drive was removed, and heatsinked, so was the drop in itself, with a copper piece.
so far switches work fine.
on the left fon of the handle i have 1 3 way switch, in control of red green, and uv, in the middle of the handle 1 switch controls 4 5mm rgb flashing leds.
on the left side, 3way switch controls 2x5mm white cree leds, white flood, a maglite reflector, with 25 small smd leds, (it has flower shaped beam), and 8 leds in what little left of original reflector, those leds are hooked to chaser circuit, it has 16 patterns and demo pattern (all in sequence), last switch is a mode change of that chaser controller.
mag reflector, uv cluster, and remaining of original reflector were covered with gitd tape.
in all there are 8 white cree leds, on chaser circuit, 4 0.5w 10mm green leds, 2 white cree in metal holders, 9 400nm uv leds, 4x5mm rgb flashing leds, 1 xp-g module, 8 5mm red leds, and led bulb with 25small smd leds in maglite reflector as are red leds.
the lantern runs on 12 eneloops. recharge port is in the back with a waterproof cover.
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