I ordered a couple SSC p7 bulbs, and they just came in. I have read a little since I ordered them, and placed another order for a driver, batteries, reflector...... Since I have the bulbs sitting here, I decided to try and use one of them.
I tried a few different reflectors, and finally decided on a AA maglite. I drilled out the reflector hole to 10mm, and the led fits it perfectly. The problem was the aluminum housing. My bulbs came attached to a metal plate, and it didn't fit into the housing. I was afraid the grind so close to the bulb and all the contacts, so I put the housing on the lathe, and opened it up. The plate fit perfectly.
Everything actually fits pretty good. The plate on the bulb sits aluminum to aluminum with the body of the flashlight, so I believe the whole body will work as a heat sink. My goal is a small, bright, helmet light for night mountain bike riding. I want to mount a socket in the back end. I think I can have a power pack in my back pack, with a cord running to the helmet light. I think the plug will be good if it gets caught on some brush. I'm hoping it will yank the plug out instead of pulling off my helmet.
So, do I have a problem in the works? Should I epoxy the bulb to the flashlight body, or is the cap holding it tight to the body enough? Any other ideas for improvements? This is my first try at building a flashlight, and so far I'm pretty happy. We'll see what happens after my first ride. :thumbsup:
I tried a few different reflectors, and finally decided on a AA maglite. I drilled out the reflector hole to 10mm, and the led fits it perfectly. The problem was the aluminum housing. My bulbs came attached to a metal plate, and it didn't fit into the housing. I was afraid the grind so close to the bulb and all the contacts, so I put the housing on the lathe, and opened it up. The plate fit perfectly.
Everything actually fits pretty good. The plate on the bulb sits aluminum to aluminum with the body of the flashlight, so I believe the whole body will work as a heat sink. My goal is a small, bright, helmet light for night mountain bike riding. I want to mount a socket in the back end. I think I can have a power pack in my back pack, with a cord running to the helmet light. I think the plug will be good if it gets caught on some brush. I'm hoping it will yank the plug out instead of pulling off my helmet.
So, do I have a problem in the works? Should I epoxy the bulb to the flashlight body, or is the cap holding it tight to the body enough? Any other ideas for improvements? This is my first try at building a flashlight, and so far I'm pretty happy. We'll see what happens after my first ride. :thumbsup: