Amateur needs help with converting 32 led flashlight to 12 V

I have built a couple Recumbent Trikes -- Tadpole type -- meaning 2 wheels on the front - because I have a bad leg in order to get some exercise. Now here in Hot Fl I ride mainly at night and I need good lights that will work off of 12volt DC 2000mAh VHS Camcorder battery that I have mounted inside the headrest. Not being knowledge able about electrical things at all here I am..... can you guys help me ? I want to use one of these 32 led flashlights from Harbor Freight for a headlight and simply know next to nothing about how to do it. The specs on the flashlight is - Super bright LEDs -- 32 in all! -- make this flashlight a great choice for lighting up dark areas.
■Rugged anodized aluminum body
■Compact design
■Water resistant
■Rubber on/off push button - <dont intend to use this switch ...> will use whats recomended by you all......
■1-15/16" diameter lens
■11,000-13,000 candela light output
Requires three AAA batteries, sold separately.
Overall dimensions: 3-3/4" L x 1-1/4" diameter
Shipping Weight: 0.28 lbs
This is a very nice little black all aluminum number with even o-rings to seal out the water -- I think its ideal for the use if I can make it work with your directions...????????? Any help would be greatly appreciated.... thx mikeinsarasota

taotao said:

This is a very nice little black all aluminum number with even o-rings to seal out the water

Click to expand...

How long are your bike rides? 12v to 3-4.5 volt may be tricky; even if you rig up two or three of the lights in series you might start toasting the cheap 5mm LEDs those are made of. We'll want to know:

Budget
Lighting needs (Trail or road biking? To see or to be seen?)
Speed/how far do you want to see ahead?
Width lit/how much do you turn?
Ride duration
Charge frequency

well, not hard at all, but you'll need voltage reguilator, they are cheap , on ebay look for sure electronics brand, they sell those switching (step down)voltage regulators. this ebay item, 150707705725 is what you need

Howdy taotao, and welcome to CPF,
My experience here has shown me that those types of inexpensive flashlights tend to be hit and miss as far as quality goes, often arriving DOA, or only working for a short period of time, and more than likely, even if does work, I sincerely doubt it's going to put out the amount of light you're looking for.

My suggestion is to do yourself a favor and spend a bit of time browsing around the forum here and become acquainted with some of the only slightly more expensive lights that are available that will undoubtedly work better for you in the long run.

Are you looking for a light to actually light up the dark roadway so that you can see where you are going, or is this light so that other folks can see you? Do you live in an urban area with lots of of ambient lighting (streetlights, house lights, etc), or are you in a rural area? How long are your rides, 1/2 an hour, 2 hours?

Here are several areas you might consider checking out:

1. The budget forum:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?130-Budget-Lights

2. The bicycle transportation forum:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?86-Bicycle

One of the best investments you can make will be in a reflective vest so that you can be seen by other drivers. Just as an example:
http://www.esafetysupplies.com/Safety-Vests/

In any case, before you spend any money, do spend a week or so browsing around here, and feel free to keep asking questions. You'll greatly increase your chances of ending up with the right light at the right price for your needs.

Have fun.

+1 to Derek Dean's suggestion to look around; Harbor Freight LED flashlights are bottom-of-the-barrel offerings that don't provide a fraction of the light that some of our least expensive lights can give you, you'll be very pleasantly surprised at what's out there.