Things to make with salvaged LED Christmas Lights(FWAB title was dumb)

V2 in Post 2

I have been thinking of this for a while. I know we have all tweaked the legs of a 5mm LED to light it up in our hands(right?) I figure that's the simplest LED light.
LED-Battery-Contacts
I've been using a HCRI 5mm LED on top of a lifepo4 cell for awhile.





Probably not the first to try, I took a WW junk 5mm LED I have and added Magnetic leads onto it.
I'm using solid core 24 AWG nickel coated wire. I salvaged it from the recycle bin at work

To connect leads to the LED I used a wire wrap gun which makes a sound solder free joint. Solder would be fine though.

If you have or plan to use a wrap gun you'll need solid core, you can not wire-wrap stranded.



Then mask the LED with tape and cover the bare wire with liquid tape. /\
Make sure and fill the void between the contacts.
I don't have small enough heat shrink, but I'd like to add some.

After it dries time to add the magnets. Strip 1/4" or so of wire. Form them to the curve of the magnets. Tin them if they are not nickel plated.
Place magnet on steel surface to hold it steady. I used tape to hold wire to surface, then slid magnet up under the wire till they mate.
Make sure Iron is hot and tinned. hold iron on wire past where it meets the magnet and rub your solder between the iron and manget on the wire.

If the above is not clear I can make some photos. Surprising easy soldering thanks to nickel plating on the magnets.

Heat resistant magnets are available but I had no issue.

V1 completed!



Photo is running on 2 eneloops at well under 1ma.(not sure how low) Metered 48ma @3.35v AW IFR16340(not shown)



V1 and V2 running on same eneloops, the V2 can take any 5mm LED easy swap and even fast load modules:naughty:
IR-UV-Blue-any 5mm LED just make sure and use appropriate voltage-



Thanks for looking DIY for V2 in post 2. Half the work and so much more versatility!


​

I think this is a neat Idea, I'd love to hear any feedback or other ideas. I'm new at this stuff.
If there is interest in buying one I'll make 100 or so for <$5 shipped with multiple colors

Here it is. Full of joy because it's Momma was a Christmas Tree Light.
Top is the Flashlight without a body(FWAB?)
Beneath is the V1 that is so small I keep loosing it :ironic:




OK first thing if your interested in this or just want a bunch of cheap LEDs to play with keep an eye out for clearance LED Christmas Lights.



I got these at home depot <$15. You can look at the wire and see what gauge it is. 20-24 is good unless you want to run over 1 amp.
This amounted to about $.07 per LED+modlule+holder and wire. Not bad IMHO
I used buckyball magnets I had a surplus of IIRC cost <$.20 per magnet. If I make more, I'll likely get magnets shown farther down.

For this use series circuits are better-should have 2 wires on each light.
Decide which side is the Anode(+) and cathode(-) The anode is the small side and will contact the + side of the power supply.
You don't have to take it all the way out like I have, you should be able to tell if it is a 5mm led when the module comes out.


The wires run past the crimp-it looks..OK

Cut the the lights to give yourself room for the battery set up you intend to use
I cut the + side short at least for now
If you want to run more than one LED in series you can cut them that way.


As before I soldered the magnets- The next ones I may use magnets with holes to fill with solder. I have a few they are TOO strong...



Anyway it is now real easy to swap out LEDs even easier if you carry the plastic module.
Easy to switch batteries as well.

HCRI LED Lighting up Y-R-B-G "modules"


The red drives hard-2xAA 2.7v ~ 50ma.



I tried 1xAA Energizer Lithium. Surprisingly, t took a nice LONG sip 1.793v <1ma



Green takes a slightly higher voltage





Thanks for looking! I'd love comments good or bad.







​

​