Energizer accent lanterns at BigLots, Modable?

I just bought a pack (3) energizer accent LED lanterns at BigLots for $8.88, I may go buy another set because they are pretty nice little gadgets. I have been trying to figure out how to dissasemble them without using heavy machinery or a large pummeling device and still haven't had any luck. I am wondering if the boost circuit can drive several LEDs or will a 26k LED be noticably brighter.

They put out a suprising amount of light and a D cell should run a long time although I don't know much about the 200 hour claim on the box.

BigLots also had the energizer 2LED mini lanterns for $2.99 which is a little cheaper than the office depot price, which didn't have them last time I was there. They also had some funky LED headphone style clip lamp made by coleman for about $5.99 which looked interesting but I think used 2 2016 batteries.

EDIT: shortened title, was truncated.

Re: Energizer accent lanterns at BigLots, anyone mod?

Thanks for the tip, Lynx Arc. I just got back from my Big Lots. Didn't see them, but I'll keep checking. I really like these "lanterns". Picked up a set some time ago when Target was closing them out for $9.99. They're hard to beat for camping and power outages.

Geoff

Re: Energizer accent lanterns at BigLots, anyone m

hmmm! I was planning on eating at Wendy's for lunch (showing support), and it's right next to our biglots. I will have to see if they have some. I managed to get three at target, but I think they would be good as gifts.

btw, mine works with C-cells, too. I haven't tried a AA yet.

Re: Energizer accent lanterns at BigLots, anyone m

If you had an adapter it would work even with a AAA cell as I doubt it takes a lot of current to drive the circuit with what appears to be a single 5mm LED. I can see the circuitry in there and it appears to be something similar to a brinkman etc circuit... 2 transistors etc. IMO these are better than a touchlight if you want near 360 degree lighting. I just measured the drain on the D cell it is between 55-60 ma. If a D cell has 18000mah that would equate to 300 hours and the box says 200 hours which I am guessing the output would be perhaps less than 50%.
I just tried a C cell in it, was easy to get it to work just had to tip it and guess where the middle was and screw it on. The AA won't work without help as the hole in the middle of the bottom spring won't make contact.

Re: Energizer accent lanterns at BigLots, anyone m

I use these lights around the house, they're a great value.

I use a nimh C cell in an adapter I got with my LaCrosse charger. They are also great for draining the last vestiges of power from spent AA and D cells.

Re: Energizer accent lanterns at BigLots, anyone m

I just hooked up two nimh AA cells to the light and the current draw went up to 61ma and it got brighter. My calculations have input at 1.5v*60ma and 2.5v*60ma or input of
0.09watts and 0.15watts. If the circuit is 50% efficient then off an alkaline single cell I *estimate* the current to the LED is approx 13ma, off my two nimh cells 21ma> by these estimates perhaps the circuit is better than 50% efficient as it looks like the LED is brighter than my calculations.

It may be a cheap ~$3 boost circuit for playing around with possibly being able to drive 2-3 LEDs off of 2 batteries.

Re: Energizer accent lanterns at BigLots, anyone m

I just figured out how to get the top off of the lantern and I can now see the guts of this thing. Two transistors, 3 resistors, one diode, one inductor and a 47uf electrolytic cap. There is also the switch and LED. I could cut the LED leads and solder on a better one. The LED beam looks similar to the 26k LEDs I have and I measured 3.3v at the leads from a used C cell I have in it. I just spotted a hidden ceramic cap looks like 103 on it probably 10kpf

If I had a gadget to grip the plastic gearlike bezel that seems to be screwed down holding the circuitry in I may be able to unsolder things.

Re: Energizer accent lanterns at BigLots, anyone m

I placed a 26K Led in one of mine.

About twice as bright.

wwglen.

Re: Energizer accent lanterns at BigLots, anyone m

I will have to check and figure out what current the circuit actually delivers to the LEDs. It may be possible to put 3 or 4 of the 26k LEDs in one if the lower voltage ends up making a hard overdrive into one LED.

Re: Energizer accent lanterns at BigLots, anyone m

Anyone has pic of the inside please?

I'm interested in one, and doing my best to find one locally.

Re: Energizer accent lanterns at BigLots, anyone m

I don't have a pic of the inside but I can describe it well enough. There is an 1 1/4" round circuit board with the following components on it: two transistors, 3 resistors, a diode, a ceramic capacitor (tiny round) and an electrolytic cap. There is also the switch and an LED in the middle.
I haven't figured out how to remove the circuit board from the plastic yet but I did figure out how to get the top off.
You have to unscrew the top,pull the silver ring off then you can pry the black tabs on three sides of the diffuser and get to the insides.

Re: Energizer accent lanterns at BigLots, anyone m

Pictures of this lantern is available in this thread.

Too bad it is not available in Canada. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mecry.gif

Re: Energizer accent lanterns at BigLots, anyone m

[ QUOTE ]
Lynx_Arc said:
two transistors, 3 resistors, a diode, a ceramic capacitor (tiny round) and an electrolytic cap.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dollars to doughnuts one of those resistors is an inductor. Look for it to have a few ohms as measured with your ohm meter (you do have one, right?) when it's shut down. You can check 'in circuit', just probe the ends you can see, no need to pull the board. Most likely between battery plus and LED plus in fact.

Anyway, you need an energy storage component of some sort, typically an inductor. In circuits which do use a cap, it can't be the only cap involved (you'll need at least one other as a timing element to drive it).

Doug Owen

Re: Energizer accent lanterns at BigLots, anyone m

I forgot to say inductor? *whooops*.... yes there is an inductor in there... excuse me for the oversight. The inductor is in addiction to the resistor count. The lantern circuit drives well with 2 batteries also. I had 6 26k LEDs hooked up with clip leads with an ammeter inline with them and with two batteries (nimh) I got close to 90ma into the 6 LEDs in parallel with the original LED. It is mostly because of the lower Vf of the LEDs though as 3 regular LEDs in parallel only registered about 45-60ma on two cells

I just stumbled across an older thread just added to with a picture of the lantern here

however the circuit picture is not identical at all. There is no transformer at all in these lanterns instead it has an inductor and more transistors. I am guessing that version is using something similar to a circuit in a fluorescent light with a diode to keep reverse current from hurting the LED.