Everett
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2004
- Messages
- 177
This one's a big step for me, it's my first light that's really homemade and not just a mod. i came up with it just a few days ago when i was looking at the board from a Black Diamond headlamp, and decided that it would be handy to have an EDC light with the 3 brightness levels and flashing mode.
Once i had that, i decided it had to be single cell because i love single cell lights. that's where the dorcy AAA board came in. next i needed a case, and i happened to have a waterproof match case lying around. it just so happened that the headlamp board fit alongside a AA in that cannister. i also had a ring of 7 white 5mm LEDs i made recently to fit in a mag AA, but it worked here even better.
so here's my materials:
first came the board. i had to combine the dorcy AAA board with the headlamp board, but it couldn't get any thicker or longer. first i removed all the components from one side of the dorcy board. the two capacitors were relocated to an electrically identical site on the other side (shown by red circle), and the coil and resistor were removed. then i carefully examined the headlamp board, and hacked off a big chunk of it with wire cutters from one end, of about the same size as the dorcy board. i slimmed it down as much as possible on the sides, then attached the dorcy board on the trimmed end. the dorcy board output and ground were wired to the headlamp board. ground went to one side of a capacitor on the BD board because i had to chop off the section where the original ground connection went. i mounted the coil on top of the dorcy board so the thickness wouldn't increase, and added wires.
i wired up everything to test it:
next came the case. i used BD's original switch. i traced it out, drilled it, and cut carefully with an exacto. the plastic was relatively soft so it wasn't difficult.
next i needed a battery holder that added only thickness on one side and almost no length, so i made one from scrap plastic and springs:
everything was going great until i realized that i couldn't use BD's original simple switching method. the dorcy board would be running all the time, whether the BD board was on or not, draining my battery. i had to use the BD clickie for power on/off to the dorcy board and add a new switch to the BD board. that in mind, i fit everything into the case:
and it lights!
i also cut out the top of the cap and used superglue to attach a stiff plastic window. the seal came out well and is waterproof.
so the light was done except for the mode-changing button. unfortunately, the BD board is set up so that the control switch needs to be closed and then have quick breaks to change the mode. i had no NC switches anywhere, and i was too impatient to order some, so i made one:
lastly, i needed to seal up the back end. i have epoxy, but again i was too impatient and just used hotmelt glue. i used the original rubber switch cover on the clickie. the other switch can be exposed since it's NC, so conductive liquids won't bother it.
and it's done! i love the size and shape. it fits in my had well. use your thumb to click-on click-off for full brightness. once on, use the index finger to push the mode switch to cycle through high, med, low, and flash.
here's a picture of the finished product, and of course a beamshot.
Once i had that, i decided it had to be single cell because i love single cell lights. that's where the dorcy AAA board came in. next i needed a case, and i happened to have a waterproof match case lying around. it just so happened that the headlamp board fit alongside a AA in that cannister. i also had a ring of 7 white 5mm LEDs i made recently to fit in a mag AA, but it worked here even better.
so here's my materials:
first came the board. i had to combine the dorcy AAA board with the headlamp board, but it couldn't get any thicker or longer. first i removed all the components from one side of the dorcy board. the two capacitors were relocated to an electrically identical site on the other side (shown by red circle), and the coil and resistor were removed. then i carefully examined the headlamp board, and hacked off a big chunk of it with wire cutters from one end, of about the same size as the dorcy board. i slimmed it down as much as possible on the sides, then attached the dorcy board on the trimmed end. the dorcy board output and ground were wired to the headlamp board. ground went to one side of a capacitor on the BD board because i had to chop off the section where the original ground connection went. i mounted the coil on top of the dorcy board so the thickness wouldn't increase, and added wires.
i wired up everything to test it:
next came the case. i used BD's original switch. i traced it out, drilled it, and cut carefully with an exacto. the plastic was relatively soft so it wasn't difficult.
next i needed a battery holder that added only thickness on one side and almost no length, so i made one from scrap plastic and springs:
everything was going great until i realized that i couldn't use BD's original simple switching method. the dorcy board would be running all the time, whether the BD board was on or not, draining my battery. i had to use the BD clickie for power on/off to the dorcy board and add a new switch to the BD board. that in mind, i fit everything into the case:
and it lights!
i also cut out the top of the cap and used superglue to attach a stiff plastic window. the seal came out well and is waterproof.
so the light was done except for the mode-changing button. unfortunately, the BD board is set up so that the control switch needs to be closed and then have quick breaks to change the mode. i had no NC switches anywhere, and i was too impatient to order some, so i made one:
lastly, i needed to seal up the back end. i have epoxy, but again i was too impatient and just used hotmelt glue. i used the original rubber switch cover on the clickie. the other switch can be exposed since it's NC, so conductive liquids won't bother it.
and it's done! i love the size and shape. it fits in my had well. use your thumb to click-on click-off for full brightness. once on, use the index finger to push the mode switch to cycle through high, med, low, and flash.
here's a picture of the finished product, and of course a beamshot.
