# Easy DIY



## Citizen Kane (Aug 12, 2007)

I stumbled across this case the other day, the internal dimensions are just perfect for a twin LED.









I assembled together the parts I would need and cut the case in half, made a star plate from some angle alloy, drilled the holes in the front bezel and cut out a bit of clear plastic from an helmet visor.









In this picture a couple of holes have been drilled in the back bezel for the switch and cable entry and the buckpuck bonded in place and wired in.









Stars have been wired in and the assembly is ready to be slid in to the case.









With the rear bezel in place and star plate attached the 2 optics and their holders simply slide into place.









OK, theres quite a few holes to drill but the stars could probably be bonded in place, the star plate still need attaching to the case, you need to cut the case down to size and drill the holes for the optics, switch and cable, still nothing that can be done with the most basic of tools.


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## [email protected] (Mar 28, 2007)

Looks very nice. I especially like the end caps that cover up any rough cuts on the case.

Where did you find the case?

Mark


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## Citizen Kane (Aug 12, 2007)

I found the case hear http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&ModuleNo=33690&doy=28m4

Hears a picture of the assembled light.









The switch allows you to run at 1000mA and 500mA, at 1000mA the cooling is marginal and requires airflow to stay cool.

Drawing showing basic layout.


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## UpRocks (Jun 24, 2004)

Sweet find.

Is it the 80x54x23mm case?


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## Pitto (Sep 26, 2005)

very tidy, i like it


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## p97z (Dec 19, 2006)

Creative! I like it!


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## bikerjay (Sep 16, 2007)

I think that case is made by hammond manufacturing. They make some great stuff, got me contemplating a dual header with a small lipoly battery inside this: 
http://www.hammondmfg.com/pdf/1457C801.pdf


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## msxtr (Dec 10, 2006)

Hi, very nice and great job!!!

Greetings - Saludos

msxtr


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## UpRocks (Jun 24, 2004)

bikerjay said:


> I think that case is made by hammond manufacturing. They make some great stuff, got me contemplating a dual header with a small lipoly battery inside this:
> https://www.hammondmfg.com/pdf/1457C801.pdf


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## bikerjay (Sep 16, 2007)

Yea i saw that photo on the Hammond website as well. Great stuff here, this the next classic diy light I think! Some other cool stuff on the Hammond site worth mentioning, cast aluminum end plates, and translucent polycarbonate end plates are also available, with IP65 rated gaskets to seal it up. Another cool thing from Hammond I just saw was cable glands that are also IP65 rated. I wonder what the weight of the sealed IP65 rated enclosure is. This could easily become the first DIY light on here that I know of to be not just water and dust resistant but submergeable. I would think that one could use arctic silver adhesive to attach the star plate and avoid drilling those two holes in the case and using an IP65 rated switch would do the trick. FYI Digikey is a Hammond, distributor and they also sell a huge variety of switches and connectors. I dont even need another light but I am not totally happy with how my first attempt turned out and this design is just awesome, so tempting.


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## UpRocks (Jun 24, 2004)

bikerjay said:


> ...this design is just awesome, so tempting.


I agree. This seems a very effective housing for an off-the-shelf item.

The available closure options from the extruded screw "holes" seals the deal for me...especially because it allows for buying long and slicing for multiple lights.


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

Nice one citizen kane . so nice I have just been into Maplins for a nosey around and came out with not one but 2 boxes . the small one will make 2 ace helmet lights .

but my main build is going to be like this










I have 6 cree R2 leds and various of the cutter triple optics

and 1 maxflex

I will post some pics when the thing starts taking shape.

Thanks for the idea CK


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## notaknob (Apr 6, 2004)

*Nice project*



troutie-mtb said:


> Nice one citizen kane . so nice I have just been into Maplins for a nosey around and came out with not one but 2 boxes . the small one will make 2 ace helmet lights .
> 
> but my main build is going to be like this
> 
> ...


That looks like quite the torch. Are those separate emitters or two 3 LED boards from Cutter?


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

Hi Bruce hows it going with your housing , I bet you are waiting to see what cree are upto in the near future it sounds like something will be out soon . 

They are 2 cutter triples that I got for a (mate ? ) who then said he didnot want them not R2 though , I am saving them for something else, 

now I am wondering how to remove the heat from the housing .

Trout


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## notaknob (Apr 6, 2004)

*to R2 or not to R2, R4 is the question...*



troutie-mtb said:


> Hi Bruce hows it going with your housing , I bet you are waiting to see what cree are upto in the near future it sounds like something will be out soon .
> 
> They are 2 cutter triples that I got for a (mate ? ) who then said he did not want them not R2 though , I am saving them for something else,
> 
> now I am wondering how to remove the heat from the housing .


I was looking at that housing last night when I saw a posting about the Seoul P7.

I'm still undecided on whether to go with a 3 or 4 Cree. I think I'll hold off on a purchase for that until Sept or so.


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## Citizen Kane (Aug 12, 2007)

I tried to make my case as waterproof as possible, the switch is sealed, the cable entry is a 4 mm banana plug panel socket drilled out to fit the cable, back potted with epoxy and finally sealed with adhesive lined heatshrink. Each end plate is sealed with a silicone rubber gasket cut from 0.5mm thick sheet. I reality I dont think the plastic end caps are ridged enough to compress the gasket material adequately. I think the light would survive a quick dip but no more. It may be the alloy ends would allow you to engineer a more effective seal.

UpRocks - yes the case is nominally 80*54*23, the 20mm internal dimension isnt that well controlled, the extrusion process seems to leave a slight bow in the alloy so its a bit over 20 in the middle. In fact after bolting down the star plate with the 2 M3 screws I could still see daylight between the case and the plate, not to much of a problem since I needed to add a M4 screw in the middle to hold the cateye mount but this may cause problems if you wanted to bond the star plate to the case. If you willing to squeeze things in tight you should be able to just get away with a 39 mm long case so 2 lights from one full case. I could find a supply of just end plates in the UK so I went for 40 mm instead.

I should mention that the optics and holders are from Carclo and the dimensions in the drawing assume your using these and Seoul Leds.

Like I said, cooling is marginal, ultimatly I want to fit an NTC thermistor to the star plate to wind back the current if things get a bit hot.

I wish I brought the black case as well, thats life.


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

I have been a bit of a copy cat :nono: I hope you dont mind Citizen Kane It looked such an easy way for a light.



















parts list is

the ali box as above ( cheers CK )
2 cree R2 leds
1 ledil smooth spot optic
1 ledil oval optic
1 taskled maxflex
1 small piece of aluminium for the heatsink .










At the moment it is running off 4 AA Ni Mh rechargeables with the maxflex set at 750ma
the batteries are 2400 mah .

I just need a front lens cover

This is an ace little light I am well pleased with how it has turned out :thumbsup:


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

Troutie please tell us that light took longer than 2 days from whoa to go. Or please tell us you're been up all night, twice  
Seriously this looks quite tidy. 

Very nice both of you guys!!! 
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## Citizen Kane (Aug 12, 2007)

Nice light, well I would say that wouldnt I.

Again, I'm amazed how quikly you got this together.

How did you get on with the alloy end plates, are they a good fit.

What are you going to do for a mount.

I used the cateye base plate. I think a only paid about 70 pence from wiggle and it fits there handlebar and helmet mounts.


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

Znomit. I really must get out riding more but the trails are more like swamps at the mo

I spotted this post and the same day was passing maplins so got the boxes I allready had all the other ingredients and to be fair it is a dead easy build . the only problem I had was with the ledil optics and they needed .75 mm sanding off to fit the box. total build time over 2 evenings about 6 hours.it is not finished as it needs a lens cover making ,

I am going to use the lens from a pair of safety googles and cut to the same shape as the endplate.

it also needs waterproofing .

Citizen Kane - the alloy endplates are a very good fit and suited my build very well 

it is going to be mainly a helmet light and I thought I would use some velcro for the mount

I wish now I had got the black one and the longer one then there would be enough for 2 lights .

As I posted earlier I am still thinking about the double triple light but the heat is the major problem


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## achesalot (Nov 8, 2005)

Yeah. That's looks to be a nice easy build. Sweet case.


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

I think you could squeeze in an nflex and three of these polymer optics. Get 14mm Q5 stars from DX.


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

znomit said:


> I think you could squeeze in an nflex and three of these polymer optics. Get 14mm Q5 stars from DX.


You have a good eye for detail Mr Znomit 
I think the light would be 15 mm shorter with the nflex and polymer optics
and whoa three of them in the same space

I dont need the stars as I am using some bare emitters from a group buy over at CPF.

looks like this ali box was made for your suggestion


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

troutie-mtb said:


> looks like this ali box was made for your suggestion


I expect to see full build pics and beamshots within 24hrs :smilewinkgrin:


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

znomit said:


> I expect to see full build pics and beamshots within 24hrs :smilewinkgrin:


As long as that 

no sorry the Nflex is for the double triple to be powered from my 18 v makita li ion battery
when I work out the cooling . I might have to steal your ducting ideas from your curtain rail light.


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## wkumtrider (Dec 27, 2007)

Does the threading for the end plate screws go the entire length of the case? In other words if you cut the case in half, can you still thread the back end plate on? 

Thanks!


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

wkumtrider said:


> Does the threading for the end plate screws go the entire length of the case? In other words if you cut the case in half, can you still thread the back end plate on?
> 
> Thanks!


The screws are self tapping and cut there own thread so yes you can cut the box to any length


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## bikerjay (Sep 16, 2007)

This light is so cool I have to copy it too! Imitation is the highest form of flattery right CK.

So the case that CK and Troutie have used looks like the Hammond 1455. I am thinking about using the slightly larger 1457 which is IP65 rated and water proof. I am hoping I can cram in 2 leds, optics, a star plate and a driver as well as three small li-po cells. I think I can get a 11.1v 2000mah battery inside the housing if it is 80mm long instead of the 40mm used by CK. The battery is only 18mm *50mm *60mm and 111g light. I really like the idea of having the battery in the enclosure but i am worried it could get a little heavy for a helmet light, and the the one spec missing from the Hammond data sheets is the weight. FYI Hammond makes translucent end caps in blue and red polycarbonate that fir the 1455 enclosure. Troutie, CK any idea what your finished lights weigh?


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## Citizen Kane (Aug 12, 2007)

All up weight of mine is about 170 grams, that includes the mount and a fair lenght of cable with connector fitted. I like the idea of having batteries built in. I was thinking of building a single Led tail light, you can just about squeeze 3 AA's in the back of the full case.


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## helibird (Apr 22, 2008)

I think I found a distributor of the box in the us can someone confirm that this is the same box...
http://www.newark.com/04N9975/enclosures-storage-datacom-telecom/product.us0?sku=HAMMOND-1457C801

Will a buck puck 3023 fit in the housing??


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## Guest (Jun 28, 2008)

Yes to both questions.


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## UpRocks (Jun 24, 2004)

I'm ordering the 1455 (not watertight, like the 1457) with aluminum endcaps from Allied today.

Turns out Hammond also sells colored bezels, including translucent (scroll to bottom), along with additional endcaps so you can make two lights out of one case (I hope).


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## UpRocks (Jun 24, 2004)

Change of plans...instead of a translucent bezel, how about a fully translucent endcap. Seems like the light spill at the base of the optics should look pretty cool inside the case.


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## Citizen Kane (Aug 12, 2007)

I like it, I like it a lot.

I've gotta track me down some of those.


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

Cool get the red one 









and some red 5mm leds inside for the helmet light with built in tail light

I have sortof done this with 2 helmet lights I have built










I have thought about using the offcut from mine to make a tail light


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## kmacon (Nov 15, 2006)

Citizen Kane, Could you please do me a favor and post a couple of close-up pictures (top and bottom) of the Cat-Eye spacer that you are using on your light with a brief explanation of how it locks onto the bar clamp? I have the bar clamp but for some reason I can not find the spacer anywhere in the US and I guess I am going to have to make something that will work if I am going to use the clamp. Thanks


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

kmacon said:


> ...I have the bar clamp but for some reason I can not find the spacer anywhere in the US and I guess I am going to have to make something that will work if I am going to use the clamp. Thanks


If you don't need quick release you can bolt the light head to the part of the bracket that swivels. You need to gring down a screw head and dremmel out the hole on the bracket a little to make room for the screw head. Works very well, tidy and you can still swivel the light l/r if you dremmel the hole enough. I have done this to a couple of lights.
Details here.


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## Citizen Kane (Aug 12, 2007)

Heres some close up pics with the light and a Cateye helmet mount.

As the spacer is is a single screw fixing it has been mounted on a machined alloy block to prevent it turning. If I had made the body of the lamp a little longer I could have mounted it flush and used an additional small screw to prevent it rotating. The last pic is the underside of the spacer showing the mechanics of the catch, not this spacer has been cut down a bit to fit another design of light.

Cateye part number is #533-8730 and Model is H-27, only cost me 70 pence, about $1.50.

Hope this helps


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## kmacon (Nov 15, 2006)

Thanks CK for going through the trouble of taking the pix and posting up. Now I have an idea of how the thing works. The part is on perpetual backorder at Cat Eye and when I search for it on Google the only place that comes up as having it is your Wiggles over there in the UK. And they don't ship to the US. 

And thanks znomit for the idea and the link.


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## uk_exile (May 2, 2008)

Can the curved helmet mount shown above be brought separately ? Is it cat eye ? What's the cat eye code / model ?


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## biketavioumaximus (Jun 28, 2007)

uk_exile said:


> Can the curved helmet mount shown above be brought separately ? Is it cat eye ? What's the cat eye code / model ?


Yeah.what he said?


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## Citizen Kane (Aug 12, 2007)

Standard Cateye part 534 1831. Ordered thru my local dealer, about 8 earth pounds.


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## biketavioumaximus (Jun 28, 2007)

Citizen Kane said:


> about 8 earth pounds.


Any idea how much that would cost on Marclar???


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## uk_exile (May 2, 2008)

anyone know a online store that will do international shipping i.e. outside USA ?


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## biketavioumaximus (Jun 28, 2007)

uk_exile said:


> anyone know a online store that will do international shipping i.e. outside USA ?


Yep, I need that info as well???


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## Pitto (Sep 26, 2005)

im happy, ive found a local electronics shop who stock 1455 cases.

:thumbsup: 

time to mod my first attempts and DIY.

just need to source CATEYE parts in AUS


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Thanks for ideas, I had been planning another Mag based light (well I still am as I have the parts), but this looks much cooler. I am thinking of using this enclosure though:

http://www.hammondmfg.com/pdf/1455B802.pdf (posted the wrong one the first time)

With 16mm DX Cree boards and Polymer Optics "Modular LED Optics" from cutter I think it will all cram in there.

One question for anyone who has used these optics:

I was planning 25-6-25. 6 deg is pretty narrow, but I need some throw. Should I have gone with 25-25-25 or one of their oval optics?


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## notaknob (Apr 6, 2004)

*R2s?*



HuffyPuffy said:


> Thanks for ideas, I had been planning another Mag based light (well I still am as I have the parts), but this looks much cooler. I am thinking of using this enclosure though:
> 
> http://www.hammondmfg.com/pdf/1455B802.pdf (posted the wrong one the first time)
> 
> ...


Why not go for a set of R2s and Ledil lenses?


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

The Q5's are cheap, and I plan to run these at upto 1amp so if I cook em it will not be a huge loss. The cheapest R2's I can find are about $11 each plus shipping from Cutter (though I know I can trust they are R2's so it is worth it). The Ledil's are cool and probably a heck of a lot better than the Polymer Optics, however the case I plan to use is too small for the Ledil's (they are 21.6mm square and the case has an inside height of 15.25mm):



I am gonna pick up some Ledil's from Led-spot.com for another project this thread has inspired (using a 1455J1201BK and 3 crees with Ledil optics).


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## notaknob (Apr 6, 2004)

*CPF links*



HuffyPuffy said:


> The Q5's are cheap, and I plan to run these at upto 1amp so if I cook em it will not be a huge loss. The cheapest R2's I can find are about $11 each plus shipping from Cutter (though I know I can trust they are R2's so it is worth it). The Ledil's are cool and probably a heck of a lot better than the Polymer Optics, however the case I plan to use is too small for the Ledil's (they are 21.6mm square and the case has an inside height of 15.25mm):
> 
> 
> 
> I am gonna pick up some Ledil's from Led-spot.com for another project this thread has inspired (using a 1455J1201BK and 3 crees with Ledil optics).


I'd first thought you were going with the larger box, but now see the size difference.

You did see the link I posted for R2s @$7 each plus $5 for shipping plus 5%PP fee, right? They ship quickly, versus waiting for DX to ship in 2-? weeks. And still cheaper than Cutter.

Nice drawing. I don't think you really need a 1" heat sink, but I may be wrong.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Wow, thanks for the link, that is a great price! I am not sure about how much heatsinking is optimal for this setup, but hopefully it will be OK. Should also give a good base to the mount.


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## AS-X (Feb 15, 2006)

troutie-mtb said:


> I have been a bit of a copy cat :nono: I hope you dont mind Citizen Kane It looked such an easy way for a light.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sweet! Is this the optics you used?: 
http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut678&cat=33

I was thinking about doing the same thing, but from the drawings of the box it looks like the internal height of the box is 20mm, and the optics is 21,6mm. Do they fit anyway?

M


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

Yes they are the optics , you do need to sand the optic and holder on top and bottom to make them fit there is enough spare material to do this without effecting the optic at all.


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## notaknob (Apr 6, 2004)

*And another...*



AS-X said:


> Sweet! Is this the optics you used?:
> http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut678&cat=33
> 
> I was thinking about doing the same thing, but from the drawings of the box it looks like the internal height of the box is 20mm, and the optics is 21,6mm. Do they fit anyway?
> ...


For what it's worth...

If you're actually in Norway, you should still be able to get those optics cheaper and quicker from CPF. The seller is in NL. No affiliation, just a satisfied buyer. There's also a sale on R2 LEDs going on too.

I've been trying to convince my chief financial officer that I "need" more LEDs and lenses to make one of these, in addition to a quad build that's already in progress. I already have a dual LED setup with Q5s, but the R2s are far superior. When I suggested I get those, she kept pressuring me to differentiate between the power of the Q5s and the R2s and the Return On Investment. She just couldn't understand the obvious advantage of the newer LEDs.


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

> If you're actually in Norway, you should still be able to get those optics cheaper and quicker from CPF. The seller is in NL. No affiliation, just a satisfied buyer. There's also a sale on R2 LEDs going on too.


I got my ledil optics and some Q5 leds from Bram and he was very helpfull and quick to dispatch.

Bruce maybe you can sweeten the financial adviser with a specialy brewed beer   
:smallviolin:and a romantic meal :smallviolin:


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## UpRocks (Jun 24, 2004)

Got my case in over the weekend...translucent endcaps too.

Split the case today on the bandsaw which commits me to stuffing all the components in a 40mm case length.
View attachment 376550

View attachment 376551

View attachment 376552


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## AS-X (Feb 15, 2006)

Citizen Kane said:


> With the rear bezel in place and star plate attached the 2 optics and their holders simply slide into place.
> 
> View attachment 356176


What optics is this, and what is the diameter? Did you have to cut of something from the holders?


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## Citizen Kane (Aug 12, 2007)

Optics and holders are from Carclo.

Optics are 20 mm diameter and holders are hexagonal (part number for black ones 10043)

No mods needed they just slip into the case and are enough of an interferance fit to stay put.


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## Pitto (Sep 26, 2005)

wow, these look alright, no cree's though, but would make mounting lenses dead easy.


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## searchtime (Jul 6, 2008)

Has anyone got any idea of how much Carclo are charging for their lenses, from the website it looks like 35 quid each, this can't be right. What type of switch is it that can go from 1000ma to 500ma and where can I get one?


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## Citizen Kane (Aug 12, 2007)

I pay about £1.50 for a Carclo optic from dotlight in Germany.

The switch is a 2 pole 3 position centre off toggle switch, two resistors are wired so that one is switched in in parallel to reduce the current.


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## searchtime (Jul 6, 2008)

Thanks for the information Citizen cane, its a real pain in the butt trying to get led components in NZ, no lenses, hardly any drivers and the big fat duck egg (0) for leds. It looks like I might be asking my brother to do a bit of running around for me in the UK. Did you purchase the driver in the UK??
One other newbie question, if the enclosure was cut slightly longer and a couple of copper slugs (6mm thick) were attached between the stars and aluminium mounting bracket would this help with heat??

Forgot to say what a great light.


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## Citizen Kane (Aug 12, 2007)

Try hear.

http://www.nightlightning.co.nz/

Adding copper inside gives you thermal mass, it takes longer to reach equilibrium. but the ultimate temperature will be the same.

If you want the light to run cooler you need to increase surface area. Making the case longer will increase the area, adding the copper will allow you to sit a standstill a little longer before the light gets to hot.

Most of these Led lights require some forced cooling or active heat managment to prevent overheating.

This design is no different, as long as your cycling everthing is fine, I turn mine down to low when stationary.

You can replace the Buckpuk with another drive that monitors the heat (bflex or similar).

My Buckpuk was purchased in the UK, at a cost.


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## aaron04 (May 26, 2008)

Do you have a parts list, can you give me the part numbers for the electronics? I didnt see them in this thread. Thanks


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## b-40 (May 15, 2007)

aaron04 said:


> Do you have a parts list, can you give me the part numbers for the electronics? I didnt see them in this thread. Thanks


YEAH that would be great. :thumbsup:


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## notaknob (Apr 6, 2004)

*DIY Done Cheap*



aaron04 said:


> Do you have a parts list, can you give me the part numbers for the electronics? I didnt see them in this thread. Thanks


il2mb had a huge thread on this.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=355347

First post has parts using Cree XR-E lenses.


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## fre3ud (Apr 29, 2008)

Searchtime - from one kiwi to another, try www.cutter.com.au for led stuff. Their mail delivery to NZ only takes about 10 days and they are the local experts in high power led parts.
Also, the Hammond case these guys are talking about is available through at least three NZ distributors, but they may not have the coloured bezels here. The hammond site metnioned by Huffypuffy has the links to the distributors. Sicom are good to deal with.


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## UpRocks (Jun 24, 2004)

Translucent endcaps.

Need to source a dimmer pot (waterproof?) for the buckpuck and do a little creative sealing and I'll be done.

Any ideas on the pot?

View attachment 381126


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

UpRocks said:


> Any ideas on the pot?


Wow thats nice. :thumbsup: 
Have looked and looked without success for waterproof pots. Best solution is a resistor/switch setup to give high/med/low.


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## Calina (Apr 8, 2008)

znomit said:


> Best solution is a resistor/switch setup to give high/med/low.


Do you have a link for a suitable switch.


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

Calina said:


> Do you have a link for a suitable switch.


Any waterproof on/off/on toggle switch. Wire appropriate resistors to the two on positions.


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## Citizen Kane (Aug 12, 2007)

UpRocks said:


> Translucent endcaps.
> 
> Need to source a dimmer pot (waterproof?) for the buckpuck and do a little creative sealing and I'll be done.
> 
> ...


Nice job. I would love to see a picture in the dark from behind.

Its not difficult finding an IP rated pot, just difficult finding one that will fit in the case.

If you want to go for a pot I would just find any one that will fit and not worry about the seal, when it goes it goes, I'm sure a small O ring between the shaft and knob could be used to seal the worst out.

Finding a suitable pot with an "off" switch built in will probably be the real challange.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Here is one that may work for you (a bit on the expensive side):

http://www.mouser.com/catalog/634/682.pdf
P16NP472MAB15


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

znomit said:


> Any waterproof on/off/on toggle switch. Wire appropriate resistors to the two on positions.


Second that. You seldom/never need more than 3 settings on the trail anyways.


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## UpRocks (Jun 24, 2004)

Citizen Kane said:


> Nice job. I would love to see a picture in the dark from behind.


Best I could do...got moisture in the camera lens a couple of weeks ago which is giving a 
glare from any intense lighting. Makes the second photo look spottier than IRL.

View attachment 381474
View attachment 381475


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## UpRocks (Jun 24, 2004)

*Mounting*

I noticed yesterday that Cateye has the spacer in stock (order...order), but in the meantime I found something cheap to play with at the hardware store.

After wiggling the light head onto the mounts pretty well to set the velcro, I could actually hold the front tire off the ground with the light head before the velcro separated. Should let me ride with the light while the spacers ship.

Solid mounting...1/2 check. [read edit below]
2-axis rotation...check
Cheap...double check.

View attachment 381477
View attachment 381478

View attachment 381479
View attachment 381480


[edit] update: The mount survived a half hour ride with the kids on the local rails-to-trails. Did notice some jittery shadow flicker on some washboard gravel. Not the most rigid mounting system.


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## penquissciguy (Jan 22, 2008)

UpRocks said:


> Best I could do...got moisture in the camera lens a couple of weeks ago which is giving a
> glare from any intense lighting. Makes the second photo look spottier than IRL.
> 
> View attachment 381474
> View attachment 381475


Very nice! Where did you find the blue endcaps in stock? I looked at Allied, but they aren't a stock item there.

Ken


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## UpRocks (Jun 24, 2004)

penquissciguy said:


> Very nice! Where did you find the blue endcaps in stock? I looked at Allied, but they aren't a stock item there.


Got on the phone with the local Allied sales guy. Gave him the Hammond P# (from here) and he found it on his end. Expect to choke on shipping...

[EDIT] Allied Stock# 806S0104 $6.99


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## penquissciguy (Jan 22, 2008)

UpRocks said:


> Got on the phone with the local Allied sales guy. Gave him the Hammond P# (from here) and he found it on his end. Expect to choke on shipping...


Thanks for the information. I think I'll just stick to the black endcaps. Too bad the places that stock the boxes don't also stock the endcaps at a decent price.

Ken


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## ocean breathes salty (Oct 1, 2006)

Has anyone in Australia found somewhere local to source these boxes from? 

The only place I can find that is actually stocking them at the moment is the US newark link from an earlier post. There is just something about paying $40 shipping for a $10 box that doesn't sit right 

I am currently in contact with Hammond manufacturing Aus, so hopefully they might be able to help me out. 

btw, awesome light design Citizen Kane... thanks for sharing.


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## searchtime (Jul 6, 2008)

Do you have RS Components in the big Oz???


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## Pitto (Sep 26, 2005)

Prime Electronics or RS have them.

the Hammond site has links to distributor in south oz, very good to deal with, shoot them an email.


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## msxtr (Dec 10, 2006)

*Citizen Kane* how you drilled the holes in the front bezel?? the circles are perfects... 

Greetings - Saludos

msxtr


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## msxtr (Dec 10, 2006)

Hi, here my "Citizen Kane" style 










Kaidomain optics of 10º each one, custom cut 










Cree R2 leds










Cheap push buttom of DX with rubber of DX too.




























Cheap Kaidomain driver 4~18 volts





































Cheap DX custom handlebar holder





































And for night running....
































































Control beamshot










Beamshot










Greetings - Saludos

msxtr


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## wkumtrider (Dec 27, 2007)

Very Nice!


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## ocean breathes salty (Oct 1, 2006)

Well done Msxtr :thumbsup: It's extremely compact!

It is next on my list of things to do.


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## Pitto (Sep 26, 2005)

yep, its my next DIY light.


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

msxtr said:


> And for night running....


You must run bloody fast to need that much light! :ciappa:

Very nice design. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## wkumtrider (Dec 27, 2007)

Msxtr, does your light case have the plastic end caps only or the metal end caps?

Thanks! This is the light I plan to build.


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## msxtr (Dec 10, 2006)

*znomit* Hi, not, I run slow, but sure :smilewinkgrin:

*wkumtrider* Thank you, it is the only plastic end caps.

*ocean breathes salty* Thank you, really it is very easy of done 

*Pitto* Hi, we want your progress...

Greetings - Saludos

msxtr


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## Pitto (Sep 26, 2005)

i have all the parts except the case.

It will run Q5's with square ledil lenses on cheap DX drivers. 9.6v 3000ah imput voltage.

just need to get a cheap cellphone charger for the curly cord.

will post up when im done.


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## ortelius (Dec 6, 2007)

HuffyPuffy said:


> I am thinking of using this enclosure though:
> 
> http://www.hammondmfg.com/pdf/1455B802.pdf (posted the wrong one the first time)
> 
> ...


Hi, I'm going to build similar light out of Hammond aluminium case, maxFlex, triple R2 and Polymer Optics. I can find all of the components for a reasonable price+shipping in Europe, except for Polymer Optics for Xree XR-Es. So far, the only dealer I've found for those is located down under and their price (plus shipping charges and time) make them not so attractive.

So, does anybody know of any other dealer that offers those Polymer Optics lenses for Cree XR-E and who operates in (or is at least willing to ship them for a reasonable price to) Europe?

TIA


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## kgardnez (Jan 31, 2004)

Pitto said:


> i have all the parts except the case.
> 
> It will run Q5's with square ledil lenses on cheap DX drivers. 9.6v 3000ah imput voltage.
> 
> ...


A great place for cheap cords is your local recycler, mine has piles of them.


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## ocean breathes salty (Oct 1, 2006)

oops wrong thread


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## ocean breathes salty (Oct 1, 2006)

kgardnez said:


> A great place for cheap cords is your local recycler, mine has piles of them.


I've got a friend who has had more mobile phones than than hot dinners. They are also the perfect source of old chargers


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## deesta (Sep 7, 2008)

Ortelius: Have you looked at the ledil optics? I'm in the process of doing a triple Q5 XR-E and the optics look really good. If you're intersted, I could give you the name of the guy I get mine off. Euope based and reliable too 

http://www.ledil.fi/datasheets/DataSheet_LC1.pdf


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## johnmyster99 (Mar 2, 2004)

The cateye small parts can also be had in their online store:

http://www.cateye.com/store/categories.php?cid=2

The spacer and handlebar mounts can be found under the Stadium 3 light, while the helmet strap can be had under the Double Shot.

About. $20 shipped for two handlebar mounts (two sizes) a helmet strap and a "spacer" for the light itself.


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## Pitto (Sep 26, 2005)

johnmyster99 said:


> The cateye small parts can also be had in their online store:
> 
> http://www.cateye.com/store/categories.php?cid=2
> 
> ...


yeah, but only do USA shipping.


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## Pitto (Sep 26, 2005)

just went out and got the case. god its small and i have yet to cut it down. buildup will be shortly, once i work out how i am going to helmet mount it.


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## ocean breathes salty (Oct 1, 2006)

Pitto said:


> just went out and got the case. god its small and i have yet to cut it down. buildup will be shortly, once i work out how i am going to helmet mount it.


What is your plan for trimming the case? Do you have access to a bandsaw or belt sander or are you just going to wing it with a hacksaw?

I don't think my neat cutting skills are quite good enough to have a go at such a nice looking case with a hack saw


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## Pitto (Sep 26, 2005)

pretty much setup as far as machinery goes. most likely will cut it by clamping it down and using the dropsaw [fine tooth, negetive rake blade for aluminium work] then avoiding the use of the beltsander.

drilling the front panel is going to be the challenge. i may end up making a jig to sit over the whole panel and use a laminate trimmer with a 3mm cutter and a guide collar. not sure as yet. i want it to be as tidy as possible. so i will be taking my time with it thats for sure.


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## sxr-racer (Nov 17, 2005)

you could use a step drill bit for the holes.


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## Pitto (Sep 26, 2005)

done a CNC program for the router, save me the effort


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## msxtr (Dec 10, 2006)

Hi, I decided done another similar light, but a little more big, with more big optics to get a angle higher, I hope that like us 

This work with 2 seouls P4 U-bin and 2 optics of "in theory" of 30mm of diameter custom cut, with 1 driver of 800ma. The housing are a Hammond of length 120mm x width 78mm X height 27mm cut by the middle (60mmX78mmX27mm)














































Beamshot from the wall, about 1 meter










Greetings - Saludos

msxtr


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## Pitto (Sep 26, 2005)

nice, i like it. The Hammond box makes for an easy and tidy light. 

The bigger box size would probably be better for the square optics i have.

i am still sourcing CATEYE helmet and spacer before i begin on mine.


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## Jvan_wert (Apr 8, 2007)

Awsome light props to CK. What kind (volts/ amp hours) of battery(s) are you all using and what is the run time?


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## msxtr (Dec 10, 2006)

Jvan_wert said:


> Awsome light props to CK. What kind (volts/ amp hours) of battery(s) are you all using and what is the run time?


Hi, I use a camcorder battery of (theoretically) 7,2 volts, but really give 8,4 volts and 6000 mah. The driver work to 800 ma. I don't know the total run time, but at least 4 hours test for my.

Greetings - Saludos

msxtr


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## neilt (Apr 7, 2007)

Keeping this thread alive, I have also embarked on an Easy DIY light. I followed Troutie's advice and got hold of a couple of Ledil optics, which nicely fill the frontal area of the small Hammond case. I'm driving it with a 1A Luxdrive BuckPuck from a pack of 8 x 2800 mAH NiMH cells from 7DayShop. I didn't cut the case down because it's going on my bars, so size isn't such an issue. For my helmet I made a short Dinotte style light, shown in another thread.

Overall view showing the guts with lots of spare wire (don't want to cut the BuckPuck leads in case I want to reuse it elsewhere.









The LEDs, mounted on a piece of 20mm U-section aluminium. This is currently an interference fit, but I will screw it in place once I'm happy that all is well.










Finally a front view with the optics in place. The front cover, a piece of 2mm acrylic, is taped in place until I get around to drilling the mounting holes.










Performance-wise, it lights up the back garden beautifully 

I shall fit an Electron (reasonably) quick release mount. They are much the same as those fitted to the Vista lights I modified, and I like the design. They are also available very cheaply as spares. I'm not fussed about fully weather-proofing it, being somewhat of a fair-weather rider


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Hi Neil, that is a very clean looking build. Did you get the hammond box with the metal ends or the plastic ones? I ask because my "metal ends" 1455 series box (which is slightly wider) has a plastic bezel that would probably work well for the front (the metal plate is just a flat insert). Here is what I am referring to (there is plexi sandwiched between the bezel and the case):










Good idea on the battery pack, it should be light and keep it running for over a couple hours. I have read and seen firsthand (lost some cells) that the hi-cap NiMh cells require topping off, even if they are not used since they have a pretty decent self discharge rate. There are some lower capacity NiMh cells like eneloops which have a low self discharge rate, but they are more expensive usually. On my NiMh cells I usually try to get them on the charger once a month to keep em in shape.


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## neilt (Apr 7, 2007)

HuffyPuffy said:


> Hi Neil, that is a very clean looking build. Did you get the hammond box with the metal ends or the plastic ones? I ask because my "metal ends" 1455 series box (which is slightly wider) has a plastic bezel that would probably work well for the front (the metal plate is just a flat insert). Here is what I am referring to (there is plexi sandwiched between the bezel and the case):
> 
> Good idea on the battery pack, it should be light and keep it running for over a couple hours. I have read and seen firsthand (lost some cells) that the hi-cap NiMh cells require topping off, even if they are not used since they have a pretty decent self discharge rate. There are some lower capacity NiMh cells like eneloops which have a low self discharge rate, but they are more expensive usually. On my NiMh cells I usually try to get them on the charger once a month to keep em in shape.


The black box from Maplin is plastic ended unfortunately. I have used the metal ended one previously, but it's clear anodised and I wanted black. I don't think it looks too bad without the bezel though. Just need a little more trimming of the front cover - I'm thinking that a chamfer on the inner edge could take a very small bead of silicon for sealing.

A couple of hours run time should be fine for me. I'm mostly commuting at the moment, and it's only a half hour home. I charge my NiMH cells before use as a matter of habit, so the self discharge isn't really a problem. Mind you, I found a reasonably priced supplier of the Eneloops on Ebay UK and I might try a set.


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## BaMzE (Sep 1, 2008)

Hi guys

Just ordered from kaidomain.
2 X CREE XR-E P3/P4 LED 
But ended up getting a KD MC-E P7 LED Driver will those work together?
Driver: http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=5595
Cree: http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=1599

I can't find any drivers on kaidomain that will fit the cree xr-e.
Help ?


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

Short answer, no.
That driver puts out 2.8A, even if you run both in parallel they will still get 1.4A each and are only rated to 1A.

Don't think they'll go pop but it certainly won't be good for them long term


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## BaMzE (Sep 1, 2008)

So it would work, if i put 3 XR-E's on it? 

Then i could put the driver alongside the batteri, han have 2 ligts on the handlebar and 1 on the helmet.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

That may work, you will need to run the emitters in parallel. It may be a bit unwieldy since you need to have the helmet and bar lights connected to the driver, connected to the battery. You will also loose any redundancy if there is a problem with the system. You could also build a triple for the bars with this driver and add a helmet light later, that would allow the driver to be put into the light head and give each emitter about 900ma. The P7 driver is basically designed to drive 4 emitters at 700ma each since the P7 is just 4 emitters in one package.

< removed this part after a second thought - not an economical suggestion since you already have the driver ordered >

I also wanted to point out (and I hope this is not a buzzkill) but the emitters you have chosen are a couple generations behind what most are using. Basically P4 < Q5 < R2 for Cree emitters. The P4's will still be plenty bright for a basic light. You can find some decent prices on Cree Q5's and R2's at Dealextreme.com, and they may also have suitable drivers and optics. You may find that copying another proven design (including the drivers) will be simpler.


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## BaMzE (Sep 1, 2008)

HuffyPuffy: i like what you a saying, i'll keep the design simple and build a triple for the bars to start with, its my first light build, and honestly i don't know what im doing, so its a learning experience.

Ive been trying to find a complete shopping list, for a light, but when i do, their is always one or two bits i can't find. (if you wan't, i would appreciate such shopping list, with links etc.)

But i have to start somewhere, and might aswell be with some of the cheapest part's so the wife won't kill me, if its burns to piece's. When i learn more, the R2's will come into play, and i might even order some soon, so that i have the parts to keep playing around.

With the formentioned light setup, how big of a battery can i run on it (3 XR-E's and P7 driver)?


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

Hi BaMzE. The battery depends on the driver, which appears from the description to take a "5.5V~15V" input though they do not explicitly state it. There is not much info on that driver though I did see some discussion of a similar board here and here. I think you could probably put together a pack with AA NiMh cells and holders (like NeilT's pack above), and if it behaves like the other KD board, the current draw will go down with a higher voltage pack - otherwise I am not sure how well the cells will hold up to a high current draw. If you do not have a multimeter it would be a good investment for this hobby, especially with a driver such as this with some unknowns. I'm sure somebody else can comment on a battery suggestion for your driver. I would not use L-ion unless you can get a commercial pack that is capable (current and capacity wise) or really know what you are doing since there are real dangers with L-ion cells (and please never solder to batteries since they could be shorted with just a small blob of runaway solder - trust me on this  ).

A lot of the parts such as cheap no name optics and drivers will be trial and error unless somebody else has already reviewed them. If you buy name brand stuff (Ledil, Polymer Optics, Calrco) you will usually pay a good deal more, but can often get a datasheet beforehand so you know what to order - or see beamshots in this forum or on candlepowerforums.com from other users. If you want to go the safe route with name brand components I suggest checking cutter (even if you don't buy from them they are a good resource - though they are also the only place to get many things).

A good place to start looking for cheap parts is at the DX flashlights DIY section here. Unlike KD, there are plenty of reviews of the parts at DX so you can get an idea of what may work - often DX (and KD for that matter) do not provide info on what optics work with what type of LED's (SSC, Cree, Luxeon) - so it is up to their customers to figure it out (this is where the reviews and discussion forums help).

If you are looking for a different driver, I would go with something that will drive the emitters in series since it seems simpler to find batteries (it seems easier to find cheap high voltage packs with decent capacity than it is to find lower voltage high capacity packs - I may be misinformed on this however).

I have been sticking with wired 1000ma buckpucks (3023-D-E-1000) with an external pot since they seem simple and reliable - and they are potted in a plastic resin so I can be less careful in how I place them in the case (they won't short). The downside is that they are not the cheapest (about $15 - ledsupply.com, luxeonstar.com and mouser.com sell 'em) - I could get several DX drivers for the same price, it is just a bunch of tradeoffs. Everyone seems to have their favorite driver, it is just a matter of finding something that works and is the right price.

Once you have the drivers, emitters and battery picked out, the rest is where you can get creative and either make it really expensive (my forte, though I am trying to reform my ways) or cleverly inexpensive. Good luck!


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## Calina (Apr 8, 2008)

BaMzE said:


> Hi guys
> 
> Just ordered from kaidomain.
> 2 X CREE XR-E P3/P4 LED
> ...


They have plenty of drivers that will work. I think you are a little mistaken, drivers are not LEDs specific like optics are. A driver that will work for a Cree XR-E will also do for a Luxeon lll or a SSC P4 as long as the max current the LED can endure is not exceeded.

If I misinterpreted your thoughts, please disregard this comment.


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

BaMzE said:


> Hi guys
> 
> Just ordered from kaidomain.
> 2 X CREE XR-E P3/P4 LED
> ...


Thats A P7 driver putting out 2.8A and XR-Es have a 1A max so best you don't get these two guys together.

Try something like:
http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=5313 or
http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=1801
You might want to get the 5 packs because you'll need two and often the drivers from Kai/Dx don't work.
Each driver runs one LED. For good multi led driver look elsewhere.

Also the LED you ordered is a low bin p3/p4 look for Q5 at least, they are much brighter (40% more light) and just a few dollars more.
http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=1803


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

BaMzE said:


> Ive been trying to find a complete shopping list, for a light, but when i do, their is always one or two bits i can't find. (if you wan't, i would appreciate such shopping list, with links etc.)


I did a full shopping list for my last build here http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=473445 with all suppliers hyper linked.

If this is your first build then don't be daunted by my build process or the LEDs I used. Cutter also sell a complete range of Cree leds, from the ones you have bought all the way through to the newer MC-E and R2 XP-E, just follow the link and then browse.

Just search through threads on here till you find a build you think you can manage and then use what ever leds you can.

BTW you don't want to be sharing a battery and driver between a helmet light and a bar light because
- you are then permanently attached to the bike, if you crash, something will break
- if something goes wrong you loose all your lights
- generally speaking drivers work better closer to your lights, no voltage or current loss because of long runs etc.

Good luck, have fun, and try not to get hooked like the rest of us


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## BaMzE (Sep 1, 2008)

Emu26: Thanks for the list, i'll look into that some more. Don't care that much about price, as long, as its still way cheaper than the lights on the market. And if that stuff works for you, it will work for me. When learning you have to pay a fair amount of money, and at some point something is bound to go PUFF :thumbsup: 

i will cancel the sharing battery and driver part, as you say something will go broke if its done impropper.

Huffy Puffy: i already have the tools i need, multimeter, soldering iron etc. Ive been doing electronics on airsoft for some time, altough it cannot compare to this. 

Regarding battery's i was thinking of usin Li-Po battery's, since you can get them with 3.7Volt- 7.4volt - 11.1 etc. 5000mah without paying alot of money.


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## neilt (Apr 7, 2007)

OK, I finished tidying up the light this evening. Got a little collet knob from Maplin for the brightness pot, and liberated a Hammond bezel from my microphone battery box - it doesn't need to look pretty 

Sorry about the dust specks - I should have cleaned the case before its photo call.

Here are some photos which don't need any explanation.


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## tamen00 (Mar 10, 2004)

MSXTR.... are you using the 3256 driver with a 7.2 li battery to drive two R-2's? If that is the case, are you running them parallel or in series? Is the driver working well for this application and have you had any issues with it? Hopefully it is working well series....


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## msxtr (Dec 10, 2006)

tamen00 said:


> MSXTR.... are you using the 3256 driver with a 7.2 li battery to drive two R-2's? If that is the case, are you running them parallel or in series? Is the driver working well for this application and have you had any issues with it? Hopefully it is working well series....


Hi, I have did for now 5 "easy DIY"  4 with 3256 driver from DX and 1 with SKU: S002982 from Kaidomain and both work very well. I use this in *series* with the 7,2 li-ion battery, think you that this batteries, really work to 8,4 volts when are full charged.

Greetins - Saludos

msxtr


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## TheBigYin (Sep 29, 2008)

Well - thought I'd have a bit of a go at one of these...

To be honest, I'm kind of using up some spare kit i'd got left over from making up a bunch of the DIY Dinotte's for mates in my road club. So - i'd got a few of the old standard 3256 DX Drivers, a couple of Q5's on stars and a range of optics. At the moment my prefered combo is one of the DX 1920's and a Carclo thats a bit wider beam. They're shown below rigged up to my test harness (a bit of stripboard with a DX clicky switch and a LED to tell if it's on or off. I may well use a variation on this to keep the wiring etc tidier in the finished version (mainly as the Hammond box has nice handy slots in there to support the PCB  )

At the moment i'm not sure what to use the light as - bar mount or helmet. If It's going on the helmet then it'll have a couple of nice bright red LED's let into the back cover - may as well, after all.



Still a bit of fettling to do - the alu angle's need cutting down to fit the case, the case itself could use a bit of a trim, and i'll have a wee bit of grinding to do on the lens holders to fit them between the mounting screws at the front, but shouldn't be anything stopping me having things up and running pretty soon.


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## msxtr (Dec 10, 2006)

TheBigYin said:


> Well - thought I'd have a bit of a go at one of these...
> 
> To be honest, I'm kind of using up some spare kit i'd got left over from making up a bunch of the DIY Dinotte's for mates in my road club. So - i'd got a few of the old standard 3256 DX Drivers, a couple of Q5's on stars and a range of optics. At the moment my prefered combo is one of the DX 1920's and a Carclo thats a bit wider beam. They're shown below rigged up to my test harness (a bit of stripboard with a DX clicky switch and a LED to tell if it's on or off. I may well use a variation on this to keep the wiring etc tidier in the finished version (mainly as the Hammond box has nice handy slots in there to support the PCB  )
> 
> ...


The right optic it is a carlo optic?? the holder too?? 

Why you use 2 drivers??

Greetings - Saludos

msxtr


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## TheBigYin (Sep 29, 2008)

msxtr said:


> The right optic it is a carlo optic?? the holder too??
> 
> Why you use 2 drivers??


Well Spotted - the optic is actually one I sourced from Cutter - XLSL-25 Degree - it took so long to be delivered I'd forgotten what i'd ordered!

As to why i've got 2 drivers on there - as I said - they're just strapped to my test harness at the moment - i'll get around to building a dedicated wiring setup when I can be bothered finishing the light, though with arsey comments like yours, i'm not really interested in sharing much further.


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## wrench177 (Dec 27, 2007)

TheBigYin said:


> As to why i've got 2 drivers on there - as I said - they're just strapped to my test harness at the moment - i'll get around to building a dedicated wiring setup when I can be bothered finishing the light.


I'm getting ready to build one of these lights with a pair of R2's. I want to use a 7.4v Li-Ion battery and thought two drivers (the DX 3256) would be the only practical way to accomplish this.

In a perfect world I'd like to use my collection of 7.4v packs for all my lights, buck the singles and boost the triples. The double, however, has eluded me thus far. I know Scar's Amoeba runs on a 7.4, but, I haven't found out how he does this. If anyone else is using this type of battery (with a double R2), I'd appreciate some driver help. Thanks. :thumbsup:


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## TheBigYin (Sep 29, 2008)

Well _wrench177_ - you can be sure that using one 3256 per led will definitely work, and there is enough room in the case to fit two of them - they're only 17mm diameter after all.

I've actually a bunch of different drivers sat in the leftover bits box - one of the Kennan jobs from Kaidomain that'll work with anthing from 4-18v input, but as with most of the buck driver types, it needs a input voltage equal to the Led's total Vf value, plus a bit more (depending on the driver, can be between 1-3+ volts extra.), A nice little 950ma driver board i picked up on fleabay which is pretty much the same as the kennan only it can cope with input voltages of up to 24v and is actually happy powering 4xQ5's , plus a selection of the Multimode DX Jobs which i've tried in DIY Dinotte's, but never really got on with.

I'm in a similar situation, I've got a couple of 7.4v RC Battery packs and a 6v pack left over from a old electron lights set, and to be honest, I want any light I build to be capable of running with any of the battery. If that means that I need to buy boost drivers like the Fatman or MaxFlex3, for my multiple emitter lights, then so be it.

Though the more I think about it, the more likely it will be that i'll slap a couple of the 3256's in this particular light - if only because it seems to wind up msxtr for some unknown reason


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## wrench177 (Dec 27, 2007)

TheBigYin said:


> I'm in a similar situation, I've got a couple of 7.4v RC Battery packs and a 6v pack left over from a old electron lights set, and to be honest, I want any light I build to be capable of running with any of the battery. If that means that I need to buy boost drivers like the Fatman or MaxFlex3, for my multiple emitter lights, then so be it.
> 
> Though the more I think about it, the more likely it will be that i'll slap a couple of the 3256's in this particular light - if only because it seems to wind up msxtr for some unknown reason


That's my thought as well. I could build up a bunch of different battery packs for different lights, but, I like the "one battery for all lights" Dinotte approach. Besides, I have 4 different 7.4 Li-Ion packs now and I'd hate to add another battery into the rotation.

The 3256's are small and cheap. Two will easily fit into a Hammond box and I don't have to worry about skirting the "direct drive" envelope.

Thanks for the confirmation. I appreciate the help.


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## TheBigYin (Sep 29, 2008)

Couldn't resist it - made one up with double drivers - it's not actually finished - the LED's are fixed and all the heatsinking etc. is sorted, but the case is still at full length, and the switches and status led at the back still need securing to the end cap. Other than that, it's working pretty much okay.







(shown here sitting on the unfinished body of a DIY Dinotte  )


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## tamen00 (Mar 10, 2004)

I just built a light very similar to yours (but different case) with 2 R-2's and a single DX 3256 driver, running off 7.2 V lithium packs. It seems to work pretty well, however there is dimming. With my runtime test I used a 2200 mah pack. It ran for 2:15 before I noticed it started to dim (I was comparing to another light periodically to be able to tell difference), and then the protection circuit shut off the light at 2:55 minutes... 

I actually like this a little better this way because I have a little reserve before the light just shuts off. I will be running these with a 4400 mah pack, so I should get close to 4 hours of usable light, which is plenty because I have a lot of the batteries!


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## dkvick (Apr 16, 2004)

I built exactly the same light a month or so ago and used two cheap DX drivers. These drivers only worked up to 8.4V so i figured I did not have enough voltage to drive both LEDs and the extra driver gives a bit of a backup should the driver fail for some reason. I used the 120 mm Hammond case so that could cut into two and still have a bit of extra room for drivers and wiring. It works very well with a simple clicky switch from a DW torch. I might glue some velcro to the bottom of a second Easy build and just slap it on top of the other one so i have 4 LEDs for rides requiring a bit more light and just have a Y splitter to the lights. 

I used the DX 10 degree optics on the first build and they give a nice beam but a bit tight for the handlebar. I have some Carclo optics that I will try on my next build.

It's tempting to follow in Troutie's footsteps and cram in a bunch of XP-E and 10mm optics but i doubt that the heat sinking capacity of the Hammond case is not good enough for more than 3-4 LED's.

For a bar clamp i used a BLT clamp with quick release which I just bolted on. I have some Cateye parts on order and am planning on sticking to that model for the rest of my builds so I can easily swap the light heads around.


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## wkumtrider (Dec 27, 2007)

TheBigYin, what battery connector are you using on your new light? Thanks!


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## bikerjay (Sep 16, 2007)

There is a simpler solution to the problem of 2 leds in series and a 2cell lion pack. Just use a constant current regulator board with more output and put the leds in parallel. There are a few good options out there for 1400 or 1500ma and even a few at 2A. Check out this websitehttp://theledguy.chainreactionweb.com/index.php?cPath=48_49_61 I have used some of there drivers before. I would think the new 2A shark buck would work out very well. All the boards from this site are tiny and high quality with published efficiency numbers. 

Of course an even better solution is to use a boost regulator and run 6 xp-e led from a single 7.2v pack. If you wire it as two parallel strings of 3 leds and run it at 700ma each led will only see 350ma. This would give 600+ lumens, less heat, and more run time than two cree xr-e or ssc p4 at 1A. 

6 xp-e at 350ma each is only 6.6 watts of power. Two leds at 1A could be as much as 7.2 watts. At 350ma 6 xp-e R2 are cranking out 114 lumen each, so 684. At best 2 led at 1A are 480-500lumen.


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## TheBigYin (Sep 29, 2008)

wkumtrider said:


> TheBigYin, what battery connector are you using on your new light? Thanks!


It's a panel-mount 2.1mm Single-Hole-Fixing DCSocket, that I sourced from Maplin.

Not the best of connectors by any means, but as that's whats on the end of the Electron bottle battery i've been using, I seem to have standardised on these for the moment.


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## TheBigYin (Sep 29, 2008)

bikerjay said:


> There is a simpler solution to the problem of 2 leds in series and a 2cell lion pack....(snip)....I would think the new 2A shark buck would work out very well. All the boards from this site are tiny and high quality with published efficiency numbers.


Yeah - but they are $29 for a 2A shark, plus shipping to the UK - this was a cheap build to use up leftover parts - the 2x3256's were in the spares box already and didn't entail any further expenditure - as were all the other bits except the Case - £5.49 - again from my local Maplin.

Those shark drivers do look pretty interesting though - i'm trying not to start any more projects this winter though - i've plenty of lights to see me through the rest of the dark months, and who know's where the state of the art will be by next year.


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## BottomBraket (Oct 16, 2007)

Gettin' the itch to tinker!


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## SkUG (Feb 19, 2008)

TheBigYin said:


> Yeah - but they are $29 for a 2A shark, plus shipping to the UK - this was a cheap build to use up leftover parts - the 2x3256's were in the spares box already and didn't entail any further expenditure - as were all the other bits except the Case - £5.49 - again from my local Maplin.
> 
> Those shark drivers do look pretty interesting though - i'm trying not to start any more projects this winter though - i've plenty of lights to see me through the rest of the dark months, and who know's where the state of the art will be by next year.


which one on the maplin website? my brains seriously not working right now :madman:


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## TheBigYin (Sep 29, 2008)

SkUG said:


> which one on the maplin website? my brains seriously not working right now :madman:


The Black one like I used is product code N78AL - the silver one is N74AL and is 20p cheaper.


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## ortelius (Dec 6, 2007)

I've aboarded this Easy DIY train, too. Light shining out of three Cree XR-E R2, Polymer Optics lenses, maxFlex current regulator.









Meet the triples. Beside mine, I've made one for my son and one for his friend.









Weight: 100g exactly.









I'm delighted with the outcome. It's small, it's cute and it realy shines on the trails!









More pictures from the building process *here*


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## msxtr (Dec 10, 2006)

TheBigYin said:


> Though the more I think about it, the more likely it will be that i'll slap a couple of the 3256's in this particular light - if only because it seems to wind up msxtr for some unknown reason


Sorry my english it is not very good....what you want say with this?? I don't understand 

Greetings - Saludos

msxtr


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## SkUG (Feb 19, 2008)

msxtr said:


> Sorry my english it is not very good....what you want say with this?? I don't understand
> 
> Greetings - Saludos
> 
> msxtr


Sounds like - he is going to use the 3256 just to annoy you


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## msxtr (Dec 10, 2006)

SkUG said:


> Sounds like - he is going to use the 3256 just to annoy you


:eekster::eekster:

Greetings - Saludos

msxtr


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## TheBigYin (Sep 29, 2008)

Well that's that one finished then... reasonably happy with it 








Used a butchered DX Torch Handlebar mount - the top bit was useless, but the handlebar clamp part seems okay. Haven't been able to give it a full fieldtest - having done around 90 miles on todays clubrun, didn't fancy another ride in the evening 

I have managed to get a (slightly blurry) back garden beamshot though - it's a bit windy out there...

Settings:
Shutter - 6 sec.
F-Stop - F4
ISO 100
White Balance - Daylight
Focal Length 18mm - (28mm Equivalent)

Edit... First the Control



Then with the light on...



And using the angle finder overlay that dsvilko came up with...



Looks like I may have to make another one though - one of my mates has already expressed an interest in this one  Even with 2 Drivers in there :arf:


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## G_Mozz (Sep 4, 2008)

Ortelius, what beam angles are those Polymers?


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## ortelius (Dec 6, 2007)

G_Mozz said:


> Ortelius, what beam angles are those Polymers?


I've used two 6 degree lenses (part no. 170) and one 25 degree lense (part no. 171) in each light.


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

Very nice and stealthy there Mr Big Yin 

Those cases really are the doggys do das 

Looks like you need a machete for that garden .


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## tobymack (Nov 12, 2008)

Hi TheBigYin,

Can you clarify the optics in that. One Cree XLSL-25 and one DX1920??? Is that right?

I assume you had to cut down the optics to make them fit in that case?

What is the distance to the back (house? shed?) in those beam shots and how would you rate that as a helmet light?

Sorry about the list of questions but I was just planning a helmet light with 2x R2 and cree optics and that looks a very neat and easy to build option!

Toby


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## TheBigYin (Sep 29, 2008)

Tobymack:
Optics are Cree XLSL-25 (the patterned one) and a DX1920 (the clear one). Both of them needed a little light dremelling to fit - straight cut on 3 sides and a notch on the fourth to go around the screw channel in the case. Dead easy - maybe 5 minutes work. The distance from light/camera to the shed at the end of the garden is only 11 metres but the light throws a good deal further than that, primarily through the DX1920. As a helmet light, i'd actually be tempted to have a look at a double DX1920 version or maybe 2 of the XLSL-NEW 8 degree's. As this was going to be a bar -mount for my cyclocrosser I wanted something with a bit of spread as well as the hot-spot.

Troutie:
What it needs is a chainsaw, tree-chipper and skip. Fortunately, the mate who is trying to blagg the light off me is a landscape gardener who has access to these items, so, who knows


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## tobymack (Nov 12, 2008)

well that is good info as I used to have a xlsl-25 on my test rig and I have just changed it to a xlsl-new 8 so now I have a direct comparison to your shot 

I agree the -25 is a reasonable flood (but not a patch on my MCE-RocketSS I just built  )but it definitely needs a spot to get some distance. 

I'll try out the -8 alongside the MCE-rocket on my commute home tonight and see how I get on.

Toby


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## tobymack (Nov 12, 2008)

as we got on the subject of cree optics, here are some slightly dodgy pics comparing to the MCE light.
1st: MCE+Rocket SS bar light.
2nd: the bar light but now with Q5+xlsl_new-8. 
I didn't really line the two beams up very well but hopefully it shows the -8 is a very useful addition. I think two of these on my helmet would work well so next purchase will be a hammond case 

Toby


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## SkUG (Feb 19, 2008)

What a great design, I have copied it and creating my own this very moment...
Stupid question.... do i need to screw the emitters down or will arctic silver hold them in place? (I have arctic silver left over from pc build) 
Edit : oh and i have JB weld and araldite
Also i am using the DX driver (SkU:3256) is it best to use 1 per LED? and how has everyone insulated these?


Parts list to follow


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## tobymack (Nov 12, 2008)

if that is arctic silver thermal paste (as normally used on PCs) then it is unlikely to have the strength to hold it in place on its own.

If it is arctic silver thermal epoxy then that is what a lot of people here use.

Personally I use thermal paste (probably what you have) but with self tappers to hold the star in place.


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## SkUG (Feb 19, 2008)

tobymack said:


> if that is arctic silver thermal paste (as normally used on PCs) then it is unlikely to have the strength to hold it in place on its own.
> 
> If it is arctic silver thermal epoxy then that is what a lot of people here use.
> 
> Personally I use thermal paste (probably what you have) but with self tappers to hold the star in place.


Stupid question time...
Would JB weld do? or do i need to purchase some thermal epoxy? (links please!)


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## tobymack (Nov 12, 2008)

I wouldn't use jb weld.

ebay....

I am sure a search will show other sources. I think there are two options, arctic silver and arctic aluminium.


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## Jim Z in VT (Sep 9, 2007)

SkUG said:


> Stupid question time...
> Would JB weld do? or do i need to purchase some thermal epoxy? (links please!)


cheapest place I found to order Arctic Alumina Adhesive (epoxy) is here.

JZ


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## ortelius (Dec 6, 2007)

Now that XR-Es are so "outdated"  , I've decided to perform some surgery in one of  *my original "Easy DIY" lights*. Some internal organs begged to be replaced - actually, only leds and optics. New XPGs R5 with Carclo 10mm square lenses from Cutter. Instead of 3 XREs with Polymer Optics, I was able to squeeze 5 new leds inside the same body.

Here is the *photo story of the building process*

And this is the final outcome:









Beamshot comparison (pictures are pretty lousy, taken with standard MTBR beamshots settings on the camera):

Original Easy DIY with 3 x XRE R2 @ 1000mA, PolymerOptics (2 x narrow, 1 x medium):









New DIY Easy with 5 x XPG R5 @ 1000 mA, Carclo 10mm square (4 x narrow, 1 x medium):









Some more beamshots *here.*

At 1000 mA, new light offers more that twice the light compared to the old one (approx 1700 lumens versus 750 lumens out from the leds) with approximately 50% increase in power consumtion (16.5 W versus 10.8 W burned inside led chips). The output is awesome, but heat in still air might be problematic. With Maxflex's termal protection set to 60°C, @1000 mA it trips after approximately 90 seconds in room temperature. I'll see how it behaves out on the tracks, maybe I'll lower the max current to 700 mA. At that level, it will still output 60% more lumens than the previous one with 3 XREs, yet with the same power consumption as the old one.


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## HuffyPuffy (Jun 9, 2008)

The difference in beam shots is huge, there was not even close to that much difference going from 3 to 4 Q5's (not apples to apples though). It's really impressive how much light is put out for 5 leds.

I like your new light! It has me thinking about making one myself. I have been concerned with the thermal problems a 5xXPG would have in the small hammond case since they don't have fins. 90 seconds is not the best still air performance, but it proves it will work, maybe a beefier heatsink would give more of a margin (like one made from 1/8" angle or milled). Does the maxflex turn off when thermal protection trips or does it dim down?


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## [email protected] (Mar 28, 2007)

What voltage battery are you using with the new light?

Your construction pictures from the original project look like a 7.2V LiIon (hard to see in pix).

You'll be pushing the driver pretty hard with that for an input voltage driving 5 LEDs in series.

Check out the maxflex technical page: http://www.taskled.com/techmaxflex.html

They talk about overheating the driver chip, which might be what you are seeing.

Do you have a higher voltage battery you could try, say a 14.4V? If it takes a lot longer to trip the drivers overtemp circuit, then you know you're trying to get too much boost out of the driver.

Mark


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## joebreez (Sep 10, 2005)

OMG, Ortelius.
I'm in the middle of building almost the same exact light!!
I'm putting a good sized heatsink on the top of it though.
5 LED's are going to generate a ton of heat driven that hard.
I'm just waiting for the new XPG's to get some optics available.
I did find that the beam out of other XPE's had a very poor beam from the Carclo's though. The LED's dies are not all centered, which causes an uneven pattern, still tons of light just a bit unfocused.


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## ortelius (Dec 6, 2007)

HuffyPuffy said:


> Does the maxflex turn off when thermal protection trips or does it dim down?


When the thermal protection's temperature is reached, Maxflex just lowers the current to predefined level and doesn't allow you to raise it until the temperature is below the limit again.



[email protected] said:


> What voltage battery are you using with the new light?
> 
> Your construction pictures from the original project look like a 7.2V LiIon (hard to see in pix).
> 
> You'll be pushing the driver pretty hard with that for an input voltage driving 5 LEDs in series.


Mark, those were my thoughts exactly. When I tested the light, the only battery packs I had were 7.2V LiIons. Yesterday I wired new 3S2P holder from _sdnative_ and it made quite a difference to the maxflex. With this new battery, when driver has to boost to much lower voltage difference, it tripped after approximately 2 and half minutes in still air in room temperature. That's not that bad, for now I will leave it running @ 1000 mA, at least for the winter season. After all, I'm only using full power during the descends, when there is sufficient air cooling and when making stops I am in habit of lowering the current level of the light.

With 4 LiIons in series, it would be even better, but in that case maxflex would be in direct drive at least for the initial part of the discharge curve of the battery, which is inconvenient, as I usually need lower light level at the beginning of the ride for climbing up.


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## [email protected] (Mar 28, 2007)

Glad to hear you solved your overheating issue (or at least figured out what was causing it).

Would 4 Li-Ion in series be too much voltage?

4 * 4.2 = 16.8

5 * 3.3 = 16.5

Yep, looks like your right. I haven't been playing with the XPGs yet. I'm still stuck on the MCE, where the forward voltage drop is more like 3.7.

That's a very nice looking case, what type is it?

Mark


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## ortelius (Dec 6, 2007)

[email protected] said:


> That's a very nice looking case, what type is it?


It's one of Hammond's 1455 series cases, part. no. 1455B802 http://www.hammondmfg.com/pdf/1455B802.pdf


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## ortelius (Dec 6, 2007)

I made another light with XPGs in Hammond box to accompany the one described above. This one has 6 leds and will be used on handlebar, while the one with 5 leds will be used as helmet lamp.

Here is the newest one with two Cutter 3up XPG boards and Carclo 20mm tripple optics - one narrow and one medium:










What's hidden inside the box:










Here is the family of my Easy DIY (© Citizen Kane) lights: 3xXRE, 5xXPG, 2xMCE and 6xCPG










Some more pictures can be seen here. I will do some comparative beamshots once the weather improves here. Currently the nights are too foggy and rainy....


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## Pitto (Sep 26, 2005)

ortelius said:


> I


how could i wire this up using a 9.6v 3300ah battery pack??

i have 3x kennan drivers and a complete hammond box, just would need the lenses and leds from cutters.


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## ortelius (Dec 6, 2007)

Pitto said:


> how could i wire this up using a 9.6v 3300ah battery pack??
> 
> i have 3x kennan drivers and a complete hammond box, just would need the lenses and leds from cutters.


I'm affraid you can't do much with your battery and kennan drivers as far as those cutter triple XPG boards are concerned. The leds on each PCB are wired in series, so with kennan driver you would need at least around 12V (10V for three leds Vf plus at least 2V for kennan buck regulator) from the battery.


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

ortelius said:


> I'm affraid you can't do much with your battery and kennan drivers as far as those cutter triple XPG boards are concerned. The leds on each PCB are wired in series, so with kennan driver you would need at least around 12V (10V for three leds Vf plus at least 2V for kennan buck regulator) from the battery.


Actually with three drivers and 6 leds, thats two per led. One of the triple boards is individually addressable. 
You just have to decide how to switch them.

Bad news though, Troutie ordered all the R5 so theres a few weeks delay :incazzato: 
https://www.cutter.com.au/products.php?cat=Cree+XPG


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## ortelius (Dec 6, 2007)

znomit said:


> Actually with three drivers and 6 leds, thats two per led. One of the triple boards is individually addressable.
> You just have to decide how to switch them.


Ah, yes, I stand corrected. I totally forgot the individually addressable triples at Cutters. 
Znomit's suggestion will of course work.

Pitto, don't forget about the heat! This little buggers get really hot very quickly at 1A and AFAIK those kennan drivers have no thermal regulation as Taskled's do. So you'll have to do some electronics tweaking to the driver to either implement dimming and/or temperature regulation on it.


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## Pitto (Sep 26, 2005)

i think the kennan only puts out 750 or 800 ma anyway.

good point though.

your light looks very neat and tidy.


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## ortelius (Dec 6, 2007)

Pitto said:


> i think the kennan only puts out 750 or 800 ma anyway.


As I understand, that depends on the version of the driver. Older ones have had 750mA, newer now give 1000mA current on the output.


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## ortelius (Dec 6, 2007)

Here are beamshots of above portrayed collection of my "Easy DIY" series of lights. And as a reference, I've added beamshots of lately so popular MagicShine.

First, shots from my balcony. The two cypresses are about 15 meters from the light.

Magicshine on max









3 XRE @1000mA with PolymerOptics lenses (2 narrow, 1 medium)









5 XPG @1000mA with Carclo 10mm optics (4 narrow, 1 medium)









2 MCE @500mA with Boom S









6 XPG @1000mA with 2 Carclo 20mm triple optics (1 narrow, 1 medium)









And here is animated picture of all lights on forest trail:









Larger photos can bee seen here.


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## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

Really nice work Ortelius :thumbsup:


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## jerry_c (Jan 11, 2009)

ortelius said:


> I made another light with XPGs in Hammond box to accompany the one described above. This one has 6 leds and will be used on handlebar, while the one with 5 leds will be used as helmet lamp.
> 
> Here is the newest one with two Cutter 3up XPG boards and Carclo 20mm tripple optics - one narrow and one medium:


How hot will that thing get?


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

Very nice comparisons there Ortelius 

It would seem 5 and 6 XPGs trump 2MCEs easily :thumbsup: 

but having said that they are all very useable lights .

though the 6 er I cant see it staying cool on full whack


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## ortelius (Dec 6, 2007)

jerry_c said:


> How hot will that thing get?


Never too hot, thermal regulation in maxflex takes care of that. 



troutie-mtb said:


> Very nice comparisons there Ortelius
> 
> It would seem 5 and 6 XPGs trump 2MCEs easily :thumbsup:
> 
> ...


Thanks, Troutie. Coming from you it really means a lot to me.

Yes, you are right. 1000 mA is realy a bit too much for so many XPGs in such a small enclosure. I have now set the max current in both lights to 700 mA, I think this will be within the limits of how much heat can be dissipated through these small boxes. In my 2MCE light I have current set to 500 mA through each emitter and have never had any problems with overheating. 6 XPGs in the same enclosure, driven at 700 mA, produce almost exactly the same power (with almost 40% more light output!), so this should be OK, I guess.


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## Swedish (Dec 2, 2008)

Just a beamshot of my "Easy DIY":thumbsup: 
https://www.mypicx.com/uploadimg/243296712_11152009_1.jpg


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## odtexas (Oct 2, 2008)

Here is the shot by Swedish. Nice beam shot. That's one big file though.
You can open an account with photobucket.com  and upload pictures and then post them directly to threads if interested.....


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## Jim Z in VT (Sep 9, 2007)

Swedish: nice....what LEDs / optics / current are you running there?

JZ


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## Swedish (Dec 2, 2008)

JimZinVT said:


> Swedish: nice....what LEDs / optics / current are you running there?
> 
> JZ


Led; 3xMC-E, Optics; 2x CMC-RS and one CMC-D (i don't know the angles though). To be honest I'm not sure about the current, 2000mA or 2400mA


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## ortelius (Dec 6, 2007)

Can you please post the picture of your light? Which Hammond case have you used to stuff three CMC optics and HipFlex into? How does it cope the heat from three MCEs?


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## mikesnowdon (Sep 25, 2009)

ortelius said:


> Now that XR-Es are so "outdated"  , I've decided to perform some surgery in one of  *my original "Easy DIY" lights*. Some internal organs begged to be replaced - actually, only leds and optics. New XPGs R5 with Carclo 10mm square lenses from Cutter. Instead of 3 XREs with Polymer Optics, I was able to squeeze 5 new leds inside the same body.
> 
> Here is the *photo story of the building process*
> 
> ...


Hi ortelius.

I have a extruded aluminum case from an old external hard-drive. Its just the right size for something similar to your light above, and your impressive beamshots tell me It will be well worth the effort :thumbsup:

I'm a total newbie but I can solder and fabricate things and have the necessary equipment (I do alot of DIY Hi-fi as my main hobby). Could you PM me with more details about this light. I would like to make a exact copy of it please. I need to know what LED's, optics, driver ETC were used and would like to know about the battery pack and charger too.

Thanks in advance.


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## mikesnowdon (Sep 25, 2009)

ortelius,

Thank you so much for the PM :thumbsup:


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## ionutph (May 10, 2009)

I want to make 6 XPGs light similar to Ortelius one. 
*1.* What is the best way to wire the leds ? 6x1 and use 14.4V battery or 3s2p and use 7.2V battery pack ? based on this charts
https://img682.imageshack.us/img682/5886/estimatedxpgcharts.jpg
I made another tabel with boosting levels using estimated voltages except the voltage at 1000ma. I used 3.3V declared voltage instead of 3.22 estimated in charts.

*2.*The boost percentage in Maxflex 5 is the same for 6x1 and 3x2 but the efficiency is the same ? I want to know if it is different with 7.2V 3x2 vs 14.4V 6x1.
*3. * With the full charged 8.4V or 16.8V battery pack at Maxflex level 1 of light (L1, is fixed at 45ma) the led voltage is ~2.7V and for all 6 is 8.1V or 16.2V witch is below the battery pack.
From the maxflex manual: "Note, MaxFlex5 is a Boost regulator (step up), so input voltage must be less than the output voltage to ensure MaxFlex5 remains in regulation. If the input voltage exceeds the output voltage (at the dialed in drive current), MaxFlex5 will no longer regulate and the input voltage will go through the series inductor and schottky diode directly to the load. This will cause the output current to a LED to rise rapidly since LEDs have a very steep Current vs Voltage curve (Vf)."
From there I understand that on L1 mode the leds will be direct driven. Is this corect ?
I will not use L1 with fully charged battery but I want to know if I switch accidentaly L1 or when configuring and testing what happens with the regulator and leds ? Will be ok if run only for few seconds and if I change at L2 the driver will regulate again ? On load I think the baterry voltage will drop but I don't know if at 45ma will make a diference.
From estimated charts the min usable is 160ma to have higher leds voltage over fully charged battery. May be a problem with Maxflex set at 350 ma, the L2 could be lower than 160ma. Does anyone know what percentage from max current the L2, L3, L4 are ? L1 is 45ma , L5 is max set current, L4 85% ?? L3 50% ???
*4.* If I set 3X2 I want to put another switch with 3 positions for 3 modes: all 6 leds, only 3 leds with narow optics or the other 3 leds with wide optics. For me this will be great. If I ride in woods and I don't need long distance light I could use only wide beam leds. The question is: will be ok to switch between the modes (wide, narrow, all ) with maxflex running ?
*5.* For 3X2 setup what is the best driver: Maxflex 5 with 7.2V battery pack or Luxdrive 3021/3023 buckpuck with 14.4V battery ? The Maxflex has built in strobe/flashing mode and has thermal protection with automatic dimming to L2; the 3021 does not need heatsink, has 90% efficiency at 15 v and higher with lower input voltage ( https://www.leddynamics.com/LuxDrive/datasheets/3021-BuckPuck.pdf ) and the most impresive is the ability to control light level with external potentiometer from 0-100%.
How cuttoff works on 3023 buckpack, only from battery protection ? 
*6.* What are the best voltages to set in maxflex 5 for midbattery/lowbattery and cuttoff ?
*7.* For the Hammond small enclosure is the temp protection needed only for leds if the driver is not heatsinked on the same metal plate with leds ? I know the maxflex is heating. The 3021 buckpuck is rated at 80 degrees celsius

Ortelius, how is the light tint compared to Magicshine ? Is more blue, is the same colour ?
What are the runtimes at 1A and 350ma(a little brighter than Magicshine), will last longer than Magicshine untill red light? I estimate 4h at 350ma with 4x18650
Please help me guys, I am going crazy with so many questions for my first DIY after I selled the Magicshine to a friend.


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

ionutph

My brain just melted reading that .

go with 6 XPG/E in series and the maxflex with a 4 series cell Li ion 
no point in going 3s2p for the leds and not being able to drive them at full 1000 ma .

re Q4 dont even think about switching leds in and out of circuit whilst the maxflex is powered up you will kill the leds .

if you are worried about a fully charged battery @ 16.8 going in to direct drive at the maxflex lowest setting then it is not boosting so the leds can only see 16.8 volts which is not enough to light them up much anyways .

level 1 is so dim I cant see you ever wanting to use it and most folks settle on duo mode for ease when riding .


If you go 3s2p and a buckpuck then the max drive current will be 500 ma so heat should not be too bad but you lose a lot of lumens over 1000ma so again it comes down to 
series and maxflex using the thermal protection .



It really depends on what you want from your light 6 xpgs = killer light 6 xpgs @600 ma and you will allways be wondering what 1000 ma would be like


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## ionutph (May 10, 2009)

Thank you troutie for enlighten me. I am ashamed to admit that I forget not having the full 1000ma on paralel and only half.:madman: 
I will go with 6 XPG in series with 4 series li-ion and maxflex.

My imaginary light was so great  It is posible but at 500ma with 192lm x 6 = 1152 lm with 88% efficiency Carclo optics will be 1013 lumens; and switching between wide,narrow and full modes must be made with light turned of.


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## ortelius (Dec 6, 2007)

ionutph said:


> Ortelius, how is the light tint compared to Magicshine ? Is more blue, is the same colour ?


It's hard to tell because of the difference in volume of light output, but my personal impression is that my magicshine has a bit greenish tint compared to those XPGs. But not that this green in MS is too distinctive, it looks quite acceptable to me.


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## lsocoee (Oct 29, 2009)

troutie-mtb said:


> My brain just melted reading that .


:lol: I tried to read it three times and I couldn't get past the first couple paragraphs...I thought it was my ADD.


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## Jim Z in VT (Sep 9, 2007)

> re Q4 dont even think about switching leds in and out of circuit whilst the maxflex is powered up you will kill the leds .


There is another way to do this, but requires 2 drivers. If you had two 1000mA BuckPucks each driving a 3s string of XP-Gs, you could switch each driver separately. You would have the full 1000mA to the LEDs and could run the 3 wide, 3 narrow, or all 6 LEDs. And it would still work with your 4s Li ion battery pack. And various dimming options as well.

Of course you lose all the cool *flex features like thermal protection, over/under voltage protection, etc. I suppose you could do it with two *flex drivers as well if you don't mind the cost.

JZ (still a die-hard BuckPuck guy


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## 1up (Feb 8, 2009)

I'm considering the 5XPG build, but I'm having a tough time deciding which battery setup I should use.

I'm looking at 2-2.5hr of runtime on the high setting. Would 6 18650 wired in 3s2p (11.1v 5000mAh) be ideal or should I go with a higher voltage such as a 4 18650 (14v 2500mAh)?


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## ortelius (Dec 6, 2007)

Let's do some calculations:
- Vf of XPG @ 1000 mA = 3.3V
- Power burned in 5 leds @ 1000mA = 5 * 1A * 3.3V = 16.5W
- Assuming boost type driver with 90% efficiency, you need 16.5W/0,9 = 18.3W from the batteries
- 3 Li-Ion in series means average voltage of 11.1V, so the current draw from the battery will be 18.3W/11.1V = 1.65A
- If you have 6 Li-Ion cells of 2500 mAh each, wired in 3S2P configuration, your battery will have the voltage of 11.1V and capacity of 5000 mAh.
- So, if you draw 1650mA continuosly from it, it should last (5000mAh / 1650 mA) = 3.03h

So, your battery should be able to drive your 5 XPGs for exactly 3 hours on high, which is even more than you are looking for.

I think for 5 XPGs, 3 LiIons in series (and any number of same 3-cells strings in parallel to that) give ideal voltage with boost drivers. With less then 3 in series, driver's efficiency will drop, with more than 3 you will be in direct driven mode for at least first part of discharge curve.

If you would choose buck driver instead of boost, then for 5 XPG leds you would need to have at least 6 Li-Ion cells in series to keep current regulated for the whole discharge time.


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## OverTheHill (Dec 3, 2004)

*Easy DIY Light - Black Dog*

I just helped a friend build his first DIY light based on Citizens Kane's classic Easy DIY:




























He did most of the fabrication himself with just some minor technical input from myself.

It has the following basic specification:

LED: Four XP-G R5 driven at 1A
Optics: Carclo 10417
Driver: DX26110 3V-18V
Mounts: Electron handlebar with custom bracket
Battery: 4 x Trustfire Protected 18650 2500 mAh Li-ion.
Cost: £48 (not including battery pack)

On paper it puts out around 1400 lumens and although no night shots as yet, initial impressions in the back garden are impressive. Runtime should be around 2 hrs 15 minutes.


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## jmitchell13 (Nov 20, 2005)

Where did you get the battery holder?


OverTheHill said:


>


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## OverTheHill (Dec 3, 2004)

I made the battery holder with four of these from Digikey. See my previous thread:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=573341


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## yetibetty (Dec 24, 2007)

OTH,

Does the switch on the back of the light change from high to low power or is it simply for on and off?

I like your idea to keep the light centered over the stem.


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## jmitchell13 (Nov 20, 2005)

OverTheHill said:


> I made the battery holder with four of these from Digikey. See my previous thread:
> 
> http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=573341


Opps, I forgot about that thread. It looked so clean I thought is was a purchased unit.


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## OverTheHill (Dec 3, 2004)

yetibetty said:


> OTH,
> 
> Does the switch on the back of the light change from high to low power or is it simply for on and off?
> 
> I like your idea to keep the light centered over the stem.


It was supposed to switch high, low and off but the driver we originally used was duff so then a single mode driver was employed and now it's just on and off.


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## OverTheHill (Dec 3, 2004)

jmitchell13 said:


> Opps, I forgot about that thread. It looked so clean I thought is was a purchased unit.


It's fairly easy to make up a good looking battery pack with these holders and they hold the cells quite tight. It would be a good basis for making up a sealed a battery pack with say shrink wrap if you didn't want the bother/risk of soldering the cell tabs.


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