DIY LED pocket flashlights. Instructions for making a diode flashlight with your own hands

More recently, the word LED has been associated only with indicator devices. Since they were quite expensive and emitted only a few colors, they also shone weakly. With the development of technology, the price of LED products gradually decreased, the scope of application expanded in wide steps.

Today they are used in various devices, they are used almost everywhere where they are needed. lighting... Headlights and lamps in cars are equipped with LEDs, billboard advertisements highlight led strip... In domestic conditions, they are also used no less often.

Who else uses strobe lights?

Police and Service - Using strobe lights can confuse your opponent during an ambush. Finding a person with strobe lights in a building is more difficult than with static lighting, especially if the person is moving or maneuvering a lantern with different sides... Cultural objects - stroboscopic effect can be used both on the stage of the theater and during concerts. Stroboscopic symbols illuminated by light may appear stationary, moving slowly or abruptly. Discos - anyone who has ever been to a club associates flashes, colored lights.

Is the strobe harmful

There was a scene that used strong red and blue light.

Reasons for using LEDs

The lanterns were not spared either. Thanks to powerful LEDs, it became possible to assemble a super-powerful and at the same time quite autonomous flashlight. Such lights can emit a very strong and bright, light on long distance or over a large area.

In this article, we'll walk you through the main benefits of high power LEDs and show you how to fold led torch do it yourself. If you have already encountered this, then you can supplement your knowledge, for beginners in this area, the article will answer many questions related to LEDs and flashlights with their use.

Sensitive to the stroboscopic effect, children experienced very strong dizziness. Some of them felt so bad that she was hospitalized. The organizers of concerts, performances and other events deliberately warn participants about the use of strobe lights during events. Stroboscopic light can cause seizures in a person suffering from photosensitive epilepsy.

Symptoms of epilepsy in people who are sensitive to strobe light already appear at a frequency of 15 Hz, while other studies say it will take at least 90 seconds of continuous strobe to initiate an epileptic attack. As a victim, you cannot predict if a random aggressor will suffer from epilepsy. In a situation where your health and life is threatened by legal access to self-defense, you protect yourself without intending to cause serious harm. Using a flashlight emitting a strobe is self-protection.

If you want to save money using an LED, there are some factors to consider. Since sometimes the price of such a lamp can exceed all the savings. If you have to spend a lot of money and time on maintenance of light sources, while the total number of them consumes a lot of electricity, then you should consider whether the LED will be the best replacement.

Which flashlights have strobe mode - strobe function? Infographic with stroboscope. A flashlight, as an auxiliary light source, is a very important piece of travel equipment. It helps to illuminate the trail, brighten up the darkness of the cave, find out the surroundings, find small items at the bottom of the backpack, and more. Often it can be about the safety of ourselves, as well as the companions with whom we go. This is why it is very important to choose the right flashlight for our needs. It should be not only useful, but also durable, comfortable and reliable.

Over conventional luminaires, LED has a number of advantages that elevate it:

  • There is no need for service.
  • Significant energy savings, sometimes the savings reach up to 10 times.
  • High quality luminous flux.
  • Very long service life.

Necessary components

If you decide to assemble an LED flashlight with your own hands, for movement in the dark or for work at night, but do not know where to start? We will help you with this. The first thing to do is find the necessary items for assembly.

Most of you probably remember the times when there was no choice, when it comes about lanterns. When only a few models are available. Probably everyone who came into the world, even in the previous century, was once occupied with the commonly found lanterns for a flat battery.

Many people sigh lovingly at the aforementioned gaze, perhaps even remembering the experience of the process of checking the battery status with the tongue, but the days when such equipment was used are finally over. Nowadays, when you are looking for a flashlight for your own use, we can and should even choose from a very wide range available on store shelves. This choice can sometimes be really difficult, not only because of a large number types of lights, but also because of the use different types technological solutions.

Here is a preliminary list of required parts:

  1. Light-emitting diode
  2. Winding wire, 20-30 cm.
  3. Ferrite ring approximately 1-1.5 cm in diameter.
  4. Transistor.
  5. 1000 ohm resistor.

Of course, this list also needs to be supplemented with a battery, but this is an element that can be easily found in any home and does not require special preparation. You should also choose a case or some kind of base on which the entire circuit will be installed. A good body would be an old, non-working flashlight, or one that you are going to modify.

Luminous flux units are lumens and they tell us what light intensity or colloquially what power a given flashlight has. The more lumens, the brighter. It should be borne in mind that the intensity of light that we achieve in a flashlight depends on the light source used in it and on the type of cells that supply it.

Traditional light bulbs have probably been completely supplanted from the market by LED light bulbs. Conventional light bulbs gave very low light output, and their additional disadvantage was low resistance to strong shocks and impacts. Very often, a fall from a small, even height ended with a break in the thread, and without a spare bulb, we could not continue using the flashlight. Fortunately, the light emitting diode was invented in the 1960s. At first, only red diodes were used, emitting a weak red light.

How to assemble with your own hands

When assembling the circuit, we will need a transformer, but it was not added to the list. We will make it with our own hands from a ferrite ring and wire. It is very simple to do this, take our ring and start winding the wire forty-five times, this wire will connect to the LED. We take the next wire, and wind it thirty times already, and send it to the base of the transistor.

They were used only in control. They used several, up to a dozen or so, diodes that glowed fairly brightly, but for a short distance. the fact that they were much more economical than traditional flashlights as LEDs consume little power.

However, the real breakthrough was the invention of the high-power diode. High power diodes are also energy efficient light sources. The light emission was concentrated here at a small point, which opened the way for the use of lenses, so you can direct the light to long distance... This is what makes the encoder LED power supply. In addition to the higher cost, their only drawback is that they get very hot, but use modern materials allows you to effectively remove heat.

The resistor used in the circuit must have a resistance of 2000 ohms, only by using this resistance, the circuit can work without failures. When testing the circuit, replace the resistor R1 with a similar one, with an adjustable resistance. Turn on the entire circuit and adjust the resistance of this resistor, adjust the voltage to about 25mA.

As a rule, aluminum housings are used, which are characterized by high thermal conductivity and are very lightweight and resistant to damage. This is another feature that distinguishes modern led flashlights from their old counterparts, whose bodies are made of low-strength plastic.

Before buying a flashlight, we also have to answer the question of what it should work for. The source of energy in a flashlight is mainly its most unreliable element. There is nothing worse than a flashlight that fails when we need it the most. There are gadgets on the market that are designed to work anytime, anywhere. They are most often powered by muscle power, that is, a crank or lever that drives a built-in dynamo. Some also have built-in solar panels.

As a result, you will find out what resistance should be at this point, and you will be able to choose a suitable resistor with the required resistance value.

If the circuit is drawn up in full compliance with the above requirements, then the flashlight should work immediately. If it doesn't work, then you may have made the following mistake:

Still others work on a kinetic basis, drawing energy from our movements. Interestingly, however, these gadgets will not be, they are rather ineffective and are only a source of light. You can of course pack something like this into your backpack just in case, especially for long trips, but for basic use you should have a solid flashlight with the right amount energy stored in batteries or accumulators. The biggest disadvantage of such devices is that their batteries are not interchangeable, which can be really problematic with longer shutdowns after power runs out.

  • The ends of the winding are connected in reverse.
  • The number of turns does not correspond to the required one.
  • If the wound turns are less than 15, then the current generation in the transformer ceases to be carried out.

Putting together a 12 volt LED flashlight

If the amount of light from the flashlight is not enough, then you can collect powerful lantern powered by a 12 volt battery. Such a flashlight is still portable, but already much larger in size.

In the best case, you will have to wait for the battery to charge, but in the worst case, you will be left without a light source if you are away from a power source. In addition, the built-in batteries have the same thing that after long-term use you will no longer be able to charge them, and the flashlight in non-equipment ceases to be useful for anything. This is why you should buy flashlights with replaceable energy sources. Three types are currently most recommended.

Below is a comparison of the sizes of these three types of power supplies. The type of power chosen affects both the amount of energy that we can take on ourselves and the power with which the flashlight will glow. Of course, the indicated light power depends on the diode used in the flashlight, but it should be borne in mind that on conventional batteries we can achieve a maximum brightness of about 350 lumens, although usually much lower. This is the biggest limitation of this energy source, but its inherent advantage is its versatility and easy availability in almost all stores.

To assemble a diagram of such a lantern with our own hands, we need the following details:

  1. Plastic pipe, about 5 cm in diameter and PVC adhesive.
  2. Threaded fitting for PVC, two pieces.
  3. Threaded plug.
  4. Toggle switch.
  5. Actually the LED lamp itself, designed for 12 volts.
  6. Battery for LED power supply, 12 volts.

Electrical tape, heat shrink tubing and small clamps to clean up the wiring.
The battery can be made by hand, from small batteries that are used in radio-controlled toys. You may need 8-12 pieces, depending on their power, to make a total of 12 volts.

The fingers are ideal for powering old LED lights. If, however, we need a stronger light produced by a modern power LED and take full advantage of their capabilities, we will need to choose a cell type powered flashlight. In this case, pay attention to the capacity of such a battery. It is expressed in units of milliampere-hours - the higher the value, the longer the battery will last on a single charge. Charging times usually last a few hours, so it's worth buying at least two links.

They are better than regular sticks, but not as good as links. You will find several different types of flashlights in the shops. You should be aware that you have not created the perfect flashlight that will work in every possible situation. Each type has a different use, so you should carefully consider which one suits your needs best before purchasing.

Solder two wires to the contacts on the light bulb, the length of each should exceed the length of the battery by several centimeters. All are carefully insulated. When connecting the lamp and the battery, set the toggle switch in such a way that it would be located at the opposite end from the LED lamp.

These products are the largest group of flashlights. They are addressed to a very wide audience and can be used in the most different situations... Their main function is their small size, thanks to which you can always have them with you and easily carry them in your pocket or, in the case of women, in your wallet. They are best suited for outdoor activities and short walks.

Tourist and rescue torches. Their main feature is the ability to emit a lot bright light within a few hours, combined with small size and weight. They are useful for camping, under a tent, and in survival situations and other crisis situations such as natural disasters. Very often they come with multiple lighting modes, so you can easily adjust the light output to your current needs, which also extends battery life. Some also have an automatic call for help with Morse signals.

At the ends of the wires coming from the lamp and from the battery pack, which we made with our own hands, it installs special connectors for easy connection. We collect the entire circuit and check its performance.

Assembly diagram

If everything works, then we start creating the corpus. Having cut off the required length of the pipe, we insert our entire structure into it. The battery We carefully fix the inside with glue so that it does not damage the light bulb during operation.

Lanterns for maintenance and protection. They are characterized primarily by their high luminous efficiency and large size for a secure grip. They are intended primarily for unified services, paramedics, and general users who prefer the impressive capabilities of flashlights. They generate a very strong beam of light, reaching several hundred meters. They are very durable, very often completely waterproof. Their size allows you to handle them with confidence, even with thick gloves. Lighting times are relatively short, by the way, so you always need to get multiple sets of batteries.

We install a fitting at both ends, fix it with glue, so we protect the lantern from accidental ingress of moisture inside. Next, we bring our toggle switch to the opposite edge from the lamp, and also carefully fix it. The rear fitting must completely cover the switch with its walls, and when the plug is screwed in, prevent moisture from entering there.

For firearms applications and more. They are also designed for martial artists, hunters and military enthusiasts. However, unlike the previous group, they have the ability to mount on firearms using special handles. However, they are equipped with very strong LEDs and large batteries that provide a high beam of light with the ability to easily change focus.

As the name suggests, they provide a light source for cyclists. The cheapest models are suitable mainly on lighted roads and their function is only to mark the cyclist accordingly. The light flow is rather inadequate for correct lighting roads. More expensive models can completely illuminate the road in the dark, even at a considerable distance. They are also usually splash-proof. It is easy to assemble and disassemble.

To use it, it is enough to unscrew the cap, turn on the flashlight and tighten it again.

Price question

The most expensive thing you'll need is a 12 volt LED bulb. It costs about 4-5 dollars. Digging into old children's toys, batteries from a broken car will be free for you.

A toggle switch and a pipe can also be found in the garage, cuttings of such pipes are constantly left after repairs. If there are no pipes and batteries, you can ask friends and neighbors or buy at the store. If you buy absolutely everything, then such a flashlight can cost you about $ 10.

Summarize

LED technology is gaining more and more popularity. Having good characteristics, soon they can completely replace all competitors in the field of lighting. And by yourself to assemble a powerful portable flashlight with led lamp with your own hands, it will not be difficult for you.