The purpose of the article is to tell you how to make a powerful flashlight yourself from a high-brightness LED. Since fakes and low-quality products are often sold in the store, craftsmen recommend making home-made appliances. If everything is done correctly, the result is a reliable hand-held flashlight.
Benefits
LEDs have been used in electronics for a long time, but thanks to the development of technology, they have become brighter than before. Therefore, it is not surprising that they turned into real light sources. Powerful and reliable hand lanterns are now increasingly being assembled from LEDs. Such devices can emit bright light over a long distance. In addition, their price is constantly decreasing market. Homemade LED lights have the following advantages:
- profitability (devices consume electricity about 10 times less than incandescent lamps of similar power);
- durability (the life of the LED is at least 10 thousand hours);
- high-quality luminous flux (emit light similar to natural);
- reliability (practically do not deteriorate due to mechanical shocks and strong vibrations);
- lack of need for constant maintenance.
Due to these advantages masters recommend to do it lights of the LEDs.
Homemade device powered by a finger battery: the necessary materials
Making a powerful flashlight with your own hands is a difficult task, for which you must first prepare all the necessary components. The list includes the following details:
- superbright LED;
- a ferrite filter, the diameter (Ã) of which should be 10-15 mm;
- enameled wire à 0,1 mm and 0.25 mm;
- resistor;
- bipolar transistor npn structure (for example, KT315 or BC547C);
- finger battery.
The last element should be present in every house, so there should not be any problems finding it, but you will have to buy the remaining components. It will also require the body (for example, from an old flashlight unnecessary), or any substrate to which are attached the details.
Assembly diagram
Before you make a flashlight, you need to make a transformer from a ferrite filter and enamel wire. Methods of this device includes the following stages:
- Wind 45 turns of enamel wire with a diameter of 0.25 mm onto a ferrite filter. The result is a secondary winding, to which in the future it will be necessary to connect an LED.
- Make primary winding thus: wound 30 times enameled wire of 0.1 mm diameter, and then send it to the base of the transistor.
When the described work on the production of home-made transformer will be completed, then you need to proceed to the selection of the resistor. The resistance of the element used in the scheme, should be approximately 2 ohms, since only in this case the device will operate without failures. However, you must first test the scheme, and for this it is necessary to replace the resistor on a similar but with an adjustable resistance. By connecting the flashlight to a new battery, it is necessary to adjust the resistance on the variable resistor so that the LED transmits a current of 25 mA. The next step is to measure the obtained value and set the element with the required face value.
An electrical circuit is necessary to power the LED from the battery, since the operating voltage of superbright diodes is at least 2.5 V. But in the end it will turn out to make a powerful flashlight that will work for a long time. The diagram below is an ordinary blocking generator, so the probability of making a mistake is minimized.
Possible problems
If the circuit was designed in accordance with the specified requirements, the lamp should work normally. However, not everything is going so well, so you have to look for the causes of the device malfunction. Wizards highlighted several common errors:
- A small number of turns (less than 15). In this case, the current will not be generated in the transformer.
- The ends of the winding were connected without taking into account the conditions of multidirectional currents. To solve this problem, it is necessary to wind the wires in different directions.
Masters recommend making the LED flashlight according to the scheme below.
LED-unit must be installed in place of an incandescent lamp; he has at least 1 mm from the housing act.
Homemade LED flashlight on 12 V: the necessary materials and tools
It should be said right away: as a result, a dimensional device will be obtained that will more likely look like a small spotlight. However, the product can still be carried with you, for example, to find a way home at night. The device of this type of flashlight is quite simple, since it will take a few details to make it, or rather:
- LED (LED) lamp at 12 V;
- two-inch (50 mm) of the polymeric tube;
- two threaded fitting and a cap for PVC;
- glue for plastic;
- toggle switch;
- electrical tape, nylon ties and heat-shrink tubes - materials necessary for the installation of electrical wiring;
- 12 V. battery
The last element can be made independently from 8-12 pieces of batteries used in radio-controlled cars. They need to be combined into one battery, the voltage of which will be 12 V. From the tools you need to prepare a hacksaw, file, sandpaper, wire cutters and a soldering iron with solder.
Creating a 12-volt flashlight: step by step instructions
The initial stage is the assembly of the electrical circuit, which will consist of an LED lamp, battery and toggle switch. Preparatory work must be performed in the following order:
- Solder two wires to the contacts on the LED bulb. The main thing is that the length of the segments is several centimeters greater than the same amount of battery.
- Insulate all joints.
- Equip the wire ends that are connected to the lamp and battery, special connectors for quick connection.
- Install the toggle switch so that it is located on the opposite side from the LED element.
After assembly, it is necessary to check the operation of the electrical circuit. If everything is working properly, ie. E. The lamp is turned on with the toggle switch, so you can start making body. To assemble a powerful flashlight from these materials with your own hands, you need to follow this instruction:
- Make a hole under the lamp in one fitting.
- Sand the edges with a file and sandpaper.
- Lubricate the edges of the prepared hole with glue, as this will protect the device from moisture.
- Measure the total length of the LED element and the 12-volt battery.
- Cut a piece of the desired size from the polymer pipe. The result is a blank for the body.
- Put all the electronics except the toggle switch inside the cut pipe. However, the battery must be fixed with glue so that it does not damage other elements of the device.
- Glue a threaded fitting on each end of the pipe. A part without a hole must be closed with a plug. The main thing is that as a result, tight joints are obtained.
- Install a toggle switch on the whole fitting, which should be fixed on the opposite side with respect to the lamp.
- Glue the switch so that it does not protrude.
- Screw the cap onto the fitting.
The disadvantage of the device is that for switching the toggle switch is necessary each time to unscrew the cap, and then install it again in its place. This is inconvenient, but thanks to such a solution, it will be possible to make a sealed enclosure.
How to make a headlamp on your own: instructions
For the manufacture of the mentioned device you will need:
- LEDs - 3 pcs.;
- Kron battery and terminals for it;
- regular plastic bottle cap;
- switch (button);
- elastic strap;
- soldering iron, awl, clerical knife and glue.
To make a simple headlamp, you need to follow these steps:
- Make an awl in the cover with three holes for the LEDs.
- Insert LED elements in series into the slots so that the plus is about the minus.
- Twist the ends of the LEDs in sequence.
- Solder the wires.
- Bite pliers extra segments.
- Solder the terminal wires to the free ends of the LEDs.
- Remove one of the terminal wires and secure the button-switch with a soldering iron in the resulting cut.
- Solder all parts to the battery.
- Check the circuit for functionality.
- Stick the button to the battery.
- Make a small cut with a knife in the side of the cover. This should be done so carefully put in her wire.
- Filled with adhesive cover and attach it to the battery.
- Glue strap to the resulting device.
The result is a miniature powerful flashlight.
Conclusion
Considering the information given in the article, we can conclude: making a powerful flashlight with your own hands is a difficult task. If you still manage to make the device yourself, the masters recommend periodically checking its performance, because over time it may start to dim or completely deteriorate. More often, such a device breaks down due to such malfunctions:
- breakdown of a diode, resistor or other circuit elements;
- damage to the switch button;
- battery wear;
- failure of contact sockets.
Before you throw out the flashlight, you need to try to repair it. If the skills to manufacture the device is not enough, it is better to buy it in the store, but the quality is often lower than that of a home-made products. In addition, in a flashlight made by yourself, you can install an LED of any color.