The purpose of the article is to tell you how to make a powerful flashlight yourself from a high-brightness LED. Since the store often sells fakes and low-quality products, 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 in the market is constantly falling. Homemade LED lights have the following advantages:
- profitability (appliances 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.
Thanks to these advantages, masters recommend making lights from 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 (Ă) of which should be 10-15 mm;
- enamel wire Ă 0.1 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. In addition, you will need a body (for example, from an old unnecessary flashlight) or any base on which the parts will be mounted.
Assembly diagram
Before you make a flashlight, you need to make a transformer from a ferrite filter and enamel wire. The methodology for performing this device includes the following steps:
- Wind 45 turns of 0.25 mm diameter enameled wire onto a ferrite filter. The result is a secondary winding, to which in the future it will be necessary to connect an LED.
- Make the primary winding in this way: wind the enameled wire with a diameter of 0.1 mm 30 times, and then direct it to the base of the transistor.
When the described work on the manufacture of a makeshift transformer is completed, then you need to proceed with the selection of a resistor. The resistance of the indicated element used in the circuit should be about 2 kOhm, since only in this case the device will work without failures. However, first you need to test the circuit, and for this you need to replace the resistor with a similar one, but with 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 a regular 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 malfunction of the device. 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 element must be installed instead of an incandescent lamp; it must protrude from the housing by at least 1 mm.
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) polymer pipe;
- two threaded fittings 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 similar value of the battery.
- Insulate all joints.
- Equip the ends of the wires that are connected to the lamp and the battery with 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 works properly, that is, the lamp is turned on using the toggle switch, which means that you can begin to manufacture the case. 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 to switch the toggle switch each time you have to unscrew the plug, and then again install it in its original place. This is inconvenient, but thanks to this decision it will turn out 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;
- ordinary 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 off excess pieces with pliers.
- 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 knife a small cutout in the side of the lid. This must be done to carefully lay the wires in it.
- Fill the cover with glue and fix it to the battery.
- Stick the strap to the received device.
The result is a miniature powerful flashlight.
Conclusion
Given 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 for manufacturing the device are not enough, it is better to buy it in a store, but the quality will often be lower than that of a home-made product. In addition, in a flashlight made by yourself, you can install an LED of any color.