How to Make a Red LED Torch

[iceman]

Hi all.

Chris Marsh (cjmarsh81) has written a great how-to on making your own red-led torch.

You can read the Article by navigating to the IceInSpace How-To (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/?projects) page, or directly by clicking on the link below:

How to Build a Red LED Torch (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/index.php?id=63,278,0,0,1,0)

Thanks to Chris for writing the article!

If you'd like to contribute a review, how-to or other article, please contact me.

[iceman]

Article submitted.

[cjmarsh81]

Thanks Iceman.

[rmcpb]

Nice simple article. Well done!!

Thanx

[Vermin]

I was going to say, it's missing a current limiting resistor, till I noticed this footnote: "I use NIMH rechargeable batteries because they are a lower voltage ie 1.2V instead of 1.6V. I do not recommend the use of alkaline batteries as you run the risk of popping the LED.".

If you want to use alkaline batteries, you will have to find a way of putting a 1/4W 47 Ohm resistor in series (in-line) with the LED and batteries.

I actually managed to fit one inside the globe body when I did this a while ago. But from memory it wasn't easy.

Strictly speaking you should have a 15 Ohm 1/4W resistor in the NIMH powered circuit, but in practice leaving it out may just shorten the (considerably long) life of the LED a little bit.

[cjmarsh81]

The forward voltage of the LED I used is 2.6V. So with two rechargable batteries it is only running on 2.4V. It is not running at the LED's full brightness, but as it is a 6000mcd LED it doesn't matter much. I use it all the time and it is bright enough for me. Yes ideally it probably should have some limiting resistor in it, just in case the batteries are a tad high in voltage when they come out of the charger. I couldn't fit one in easily, and I found it works fine without it so I didn't bother.

[cjmarsh81]

I have a nice little circuit for an oscillator to run the LED on a single battery at full brightness if anyone wants it. Came in one of those DSE kits for a LED Torch. The only problem I have is the LED must be permanently soldered to the circuit or the capacitor builds up a 90V charge and pops the LED when it is reconnected. The problem is getting the switch to work with this circuit.

[Vermin]

Ah OK, I was assuming it was closer to 2.0V like most red LEDs, sorry. A 15 Ohm would do for alkaline batteries then, and (as you say), none for the NIMH.

I'd be interested in seeing charge pump circuit, shouldn't be too hard to add a switch and maybe do something about the 90V.

BTW, have you seen "the joule thief"? http://www.emanator.demon.co.uk/bigclive/joule.htm

[rmcpb]

Isn't this hobby amazing. We start out with stars in our eyes, get into optics/physics of light, woodworking, metalwork, expansion coefficients of glass, electronics, give quantum physics a go and for a bit of a finisher try to get to grips with the evolution of the universe.

:einstein:

[barees63]

Thanks for the article! I have that exact same torch currently covered with red cellophane, I also happen to have the same ultrabright LED sitting in a box of bits so you've given me the prod I needed to do something with it..:)

[cjmarsh81]

Barees. Thats great. It is an easy and very useful little torch now.

Vermin, I hadn't seen that article. It is very interesting and I may give it a go. When I get a chance I will take a photo of the oscillator circuit and post it here. Though this "joule thief" appears to be much simpler and does the same thing.

By the way, if you are after a very bright torch check these LED's out http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-50X-10mm-SUPER-BRIGHT-RED-LED-LAMP-60Kmcd-F-SH_W0QQitemZ7553319998QQcategoryZ66 952QQcmdZViewItem
They probably have a narrow beam but they put my 6000mcd LED to shame.

rmcpb, you are right. I wouldn't have believed some of the topics that come up on this forum and still relate to astronomy.

[ving]

good stuff :)
much better than cellophane.

on a side note. there is nothing more anoying than those red headlamps... yeah they are red, but when someone is talking to you and they shine it right in your eyes... BANG! i dont care what colour it is, there goes the night vision :P

[barees63]

I just made mine, I used a 47 ohm resister (I think it should have been slightly bigger since this will run it near its maximum of 30mA? it's a while since I've done much fiddling with electronics).. FWIW, I found it was quite easy to attach the resister to the +ve lead of the LED by cutting the lead short and soldering the resister right up close to the LED it fit easily inside the bulb base. works great - thanks for the inspiration!

[cjmarsh81]

Barees, are you running it on Alkalines or rechargables? If it is rechargables you don't really need the resistor. Well done on soldering the 47ohm resistor in, I found it too small and fiddly.

[barees63]

I'm using alkalines for now so I thought I should include it..

[cjmarsh81]

Yeah good idea, probably would have popped otherwise.

I probably should have mentioned in the article that I chose this torch over other ones I had because of the centre spot. This I have found helps to reflect the light back into the mirror and provide a wider usable area.

[circumpolar]

Just made one.........

Well, I meen 4!

Two for me (you never know when one might die)
and two for the kids!!

The torches from Big W at $1.60 each
LED's were $2.20 each
So I bought four of everything.:)

[sheeny]

What a beauty of a little project!

Good stuff!

Al.

[RAJAH235]

Nice job cj.. I never thought about making or submitting an article about them.Well done. :2thumbs:
fwiw. Been making & selling these for yrs. I include the resistor inside the flanged holder just in case they get put in some other torch. Easy as pie. I use a 150 or 300 Ohm resistor, with a 1000mcd, 5 mm red LED, as I find most people do not want the LED too bright.
I usually make 10 aat. :shrug: :D L.
ps. hint for those interested. Hold the globe with an old pair of long nose pliers & hold over gas ring for a few seconds, to melt the high temp cement/glue & the solder in the 'positive' hole. The cement can all be scraped out to give a bit more room.
pps. Even made a couple of 'specials' for the "Big Jim", "Dolphin" torches. (reverse polarity of LED tho & increase the resistor to ~470 Ohm).

[wavelandscott]

Nice project...it is amazing how "handy" some peole are...

[norm]

Great DIY,

Has anyone tried with a AA maglite, the bulb/lens arrangement is slightly different and also you can adjust the beam on them.

[RAJAH235]

Norm, never having seen a maglite globe..... pic might help...:D L.
ps. Are they the really tiny ones? Might be a tad difficult...:shrug: won't know till see...

[cjmarsh81]

I have put a Led into a 2xAA maglite and it does work. I had to drill the mirror hole a little bigger.

Remember though, it enlarges the small holes and now I cannot put a bulb back into it. I tried the other day and it kept turning off as it wasn't making contact. Perhaps you can shave the LED's legs to make them smaller.

[Roger Davis]

Torches are handy the smaller you can make them. I liked the idea of a jumbo superbright LED so I designed the torch around a 20mm aluminium tube. Used an old 12v camera battery that had lost a bit of its life which just happened to fit inside of an old stereo phone plug that I modified to fit snugly against the negative end of the battery. I'd run out of resistors so I put another standard red LED inside the torch. Whole thing is about 100mm long. Made it over 6 years ago and it's still working fine on the same battery.

[vindictive666]

i bought a U.S.A mini mag lite and unscrewed the front end and inserted a layer of red cellopfane :)

it came with a spare globe as well, plus you can stand them up as a candle if you want (not red light then of course)

works a treat not too bright if too bright just add an other piece of red cellophane :)

runs on two x AAA batteries and lasts for months :)

(borrowed pic)

http://www.obaq.tv/cpf/?page=Mini_Maglite_mod

[GeoffW1]

Hi,

Just made mine up, works a treat. Wife is mystified as to where the torch went.

Cheers

[mswhin63]

I hope to make some that won't cost anymore than purchacing the main unit as is. Made my second one last week and is Rubylith as well.

[erick]

I made up two when I first started this hobby in late 2006. Two cheap plastic torches from the $2 shop.

Have been flawless performers. Two rechargeable AAs to power each one - NiCds as I recall.

Once tried to see how long the charge lasts. Switched on in the evening - still burning brightly when I got up the next morning!

Superb! :thumbsup:

[gb_astro]

Bought this "XSTREEM" nine LED torch for about $12 at Woolworths.

It came with a belt pouch and three AAA batteries.
Textured aluminium, with a nice solid feel to it, it's about 95mm long.
Sits in the hand nicely with your index finger on the end switch.
This way when you turn it on it is facing you and not pointing into someone else's face.

Unlike a lot of LED torches you can get access to the LED/reflector area
by unscrewing an internal ring (after applying a bit of WD40).
Then it's just a matter of putting in a disk or two of rubylith or painting the glass or LEDs with red nail polish.

Because the circuit board is exposed at the back of the LED housing
it is pretty easy to break the circuit to any of LEDs you want to turn off to make a dimmer light or save a bit of power.
Just use a sharp steel point to scratch away the connection to any LEDs you do not want on (see photo where I have turned four LEDs off).

With rubylith it gives a very even light that should be good for chart work.
Also works with rechargeables.

gb.

[Exfso]

Why not just replace the white LED's with red LED's...

[gb_astro]

Well, the LEDs are soldered in so that could take a bit of effort.
Can't really see the point when rubylith does such a good job.

gb.

[Starkler]

I used to use my home made red led torch until i bought myself an Energizer brand head band torch.

Flip the switch one way its red led of a moderate brightness, the other way gives a nice powerful beam from two white leds. One of my best astro purchases ever. Cost around $40 but well worth it.

http://www.firemaker.biz/web_images/headlight.jpg

[phranticsnr]

I've made red torches before (actually lightpens for my photographic dabblings) and as a barrel I used some electrical conduit. I think mine cost a total of about $3 each (I made 6 in 3 different colours). If anyone wants to know how, I'll do a write-up and post it... somewhere.

[Exfso]

Re swapping the white Leds for red ones, I have a couple of the torches that Geoff refers to. I decided to do an experiment on one of them and removed the white Leds and re soldered red leds in. It worked a treat, so now I have a torch which has two settings of red led, bright and very bright. :D

[TechnoViking]

Here is my version of how to build red flashlight in 2 minutes no soldering required.

Buy a cheap torch (bulb type)
Pull the bulb out
Get a red perminant marker and colour the bulb red
put torch back togeather
and presto a red torch in 2 minutes!:party: and cost me $5 for two of them (Bunnings special)