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BlackCatTech - if you are still ordering from digikey, can I piggyback the following 18650 holders onto your order please? If not no worries at all. If you do provide more drivers for sale, then add on what I owe onto that when I paypal you perhaps?
1x 4x18650 holder - BK-18650-PC8-ND
4x 2x18650 holder - BK-18650-PC4-ND
hope thats not too much, they're bulky but light.
Much appreciated! thanks.
chinochio. yep I think there will be enough for you also.
When will the next batch of LED's be ready for dispatch? Thanks
The buggers have been in Stanstead since 7.40 this morning
so I am hoping the carrier pidgeon is refreshed for a night trip to yorkshire.
Can I have 4 LED's and reflectors but none of the rest of the bits please?
I am trying to get my head around the logic of specifying components and thinking back to my electronics days in college.
For example:
I want to run 2 XP-G's in series (Rated at 1000mAh for 350lm) from 1 of BCT's drivers which are rated at 1000mA.
1. I am presuming the 2 LED's in total will only draw 1000mA max? It is not the current draw of each added together (2000mAh)? I want to play with this run time calculator ( http://www.jtice.com/led_pro/led_pro.htm) and was trying to work out what I would put in for the Desired LED Current. 1000mAh or 2000mAh?
2. Does the rating of the driver relates to the highest Amp rating LED you can run from it?
Do you guys know any good websites to explain all this stuff in basic terms?
Sorry to sound stupid but I am just getting my head around the maths again.
Thanks
Elliot
Here you go a fair bit of info here
http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz
Blackcats driver is not quite 1000 Ma but yes if your leds are connected in series then both leds will get the nearly 1 amp current .
the rating of the driver is the maximum the leds will get . the XPGs are rated at 1500 ha drive current but that means lots of heat to dispose of
Put me down for 1x 4x18650 holder please if possible?
Hi Ells ... wordy response warning!
1) 2 Leds in series get the same current through them. So 2 xp-g's in series driven from a Teapot 970mA driver get 970ma through each Led. If you were to put the 2 Leds in parallel than they would share the current available (from any constant current driver), so in the case of a 1 amp driver, each Led in parallel gets 500mA (half amp) each.
2) Quote: "Does the rating of the driver relates to the highest Amp rating LED you can run from it?"
Sort of! You can run a Led with a higher current rating than the current rating of a driver ... no problem (other than getting rid of the heat from the Led!) E.g. As Troutie says, you can run an xp-g which is capable of going up to 1.5 amp from a 1 amp driver. You can run an xp-g from a 350mA driver ... you're just letting the Led tick over then!
You can't directly run a Led with a lower rating than the rating of the driver (constant current), you'd need to use one of a few tricks to do that. E.g. the old Luxeon I Led ran at about 350mA (1/3rd amp) maximum, so a 1 amp driver would fry the Led if you connected it directly.
Ok so far? Read on ....
One trick to use a driver with a higher rating than the Led is to use more than one Led in parallel. E.g. 3 or 4 old Luxeon I Leds in parallel would see 333mA (3 Leds) and 250mA (4 Leds) running through each Led respectively. The Luxeon I's would not burn out.
Also, many drivers can be set to a lower output than their maximum. E.g. a Teapot 970mA can be set to 300mA and you could drive your old Luxeon I with that ..... or run a modern xp-g at a lower light output than at 970mA. But beware.... if you accidently reset the current to 970mA, the poor old Luxeon I will go .... Puff! (the xp-g will go brighter and get warm!)
Hope that helps!
Hi,
Thanks for the replies guys, much appreciated. Is there any reason to use the XP-G LED's compared to other models which seem to put out more lm per amp? Or does it just come down to price for this project?
All of what you have said has made perfect sense. My only other question is: when working out how much current will be used per hour by the LED's, I presume that you add the two mAh ratings together to work out battery life?
If it is possible, can I add these to your list for DigiKey:
1x 4x18650 holder - BK-18650-PC8-ND
1x 3x18650 holder - BK-18650-PC6-ND
2x 2x18650 holder - BK-18650-PC4-ND
1x 1x18650 holder - BK-18650-PC2-ND
Absolutely no problem if it is not ok, just thought I'd ask! Can pay through through paypal gift no problem.
Thanks
Elliot
been following this thread intensely waiting to hear of news of the next order. any chance of one more on the list or is it too late? going with the update order i think it would now be:
so next update
Jazid - xpg LED Kit (incl. lexan + angle) + Driver Kit (3way + 2way)
runswithscissors 2x LED kit + Driver kit
bobblehat 4 * 20mm xp-g + 2 pieces of lexan please!
john_walker74 2* LEDs and bits & 2 * Driver
bigjim LED kit + driver kit
mau00149 led kit + driver kit
norcbot led kit + driver kit
landy813 - driver
Clobber, 4xLED kit + 4xDriver kit + 2*20mm xp-g (these are for friends so I'll make sure there is a profit for you Troutie!)
Damo2576 - LED & Driver Kit)
Steelrider - LED kit + driver kit
Citizen Kane- 3 LEDs and 3 Reflectors
chinochio- LED kit (unsure on if driver was needed?)
Ells- 4 LEDs and 4 Reflectors
defaultslipper- LED kit and Driver kit
The list was taken off the bottom of the previous page and added those interested on this page (sorry if i missed anyone). I may have missed it but what is happening with the payment for the second batch, are we waiting on parts to arrive at troute's shed and BCT's garage before sending payment or should payment be made ASAP?
Looks like a cracking little light, I have been playing with some drawings on CAD in excitement for playing around with this project. I just hope I am not too late!?
Whoo Whoo Fedex just called and now Troutie is up to his eyeballs in leds.
I will do my best to get them out but it will probably be sat before I can get them packed and need to cut some more Ali up .
you can Paypal (no fees please ) any time now addy in profile .
DONT FORGET YOUR ADDRESS and Stw user name
Help!! What have I done wrong... Got it all together, and the lights come on, great. But, the switch has no effect, no dimming, no off - just lights on all the time. Also, it doesnt seem very bright (though neither am I) but it is daylight so hard to say but it doesnt strike me as being anything like what it should.
I have checked all is wired up as per the diagram and it seems to be correct. Any idea what this is symptomatic of?
Sure you haven't got a short round the switch v8, just check again.
Going to get the sort out the payments.
so is it
trout £20 ??
blackcat £9 ??
btc - yhm regarding 18650 holder
trout - if you have a another kit spare, then can you put me down for one. no worry if i'm too late.
Adam ... Turn off power ..... carefully check you have no solder bridges between any of the 5 solder pads on the driver.
Try temporarily unsoldering/disconnecting the "A" lead on the driver board (or unsolder it at the switch). Reconnect power. This should guarantee full power to the Leds, if your other connections are all good, and Leds are right way round and not shorted anywhere. If it still seems dim then you could try one Led at a time.
If you get full power on both Leds with nothing attached to the "A" pad then try shorting the "A" pad/lead to battery negative (be VERY sure it's to battery negative and not positive! POOF!). This should shut off the driver and Leds.
If this works, connect your chosen resistor between "A" and battery negative ... this should go to low mode. Again be very sure you don't connect anything between the "A" solder point and battery positive!
See how that goes ... let us all know.
I've just taken mine apart and found that the LED -ve cable had come away from the driver, that'll be my amazing soldering prowess me thinks 😕
Having put the cable into the driver board everything behaves as it should do, lights on, high/low beam and correct off function which is all good. Bad point is the switch is upside down so the off is up if you see what I mean. Doesnt affect function just a minor niggle.
I'll see about getting that re done then its just wodging silicone around the driver and reflectors, leaving overnight and then final assembly tomorrow evening 😀
As a thought I guess it would be easier to silicone around the switch and power cable grommet before the driver board had been AA'd on?
If you want the switch to work the "other way up" without physically rotating the switch ... find the lead at the switch whose other end connects to battery negative and move it to the opposite end of the resistor that it is connected to now!
That'll do it!
edit: This works if the "A" lead is connected to the "middle pin" of the switch. Trying to get my head around this if you've connected the battery negative to the middle pin of the switch ...... for now better not try this if that's what you've done!
Thinking cap on ..... 🙄
OK .. assuming you've not done anything fancy with the switch (like used a double pole to switch the battery as well as the light levels) and you've used Trouties wiring and the switch does its [b]low/high/off[/b] thing .......
..... then whichever control lead goes to the resistor can be [u]moved[/u] to the other end of the resistor and that will reverse the order of the switch .... [b]off/high/low[/b] in this case.
I take no credit for any "Poof"-iness that occurs here!
I thought my switch was the wrong way round so I wouldn't worry too much, think it's just personal preference.
TBH I'll leave it as it is. I'm happy enough that its working properly now and I can sort things out for the second build next week.
I have found one other boob which is a difference of about 3mm between the end of the reflector and then end of the case. Short of sawing a lil bit off the end any idea's?
Trout, payment sent for 2 kits. thanks
Stayhigh - sure, no prob
Could you elongate the holes in the L bracket so they are oblong and then you can shuffle the bracket forward a bit? Or .... if it's the reginas sticking out ... shuffle the bracket back a bit? Guess it all depends on where you drilled the holes in the case and the bracket. You may need extra washers or nuts if you originally threaded the bracket.
Its a good idea but the problem would then be filling the gap once the screws are in place to keep it weather proof. Maybe a blob of silicone?
It may not be physically possible in your situation, but I was suggesting you leave the hole in the case as it is now and alter the hole in the L bracket. Of course, you have to use a nut on the inside as I don't think you can tap an oval hole 😆
Ahh I'm with you now. The holes in the angle heatsink have been threaded but I do have nuts that would fit them. Hang on a minute that didnt come out quite right lol.
I could superglue or araldite the nuts onto the angle maybe?
😆 I just got back from a meet up with Lipseal. He brought along his little Hammond light and it blew away my 10W overdriven halogen main beam! But you all knew it would 😆 .... I'm stonked, can't wait to build mine!
What an excellent beam it gives out ... it's got everything I want .... good hot spot and plenty of spill. The spill upwards might need a bit of taming for road use ... but plenty of time to play with it once I've got all the bits built up.
The heat seemed very modest considering we were just standing around pointing the beam here and there, my case is slightly smaller than lipseals as I cut mine down to 2 * 38mm to get two out of one 80mm Hammond. I was worried that it would be too much for 2 xp-g's but I reckon it'll be OK.
Thanks Lipseal .... I'll be buzzing off this for days!
Stayhigh ... Yep! You got it. Araldite or even try your silicon. Not sure about superglue ... is it OK with the reflectors?
Trout, payment sent. Thanks
BH: Superglue not for reflectors it would be for sticking the nuts to the angle heatsink after elongating the holes.
It is an awesome bright light, had a little play in the garden and can't wait to get out with it tomorrow night once its (finally) finished 😀
Stayhigh ..... it's the fumes off the superglue if you use it to glue the nuts .... I may be wrong but I thought I read that they can have an effect on optics and reflectors.
Anyone know?
Just a quick note that say that I've not forgotten all you lovely guys and gals (assuming there are gals on here that is!). I'm up to my eyes building more drivers - I'm going to finish off my current stock of PCBs which will cover the 50 I have on order (including yours, Troutie) and leave me maybe 20 for the next batch of kits. I'll try and sort these out tomorrow - I've got the bits in but not even opened the box yet!
For those asking about battery holders, I've not yet ordered from Digikey, that will probably be over the weekend so I'll collate all requests and add them to my order.
I'm also putting together another batch of PCBs - I've changed the design slightly for various reasons and the next board will be roughly 22mm square so slightly larger than the old design. Power and LED terminals will be on opposite sides and it will have the dimming resistor built in but with the shutdown control still accessible so all you will need to do is wire the switch directly to the PCB. I'm also doing a smaller version which will allow me to cost-reduce the 670mA version of the driver and size-reduce the 330mA one for anyone still using those.
Am I too late to bolt on to the 18650 cell holder bulk purchase?
If so could I have
2x 4x18650 holder - BK-18650-PC8-ND
2x 2x18650 holder - BK-18650-PC4-ND
can paypal over monies as soon as required
cheers
Trout: due to my hamfistedness I've managed to blow one of my LED's. If you have one going spare from your last shipment can I put my name on it please and if so how much is it?
BCT,
Can I add to your order.
2x 4x18650 holder - BK-18650-PC8-ND
2x 2x18650 holder - BK-18650-PC4-ND
Many thanks.
Just thought I'd get the 666 one 😈 thanks for the links BH look interesting.
I'm also putting together another batch of PCBs - I've changed the design slightly for various reasons and the next board will be roughly 22mm square so slightly larger than the old design.
BCT,
It would be way better if you could keep one of the dimensions under 20 mm. All these lights use 20mm stars, optics, and case so its a pain to fit anything bigger.
BCT - Any news on the lumi can drivers? 🙂
cant you just glue a bigger driver to the top of the case?
+1 for under 20mm for one dimension of the driver, Stephen. I can just fit your current driver vertically in the Hammond case and save a lot of space.
All major components of this build fit together so well ..... Case is internal 20mm, stars 20mm, Led plate easy available as 20mm angle or channel ... your driver 19mm.
Payment sent trout, thanks for your work.
I'll have a look in to it and see what I think. Problem is that the existing board is really a little on the small side to give enough heat dissipation for the driver. There is a newer, cheaper version of the driver chip out but it needs to run cooler. The plan was to increase the PCB area to see if that was enough and if not then at least the existing driver will run a little cooler.
As a reference, the IC manufacturer uses a 25mm square PCB as their reference for heat dissipation so I would still be under that even at 22 x 22.
Would something like 24 x 20 be any better?
BCT I think even 30x20 would be better than 24x24, as it would mean people could still vertically mount the pcbs in the good old Hammond case.
Still got problems - can't get mine working. Light not coming on at all now: dimsnatled it, checked for shorts (visually only, havent got a multimeter), re-did all the solders, tried disconnecting the control wire...al to no avail. As the lights did come on previously, I presume the LEDs are OK as are the connections to them - so i think there must be a problem with the driver or the 3-way switch. Once I get a multimeter what else can I can do to check where the fault lies? Anyone suggest a fault finding routine?
Agree with Jazid .... 24 x 20 .... 30 x 20 even! OK 24 x 20 better 😉