Do-it-yourself repair and modernization of Lentel, Photon, Smartbuy Colorado and RED LED lights. Making your own LED flashlight Homemade flashlights with powerful LEDs

Making a fairly powerful LED flashlight yourself is not at all difficult.

You just need a little patience - and everything will definitely work out. DIY LED lights can be used for many things: in the garden, around the house, as built-in light bulbs for furniture, and even as car headlights! But since it is now difficult to buy an LED garden lantern at a price everyone can afford, let’s look at a simple way to make it yourself.

LED flashlights are significantly longer lasting than conventional lighting devices.

Tools for work

To work you will need:

• several LEDs;
• resistors;
• good quality superglue;
• aluminum plate or other similar durable material;
• reflector.

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Drawing up an electrical diagram

First of all, you need to make yourself a diagram for connecting resistors and LEDs. Perhaps this is the most painstaking part of all work on the lantern. If you do not have experience working with electricity, it will be difficult to make the circuit yourself. But even then, you can use Internet sites, where, after filling out the required fields, the diagram will appear on the screen in finished form - it is designed automatically.

To fill out the form (or even if you draw up a diagram yourself), you need to accurately determine the following parameters: the voltage of the power source and the LED, the number of LEDs and the current strength of one LED. These data are usually taken as statistical averages, and they are also often written on the specified parts.

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Making a plate for LEDs

In order for the LEDs to be securely fastened and the LED flashlight to be durable, it is necessary to make a good plate that will serve as a holder for them. First, draw on paper yourself or using a computer a diagram of a plate with holes for the LEDs (there are as many holes as there are for all the LEDs in total). Cut out the diagram and attach (you can use superglue) to a piece of soft aluminum. Based on the sketch outlined on paper, we make the same holes in the aluminum plate with our own hands using a conventional drill.

After these steps, following the diagram, insert all the LEDs into the holes, being careful not to catch the contacts. It is strictly forbidden to place cathodes and anodes in a row - they only need to be alternated with each other. The most convenient way to do this is on a flat surface with a stand, which is needed so that the LEDs partially “fall” into the holes, as it should be in the finished version. Once this is done, you need to securely secure the LED bulbs with superglue.

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The order of final assembly of the circuit

Assembly of the circuit begins with control gluing of the LEDs with another additional layer of glue. Remember that if damaged, it will not be so easy to replace the LED bulb yourself, as modern superglue adheres quite well, so work carefully.

Soldering resistors

Now solder resistors to the LEDs using a regular blowtorch. At the same time, try not to touch the contacts. Remember that the ends of the LEDs need to be trimmed a little before soldering.

Soldering the lamp leads

The most difficult step in assembling the circuit is soldering the lamp leads to the plug that will be inserted into the power source. An ordinary plug is used, as for an incandescent lamp. First, mark the positive and negative conclusions for yourself so as not to confuse them later. This can be done by marking them with a marker, or you can simply make the negative conclusion about 1.5 times shorter - this will not affect the quality of the flashlight. Now solder the leads.

Checking and filling contacts

After this entire structure has set (after about 20 minutes), you need to connect it to power and check its functionality. If everything is fine and the lamps are glowing, then you can start filling the contacts, which is done with ordinary wax or paraffin. In this case, it is better to draw the melted wax into a syringe and pour it into the contacts. This must be done so that in the future they cannot touch each other, thereby causing a short circuit.

Working with a reflector

Let's move on to the reflector. It is thanks to the reflector from the halogen lamp that the LED flashlight will turn out to be quite powerful. Carefully remove the lamp from it and, if possible, use metal tweezers or an unnecessary screwdriver to pick out the resin that held the lamp in place.

A flashlight is a necessary thing when traveling to nature or to the countryside. At night, on a personal plot or near a tent, only it will create a ray of light in the dark kingdom. But even in a city apartment, sometimes you just can’t do without it. As a rule, it is difficult to get something small that has rolled under a bed or sofa without a flashlight. And although nowadays there are devices that are multifunctional and can be a source of light, some of our readers will probably want to know how to make a flashlight with their own hands. How to make a small device from scrap items will be discussed below.

Classic shape

The most convenient design, which in principle has remained unchanged for flashlights for many years, is the design containing:

• cylindrical body with batteries of the same shape;
• reflector with a light bulb at one end of the housing;
• removable cover at the other end of the housing.

And this design can be obtained using unnecessary household items. If you make a lantern with your own hands, you will, of course, not have the beauty of shapes like an industrial design. But it will be functional and you will get a lot of positive emotions from a working homemade product.

So, the main problem, which at first glance is difficult to solve, is the reflector. But it just seems complicated. In fact, we are surrounded by many objects that can become preparations for a whole range of reflectors of different sizes. These are ordinary plastic bottles. Their inner surface near the neck is very close in shape to that of a reflector made at the factory. And the lid seems to be created for mounting an LED in it, which is the best light source today. It is brighter and more economical than a miniature light bulb.

Making a reflector

The fact that you may not be able to find a tube of suitable dimensions for making a body is not a problem. It can be glued together from individual parts. For example, from unnecessary disposable ballpoint pens. To spring the contacts, you can use a spiral, which is used for binding pages, and the contacts can be made from thin sheet metal, the raw material for which will be a tin can. Therefore, we start by choosing a plastic bottle of the desired size and selecting the remaining elements. The smaller the bottle, the stiffer and stronger the reflector will be. The easiest way to fasten parts during assembly is using construction sealant.

So, let's start making a flashlight with our own hands. Using a sharp knife, cut off the neck and parabolic part of the body from the bottle and trim the edges with scissors.

For effective reflection, we use foil in which chocolate bars are wrapped. If its size is not enough, you can cut a larger piece from a roll of foil intended for baking products. To keep the foil on the surface, apply a thin layer of sealant. Then we press and level the foil over it. If she wrinkles, it doesn't matter. The main thing is that there are no swellings and that it follows the shape of the base.

We press the foil with our fingers and, smoothing out the unevenness, form the most even surface possible. Using scissors, trim the edges of the foil flush with the plastic base. Along the contour of the neck we make a cutout with a knife for the LED, which will subsequently be installed in this place on the socket.

We make it from the bottom of a bottle cap, cutting off the threaded edges with a sharp knife and, if necessary, trimming them with scissors. Then, using an awl or the tip of a knife to make two holes in the socket, we thread the legs of the LED through them, pressing its base against it. To correctly install the LED lamp in the center of the cover, you must select the correct distance between the holes according to the location of the legs in the base of the LED.

We bend the LED leads to the sides until they touch the edges of the socket. We attach the conductors to them by twisting. If the twisting turns out to be unreliable due to the properties of the wire cores or for other reasons, soldering is used. After attaching the wires, the leads are folded along the socket. It is recommended to check the performance of the received part using the batteries used in the flashlight.

Then we cut out a contact pad for the battery from a sheet of tin, which rests on the socket with the LED. By twisting or soldering we connect the pad - terminal with a shorter wire. We attach the terminal to a spring, which in turn is attached to the socket. To fasten the elements we use sealant.

Then we glue the socket with the LED into the reflector.

Bottom and case with batteries

The part of the flashlight body opposite the reflector is also made from a part of a bottle with a neck. But only from the very neck with the lid. A terminal made of a sheet of tin is glued to its inner wall. A wire is also attached to it. This wire and the second wire from the LED will be used to control the flashlight. The terminal is in contact with the battery, being pressed by a cap that is screwed onto the neck.

Two main parts are ready. Now we need to make a case for the batteries. To do this, we use dry and therefore no longer needed felt-tip pens. We leave only the body, which we shorten in length and cut along the axis at the ends, making two protrusions for gluing. Before cutting, make marks with a marker, applying the body of the felt-tip pen to the parts to be glued.

Apply glue to the protrusions and glue them to the reflector and the back, respectively.

Then we cut out the switch parts from the tin sheet. We mount the wires to them and glue the parts to the body.

We insert batteries into the flashlight and use it. This, of course, is not a factory-made flashlight with a high-quality reflector and high beam. But it is made with your own hands, it is your own product, which gives good low-level lighting and gives great pleasure, and money cannot buy it. Now you have a clear idea of ​​how easy it is to make a lantern yourself.

Good day to all. I present to the public a homemade LED “close combat” flashlight in the literal and figurative sense. Thanks to the optics used, the flashlight provides a wide, uniform spot of illumination at close range, and its considerable weight (330 grams with battery) allows it to be used as a self-defense weapon. The impact with the end in the form of a nut with sharp edges allows the flashlight to be used as a kind of kubotan. The body of the lantern is made of brass plumbing fittings (my dad is a plumber, and there were some left over after the repair).


]Cree XML LED neutral glow on the “star”
Current driver 5 modes: Hi (1200 mA), Middle (600 mA), Lo (100 mA), strobe, SOS
Optics: Diffuser 60-80 degrees.
Battery: 18650
The entire optical-electrical part was purchased in one of the Russian online stores, I don’t give a link, I don’t know if it’s possible or not. You can probably get it cheaper on Chinese resources, but I’m happy with everything anyway, besides, the store is trusted, you can buy almost at retail, and there is support in the form of a live forum where you can ask for advice.
For the case you will need:
Extension 100mm -1\2 external and internal threads (male and female).
Transition coupling 3\4 w.r. - 1\2 v.r.
Plug 1\2 no.
Futorka 1\2 no. - 3\8 v.r.
Lantern dimensions: width - 35mm (at the widest point), length - 150mm.
Flashlight weight: 330g, without battery - 270g.
The total cost of all materials is about 800-1000 rubles.


Assembly:
First, we drill a couple of holes in the plug to let the wiring from the LED pass through.


We glue a “star” with an LED onto the plug using thermally conductive glue or sealant (I used automotive sealant-gasket with Done Deal copper) and solder the wires.


On the other side, we place the driver to which we solder the wiring from the LED; we solder the minus rim of the driver to the edge of the plug).


Screw it all the way into the adapter coupling from the wide side.
We place the optics on the sealant, this particular diffuser fits into the coupling just perfectly.


We cut off the external thread of the extension in half. 2 circles were made from the breadboard, one is placed at the end of the sawn-off thread of the extension cord and will be pressed against the central positive patch of the driver, the second circle inside the extension cord acts as a positive contact to the battery.




We connect them together with a wire and solder them. We install a suitable button in the foot, in my case a small-sized switch.




We solder one terminal to the futor, and solder a spring to the second (negative contact to the battery). In general, the power supply was interrupted through a minus, so a battery with a damaged shell should not be used, otherwise the flashlight will light regardless of the button. A hole was drilled in the foot for a ring (I have a sealed M5 Grover) for a lanyard.

The glow time with a 18650 battery (2400 mAh, at least that’s what it says on it) at maximum brightness is about half an hour with a further decrease in brightness. The heating of the flashlight is about 45-50 degrees if you hold it in your hand and walk around with it. When I was lying on the table, it warmed up to about 60 degrees, in general my hand was hot, I wanted to throw it. At minimum brightness for more than 14 hours (I didn’t have the patience to burn the flashlight anymore). I have not yet performed the test at medium brightness.
Pros and possible modifications:
1. The most important plus is the moral satisfaction from a self-made device.
2. Possibility of complete sealing of the lantern.
3. Durable body.
4. The ability to replace the lens with optics that imitate the cut-off line as in a car, which allows you to use the flashlight as a bicycle light.
5. It is possible to use AA batteries instead of a battery. To do this, you will need a 150mm pipe (preferably brass too) with a cut external thread 1/2 and a coupling with a 1/2 male thread,

In this article we will look at how you can make a powerful LED-based flashlight yourself. It will consume significantly less energy than a regular one.
Today it is quite difficult to buy a high-quality LED flashlight at a good price. Therefore, we suggest that you saddle it with your own hands. Making a powerful LED flashlight yourself is absolutely easy. The total cost of making the flashlight will be less than what you would pay for a similar factory flashlight. You need a little patience and great desire, as well as a couple of tools. You can use this device for various purposes: in the garden or vegetable garden, near the house, to illuminate furniture, as headlights for a car, and even for scuba diving!

To create an LED flashlight with your own hands you will need:

• non-working flashlight
• several LED bulbs;
• resistors;
• glue – sealant or good quality silicone glue;
• the plate is preferably made of aluminum, but you can take another durable material;
• any reflector.

The main stages of our work:

1. Drawing up an electrical diagram
2. Manufacturing and preparing a plate for LEDs
3. Circuit assembly
   3.1 Soldering the lamp leads
   3.2 Filling contacts and checking them
4. Working with a reflector (preparation and assembly)
5. Securing all the parts of the LED flashlight

So let's get started. The first step is to make a wiring diagram for resistors and LEDs. Lack of knowledge and experience in working with electricity is not a problem. You can complete the scheme by reading information on websites or through online programs. As a result, following the instructions, you will receive a completed project diagram on the screen.

For proper modeling and manufacturing of the circuit, you need to clearly determine the voltage strength of the power source and LED lamps, the number of LEDs and the current strength of one LED. All these parameters are indicated in the characteristics and descriptions in the instructions for the parts.

The first stage of making an LED flashlight with your own hands is completed. Let's move on to the next step - making the plate. This plate will be used as a holder. To begin, draw on a piece of paper a preliminary diagram of the plate with all the holes for the LEDs. There should be as many holes as there are LEDs. Then use scissors to cut out the diagram and glue it to the plate. Using the sketch on paper, make corresponding holes in the plate. This will be done conveniently and easily using a drill.

Next, pull all the LEDs into the resulting holes. It is important not to snag or damage the contacts. Make sure that cathodes and anodes alternate! It is advisable to do all this on a flat surface. As a final result, the LEDs should seem to “fall” into the holes. Don't forget to secure the LED bulbs with glue or adhesive sealant for greater strength and reliability.

The third stage of creating a DIY LED flashlight begins with one more additional layer of glue. Now solder the LEDs and resistors with a regular blowtorch. Be careful not to damage or touch the contacts. Remember that all ends of the LED bulbs must be shortened before soldering. To begin, mark the positive and negative conclusions so as not to confuse them.
Alternatively, you can simply make the negative conclusion a little shorter. This will not affect the quality. Now solder the leads.

Checking and filling the contacts is an important step when assembling an LED flashlight. Before starting this task, check the operation of the already received device by connecting it to power. All lamps should light up. Now let's fill in the contacts. It is convenient to do this with regular wax or use paraffin. It is best to squeeze out the wax with a syringe so that the contacts do not touch each other. This is a short circuit precaution.

Let's move on to working with the reflector. It increases the power of the LED flashlight. You need to remove the halogen lamp from the reflector. We also recommend cleaning it from the resin that held the lamp in place.
Assembling an LED lamp is the penultimate stage of working on a DIY LED flashlight. To do this, we securely fix all contacts. Make sure everything fits snugly!

Finally, we have come to the completion of creating a DIY LED flashlight. Molten plastic is needed to fill the contacts. The wax that was used previously is not suitable, since it requires high reliability and strength. We solder it to a power source, for example, to a regular battery, or to a plug.

After the plastic hardens, cut off the excess leads. Then reconnect the resulting device to power. If there are no signs of a short circuit within 2 minutes, confidently install your DIY LED flashlight anywhere.