LED Flashlight Conversion 2

by russ_hensel in Workshop > Repair

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LED Flashlight Conversion 2

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I have an old Russian generator flashlight that no longer worked, I figured the bulb was blown.  Rather than just replace the bulb I converted to an LED.  The LED does not use as much current so it is easier to crank the generator, and the LED will last longer than a bulb.

Tools and Materials

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Broken Flashlight

Soldering, stripping cutting tools.

Hot glue gun

4 Super-bright LED's

Plan

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My project is very close to this one:  https://www.instructables.com/id/LED-Flashlight-Conversion  so I will just note the things that I did differently.

First I figured out the properties of the generator.  By connecting the LED with and without series resistors I discovered the internal resistance of the generator was effective in limiting the current, so I did not use a series resistor.  I also determined that the LEDs were better in parallel than series.  A o-scope showed that the generator generated AC.  That meant a couple of things, one is that reverse current might damage the LED's and the other that the LED was only on half the time.  I could have used 4 diodes in a full wave bridge, but I decided instead to use 4 LEDs in parallel 2 connected in each polarity.  This limits the reverse voltage and now 2 LEDs are on all the time.  I also made a little jig to hold the LEDs while I soldered them.

The Wiring

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I did the wiring using "dead bug style", no board, just soldered up the components.  The jig helped a lot.

Finish

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I removed the old bulb assembly, ( the bulb was ok, one of the leads had broken ), hot glued the LEDs in where the bulb had been.  I reassembled the flashlight, it works great.