my new dynamo light!

[HomeGrownSS]

Hey guys, put together this dynamo light using martin's number 7 circuit, added a standlight too, a simple circuit I grabbed from CPF. The housing needs to be pretty big to fit all those capacitors, but it should be pretty modular if I ever wanted to upgrade to a 3 or 4 LEDs.

I started out with a 7degree and 12 degree optic but the 7 was way too spotty, so now I have a 12 and a 19 with gives a pretty nice wash with enough throw.

[Vancbiker]

Nice project! What optic was the 7 degree?

[HomeGrownSS]

thanks, carlco on luxeon rebels

[Vancbiker]

Thanks. Are those 20mm optics? I'm always on the hunt for a tight spot optic. I've not had much luck with Carclo on Cree LEDs, always a pretty floody beam.

[HomeGrownSS]

yes 20mm optics. it was so spotty i could barely tell that the wider angle 12deg was even there!

[PeopleForScience]

HomeGrownSS - I couldnt find the standlaight circuit you are talking about on CPF. Do you have a link or a circuit diagram? I and working on improving my generator lights and I would love to compare what I have currently.

[HomeGrownSS]

i used this circuit but modified a little:
Standlight circuits (Will this circuit work?) - Page 2

[unterhausen]

HoweGrownSS, what did you use for the front glass?

[HomeGrownSS]

I used an old pair of these I had lying around. Scribed the rough size using the cap of the housing then clamped a dremel in the vise and ground it down to size. I don't think that it has the best transmission efficiency, but hey, it was free!

I may make a new front cap for it to remove the threads and just have it slide on as the rear cap does.
I thought I'd need the threading to compress the o-ring, but now realize it would work without it.
If I was to do that I would also swap in a 4-up LED star and use the 35mm carlco optic and omit the glass altogether. Would probably also add a 3 position switch and put a voltage doubler in for low speed performance.

But for now I am happy with it!

[unterhausen]

I tried using the optic and it didn't seem to work. Of course, that might not have been where the water intrusion came from, but I do have an o-ring seal at the other end of the light.

[HomeGrownSS]

the 4-up star is 25mm, and there is an optic available that is 25 or 35mm. the 35mm has an extra ring all the way around, and also has legs so theres no need for a lens holder. i figure that would work pretty well to compress an o-ring and not cut off the beam.
Khatod 10° 35mm Narrow Beam Quad Optic