I have finally found the needed component to visit an idea of a light that I have
been wanting to attempt for quite some time. The component is a small step up
regulator with which to drive the LED's. Although I don't know the specs, in
bench testing, the regulator showed an acceptable under driven condition for the
LED's in the expected voltage range of the light. The driver is made by LED
Dynamics and is called the MicroPuck. It was designed for a Luxeon 1 watt LED
and a two cell configuration but I didn't let that stop me:
The light has a 6-4 titanium head and battery tube. It has an O-ring bore seal and is water proof.
The driver and LED's are potted in epoxy. The circuit is completed (switched to on) when
the lip of the battery tube contacts the copper surface of a PCB board that carries the ground
to the - lead of the driver. A coil spring with attached nickel plated rivet picks up the - supply from
the battery and passes it to the battery tube. + is always available to the PCB via a solder contact
button on the PCB that is in a sprung compression connection with the + on the battery. This
rear spring required the light to be longer but it was worth the size increase to allow for a spring
loaded battery train. The LED's are 3 mm Nichia model 312BS. They provide for a very nice wide
angle flood.
Above are some detail shots and below the " McTi" is shown next to an Arc AAA light.
A lanyard groove was left in the tail and the tail is squared off for tail standing. Hopefully in
the future if I can find an appropriate driver, I will attempt a similar light consisting of 7 LED's
and a AA battery. Time will tell.............