Any flashlight drivers with built in USB charging?

[Enderman]

I haven’t been able to find any drivers for sale that have built in charging, even though there are several flashlights on the market with USB charging now. Anyone heard of any? (other than the BLF lantern project which has a USB charging driver)




In the future I plan to make a USB rechargeable flashlight that can also take regular cells (not the double-ended proprietary stuff)
Some flashlights are already like this, the charging circuit is in the head where the driver is, not in the tailcap.

USB rechargeable, uses regular cell


If all else fails, I guess I can either pull a driver out of a USB rechargeable flashlight (which I would rather not do because I want to choose my specs)
OR
I can also remove the circuit from one of these batteries and have it directly between the driver and regular cell, since it will share the same ground as the driver.
This is the easiest solution I can see at the moment, since it can be used with literally any driver and battery combination.

PS- I wasn’t able to find another post about this topic, if I missed one plz link it

[CRX]

Not exactly what you are looking for but I have installed pass through chargers to a couple of lights.
A lot of work involved doing these though.

If the current draw requirement isn’t too high one of the 18650 celltop charger units might work well.
I used one in this build.

[Enderman]

@CRX

Not exactly what you are looking for but I have installed pass through chargers to a couple of lights.
A lot of work involved doing these though.

If the current draw requirement isn’t too high one of the 18650 celltop charger units might work well.
I used one in this build.

Awesome, great to see that somebody’s done it before and it works
I checked all the nitecore batteries and the highest I found is the NL1829RLTP which can do 5A continuous, which would be enough for me.

Which passthrough chargers have you used? Did you also rip them out of USB rechargeable lithium cells?

[Phlogiston]

You know, CRX, I was just thinking of your post here:

CRX Brass Puck

Thanks for all your comments I used UV setting glue for the driver in the top and JB Weld for the stuff in the bottom half. I wonder myself sometimes vwpieces first introduced the charger boards to me here, his M3 build. £bay link. Connects like this: [image]

while I read Enderman’s OP.

Your link was where I found out where to get those tiny charger boards, so thanks again for that :+1:

[CRX]

@Enderman

@CRX

Not exactly what you are looking for but I have installed pass through chargers to a couple of lights.
A lot of work involved doing these though.

If the current draw requirement isn’t too high one of the 18650 celltop charger units might work well.
I used one in this build.

Awesome, great to see that somebody’s done it before and it works
I checked all the nitecore batteries and the highest I found is the NL1829RLTP which can do 5A continuous, which would be enough for me.

Which passthrough chargers have you used? Did you also rip them out of USB rechargeable lithium cells?

No, for the high current lights I built the chargers from scratch.
I used a tiny ME4056 chrager board enclosed in a C shaped piece of .75mm thick brass so the battery contact is the same continuous metal as the head positive contact with the charger wired to it in between and then to a press fitted ground ring and fully potted.
I think I used the Lumintop 18650 cell charger for the carbon fibre cube light, seemed the best at the time, passthrough current of around 7A. HKJ review .
I think he has tested some other brands too.

[CRX]

@Phlogiston

You know, CRX, I was just thinking of your post here:

CRX Brass Puck - #18 by CRX

while I read Enderman’s OP.

Your link was where I found out where to get those tiny charger boards, so thanks again for that :+1:

Yeah they are really useful for smaller lights etc :+1:

[Enderman]

@CRX

No, for the high current lights I built the chargers from scratch.
I used a tiny ME4056 chrager board enclosed in a C shaped piece of .75mm thick brass so the battery contact is the same continuous metal as the head positive contact with the charger wired to it in between and then to a press fitted ground ring and fully potted.
I think I used the Lumintop 18650 cell charger for the carbon fibre cube light, seemed the best at the time, passthrough current of around 7A. HKJ review .
I think he has tested some other brands too.

Awesome, just what I was looking for, thanks!

EDIT- if anyone else is interested, here’s the link to the ME4056 charger: ME4056 Tiny charge board similar to TP4056

[CRX]

[Lightbringer]

@Enderman

Which passthrough chargers have you used? Did you also rip them out of USB rechargeable lithium cells?

I grabbed these Amazon.com for my lantern project, if it ever gets off the ground.

Charger + protection circuit combined in one. Lets me protect a 3P arrangement and be able to charge it on-the-fly.

[e1000]

EagleEye X2R?

EagleEye X2R Mod and Discussion thread

I was excited when I first heard about this light, and I was even more excited when I got it in hand. As a stock stock, it’s an incredible value. Gearbest has had them for under $15 shipped, which gets you a very high quality finish that matches EagleEye’s reputation. It comes with a simple driver that tops out at 1.5amps, which seems brighter than you would expect. For that price you also get a built-in microusb charger that appears to be of great quality, like the one in the EE X6R was. The …

[Enderman]

@Lightbringer

I grabbed these Amazon.com for my lantern project, if it ever gets off the ground.

Charger + protection circuit combined in one. Lets me protect a 3P arrangement and be able to charge it on-the-fly.

Those look nice, unfortunately it’s 3A max Won’t work in my design.

@e1000

EagleEye X2R?

EagleEye X2R Mod and Discussion thread

Interesting, I’m definitely the type of person who would buy a whole light just to use the driver