Looking to HIRE Someone to Make Me a Custom Flashlight

I don’t think it is unrealistic but very few people could build such a light.

You never know, someone here might put their hand up. Can only ask, as you did :+1:

It’s definitely realistic, as long as you don’t expect it to be the size of a pop can.
Maybe like a paper towel roll size or something like that.

If I had more free time I would definitely build it for you, unfortunately I have like 5 other projects going on and school until april.
I’m sure someone else on the forum can do it for you.

I would expect the parts and labour to cost ~500-1000, and you would probably need to buy your own batteries because of shipping restrictions and stuff.

It’s definitely worth some money to me, so if someone here is capable of making this light and making it well, please speak up! :slight_smile:

Enderman, thanks!! I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. It’s nice to hear that it’s doable.

Paper towel roll size is fine!!

Edit 2: My math was completely wrong. My bad.

Edit: If Enderman says they can build it, then they can build it. That dude can do anything. I’ll want to see any updates on this project.

Hmm, I didn’t realize it’d draw that much power. OK, so maybe not so bright…but then again, maybe?

That guy made a super bright one. Just with different LEDs.

Never mind. I double checked the math and it was completely wrong. 20 18650 cells, or three of those 12V 5Ah lipos would work.

Edit 5 or something: Wait no, three hours. My math was right. 60 18650s.

To accomplish all of this in one light would be very expensive with the current technology at hand.
If you break this down into smaller systems (multiple flashlights), I think it is totally feasible. Would that be a possibility for your application?
One light with 4 led’s at 300nm, the next light with 4 at 350nm or 400nm… all the way up to 650nm. Pick your step based on available emitters and budget.

Not a lot of throw, but multiple Q8 or Sofirn Q8’s may do the trick on a budget. Others may have a better suggestion for a host (flashlight body) that can be used.

If you need brighter for longer, then you need to add multiples of each wavelength with this stock flashlight. Brightness steps down on high power flashlights so things don’t melt.
So 2 on turbo would be say 10,000lm for an example, but only for a 2 minutes. So you could run 4 on medium and it may get you close to 5,000lm until batteries run out.

Lots of bright people on here so I hope you get some better suggestions too. Good luck!

Good to hear!!

EDIT: I meant, it’s good to hear that it’s doable.

Everything from 395nm to 300 nm is UV so it doesn’t contribute at all to the total lumens. 650 nm is orange-red. Sounds like you want high CRI white (with a bad R9) and then a bunch of 395/365/330/300 nm UV emitters. Maybe some violet emitters to fill the in gap between the white and the UV.

330 nm and 300 nm are going to be the expensive part. It might only be practical to do that with a fluorescent tube. 300 nm is getting very close to the high-energy UVC that is used for sterilization. (Those LEDs can cost $10 per milliwatt! This is the expensive part.) A high powered 300 nm lamp will likely be a significant health hazard to be around.

For reference a car headlamp is around 1000 lumens. 20000 lumens is a lot.

Given the UV requirement anyone would be crazy to take this project on. The easiest way to generate the spectrum you want is to make a terrifyingly large arc lamp from an array of arc welders. And a couple of gas generators if it needs to be portable.

You can contact Texas_Ace here. He’s modded many lights for me and is one of the very well known experts on the forum. He aids several flashlight brands with their designs and he’s a very nice guy to talk to. I’m sure he can build it but this is a highly custom light so price will not be cheap.

[quote=Parametrek]
Everything from 395nm to 300 nm is UV so it doesn’t contribute at all to the total lumens. 650 nm is orange-red. Sounds like you want high CRI white (with a bad R9) and then a bunch of 395/365/330/300 nm UV emitters. Maybe some violet emitters to fill the in gap between the white and the UV.
Sounds good!

330 nm and 300 nm are going to be the expensive part. It might only be practical to do that with a fluorescent tube. 300 nm is getting very close to the high-energy UVC that is used for sterilization. (Those LEDs can cost $10 per milliwatt! This is the expensive part.) A high powered 300 nm lamp will likely be a significant health hazard to be around.
I guess this part can be sacrificed.

For reference a car headlamp is around 1000 lumens. 10000 lumens is a lot.
I know, but it’s not bright enough.

Given the UV requirement anyone would be crazy to take this project on.
Are there any crazy geniuses here??

Thanks, Parametrek. :slight_smile:

Thanks!

I do not think it’s wise to have an enormous output from a single source. Your estimate on power is extraordinary and a custom light putting out that much would likely roast any insects that come near it!

But if certain specific wavelength ranges are required, it sounds like you’ll need to have a custom light constructed. You may want to consider multiple lights that utilize remote control (corded is easier than cordless). This makes it much easier to control them.

Do the insects need to be drawn to only one source? Or are multiple sources OK?

I guess my ignorance is showing…LOL.

You see, I started out considering getting a shoebox style LED parking lot light, since a lot of the time in the summer I go to places in town where certain buildings are brightly lit with cooler tinted lights. I want to be able to take that bright kind of light with me to remote areas to attract different kinds of insects.

But then I realized that parking lot lights don’t produce the right color of light for attracting insects. Then I thought, why not find someone who can swap out the LEDs in one of those lights for LEDs of the correct wavelengths / colors? So I contacted a couple of companies, and that led nowhere since of course their products are all mass produced in China.

Then I found that there are super-smart folks like you all here who are reeeeally into flashlights, and since what I need is a portable light, here I am.

So, maybe I need to rephrase my request…am I making any sense?

I don’t think 18650’s would be viable for a light like this. A lipo brick(s) of some sort.

If you look at the link she provided the light source of that thing is from 10 cob leds. Also I highly doubt he is getting 90,000 lumens from that thing.

Repurposing a street light is not such a bad idea but it’ll need some head scratching to find the right product to modify.

Repurposing a street light is not such a bad idea but it’ll need some head scratching to find the right product to modify.

Sorry, I don’t know how to do the Quote thing.

I will gladly scratch your head for you. :slight_smile: Is portability still going to be troublesome, in terms of wheelbarrows full of batteries?

As far as getting the massive output of lumens, Dale (DB Custom) could do it. He often builds insanely bright lights. There are others as well, such as Texas_Ace, who was already named. Also, right now there are already “stock” flashlights that reach well over 20,000 lumens. So reaching the desired output is not a problem at all really from a technical standpoint.

Run time would be a matter of having enough battery power. I don’t think “normal” cylindrical Li-Ion cells are going to be practical. A couple of Deep cycle lead-acid batteries might do it. Or the Tesla Power Wall. Or even a gasoline-powered generator, if you don’t mind the noise. You need around 150 watts per hour (or more, depending on the actual emitters used).

As for producing the desired spectrum of light wavelengths, it wouldn’t take a genius to figure that out either, but an engineer would be able to figure it out more quickly than most of us. There are some really smart guys around BLF and even some Engineers.

Someone like BLF member maukka could test the finished light to confirm that it covers the desired spectrum evenly. He could also test that it produces the lumens output desired. He has some very nice testing equipment.

I hope you get it done. I’d like to see the result! :smiley:

If you are an Entomologist, then perhaps you already have used some such kit.

Huge output will probably not get you any better results, and you will still have to lure them into your funnels somehow, rather than blinding them.

Set up more, more modest ones, and spread them around.

Some UK links to consider, perhaps not applicable to your environment, I don’t know it, but bigger is not always better.

http://www.mothscount.org/text/86/equipment_and_where_to_get_it.html

No, LEDS don’t compare to these powerful bulbs. If any do, I’d know about it. And we try to catch, study and release, rather than just lure them into a killing jar.

Then I could talk to you about bat detectors, DIY best. Fascinating, even if we never touch them (not allowed without a licence), just lovely to know that they are out there, and they do seem to know where they are still safe. Often just turn it on at bedtime and go to sleep listening.

Enjoy.