Advice - Build Camping Light

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

Hi,

I am very new to LED torch modding. So I have a massive learning curve. But, to get started, I would like to try to make a bright camping light.

- Powered from a car battery, so the supply voltage would be from approx 11.0 VDC up to about 13.8 VDC

- Want best lumens/watt (within reason)

- Want about 2,400 to 3,000 lumens at full power

- Want basic power adjustments (can be continuously variable, or can be several specific settings)

- CRI of about 80

  • Colour temperature no higher than 4000 K (my eyes are getting a bit sad and I find that anything higher than that needs to be extremely bright for me to see details)

I was thinking of using the CREE XPL2, and running them at around 1000 mA (which gives about 150 L/W). I was thinking of using 2 strings of 3 LEDS, which would need a bit under 9 VDC to drive them

Getting hold of info about the drivers is a bit more difficult.

Does anyone know of a suitable driver for this purpose. Or am I taking an entirely wrong approach ? Maybe I should be using a Buck-Boost driver ?

Any assistance, or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Rod,

2

We are planning to make one too.

3

You are not going to like using XP-L2s.

They have quite poor color quality, and large tint shift. It can be easily seen when the light is diffused and turned into a green beam.

IMO, I would recommend the LH351D for absolute maximum efficiency with great color rendering.

LH351D 4000k: https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/samsung-semiconductor-inc/SPHWHTL3DA0GF4TPQ6/1510-2333-1-ND/8568349

LH351D 2700k: https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/samsung-semiconductor-inc/SPHWHTL3DA0GF4VPN6/1510-2328-1-ND/8568344

Tint mixing is extremely nice, and will make for a very nice beam. It’s still quite efficient too :slight_smile:

For a driver, I would just go with a buck boost converter. Make it simple :smiley:

HOWEVER, I would just wait for the BLF lantern:

You could buy one and put extensions so it can run for much longer periods of times.

4

Thanks for the advice about the LEDs. I’ll definitely follow that up.

I do want to learn by building something, and the light I want would be a different shape, etc.

I don’t want to buy a ready made fully completed lamp (defeats the purpose) (mind you, I don’t want to start at the level of soldering discreet LEDs, or chips, onto boards either)

Would be able to suggest some places I could look for a suitable buck boost converter ? I would like to purchase a pre-made board ready to connect LEDs up to I am particularly interested in seeing specs provided for devices.

5

I know Kaidomain.com has some buck drivers, but I’ve never taken the time to research the specifics of what they offer.

For non-flashlight form factors, I find the Luxdrive products interesting, if you can find a vendor that sells them in Australia. They are an integrated package that should be easy to work with, and they provide fairly detailed datasheets. It might take a couple drivers working in parallel to reach the output you want, but take a look at the specs for the Buck Puck or the Flex Block.

Many of their products can be dimmed using an external potentiometer to provide 0-10V to the control pin.

As a further note as somebody who really enjoys the darkness when I’m out camping, please do be considerate of others with a light that bright, and use the maximum output sparingly if in an area where it might be visible for a significant distance.

I seem to recall the BLF GT driver is be available for sale somewhere, and should be capable of the power you’re trying to produce. The Narsil user interface it has will also be very versatile.