I need help recreating this helmet light

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

If my pics don’t show, go here.

http://k11og.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12080

I need help to re-create this, more or less.
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/police-helmet/police-motorcycle-helmet.htm

My intended use is to read Iron Butt bonus paperwork in the dark hands free and whatever else might come up like maps.
It needs to be as bright as a high quality LED flash light because I’ll most likely also use it to work on my bike at night if stranded somewhere.

THE LAMP

I bought these that I may or may not use because they are huge. 23 mm may not fit there but the price was good and I always have uses for LED’s.
4X 10W white LED eagle eye Car Motor Daytime running DRL Tail Backup light bulb
http://www.ebay.com/itm/4X-10W-white…~~/161105292363

I would LOVE to use this
12mm CREE XM-L T6-5C 10W 900LM 3000mA 6000-6500K Neutral White LED Chip Bead - White + Silver(3.0-4.2V)
http://wallbuys.com/

Do I need a heat sink with that?

THE SWITCH

See this remote pressure switch, I like it’s compact form but couldn’t find any that wasn’t prewired for flashlights.
If I got one, how hard would it be to modify for this project?
Mini Night Evolution Airsoft Tactical Flashlight LED 180 Lumens QD Mount

In order of preference, I would like the switch to do this …

  1. on - high - medium - low - off
  2. on - high - low - off
  3. on - off

I bought 10 of these from China already, just because they looked cool and might work.
Mini In-Line LED Strip Light Dimmer Controller with On/Off Switch

I don’t like the Dynamic mode on this and will have neuter it or cover it.

Variations of the switch type can include pressure / tactile / trigger / bite as long as it’s attached to the helmet and is waterproof.

THE POWER

I want to power it with cr123a batteries. (NON-rechargeable)

It would be sweet if I can slip them under the rear padding of the helmet. If not, they’ll have to be mounted on the shell.
If mounting on the shell, I need something VERY much like this.
Waterproof with a thumb screw easy to open and close cover.

(Look at the battery pack)

http://www.batteryjunction.com/fenix…FYNi7Aod63wA9A

I need your thoughts on how to wire the LED’s, a switch and some 123 batteries together so that it ALL inside the helmet or at worst the batteries are mounting on the shell.

I need to understand how much heat is created and how to manage it. I figured it would most liked need to be housed in a plastic sleeve within the closed cell foam of the helmet core and to direct the light away from my peripheral vision.

Also, I need a working model by March first.
Yeah, no pressure at all. :shock:

Ride with joy,
Gwen

2

This driver:

This (or something like it) led:
http://www.cutter.com.au/products.php?cat=XPG+%26+XPG-2+on+10mm+Round+PCB

This optic:
http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut954

If you can make a hollow tube 10mm inside and a bit bigger outside, that’s great. Alternately, get some 1/2” copper plumbing pipe/cap and glue the above 2 together. If you have the inclination, you could cut a bit out of the copper and get closer to the 10mm inside diameter. Another possibility would be to get a cheap AAA flashlight and chop/gut it.

Something like this momentary switch:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-Din-Plug-Finger-PTT-button-Heavy-Duty-throat-mic-/170627105969?pt=US_Radio_Comm_Headsets_Earpieces&hash=item27ba2b04b1
The wire in this unit has a coating on individual wire strands, so it’s a pain to solder. Try scotchbrite or simply scraping the surface of it with a knife.

At relatively low drive levels, I doubt that heat buildup would be an issue, but you need to try this out yourself.

Don’t have any great ideas about the battery pack… those are hard. Maybe something built around this one chopped in half: http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10003906/1279300-218650-serialparallel-battery-holder-case

Good luck!

3

Thank you ruffels!

I’ll go check those links out right away!

- Shogs

4

Ok…very, very cool!

Based on the application described, would you recommend 1 or 2 lamps?

Next, if I read that correctly, I’ll need to also buy some Arctic Silver as well?

Last, is there a link to or video of how to go about putting these parts together?

I can do this, I just need I few pointers.

Thank you again!
I’ll post pics here as I move forward. It will be the rats ass at the Iron Butt meeting in Jacksonville in March! :evilgrin

5

I don’t want a driver the has a SOS or Strobe feature.
Can you suggest one that doesn’t have those features.

Thank you.

There are so many out there!

6

My gut says one emitter would be enough. (However, if you hang around here long enough, you’ll probably be jonesing for more, more, more!)

A bit of thermal paste (avoid the adhesive types) would help move heat from the pad (MCPCB) that the emitter is on to the shell that holds it.

I don’t know of a video, but if you search for p60 dropin (or ‘drop in’) assembly/building, you’ll probably see what’s going on. The components are the same; it’ll simply be that your driver is back with the batteries and the emitter is up front.

The driver linked will have both a strobe mode or a non-strobe mode. You set it on or off with simple clicks of the switch.

And now that I think more about the momentary switch, I realize that I’ve given you bad advice. You need an on/off switch, like the Judco SPST-Short-Click, http://www.hoffmanamps.com/MyStore/perlshop.cgi?ACTION=enter&template&thispage=Switches&ORDER_ID=![](ORDERID) (Judco switches are widely available; I just linked because I knew I could find them there easily.) You’ll change modes by briefly clicking the switch.
(edit: another suitable switch is this one, from the same place as the driver: http://intl-outdoor.com/omten-reverse-clicky-switch-pbs101-5-pcs-p-566.html )

7

I don’t think those are MASSIVELY huge led’s, it more or less a reading light and NOT a spotlight on your helmet kinda thing

The M5’s LED, which lasts more than 10,000 hours, is able to give over 35 hours of targeted light between charges, and the battery charges within 20 to 45 minutes, if fully depleted.

650mAh and runs 35 hours?

As silly as it sounds, it might end up being one of those “cell phone led’s” or the Cree 2835, with a 3.7vdc to 5vdc boost circuits

I had one of these on a 2800mAh cylinder mobile power banks and it ran for almost 24hrs on a full charge (I bet the lousy battery is maybe 1000mAh if lucky) but it has 3 of them, generates NO heat, throws very good light for up close viewing, the thing is building the switch to activate when you flip up the visor or in the neck pad of the helmet

Walking up with a 10 watt CREE blazing away next to your face…whoah!

8

I’d definitely go with 5mm LEDs for this. Couple each side running at 20mA would be more than enough for what you need. Run them off a single (or one each side) flat li-po cell and appropriately rated resistor, with a small flat latching switch. Recess the LEDs slightly to reduce side glare and you’re done - no need to worry about heat with those small LEDs. You can also even include a 5V-li-ion charging board for each battery, so you can recharge it from a USB cable.

9

Ok…I’m closer…first a little update general delays…I call it Nursing; LD Style by the numbers

Awake for 28 hours.
17.5 hours on the clock.
10627 steps registered by my pedometer.
Approximately equal to 5.31 miles.
Ate one can of soup, 1/3 cookie, 1/2 cup whole almonds.
Drank 5 - 20oz cups of water.
1 transfer to another unit.
1 New admission.
3 new IV sites.
1 diabetic coma averted.
1 fresh post-op bilateral above the knee amputation.
4 sandwiches with drinks provided.
2 wet adult diapers changed.
2 complete bed bathes given.
9 finger stick blood sugars.
2 stat IV pain meds given.
1 ECG done for chest pain.
3 stat IV blood pressure given.
2 hugs and one pat on the shoulder provided.

It was a good night.
I’m on call tonight starting at 1900 thru 0700

**The American College of Sports Medicine reports that there are approximately 2,000 steps in one mile, so the average step length is 2.6 feet or about 31 inches

Time is in short supply as I really want to have this in working order in <30 days, so this is the direction I’m heading now. I just don’t have time to build this project from dead scratch.

These are the LED’s I’m going with. I’ll be using 4.

http://store.ijdmtoy.com/Bolt-On-High-Power-LED-Eagle-Eyes-p/sku222.htm

I gave up, at least for the time being, on the H-M-L switch and went with sweet jewel.

http://store.ibexsports.com/exposure-lights-remote-switch-

Waterproof, rugged, tiny AND surface mount!

Next was power….I went with this battery pack.

http://www.amazon.com/Fenix-BT20-rechargeable-batteries-EdisonBright/dp/B00BB6SELE

I searched for WEEKS looking for a waterproof, EZ to open pack that would hold (4) CR123a’s or (2) AA batteries AND not be a sealed rechargeable type. (that one will do it) When I found what I wanted, no dealer would sell me JUST the pack.
To get the battery pack it took me calling the company and buying 4 directly from them.

NOW…all I need to do it wire the four LEDs in parallel then to the switch then to the battery pack.

I’m going to hard wire LED’s to the switch then wire in a waterproof IP67 locking coax quick disconnect between the switch and the battery pack.

Any other suggestions?

10

Hate to ruin your breakfast, but I’m worried about the switch.

It looks like you’re using it to connect/disconnect power, and I suspect that it’s either a momentary switch and/or only capable of handling really low current.

On the other hand, maybe the current is low enough to be okay, and maybe it’s an on/off switch.

Fingers crossed for you.

(edit) Just looked more closely at the battery box, and wondered if it had a switch of its own. Maybe that’ll solve some issues. And if you were interested in selling off one of those battery boxes, drop me a PM.

11

I just want say you guys are AWESOME!!!

Thank you.

12

Ok…thank you.

Yes, I’m sure I could sell you one.
Let me get them in and have a look at them.
I would have ordered a dozen but they wouldn’t sell me more than 4.

13

One more thought: the DrJones driver would support a momentary switch and give tons of modes. I think this would work with what you’ve assembled so far… mobydrv - programmable driver mainly for cycling (electronic switch)

14

Thank you, I’ll go have a look.

I’m REAL, real nervous about cutting up my $600 helmet….just saying.

Ok…

Here is the 150lm LED held next to where it will mount. The circle shows the final location.

This is what I’m thinking of doing.

I still feel I’ll need to make a tiny shield to direct shattered light away from my eye.

Any thoughts?

15

This is what I have so far.

Drill bit marked with blue tape for depth gauge.

They aren’t as bug-eyed as they look here.

I’ll go as far as routing the wires then stop until I get the switch in.

.

16

Update.

LDrider reading lights almost done.

Each 150 lumens; 300 total.

17

I replaced the J&M headphones because one was blown. Then I worked on recessing the LED’s into the helmet.

In the following 3 pictures, the LED’s are on.

What’s totally amazing is that there is NO glare / light shatter even with the chin bar down.
Yes, it illuminate the interior but only softly and in no way bothersome. I am personally very happy with my work.

18

All done.

I first hooked things to be sure it worked together and that I understood how the final product would look.

I then used a spare LED and 9v battery to wire things up. That way I could hopefully avoid damaging the installed pair of LEDs if I screwed things up.

This is the Drift camera helmet mount. I don’t need those teeth, so I removed them with a Dremel.

Then put it all together. I made a custom mating plate out of aluminum 1.5” x 2.5” x 0.25” and tapped a threaded hole 20-1/4”. The red is 3M 4011 Outdoor Mounting Tape.

My first attempt at potting the touch switch failed. This is how it went down.

See those two tiny wire….they’ll come back to haunt me.

Well, it seems they were actually captured under the two tiny screws at the end where the wires exit the switch case. No matter how I tried, I couldn’t re-capture them, so I added extensions.

(Also note that by potting then outside the case, the IN/OUT wires were floated too high and needed trimming to fit back in)

The switch went from not working at all to working 50% of the time. This proved to me that my guess that they were captured under the screws was correct.

Switch #2
This time I chose to pot the switch in a way that I did not remove the cover screws that held those tiny wires.

Because of the flow dynamics of the potting epoxy, I had to do this in two steps. One, apply a small amount to allow the holes were the wires exit the case to seal off.

After that set, go back and top it off. All the while and very often I would hook the 9v and test the system to be sue it still was working.

I had great hopes of using these IP67 Molex connectors but no matter how I tried, I couldn’t crimp them without the proper tool in a way that they would work/hold in the housings.

So I went with this very good stand by, IP67 polarized connectors. I ‘blacked’ them by wrapping them in shrink wrap.

I mocked it up and put it all together.

I removed the foam adhesive that comes with the cable ties and replaced it with the 3M 4011 Outdoor Mounting Tape.

This connection in combination with the Drift camera mount allows for the battery pack to be quickly and completely removed for the helmet. This can be handy in replacement or to remove for weight management in daytime riding.

The above system works perfectly for reading or working in darkness w/I a range of 1’ - 5’. I also wanted a system suited for long range vision, and again hands free and off the bike.

I acquired this used 750Lm bicycle light. It came with two rechargeable battery packs. It has high, medium and low function.
Since the battery pack can be disconnect at the point the cable enters the battery, I didn’t need to add a disconnect plug.
I did however mount it using the same system as above.
This for the same reasons given above.

Like with any light system, pictures simple do not do it’s function justice.

Currently everything works but I’m sure after a few hundred miles the bugs will make themselves known.

I’ll report back later to let you know what turns up, pros and cons.

.

19

Your work looks great!

-Garry

20

Thank you Garry.