Try a google search for “adcvmr163025” That will get you the generic hits.
That bulb is going on clearance at Lowes, some have them some don’t. Clearance price varies from store to store. The Lowes # is 323962
Yes I am, the fan when mounted will blow outward. The inlet hole will have enough of a flange to hold some filter material. You are correct to note that in a mowing environment, there is a lot of dust to contend with. Also heat, vibration and moisture. That’s why I have not yet put all my efforts into this build. I want to see if it at least survives as it is. If it does, I will put the additional effort into it and complete it. As it is, it is bright and very nice. I will post beam shots later.
It would not be easy to both drive the leds harder and add extra heat sinking. I think the way it works on this bulb is there is a booster circuit that raises the voltage from 12V to about 24. With 8 leds in series the current is what it is.
BTW, the input voltage must first be regulated then boosted. When I put a bulb on a bench power supply, lumen output rises to about 12v, then stays constant to 15V. I have not tried to go over 15V. I was testing for compatibility with the charging circuit which can go to 14.4V or even a little higher.
that’s a really neat piece of work, well done! Where are the beamshots BTW?! Neat idea with the fan, should help with keeping the lights cool. Even with a filter sucking up a lot of the air pressure, just a little bit of airflow will make a big difference.
Those are Nichia 119 LEDs for definite, just reflowed a bunch last night
SO! You’re more interested in FLOOD than THROW. I hate to say “told you so”, but…
Seriously, beautiful!
Here’s a comment to laugh at:
IFF you used flexy cables to wire them, you could mount your separate boxes to the casters themselves so the light follows the wheel. That might require drilling & tapping the “wheel bracket” of the caster or you might be able to attach them to the top of the pivot, IFF you can see the end move in there. Wheel mounts plus splaying the MR16s as you described, could get you some interesting results…
Nicely done!
Dim
(Edit: If you used a self-contained battery pack in each, and attached them to the top of the pivot, you could skip the flexy cable and even get unlimited spinning of the casters.)
While cutting grass in the dark too! I want to see how well the CRI is for telling cut from un-cut grass. (And it has to be "normal" grass cutting height, not cutting through a field of 12 inch tall grass where it's obvious!)
-Garry
P.S. I think I'm going to call my Lawnmower Headlight Build Thread - "My Complicated, Frustrating, Expensive Waste of Parts DIY Headlight Mod". :)
Yes I am, just send the money to my PayPal account
Yes, that is too bad. there are some Lowes that have them on the Web for as low as 11.99, but even that would not make this build practical - at least not for me. I thought the “original” price on the package was bogus, but I guess maybe not
And in case anybody thinks that I am just some stinking rich guy that throws my money around, here’s proof that I am just a cheap, old, lazy sap like some others around here.
I bought the 4, went outside and took one apart. When I saw what it really was, I went back in and got the last 3
You must be referring to that thread awhile back on flood vs throw. I thought I agreed that either can be impressive, it is just that the casual observer is more easily impressed with the throw of a flashlight. Flood not so much, they see flood all the time and do not appreciate how difficult it is to achieve massive amounts of flood in a portable device.
Also your idea of a moving head lamp would be really cool. I wish I could do that, but on a zero turn mower, the steering is controlled by the rear wheels. Each wheel is independently driven and to turn, one wheel turns faster than the other. The front wheels are just free wheeling casters, but now that I said that, I remember you knew that. I need to re-read what you wrote
BTW, a turning headlamp was first implemented back in ’48. Ever hear of the Tucker? I’m sure you have. He was the Elon Musk of his time.
And finally Garry, I will do a beamshot video. I can already tell you that the beamshot will show every blade of grass and every imperfection in the lawn. That’s because the beam will be close to the surface of the lawn, shing on a glancing blow. It will be ugly, but those are the BEST conditions when mowing.
When I repair and paint a wall, I do a similar thing, I plug an incandescent 200-300W lightbulb in a plug-socket. It shines along the wall at a glancing angle showing every imperfection. Make a decent repair under those conditions and when the bulb is removed the wall looks great!
I hope my video camera is up to every ones standards
That would be pretty neat except on a zero-turn the casters frequently spin around completely when you pull one handle backwards to turn in place, so that light would spin pretty quick in a circle I think. I mean I guess you could just tape a regular light onto the side of the caster and take it out for a spin and see how it does, but I have a feeling dchomak’s mounting location is probably most ideal…
Actually, that’s what I’d do, but what I meant was — IFF (“If-and-only-if”) the end of the caster’s pivot bar is visible through the top, you could drill & tap it for a bolt holding a bracket. holding the light. While you were at it, you could add a lump or a divot to keep the light aligned if the bolt gets loose; or hang it so the weight would naturally fall “forward” if it did vibrate loose. Or you could use your suggestion with a bracket instead of tape…
Then I remembered they’re free swinging on the (smaller) Zero-Turns I’ve seen around here, hence why I suggested battery packs instead. For a golf course (where it seems you’d be likely to use a rig like this), batteries by the pound, for my yard, a watch-cell.
Of course, if your mowing job doesn’t involve fully swinging the casters around too much, the wire would do…
But essentially, as you said “very, very cool”!!!
And having the low light would of course be perfect for the operator!!!
Sorry to “step on toes” re: Throw vs. Flood. I was joking.
PS: If you have any Highway Construction companies nearby, ask their Roller Operators if they’d appreciate a low, bright light setup like this. I’d bet you could sell a few.
I thought you said they were coming???
