My $3 flashlight

jzmtl · **on:** May 13, 2008, 06:10:13 AM

So I had this 97 cents light that I bought for the heck of it, really have no use for it with all the led lights I have lying around.

I smashed the bulb and dug out all the innards, took out two leds from two 50 cents keychain light, cut off the top of one and polished top smooth, soldered two leads on the metal can from bulb and secured it with hot glue and ended up with this

The led is directly driven by two newish super heavy duty D cells, drive current is just a tad over 20 ma, should run for at least two or three hundred hours straight. Eyballing it it's 2 or 3 lumens.

Not bad for $3 total I guess, this is going to be the loaner/giveaway light in the house.

duckman1975 · **Reply #1 on:** May 13, 2008, 07:30:44 AM

Very good idea

NutSAK · **Reply #2 on:** May 13, 2008, 03:37:27 PM

How does the cut-down LED affect the beam?

jzmtl · **Reply #3 on:** May 13, 2008, 07:15:56 PM

More flood I think. I did that to emulate smjled drop in for minimag, but since this light isn't focusable, I ended up with a big donut. In retrospect I probably should've left it uncut.