My Homebuilt Dive Light (Pimped Up)

Tautaz

LED came from Dotlight.de, you can find the driver for 12v at 1amp

You can find them too at dealextrem

for the schema i think is serie for the 3led and the driver

Packhorse

DealExtreme: $23.20 SSC P7 C-Bin LED Emitter with 21mm Heat Sink Base (3.6V~3.7V)

Check this out. 900 lumen (10w HID is 500 ) in a single LED.
No driver avaliable on the site but there are mag lite size lenses.
I just orders a 3x3w assembly to fit a mag. About 650 lumen but it has driver lens and LEDs all set to go.

Just a note. My 35w halogen is way brighter than my 10w HID. Its cheaper and stronger but the HIH is much more efficent and has a great colour.
Im thinking the LED will be the best of both worlds. Im just hoping it will be a nice tight focus.

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There are no stupid questions, but there are a LOT of inquisitive idiots.

Packhorse

In the end I cancelled the 3x 3watt jobbie and got the P7.

Beam shots and progress here

__________________
There are no stupid questions, but there are a LOT of inquisitive idiots.

Tautaz

Ok Packhorse, do you mean that you'll use only one P7 in a head light? By my side, I'm looking to mod a test tube light with either a P7 or a OSTAR Led instead of a broken 18w HID bulb I've got. It will make a more compact head no ballast required

Packhorse

Yeah just 1 P7. The problem with more is that they require more space. I have seen 37mm reflectors and there are probably smaller ones but the smaller you go the less effective they are. The 50mm one seems really good. If I could get a 50mm one that takes 3 P7s I would be tempted to try it but im sure it wouldnt be 3 times as good. It would consume 3 times as much power though.

So far I have concluded the P7 and 50mm reflector blows away a 10w HID. Its a whole diffrent leauge.
I dont know how well it will work in a test tube design though. The reflector is designed for a diffrent light source. And Im not sure how you would heat sink it.
A mag conversion is pretty cheap. $17 for a 2D mag. $23 for a P7 $15 for a heat sink $3 for a lens $5 for a cable gland $5 for the LED driver $10 for reflector. Thermal glue and epoxy a few O rings. Should be less than $100.

__________________
There are no stupid questions, but there are a LOT of inquisitive idiots.

TMVA

Hi David.
For my projects I use SS tube fittings, the cutting-ring ones.
U'll have to modify them a litle and take the cutting-ring out (actual I by the without the rings to save a litle).
These fittings come in all tipes of thread allso NPT.
Find one for 10mm tube and start by drilling the 10mm all the way throug the fitting or maybe 10,5mm. Then file down some of the thread 2-3mm, cut aboud 3mm of the nut.
Find a O-ring that fits and should be good for 200m (21 Bar) thats what the 1.st stage I use for my pressior-pot can do.
You sould be able to find them in most hardwarestore if not I can get some for you in DK and send them. Think they are aboud 20-30 EUR a piece.

Hi Teoman.
I use REED contact, relay and a magnet in the not outside, that doesn't wear out.

The 'cable trough suit by the inflator button' thread fits Apeks inlet valve, use for my homemade suit heat system.
Have some for sale if any need for a project. they are 80 EUR with SS fitting (fits wetmate cornector cable)
Best
Thorsten.

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teomannaskali

Hello Thorsten,
your setup looks really nice.

I will convert to Nimh or something better once i sort out all the problems with this setup.

Today i had a dive with my light. It worked perfectly for half an hour. After that it slowly started dimming (botom time was over so it wasnt a problem). And ran the juice ran out (The 2 lead acid batteries had a charge or 6.5V each). Later i will enhance its capabilities by changing batts.

I have changed the mechanism for turning on the light.
Before it used to be:
A limit switch with a big magnet epoxied to one side of it. And the system would be activated from the outside by the removal of a magnet. This worked nicely, very nicely. Probably the simplest thing you can get.

The light in the pictures got given to a friend. Then i made myself one that is identical but doesnt have the blue leds inside. The activation mechanism is as you describe. A reed witch that triggers a relay. But the reed switch switches off the light. So you can practically leave the magnet at the boat at the risk of killing your batteries. (This method has a very small constant power consumption when you are not using the light. So i remove the bulb for travel and storage, bulb goes back in before the dive)

Anyhow, after the dive i noticed some water in the canister, total about a tea spoon full, condensed on various places (Not slushing around). Then I licked ti to identify the liquid and it was not salty.
The dive was to 26m for 45 mins total time. Bottom temp was 14 degrees. Surface temp 34 degrees and very humid.

Now i am puzzled to what happened?
Was is the liquid? Condensation from the air? or Sea water that i could not taste? Or some water from the batteries? Or was it sea water filtered from its salt by some lower quality delrin that i must have bought.

It was not localized in one place as it was present all over the inner surface on the cannister (except the batteries which were slightly warm)

Any theories or ideas? What can i do? I am thinking of throwing in a bag of sislca gel to absorb the moisture if i cannot prevent it.


Teoman

teomannaskali

Could it be the battery giving of H2O? as id did get used pretty much till the end?

Teoman

cronix

Is any one using LiPo batteries already? They are cheap and can be discharged at an enormour rate. I am currently using them for a DIY battery pack. I use a piezo switch in combination with a puls relay to make it water tight.

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teomannaskali

Can you send information on your piezo switch configuration? Which components and how do you intend on sealing them.

I have a harddisk magnet and a piece of motorcycle inner tube to hold it in the right place on the cannister and would like an upgrade.

Teoman