The perfect LED light is designed for cavers who want an efficient, uniform and constant bright light for caving. This article contains some very specific technical information and it is assumed the reader has a basic understanding of electronics. To build the light, the reader also must have some experience soldering, drilling, wiring and cutting small objects. The list of required tools include a multi-meter, Dremel drill and soldering station. The electronics are available from major semiconductor manufactures has "evaluation" kits, but nothing should prevent the reader from "rolling their own" design. The principle cost of the light is the white LED's. The best white LED's are made by Nichia Corporation and are expensive. However, it makes no sense to undertake the project without starting with the best LED's available.
Posted by: SamMaghsoodloo on June 28, 2007 at 11:31 AM
This is really cool, i've been thinking about making an led light myself. However, i'm no spelunkerer, haha. Rather, i'm trying to make a scuba dive light. I'm pretty convinced i can take care of the task of sealing and pressure-proofing it. This "cave light" design could be easily adapted to fit inside a piece of PVS (ABS pipe, actually, its black and stronger).
Posted by: rdarlington on June 28, 2007 at 2:10 PM
Heh, "cavers" rescue "spelunkers". Anyway, if you get far on the dive light project I'd like to know about it. My dive light uses a regular incandescent bulb and eats the D cells. The only nice feature it has is when you turn it on it will physically move the bulb into position. Switching it to the other side of off will switch in the spare bulb. This is a safety feature to have a spare bulb ready to go at all times without having to open it up, but it's better to just bring a 2nd light in case the batteries go.
Yeah, a nice dive light would be cool.
I like the ones where you have a battery pack tied to your tank and a cord going to a small head, but these are generally pricey.
My ideal would be something with a pile of D cells back there so it lasts a long time, but the front end is small - maybe twice the size of my 4 AA light.
I don't think the pressure proofing is that much of an issue to be honest, all of the lights we have are just plastic with an O ring.
Since LEDs don't get hot or need to be replaced or anything like inc. bulbs , I'm thinking you could just seal the whole thing in a block of clear resin or something; simultaneously shock, water, and pressure-proofing it.
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This is really cool, i've been thinking about making an led light myself. However, i'm no spelunkerer, haha. Rather, i'm trying to make a scuba dive light. I'm pretty convinced i can take care of the task of sealing and pressure-proofing it. This "cave light" design could be easily adapted to fit inside a piece of PVS (ABS pipe, actually, its black and stronger).
Reply to this comment
Heh, "cavers" rescue "spelunkers". Anyway, if you get far on the dive light project I'd like to know about it. My dive light uses a regular incandescent bulb and eats the D cells. The only nice feature it has is when you turn it on it will physically move the bulb into position. Switching it to the other side of off will switch in the spare bulb. This is a safety feature to have a spare bulb ready to go at all times without having to open it up, but it's better to just bring a 2nd light in case the batteries go.
Reply to this comment
Yeah, a nice dive light would be cool.
I like the ones where you have a battery pack tied to your tank and a cord going to a small head, but these are generally pricey.
My ideal would be something with a pile of D cells back there so it lasts a long time, but the front end is small - maybe twice the size of my 4 AA light.
I don't think the pressure proofing is that much of an issue to be honest, all of the lights we have are just plastic with an O ring.
Reply to this comment
Since LEDs don't get hot or need to be replaced or anything like inc. bulbs , I'm thinking you could just seal the whole thing in a block of clear resin or something; simultaneously shock, water, and pressure-proofing it.
Reply to this comment