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UK diy (uk.d-i-y) For the discussion of all topics related to diy (do-it-yourself) in the UK. All levels of experience and proficency are welcome to join in to ask questions or offer solutions. |
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#1
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Fan-cooled LED headlamp
As I've discussed before, I wanted to make headlamps that can be quickly
switched from yellow to red when the vehicle reverses, and to run off a car battery for many hours. So LEDs were the logical choice. But the final effect has to look like a gas mantle. The headlamp reflectors are two feet wide and the LEDs have to shine towards the reflector, so a normal LED bulb is no good. I decided to have 90 yellow LEDs and 30 red LEDS. Here they are, wound on a copper heat sink (of course normally only one colour would be on at a time): http://i39.tinypic.com/9gbo90.jpg Here's a finished lamp with a Teflon tube and nylon mesh around it to diffuse the light: http://i41.tinypic.com/1zx7hjs.jpg Here are the copper and brass heatsinks: http://i43.tinypic.com/2qno2ky.jpg But the 90 yellow LEDs got a bit hot after 20 minutes, so I put a 12v 1.4 watt computer fan on the back and that cooled the LEDs down to barely warm: http://i39.tinypic.com/vynsxs.jpg Here's the lamp without a diffuser. Looks a bit weird! http://i43.tinypic.com/w9be6q.jpg I put some 0.5mm Teflon around to diffuse the light. http://i41.tinypic.com/2dl0i90.jpg Here's the headlamp from the front: http://i43.tinypic.com/so47rl.jpg Yellow and switched to red: http://i43.tinypic.com/2v9t8jn.jpg Red Full steam ahead! |
#2
Posted to uk.d-i-y
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Fan-cooled LED headlamp
On 05/01/2014 09:30, MattyF wrote:
As I've discussed before, I wanted to make headlamps that can be quickly switched from yellow to red when the vehicle reverses, and to run off a car battery for many hours. So LEDs were the logical choice. But the final effect has to look like a gas mantle. The headlamp reflectors are two feet wide and the LEDs have to shine towards the reflector, so a normal LED bulb is no good. I decided to have 90 yellow LEDs and 30 red LEDS. Here they are, wound on a copper heat sink (of course normally only one colour would be on at a time): http://i39.tinypic.com/9gbo90.jpg Here's a finished lamp with a Teflon tube and nylon mesh around it to diffuse the light: http://i41.tinypic.com/1zx7hjs.jpg Here are the copper and brass heatsinks: http://i43.tinypic.com/2qno2ky.jpg But the 90 yellow LEDs got a bit hot after 20 minutes, so I put a 12v 1.4 watt computer fan on the back and that cooled the LEDs down to barely warm: http://i39.tinypic.com/vynsxs.jpg Here's the lamp without a diffuser. Looks a bit weird! http://i43.tinypic.com/w9be6q.jpg I put some 0.5mm Teflon around to diffuse the light. http://i41.tinypic.com/2dl0i90.jpg Here's the headlamp from the front: http://i43.tinypic.com/so47rl.jpg Yellow and switched to red: http://i43.tinypic.com/2v9t8jn.jpg Red Full steam ahead! Don't want to worry you after all that work... but are you sure gas mantles are that yellow? ISTR them as surprisingly white - more so than a standard incandescent lamp. But it's many years since I saw one. Andy |
#3
Posted to uk.d-i-y
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Fan-cooled LED headlamp
On 05/01/2014 17:30, Vir Campestris wrote:
On 05/01/2014 09:30, MattyF wrote: As I've discussed before, I wanted to make headlamps that can be quickly switched from yellow to red when the vehicle reverses, and to run off a car battery for many hours. So LEDs were the logical choice. But the final effect has to look like a gas mantle. The headlamp reflectors are two feet wide and the LEDs have to shine towards the reflector, so a normal LED bulb is no good. I decided to have 90 yellow LEDs and 30 red LEDS. Here they are, wound on a copper heat sink (of course normally only one colour would be on at a time): http://i39.tinypic.com/9gbo90.jpg Here's a finished lamp with a Teflon tube and nylon mesh around it to diffuse the light: http://i41.tinypic.com/1zx7hjs.jpg Here are the copper and brass heatsinks: http://i43.tinypic.com/2qno2ky.jpg But the 90 yellow LEDs got a bit hot after 20 minutes, so I put a 12v 1.4 watt computer fan on the back and that cooled the LEDs down to barely warm: http://i39.tinypic.com/vynsxs.jpg Here's the lamp without a diffuser. Looks a bit weird! http://i43.tinypic.com/w9be6q.jpg I put some 0.5mm Teflon around to diffuse the light. http://i41.tinypic.com/2dl0i90.jpg Here's the headlamp from the front: http://i43.tinypic.com/so47rl.jpg Yellow and switched to red: http://i43.tinypic.com/2v9t8jn.jpg Red Full steam ahead! Don't want to worry you after all that work... but are you sure gas mantles are that yellow? ISTR them as surprisingly white - more so than a standard incandescent lamp. But it's many years since I saw one. Andy Gas mantles often had a pronounced greenish-tinged light. (They were still using them on many Southern Region stations back when I was at school in Surrey.) -- Rod |
#4
Posted to uk.d-i-y
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Fan-cooled LED headlamp
On 05/01/2014 17:30, Vir Campestris wrote:
On 05/01/2014 09:30, MattyF wrote: Full steam ahead! Don't want to worry you after all that work... but are you sure gas mantles are that yellow? ISTR them as surprisingly white - more so than a standard incandescent lamp. But it's many years since I saw one. Slightly greener than incandescent lights, according to my digital camera. But it's a while since I used one, and ICBA filling up an Aladdin lamp to check. I last saw the standby gas lamp in the "useful junk" drawer in the house kitchen, along with a couple of spare mantles and gas cartridges. -- Tciao for Now! John. |
#5
Posted to uk.d-i-y
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Fan-cooled LED headlamp
On Sun, 05 Jan 2014 17:30:47 +0000, Vir Campestris wrote:
Don't want to worry you after all that work... but are you sure gas mantles are that yellow? I wasn't going to say anything. B-) ISTR them as surprisingly white - more so than a standard incandescent lamp. Agreed, a nice white light with sometimes a hint of green. That yellow looks more like a wick based oil lamp light source than a gas (or paraffin) based mantle one. But it's many years since I saw one. About a year, the last power cut... -- Cheers Dave. |
#6
Posted to uk.d-i-y
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Fan-cooled LED headlamp
In message o.uk, Dave
Liquorice writes On Sun, 05 Jan 2014 17:30:47 +0000, Vir Campestris wrote: Don't want to worry you after all that work... but are you sure gas mantles are that yellow? I wasn't going to say anything. B-) ISTR them as surprisingly white - more so than a standard incandescent lamp. Agreed, a nice white light with sometimes a hint of green. That yellow looks more like a wick based oil lamp light source than a gas (or paraffin) based mantle one. Yup, the butane/propane gas lanterns we use when camping give off a white light. However, whilst Matty does say gas mantle, I wonder if that is what he means? If these are to replace the original lights on steam train surely they would have been paraffin or something, not gas anyway? -- Chris French |
#7
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Fan-cooled LED headlamp
On Sun, 05 Jan 2014 18:08:11 +0000, Dave Liquorice wrote:
Agreed, a nice white light with sometimes a hint of green. That yellow looks more like a wick based oil lamp light source than a gas (or paraffin) based mantle one. The original lamp was very likely to be a wick based oil lamp, and I wanted a nice cheery yellow colour to match the existing small interior oil lamps. Besides a pure white light might look a bit much like LEDs, and I can't have that! Some early steam engines had arc lights, but other drivers complained about being blinded by them. I hope to make a steam powered generator to keep the battery charged. There will be a lot of lights on the rest of the train, and they need power. |
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