30.04.2021
On inferior 5 mm LEDs for a 18650 lithium battery. Here the scarf was removed, and in return a homemade one was made on new original (the crystal is quite large) LEDs 2835 1 W 350 mA (for backlighting monitors), they have a positive substrate. But you can also use regular 2835 by changing the polarity to standard. On Ali they cost 3 cents.
When installing a new board, you need to grind down the fastening post flush with the reflector cups; the more we grind, the better the focus in the center without darkening is obtained. The charger is used at 5 V 500 mA in narrow cases, installed at the top under the battery (with parts down), the board with the leads is covered with a thick film - a substrate from an ATX power supply unit, and the battery is glued to the top of the molecular battery.
The AMC7135 chip is installed as a driver at 3.2 V 350 mA, 5 LEDs account for 70 mA each, which prevents them from heating up with good light output. The result is a very good quality and durable flashlight that will now last for a very long time.
Converting a flashlight to Li-Ion 18650
Another more modern flashlight with mains charging, the internals have been replaced with 18650 batteries and 5 V USB charging.
7 LEDs were replaced with higher quality 5 mm “hat” type ones with a brighter glow. But since the flashlight had two modes, I decided for the future to remake the board for two types of LEDs, 6 pieces of 5 mm in a circle and a central powerful CREE LED or 1 W, it fits there on the substrate just right. In this form, scattered light and beam light are obtained.
The driver is standard on LM358, the current of the central LED is selected within 120 mA, which is quite enough for lighting and practically does not heat the substrate. Heating of the LED substrate will start from 150 mA, but if you use double-sided fiberglass, you can use the second side as a small radiator, although this is still unnecessary, since the luminous flux will be only slightly brighter, but the LED substrate will heat up quite strongly.
I assembled it, checked it, everything fits perfectly under the reflector, it shines quite brightly. The light turned out to be cool white from 5 mm LEDs and slightly warm white from CREE.
TOP 10 good inexpensive flashlights from Aliexpress for 2022
So, TOP 10 good inexpensive LED flashlights from Aliexpress for 2022. The title says 2022, but I've updated the content.
Since virtually all inexpensive budget flashlights and headbands (read Sofirn and Convoy) have passed through my hands, I decided that it was appropriate to summarize all this in one general selection. Of course, interesting models from major brands came out in 2019, but here we are talking about something affordable. Of course, I do not include any squalor like shitfire \ police in its various manifestations in the selection.
Content
- Sofirn SP40 - the best budget headlamp
- Sofirn SP35 - a modern, bright pocket flashlight with excellent control
- Convoy M3 - a bright men's flashlight
- Sofirn C8G - an excellent long-range flashlight
- Lumintop B01 bicycle headlight with 21700 power supply
- Convoy S12 - a bright short-range flashlight with hiCRI light
- Sofirn LT1
- Convoy 4x18
Sofirn SP40 - the best budget headlamp
review
After the Sofirn SP40 headlamp came out in the summer, this model simply trampled convoy’s timid attempt to make its first headlamp. For a cheap price, the user gets a headlamp with convenient controls, practical selection of brightness levels, built-in charging, a complete capacious battery, a choice of colors and a strong magnet. The only downside is the lack of complete stabilization. But for such a price you can definitely forgive him for this. The Sofirn SP40 has a crazy amount of sales, I think it is the most popular headlamp on the market right now.
Sofirn SP35 - a modern, bright pocket flashlight with excellent control
review (2021 version with 21700 battery)
A compact mid-range flashlight with decent brightness (1800 lumens), full stabilization, fast built-in Type-C charging, and convenient control. The flashlight calmly, for a long time and without subsidence or overheating, maintains a level of about 900 lumens, which is enough for the eyes. With the release of a version with 5000k color temperature, it has become more functionally interesting than almost any other pocket flashlight I have ever gotten my hands on. From what is worth noting: the smooth reflector makes it a convenient solution for medium distance. You can use it up close, but it won’t be as comfortable as some model with textured reflector.
Convoy M3 - a bright men's flashlight
review
Soon after the release of the S11, its older brother was released, which is just as superior to the S11 as the S2+.
Convoy M3, in my opinion, was the first flashlight in which really bright light became affordable. Yes, it is more expensive than the s11, but the result is similarly greater. Well, big brands don’t offer anything at all for that price. The flashlight has the same 26650 power supply with fully stabilized brightness, which reaches a maximum of about 4000 lumens. As with other convoy models, you can choose the color temperature. Somehow this flashlight can fit in your pocket, it is still not bulky, but it is no longer an EDC model. But if you need a good amount of light, illuminating one and a half hundred meters in length and width at once, the Convoy M3 is just that.
And at 10%, which is enough as a regular bush light within a radius of about 15 meters, this model shines for 8 hours, actually the whole night.
A great gift for any fisherman, hunter, or anyone who needs bright light. Yes, the version with a smooth reflector only symbolically adds range, there is not much difference here. Again, the model earned a ton of orders and positive reviews.
Now a much more practical version has appeared, which has added built-in charging.
Sofirn C8G - an excellent long-range flashlight
review
For a long time, the standard for an inexpensive long-range flashlight was the Convoy C8 and then the Convoy C8+ (a comparison of these models is here). With the release of C8G, the situation, in my opinion, has changed. For comparable money, the buyer receives a flashlight of almost the same size with a long-lasting 21700 power supply and stabilized brightness, which is greater than what the convoy offers in the models indicated at the beginning. Due to the latter, it has a greater range in maximum mode and brighter side illumination at the same brightness levels as the convoy. Now the 5000k version has appeared in the Chinese warehouse, the model has lost virtually its only drawback - only cold light.
Lumintop B01 bicycle headlight with 21700 power supply
review
For the sake of variety, I’ll add here the only model from a large and well-known brand. Lumintop B01 is an interesting and niche product. This is a bicycle headlight with 21700 power supply and built-in charging. Externally, these are the same lights, only the optics here are unique, specialized for cycling. The blinding oncoming stream of light is cut off and directed downwards. Due to the large battery capacity, the headlight shines for a long time. If desired, it can also be used as a hand-held flashlight, although without much convenience in terms of light distribution.
Convoy S12 - a bright short-range flashlight with hiCRI light
review
The model is not the most popular due to its specificity. many will simply chase lumens and prefer the brighter S11 for the same price. But this does not cancel all the advantages of the S12. However, Sofirn SP35 as a flashlight on the same 21700 power supply is much more interesting in every way, the only advantage of the s12 is that it actually shines well close up.
S12 is in the center here.
Sofirn LT1
powerful camping lamp with smooth adjustment of both brightness and color temperature.
4x18650 power supply gives a huge operating time, and type-c charging will allow you to quickly charge all these four.
amazing model with flexible controls, I sold the Fenix Cl30R and left this sofirn, I still have some money left. highly recommend.
Convoy 4x18
A real hefty and bright lantern for a man's paw. As above - 4 18650 batteries give a huge total capacity. And the dimensions allow you to effectively remove heat and shine at maximum brightness for sooo long and sooo far.
Again, so type-C charging!
75m to the roof!
It is worth noting the text HOW TO CHOOSE AN LED FLASHLIGHT, which is very useful when choosing a flashlight - here are all the nuances that affect how the flashlight will shine and how manufacturers deceive the buyer.
Well, a guide to choosing headlamps will also be useful.
I hope the text was interesting. Subscribe to my channel on UTUBE and join my group in , where before I publish reviews, I post announcements of some materials from them, publish promotional codes and coupons for some interesting flashlights + talk about the release of new models.
Alteration of the A420 flashlight
Conversion of the A420 flashlight from LDS to LEDs. A friend asked me to look at the flashlight to see if it was possible to make something useful out of it, since with an LDS lamp it quickly eats up the batteries, and it would be a shame to throw it away.
I looked and thought, the power comes from 4 1.5 V batteries, you can make a flashlight for 1 - 4 26650 batteries, but this only partially solves the problem, a flashlight with LEDs would be more useful. It was decided to leave the batteries, but convert the flashlight to LED.
Chinese penny LEDs 2835 at 3-3.6 V 60 mA were taken as the light basis, the total current was calculated at 640 mA, so as not to overheat the crystal. There is enough light with them, but if you need it brighter, you can install brighter LEDs, and replace resistor R2 on the driver with a variable one, there will be additional brightness adjustment.
The printed circuit board was copied and remade to fit the LM358 driver I liked, the LED matrix stands for the contacts, the scarves were taken from an old monitor board, they fit perfectly. A little later, the board was supplemented with a charger for TR4056, the power connector can be installed on the lid, now you can also install any suitable batteries in the flashlight by screwing the terminals directly to the stands.
Redesign of the T-50A flashlight
The canopy of the T-50A model has also been redesigned.
After testing the operating time of the flashlight from the built-in 26650 5A battery, after a while the LEDs began to blink. I thought it was overheating, but separately from the driver they shined wonderfully and didn’t get too hot. The problem turned out to be the Chinese op-amp LM358, which was once purchased by a party; when replaced with the original, the problem with blinking disappeared.
Discuss the article CHANGING A FLASHLIGHT FOR 18650 BATTERY
Nowadays, more and more equipment uses lithium-ion batteries as batteries. They do not have a “memory effect”, unlike Ni-Cd. They can deliver high current.
I decided to convert two old flashlights to use 18650 lithium-ion batteries, since I have a large number of them. And it’s not difficult to get them from repair companies that repair laptops.
For the conversion we will need a number of components:
- actual flashlights; - ; - ; - plexiglass; - a piece of thin plastic; - ; - wires, hot glue, tools.
The flashlights are a convenient size for installing two 18650 batteries. In principle, we can describe the modification of one flashlight.
My charge controller boards are different. On one Mini-USB, on the second Micro-USB. These boards can be purchased in China for 15-20 rubles per unit. They are also sold in radio stores and radio markets. I have boards without protection (BMS), but we can handle it.
We disassemble the flashlights and take out all of them, except for the switches and LEDs.
Now we take thin plastic, I have ABS from an old battery. It turned out that it was black, but it’s not scary, it will also look great on a blue flashlight.
We cut the windows so that they fit tightly into the place where the charging plug used to extend.
We cut out the required size for the window and holes for the connectors of our charge boards. It is not necessary to glue them, they should fit tightly and I will strengthen them later.
Since our boards do not have discharge protection, boards made from mobile phone batteries are used in this situation. You can buy one with protection, but I don’t have those in stock right now. Therefore, I resort to a slightly labor-intensive solution.
We solder the wires from our BMS to the batteries. We put the charge controller boards in place and support them. I used pieces of wine cork as spacers. We strengthen everything with hot glue, but you can do it without it.
We solder the switches, my switches break the plus. The black flashlight has a circuit board with an LED. The switch has two on positions, one of which I set to a single LED, and the second position turns on the main LEDs. The blue flashlight has one switch position.
We assemble the flashlights and solder the reflectors and move on to the next stage.
The next step is to cut out two records from transparent plastic, for me it is plastic from a CD box. We sand it with sandpaper until the surface is matte, this makes the light from the LED more pleasant.
We glue it to the place where the slide used to pull out the power plug used to be. You need to glue it on one half of the flashlight. Suddenly you will need to disassemble the flashlight.
Review of 18650 batteries for different devices, converting the battery to a screwdriver, the best batteries from AliExpress
TEST:
To see if you have enough information about your lithium-ion battery:
- When purchasing 18650 batteries for a security flashlight, which manufacturer is preferable?
- What indicators should chargers for 18650 provide?
a) The output is 5 Volts and the current is from 0.5 to 1 from the nominal capacity of the battery itself. b) The output is 10 Volts and the current is from 1 to 3 of the nominal capacity of the battery itself.
- In what temperature range is it desirable to store the battery?
a) + 10 – + 25 – ideal indicators. The battery does not tolerate extremely cold or hot rooms. b) At a temperature of +20 - +45 degrees.
- How many stages does a lithium battery take to charge?
a) Two. b) Four.
- How many charging stages does a lithium battery have that charges in less than an hour?
Answers:
- b) It is advisable to take Chinese KEEPPOWER batteries. Samsung does not produce models with protection.
- a) The correct output indicators are 5 Volts and the current is from 0.5 to 1 of the nominal capacity of the battery itself.
- a) + 10 – + 25 – ideal indicators. Do not place the battery in other conditions.
- a) Two stages - first with a voltage of 0.2-1A, and then with a high constant.
- a) Only one. High voltage is immediately applied to the element. The remaining stages are missing.
Nickel-cadmium battery problem,
installed in the screwdriver, is that it must be used constantly. If the battery is completely discharged or is not used for a long time, the crystallization process will begin in it, and the battery will soon fail completely.
To replace the battery
you will have to spend a lot of money, since batteries suitable for a screwdriver are not cheap.
For these reasons, screwdriver owners modify the battery slightly to accommodate lithium cells. But before starting such work, you need to think about whether such a modification is necessary and whether it is advisable at all.
Definition:
battery
is a battery that produces 3.7V power.
How to choose a 18650 battery for an LED flashlight
Depending on the purpose of the LED flashlight, the main parameter for choosing an 18650 battery may be:
- Maximum output current.
- Maximum capacity.
- Maximum current output is important for high-power LED lights and battery-powered floodlights.
- The maximum capacity of 18650 battery cells is necessary for flashlights that require long-term operation without recharging.
For example, for an LED flashlight on a hike, we recommend choosing 18650 lithium-cobalt batteries with a large capacity .
high-current battery Panasonic NCR18650GA Li-Ion 3500 mAh, without protection
- Lithium battery 18650
- Voltage 3.6V
- Large capacity 3500mAh
- Without built-in protection board
- Discharge current up to 10A
550
₽ In stock
More details
battery Panasonic 18650 Li-Ion 3500 mAh, protected
- Size 18650
- Voltage 3.6V
- Large capacity 3500mAh
- Built-in protection board
1 190
₽ In stock
More details
When a very bright flashlight beam (high power) is needed, preference should be given to high-current 18650 batteries .
high-current lithium battery Sony US 18650 VTC5A 35A 2600mAh, without protection
- LiNiMnCoO2 battery 18650
- Capacity 2600 mAh
- High current output 35A
- Does not have a protective board against overcharge and overdischarge
- Works even at low temperatures
- Low self-discharge
490
₽ Not available
More details
battery Robiton SON2100 30A (Sony US18650VTC4) without protection
- Size 18650
- High discharge current up to 30A
- Voltage 3.6V
- Capacity 2100 mAh
750
₽ In stock
More details
If, for a powerful flashlight, you need a high-current 18650 battery with a fairly high capacity , then we recommend choosing one of the following models: LG HG2 (3000 mAh 20 A) or Samsung 25R (2500 mAh 20 A).
high-current battery LG ICR 18650 HG2 20A 3000mAh without protection
- Li-ion battery 18650
- Large capacity 3000mAh
- High current output up to 20A
- Does not have overcharge and overdischarge protection board
- High quality workmanship
- Works even at low temperatures
440
₽ Not available
More details
high-current battery Samsung INR 18650 25R 20A 2500 mAh, without protection
- LiNiMnCoO2 battery 18650
- Capacity 2500 mAh
- High current output up to 20A
- Does not have a protective board against overcharge and overdischarge
- High build quality
370
₽ Not available
More details
It is also important to know 3 nuances before starting work
- First you need to decide on the number of elements in the battery.
It is best to use 4 elements, since three will only give 12.6 Volts. - 18650
battery you need to pay attention to the capacity and discharge current.
When the battery is running, the current consumed is in the range of 5 or 10 amperes, but if you sharply press the power button, it can jump to 25. This suggests that the maximum discharge current value should be approximately 30 amperes on an 18650 battery. - You should also pay attention to the controller. Its characteristics must be equal to the rated voltage and current
. For a 14.4 V battery, the controller is the optimal voltage. The operating current should be several times less than the maximum permissible.
How to choose an LED flashlight
When choosing a portable flashlight, you need to remember that completely ideal devices do not exist. The brighter the flashlight, the lower the efficiency indicators. And, for example, a police lamp will most often be inconvenient for tourists. The large mass, dimensions and one battery have an effect. Let's consider the most important selection criteria.
LEDs
One LED may differ from another in power and energy consumption. The more power it has, the more expensive it costs. Of course, the brand also contributes to the price.
Today, the most productive elements are produced by Cree from America, which can be recognized by markings, for example, XP-E. You can also find the designations XV-L and XR-E2. Chinese brands, such as Luminos, can also produce fairly high-quality LEDs. However, there are a lot of low-grade fakes on the market.
Brightness
The brightness of LED flashlights is usually measured in lumens. Based on this indicator, you can estimate the power of the device. At the same time, manufacturers often tend to inflate real figures many times over.
Below we give approximate values that can be used to evaluate the brightness of various flashlights.
- Keychain lights - about 5 lumens. Suitable for keyhole lighting. And finding any object in a completely dark room is problematic.
- Small, low-wattage rechargeable flashlights can produce about 20 lumens. This is enough to illuminate the road underfoot. At the same time, for confident movement in pitch darkness it is better to use more powerful models.
- Flashlights for everyday use already have 80 lumens. This is more than enough to illuminate the path in the city.
- For hiking trips, models with a brightness of 200-500 lumens are used. A bright flashlight will allow you to find your way in the forest and mountains.
- Rescue and tactical flashlights have 500 and 1000 lumens. These are real spotlights.
Lighting range
Unfortunately, power and range are very often mutually exclusive concepts. In order for a flashlight to reliably illuminate an object at a distance of up to 100 meters, in addition to a good LED, you also need good optics that will allow you to concentrate the beam in a given way. In this case, adjacent areas will remain almost completely in darkness. Long-range flashlights are characterized by a smooth reflector and a powerful lens.
Battery type
It is convenient to have a rechargeable rechargeable flashlight. However, a lot depends on the power source.
According to manufacturing technology, all batteries are divided into nickel-metal hydride and lithium-ion. The first ones can be charged at any time, the memory effect is not so significant, but they have to be charged quite often. The lithium-ion battery practically does not lose charge if it is not used, but it must be charged after it is fully charged.
It should be clarified that lithium-ion batteries are not suitable for use in sub-zero temperatures.
Batteries can be built-in or replaceable. Built-in batteries have their advantages, as they make the flashlight more reliable and compact. On the other hand, replacing such batteries is most often problematic or in principle impossible. The most common types of replacement batteries are AA and AAA. Usually, flashlights use two or three such elements, less often - more. These batteries are widespread and are the most affordable. Less commonly used batteries are C, D, 18650, and RCR123.
Frame
Small flashlights with a small body are usually made of plastic. More expensive models have a durable metal body that does not heat up and is not susceptible to corrosion. Usually these are various aluminum alloys. Tactical and police flashlights are made of steel, which allows the flashlight to be used as a weapon. Sometimes the flashlight body is also made of copper or titanium.
Chargers for 18650 batteries
For battery
18650 will have to use the correct charger. At the output it will produce 5 Volts and a current from 0.5 to 1 of the rated capacity of the battery itself. If lithium cells support 2600 mAh, then a current of 1.3-2.6 amperes should be used to charge it.
Lithium battery
The battery is charged in several stages:
- First, a voltage of 0.2-1A is applied to the battery
. - Then charging
takes place at a constant voltage.
If the charger has a pulse
mode, this will significantly speed up the charging time.
If the battery contains graphite,
then the voltage should not exceed 4.3 Volts per element. If you exceed this figure, the energy density will increase and the oxidation process will begin.
There are lithium batteries
charging in less than an hour. They do not provide for the second stage - the current is immediately supplied to 80% and after that it is put into operation. This is normal for a lithium battery.
Answers to 5 frequently asked questions about choosing an e-cigarette battery
Battery
Look at the picture of the battery
18650 for an electronic cigarette.
It is quite difficult to choose the right battery for an electronic cigarette, since there are many varieties with different degrees of power. For example, they work for a long time,
but they cannot be turned on at full power. Others won't get hot even at 40 amps, but they require frequent charging. When selecting a battery for an electric cigarette, people wonder about the criteria.
There are five main criteria: High energy intensity,
rated current indicator, voltage when used, temperature when used, cost.
There is no point in paying attention to other nuances, like the color of a cigarette. All this is secondary. To choose a good unit, you should study all the criteria in detail. As a result, the buyer will receive all the necessary information for a good purchase. Energy intensity
Electronic cigarette
Energy intensity
expressed in milliamps per hour. Accordingly, the higher this indicator, the better the model will be. Safety depends on the rated current. The conclusion suggests itself that it is advisable to buy batteries with the highest current supply. For example, the LG hb6 battery has 30 A, which means it is suitable for 40 A. But having made such a purchase, a person will prefer high voltage and sacrifice energy intensity. The energy capacity of the above battery is only 1500 mAh. Therefore, it will hold less charge than options with 3000 mAh.
It is necessary to select the rated current indicators ,
which will not overheat the device, but do not sacrifice battery life. It is better to purchase the LG HD2 model, which has a rating of 25 A and microamps per hour. This will be the average. As for the voltage, you should not rely on this nuance when choosing - if the cigarette has two previous indicators that are good, then the voltage will be sufficient.
Which battery is better for a led flashlight? flashlight charging tests.
You also need to select devices
having a low degree of heating.
Overheating an electric cigarette will soon damage the entire mechanism. That is why you need to take a battery that will work at the lowest temperatures. The cost of cigarettes
is approximately the same and this is not the most important criterion. It is advisable to start from the indicators first.
Top 3 best battery chargers
Nightcore digicharger D4
Charger _
Can power four batteries. This is an already proven brand, loved by many owners of lithium batteries.
Device
It is equipped with a convenient display - you can study various data, including charging speed and time, voltage on each element. It is very convenient to monitor the battery status on this display.
This is a universal charger,
Designed not only for the 18650 model. D4 should be used by people who have a large number of mobile devices that fit several types of batteries.
Beginners will quickly master the work, since charging occurs automatically .
Efest luc Blu6 oled Bluetooth intelligent Charger
This is also a very good charger model ,
designed for 6 batteries. To safely charge, the device is equipped with special protection against high current, voltage, and so on.
The user gets the opportunity to connect his mobile phone to charging via Bluetooth
- You can remotely monitor the battery charge level. The only drawback of charging is the high price.
Nightcore i2 intellicharger
Charger
went on sale recently. This is a modern type of device, equipped with interesting features and improved design.
Users don't need to worry about charging speed and time,
since the device detects everything automatically. The person only needs to install the battery in its proper place.
The device only has room for two batteries, but the charger is very compact and can be taken with you when traveling.
Li-ion battery 18650 for flashlight
- Lithium-ion batteries
operate in the range of 4.35 - 4.2 Volts. They are often used to make LED lights work. - You need to ensure that the battery
does not discharge below the set level - 2 volts.
In order not to constantly monitor the required voltage, you need to use a battery
for the flashlight with protection. They store elements from overcharging or deep vacuum.
Companies
Samsung, Panasonic, LG and Sony do not produce such equipment. For this purpose, it is better to purchase a Chinese KEEPPOWER device.
Which flashlight battery is better: 18650, 16430, 14500 or AA, AAA, R14, R20?
Li-ion batteries 18650 , 16340 (CR123A), 14500 for flashlight are undoubtedly better. Like all lithium-ion batteries, they have the following advantages:
- Large capacity.
- Increased tension.
- High output current.
- No memory effect.
Why do some flashlight models still use AA and AAA nickel-metal hydride batteries? And in more powerful flashlights - R14, R20 batteries?
Because nickel-metal hydride batteries AA, AAA, R14, R20 also have a number of advantages:
- Low price.
- Inexpensive chargers.
- Withstands overcharge and overdischarge.
- Works with older types of flashlights.
The use of nickel-metal hydride batteries is often due to the design of an old-style flashlight to use this type of battery.
Important . It is impossible to directly replace Ni-MH with Li-Ion, even if the sizes are the same, due to different voltages. However, instead of three Ni-MH AA cells, you can use one Li-Ion 14500 battery, replacing the other two with AA dummy cells, inside of which there is simply a jumper.
battery Fenix Li-ion 14500 800mAh
- Low self-discharge
- Voltage 3.6V
- Built-in protection
630
₽ In stock
More details
battery Panasonic 1900 mAh R6/AA Eneloop-4BL
- Nickel metal hydride battery
- Size AA
- Voltage 1.2V
- Capacity 1900 mAh
395
₽ In stock
More details
At the same time, lithium-ion batteries 14500 1.5v are produced to replace AA batteries . Such batteries contain a 3.6v lithium element and a 1.5v converter in one housing.
battery with USB port Fenix ARB-L14-1600U 14500
- Lithium battery 14500 format (AA)
- MicroUSB charging port
- Supply voltage 1.5V
- Multi-level protection system
- LED charging progress indicator
810
₽ In stock
More details
Many modern flashlights are designed to work with both lithium-ion batteries and nickel-metal hydride batteries. Such flashlights have a built-in voltage converter.
The best 18650 batteries on AliExpress according to reviews
- Rechargeable Battery
- Samsung icr18650
- Rechargeable flat Top Battery
Ideal conditions for the battery
– temperature +10 – +25 degrees.
The idea of how to convert a headlamp into a battery-powered one arose a long time ago, this is especially true for fishing and when. Since it is not profitable to constantly buy batteries in our age of mobile phones. So, after thinking about it and ordering the necessary spare parts, which I will describe below, I began to modify the headlamp for batteries with my own hands, using a Chinese circuit with charging. This makes it possible to charge the battery both in the car and from a regular micro USB of a modern phone. I usually order from Aliexpress, although it is possible to find it in stores, but it’s 2 times more expensive.
A very bright and functional headlamp, for such a price, but for some reason I haven’t found one on sale now. I tried to remake this model, it’s a little inconvenient with the button installation and the diode plate gets hot, I had to isolate it from the battery with a piece of plastic. But in the end the flashlight works properly
The flashlight was delivered to the post office in 20 days, which made me happy :) .
The idea is very simple and anyone can do it; all you need is a small battery from an old cell phone, it contains a Li-Ion battery with protection. The voltage parameters are ideal, the LED flashlight has a voltage range from 4.5 - 2V, and the 3.7V battery in a charged state of 4.2V has a decent capacity, which can be increased by adding another battery in parallel. You just need to correctly identify the contacts (most have plus and minus indicated), all that remains is to carefully solder the contacts so as not to melt and avoid a short circuit. The problem with charging via a regular micro USB can be easily solved by ordering a small board costing about 20 rubles. Micro USB plays a very important role in controlling the charging and turning off the ice lamp when the battery is low.
The board has LED indicators that indicate in color when the converted LED flashlight is charging. Thus, the modification of the Chinese headlamp comes down to soldering the wires to the terminals. Using this board, converting any flashlight to lithium is quite simple, it is only important to know how many volts the battery produces.
Charging board, purchased in an online store with free delivery
Perhaps I ordered 10 pieces for myself at once because it is universal and can be used in children's toys.
Battery connection diagram
Feature of choice for flashlight 18650 battery
There is also one feature to consider when choosing an 18650 battery for your flashlight. Akb 18650 can be:
- With protection board.
- No protection.
- Li-ion 18650 batteries are prone to spontaneous combustion when overcharged and discharged with too much current. This is especially true for lithium-cobalt batteries. To protect against overcharge or overdischarge, 18650 batteries can be equipped with a built-in protection board.
battery Fenix ARB-L18 18650 Li-Ion 3400mAh, protectedLi-Ion battery
- Capacity 3400 mAh
- 3 degrees of protection
- 500 charge/discharge cycles
1 840
₽ In stock
More details
Important. 18650 batteries with protection are 1-2 mm longer than without protection. This must be taken into account when choosing a 18650 rechargeable battery for a specific flashlight model.
If the flashlight does not contain a protective board, we recommend using protected 18650 batteries.
Board parameters
- Input voltage from Micro USB: 5V
- Charging cut-off voltage: 4.2V ± 1%
- Maximum charging current: 1000mA
- Battery over-discharge overvoltage protection: 2.5V
- Installed overcurrent protection current: 3A
- Board size: 2.6*1.7CM
In fact, this is a separate board that is used in a power bank, and if you buy an additional USB output, you can charge your phone
Let's start remaking
Disassembled view of the flashlight and the first stage of assembly
Now, about the conversion of the flashlight itself to use a battery instead of batteries, most flashlights use 3 AA 1.5 V in size, comparable to a mobile battery, and fits quite well in the main body, you just have to expand the seat. After simple manipulations, having unscrewed or cut out all the excess, we mount all the parts in place using hot-melt adhesive.
Scheme for converting an LED flashlight Solder all the parts in place using a heat gun If necessary, you can increase the capacity by connecting 2 batteries We get a modernized headlamp with a mini USB input
In conclusion: the LED flashlight worked actively for 3 nights on old telephone batteries without recharging. Perhaps it would have been enough for more, I didn’t test it before the cutoff. Lithium batteries do not like to be completely discharged. Overall, very pleased at the cost of 140 rubles. The only thing is that it is very bright, which is not always necessary. I was pleased with the presence of charge indicators on the board. When charging via USB, it glows red when the battery is charged blue.
Almost any flashlight can be converted in this way, the only question is the size of the battery. For example, iPhone batteries are not very practical, and if you tear off the contacts from the connection board carelessly, they will not be soldered.
Do not use lithium batteries if they are swollen - it is unsafe!
It happens that the protection on the board is triggered, and you need to revive it, in this case, apply voltage from the power supply or power bank. If the phone batteries are very old, then the protection of the headlamp will naturally work faster and it will go out. Although batteries from an old Nokia (more than 4 years old) work properly.
Save money when purchasing and, accordingly, buy cheaper (this is when % from the purchase accumulates). So you just install a browser extension and the money gradually accumulates on its own.
