DIY bright lantern. Converting a budget flashlight into a DRL and into a powerful flashlight. Acid battery recovery

I once ordered 5630 SMD LEDs from China for a future robot, which I’ve been assembling for half a year, and now a lot of diodes arrived, a whole bay, and the excess needs to be used somewhere :) I decided to assemble a backlight for the door at the entrance to the house. Having started experimenting, it turned out that you can make good lanterns for illumination in various places of the house, and most importantly, everything can be made from scrap materials! 🙂

The first step is to collect the necessary materials, namely:

  1. The kefir or milk lid is the basis of the flashlight body
  2. SMD 5630 or 5730 LEDs
  3. Resistors 3.3 – 12 Ohm (depending on power source)
  4. Circuit board or printed circuit board
  5. Wires
  6. Plexiglas - as a housing cover
  7. 3.7 Volt battery or 5 Volt power supply

In this article, I used SMD 5630 LEDs with an operating voltage of 3.3 Volts and a current of 150 milliamps. The power source is a cell phone battery with a capacity of 5000 MAh and a voltage of 3.8 Volts. At this voltage, 3.3 Ohm resistors are needed, but in the absence of them, I had to use 2.2 Ohms.


When the battery is discharged, its voltage drops and generally does not exceed 3.6 volts, which is quite consistent with the resistance ratings of 2.2 Ohms.

A small piece of circuit board is suitable for attaching LEDs and resistors.


We solder the diodes, resistors and power wires according to the diagram.


The diagram shows resistor values ​​for 3.7 and 5 Volts. For a brighter glow, you can add additional LEDs - 3, 4 or more, depending on the size of the housing cover and the required brightness.


After this, you should check the functionality of the circuit by applying power to the corresponding wires.


Now you can fix the board in the cover using hot glue.


We pass the wires through the side hole of the cover, also fixing them with hot glue.


Now we attach the transparent plexiglass cover using one-second super glue.


I cut out the cover using a 44 mm crown and a screwdriver from a sheet of plexiglass.


Apply glue along the edges of the glass. It can be dots, or it can be a solid line.


Press the flashlight body tightly and hold it for a few seconds.


The cover is in place. The flashlight is almost ready.


The hole in the center of the flashlight, obtained by drilling a circle of plexiglass, can be closed using a furniture plug.


The flashlight body is ready. If desired, you can rub the plexiglass with sandpaper to obtain a matte surface. In the photo below, on the left is a flashlight with transparent glass, and on the right is a frosted one, obtained using sandpaper.


Connect both flashlights to a power source.


This is what the finished product looks like.


These lanterns are bright enough to illuminate an entire room.


For example, you can make a backlight on a bookshelf.


Or on the clothes shelf in the closet.

Blocking – generator is a generator of short-term pulses repeated at fairly large intervals.

One of the advantages of blocking generators is their comparative simplicity, the ability to connect a load through a transformer, high efficiency, and connection of a sufficiently powerful load.

Blocking oscillators are very often used in amateur radio circuits. But we will run an LED from this generator.

Very often when hiking, fishing or hunting you need a flashlight. But you don’t always have a battery or 3V batteries at hand. This circuit can run the LED at full power from a nearly dead battery.

A little about the scheme. Details: any transistor (n-p-n or p-n-p) can be used in my KT315G circuit.

The resistor needs to be selected, but more on that later.

The ferrite ring is not very large.

And a high-frequency diode with a low voltage drop.

So, I was cleaning out a drawer in my desk and found an old flashlight with an incandescent bulb, burnt out, of course, and recently I saw a diagram of this generator.

And I decided to solder the circuit and put it in a flashlight.

Well, let's get started:

First, let's assemble according to this scheme.

We take a ferrite ring (I pulled it out from the ballast of a fluorescent lamp) and wind 10 turns of 0.5-0.3 mm wire (it could be thinner, but it won’t be convenient). We wound it, make a loop, or a branch, and wind it another 10 turns.

Now we take the KT315 transistor, an LED and our transformer. We assemble according to the diagram (see above). I also placed a capacitor in parallel with the diode, so it glowed brighter.

So they collected it. If the LED does not light, change the polarity of the battery. Still not lit, check that the LED and transistor are connected correctly. If everything is correct and still does not light up, then the transformer is not wound correctly. To be honest, my circuit didn’t work the first time either.

Now we complement the diagram with the remaining details.

By installing diode VD1 and capacitor C1, the LED will glow brighter.

The last stage is the selection of the resistor. Instead of a constant resistor, we put a 1.5 kOhm variable one. And we start spinning. You need to find the place where the LED shines brighter, and you need to find the place where if you increase the resistance even a little, the LED goes out. In my case it is 471 Ohm.

Okay, now closer to the point))

We disassemble the flashlight

We cut a circle from one-sided thin fiberglass to the size of the flashlight tube.

Now we go and look for parts of the required denominations of several millimeters in size. Transistor KT315

Now we mark the board and cut the foil with a stationery knife.

We tinker the board

We fix bugs, if any.

Now to solder the board we need a special tip, if not, it doesn’t matter. We take wire 1-1.5 mm thick. We clean it thoroughly.

Now we wind it on the existing soldering iron. The end of the wire can be sharpened and tinned.

Well, let's start soldering the parts.

You can use a magnifying glass.

Well, everything seems to be soldered, except for the capacitor, LED and transformer.

Now test run. We attach all these parts (without soldering) to the “snot”

Hooray!! It worked. Now you can solder all the parts normally without fear

I suddenly became interested in what the output voltage was, so I measured

Making a fairly powerful LED flashlight yourself is not at all difficult.

You just need a little patience - and everything will definitely work out. DIY LED lights can be used for many things: in the garden, around the house, as built-in light bulbs for furniture, and even as car headlights! But since it is now difficult to buy an LED garden lantern at a price everyone can afford, let’s look at a simple way to make it yourself.

LED flashlights are significantly longer lasting than conventional lighting devices.

Tools for work

To work you will need:

  • several LEDs;
  • resistors;
  • good quality superglue;
  • aluminum plate or other similar durable material;
  • reflector.

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Drawing up an electrical diagram

First of all, you need to make yourself a wiring diagram for resistors and LEDs. Perhaps this is the most painstaking part of all work on the lantern. If you do not have experience working with electricity, it will be difficult to make the circuit yourself. But even then, you can use Internet sites, where, after filling out the required fields, the diagram will appear on the screen in finished form - it is designed automatically.

To fill out the form (or even if you draw up a diagram yourself), you need to accurately determine the following parameters: the voltage of the power source and the LED, the number of LEDs and the current strength of one LED. These data are usually taken as statistical averages, and they are also often written on the specified parts.

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Making a plate for LEDs

In order for the LEDs to be securely fastened and the LED flashlight to be durable, it is necessary to make a good plate that will serve as a holder for them. First, draw on paper yourself or using a computer a diagram of a plate with holes for the LEDs (there are as many holes as there are for all the LEDs in total). Cut out the diagram and attach (you can use superglue) to a piece of soft aluminum. Based on the sketch outlined on paper, we make the same holes in the aluminum plate with our own hands using a conventional drill.

After these steps, following the diagram, insert all the LEDs into the holes, being careful not to catch the contacts. It is strictly forbidden to place cathodes and anodes in a row - they only need to be alternated with each other. The most convenient way to do this is on a flat surface with a stand, which is needed so that the LEDs partially “fall” into the holes, as it should be in the finished version. Once this is done, you need to securely secure the LED bulbs with superglue.

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The order of final assembly of the circuit

Assembly of the circuit begins with control gluing of the LEDs with another additional layer of glue. Remember that if damaged, it will not be so easy to replace the LED bulb yourself, as modern superglue adheres quite well, so work carefully.

Soldering resistors

Now solder resistors to the LEDs using a regular blowtorch. At the same time, try not to touch the contacts. Remember that the ends of the LEDs need to be trimmed a little before soldering.

Soldering the lamp leads

The most difficult step in assembling the circuit is soldering the lamp leads to the plug that will be inserted into the power source. An ordinary plug is used, as for an incandescent lamp. First, mark the positive and negative conclusions for yourself so as not to confuse them later. This can be done by marking them with a marker, or you can simply make the negative conclusion about 1.5 times shorter - this will not affect the quality of the flashlight. Now solder the leads.

Checking and filling contacts

After this entire structure has set (after about 20 minutes), you need to connect it to power and check its functionality. If everything is fine and the lamps are glowing, then you can start filling the contacts, which is done with ordinary wax or paraffin. In this case, it is better to draw the melted wax into a syringe and pour it into the contacts. This must be done so that in the future they cannot touch each other, thereby causing a short circuit.

Working with a reflector

Let's move on to the reflector. It is thanks to the reflector from the halogen lamp that the LED flashlight will turn out to be quite powerful. Carefully remove the lamp from it and, if possible, use metal tweezers or an unnecessary screwdriver to pick out the resin that held the lamp in place.

In this article we will look at how you can make a powerful LED-based flashlight yourself. It will consume significantly less energy than a regular one.
Today it is quite difficult to buy a high-quality LED flashlight at a good price. Therefore, we suggest that you saddle it with your own hands. Making a powerful LED flashlight yourself is absolutely easy. The total cost of making the flashlight will be less than what you would pay for a similar factory flashlight. You need a little patience and great desire, as well as a couple of tools. You can use this device for various purposes: in the garden or vegetable garden, near the house, to illuminate furniture, as headlights for a car, and even for scuba diving!

To create an LED flashlight with your own hands you will need:

  • non-working flashlight
  • several LED bulbs;
  • resistors;
  • glue – sealant or good quality silicone glue;
  • the plate is preferably made of aluminum, but you can take another durable material;
  • any reflector.

The main stages of our work:

  1. Drawing up an electrical diagram
  2. Manufacturing and preparation of a plate for LEDs
  3. Circuit assembly
    3.1 Soldering the lamp leads
    3.2 Filling contacts and checking them
  4. Working with a reflector (preparation and assembly)
  5. Securing all the parts of the LED flashlight

So let's get started. The first step is to make a wiring diagram for resistors and LEDs. Lack of knowledge and experience in working with electricity is not a problem. You can complete the scheme by reading information on websites or through online programs. As a result, following the instructions, you will receive a completed project diagram on the screen.


For proper modeling and manufacturing of the circuit, you need to clearly determine the voltage strength of the power source and LED lamps, the number of LEDs and the current strength of one LED. All these parameters are indicated in the characteristics and descriptions in the instructions for the parts.

The first stage of making an LED flashlight with your own hands is completed. Let's move on to the next step - making the plate. This plate will be used as a holder. To begin, draw on a piece of paper a preliminary diagram of the plate with all the holes for the LEDs. There should be as many holes as there are LEDs. Then use scissors to cut out the diagram and glue it to the plate. Using the sketch on paper, make corresponding holes in the plate. This will be done conveniently and easily using a drill.

Next, pull all the LEDs into the resulting holes. It is important not to snag or damage the contacts. Make sure that cathodes and anodes alternate! It is advisable to do all this on a flat surface. As a final result, the LEDs should seem to “fall” into the holes. Don't forget to secure the LED bulbs with glue or adhesive sealant for greater strength and reliability.

The third stage of creating a DIY LED flashlight begins with one more additional layer of glue. Now solder the LEDs and resistors with a regular blowtorch. Be careful not to damage or touch the contacts. Remember that all ends of the LED bulbs must be shortened before soldering. To begin, mark the positive and negative conclusions so as not to confuse them.
Alternatively, you can simply make the negative conclusion a little shorter. This will not affect the quality. Now solder the leads.

Checking and filling contacts is an important step when assembling an LED flashlight. Before starting this task, check the operation of the already received device by connecting it to power. All lamps should light up. Now let's fill in the contacts. It is convenient to do this with regular wax or use paraffin. It is best to squeeze out the wax with a syringe so that the contacts do not touch each other. This is a short circuit precaution.

Let's move on to working with the reflector. It increases the power of the LED flashlight. You need to remove the halogen lamp from the reflector. We also recommend cleaning it from the resin that held the lamp in place.
Assembling an LED lamp is the penultimate stage of working on a DIY LED flashlight. To do this, we securely fix all contacts. Make sure everything fits snugly!

Finally, we have come to the completion of creating a DIY LED flashlight. Molten plastic is needed to fill the contacts. Wax that was used previously is not suitable, as it requires high reliability and strength. We solder it to a power source, for example, to a regular battery, or to a plug.

After the plastic hardens, cut off the excess leads. Then reconnect the resulting device to power. If there are no signs of a short circuit within 2 minutes, confidently install your DIY LED flashlight anywhere.

If 10 years ago many people could only find LEDs in expensive equipment, now this product is ubiquitous. The cost of LEDs has decreased significantly in recent years, so their use in many areas of technology is constantly growing. Just 3 years ago, few people could afford to buy, for example, a flashlight that glows not with an incandescent lamp, but with LEDs. Now this problem can be easily solved. However, not all options are good. There are often cheap fakes on the market, in which the LEDs quickly go out and burn out, so buying a ready-made unit is not always justified. Making an LED flashlight with your own hands is not so difficult now.

This design will likely be more durable than a store-bought flashlight. In addition, it can not only be powered by batteries, but be rechargeable. This is a fairly convenient and economical option that you will surely like.

Required materials and tools

So, now directly about how to make a rechargeable LED flashlight with your own hands.

The tools and materials necessary for construction can be found in every home; in extreme cases, go to the nearest specialized store. Of course, an LED flashlight will need LEDs.

They have a number of advantages compared to conventional lamps. They are brighter, more economical, and shock-resistant. You will also need a battery that produces a voltage of 12 V. You can buy it in a store or pull it out of some unnecessary thing, such as an old radio-controlled toy.

For work you will need the following materials:

  • pipe 5 cm, it is advisable to use PVC material;
  • PVC glue;
  • PVC threaded fitting - 2 pieces;
  • PVC threaded plug;
  • toggle switch;
  • 12 V battery;
  • a piece of foam;
  • LED lamp;
  • insulating tape.

You will need the following tools:

  • soldering iron;
  • solder;
  • hacksaw;
  • sandpaper;
  • needle file;
  • side cutters.

Now you can start creating.

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How to make such a device?

First, select a battery. It should be shaped to fit into the PVC pipe. You can use not only the one-piece model, but also connect several finger or little finger batteries in series to get a total voltage of 12 V.

Now it’s worth including a toggle switch in the circuit. It can also be soldered. It must be open so that when it is closed, current will flow through the circuit.

The DIY lantern is ready. All that remains is to create a housing for it, because a lamp with a separate toggle switch and battery does not have a very aesthetic appearance. By the way, at this stage it is better to test whether everything is in working order in order to exclude alterations.

If everything is fine, you can start making the case. It is also very easy to make with your own hands from the remaining material.

First, you need to cut a hole in the fitting and process its edges with a file so that the lamp can be easily inserted.

Now you need to measure the length of the lamp along with the battery in order to know exactly how long the pipe that acts as the housing will be needed.

  1. Before installing the LED lamp in its rightful place, the edges must be lubricated with glue to subsequently prevent moisture from getting inside the lamp. Now you can glue the fittings on both ends of the PVC tube to finally protect the lantern from moisture.
  2. The toggle switch must be installed on the side opposite to the lamp under the plug. Now you can wait a bit until the glue dries and the flashlight is completely ready for use. Although this, of course, is not quite a flashlight, but some semblance of it, which needs to be brought to mind.

The fittings and plug will protect the flashlight well from moisture getting into it. This is very important, because water is something that greatly affects electronic devices, in particular, a flashlight is no exception. That is why in this version of the battery manufacturing, much attention is paid to the issue of protection from moisture.

For this purpose, various devices and materials are used to prevent it from getting on electronic parts. You can, of course, neglect these safety measures, but there will be no guarantee of flawless operation for many months and years.

If everything is done correctly, the owner of the device will certainly be satisfied with his work.

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