Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Other Stuff => Electronic Projects => Topic started by: EL34 on June 24, 2009, 05:56:27 am

Title: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: EL34 on June 24, 2009, 05:56:27 am

Some of you may have noticed that I have a new page on my web catalog.
http://www.hoffmanamps.com/MyStore/catalog/PartsLed.htm

One of my other hobbies is mountain biking.
Good lighting systems are needed for night riding on the road and off road.
Halogen lights are outdated
HID lights are pretty much on the way out too.

If you have never seen what one of the new 900 lumen LED's can do, here's a screen shot.
That mound in the distance with the stump on top is 63 feet away from the light and camera.


(http://www.el34world.com/Misc/bike/images/HoffmanHigh.jpg)

Looks closer at night, but look at the same shot in daylight.
(http://www.el34world.com/Misc/bike/images/IMG_1388.jpg)

More info and pics here on SSC P7 LED projects.
http://www.el34world.com/Misc/bike/BikesLights1.htm

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: TubeStake on June 29, 2009, 07:20:17 pm

Hey Doug,

Not only noticed, but bought some of this stuff from you late last week. The older I get the more I appreciate more lumens. I'm getting ready for my first Marwi to P7 conversion. I'll be doing a 2nd round of purchases soon; adding things to my list right now... First attempt will be a helmet mount.

I live in the shadow of Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County. I'm not very experienced myself, but I have a couple of friends who rode with Gary Fisher and Tom Ritchie and all those nuts in the late 70's and early 80's. I can't wait to show them what P7 helmet lamp can do!

Really like your 1400/2800 regulation assembly. I'm capable of most of the fabrication, but I doubt I can modify the regulator boards since they are so small and I do not have a CNC rig. Have you thought about doing a batch of modded boards to sell? What about the Cap Spacer Board, Switch Board and LED Board? Those also look like items you might easily batch produce now that you've done the hard part figuring them out?

Looking forward to following your progress,
Roger

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: EL34 on June 30, 2009, 06:42:55 am

I just added a machined version of the 1400ma boards to my site last night.
(http://www.hoffmanamps.com/MyStore/catalog/images/IMG_1444.jpg)

I also added the board set that lets you make a stack with the switch and current regulator boards.
(http://www.hoffmanamps.com/MyStore/catalog/images/IMG_1443_small.jpg)

Next, I want to have the LED mount/heat sink made and that will complete the parts needed for a Marwi conversion.
(http://www.el34world.com/Misc/bike/images/IMG_1446_small.jpg)

I think you will blow them away once they see a P7 fired up in the Marwi shell
 :laugh:

Chances are, they have seen that light work as a Halogen.
There are 1000's of those marwi lights out there.

see ya

http://www.hoffmanamps.com/MyStore/catalog/PartsLed.htm

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: TubeStake on June 30, 2009, 02:16:22 pm

Excellent :blob9: They are in my cart. How soon you expect to have the heat sink capsule available? I still have 2 weeks or so until I get my DX order. If you have them by then I won't have to make my own.

Nice work as usual.

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: EL34 on June 30, 2009, 05:28:50 pm

I got hold of a machine shop today that has CNC lathes.
My regular machine shop guy only has CNC mills and he could not do them.

Won't know until I talk to the CNC lathe shop.
Should be soon, they said they were real slow right now.

The price has to be right.
I can't sell them for $25

What looks like a fair price on something like that?
just so I can a feel for what I should pay to have them made.

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: TubeStake on June 30, 2009, 11:41:05 pm

I'd be happy if it was $10, still comfortable with 15. After that I might start thinking DIY again even though I'd probably end up spending half a day on it.

I know where to get 1" dia. 6061-T6 aluminum rod for about 3 bucks a foot if you want a source.

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: EL34 on July 01, 2009, 10:13:44 am

I have a long piece of it in my shop.
I use it for the prototypes that I show to the machine shops and other projects.

That gives me a better idea of what to pay.
I would think a selling price of about $10 is a fair price for a custom cnc'd part like that.

Here's a pic of the one I am showing the machine shops.
It's two diameters and bored out hollow on the back side.
(http://www.el34world.com/Misc/bike/images/IMG_1456.jpg)

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: TubeStake on July 01, 2009, 07:03:55 pm

Ah-ha...
Is the capsule and the circuit/switch stack all held in compression between the butt end of the reflector the black plastic Marwi end cap (I didn't see any added set screws in your photos)?

$10 would be a no-brainer as opposed to making my own...

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: EL34 on July 02, 2009, 10:54:56 am

I set up a web page that shows how the whole thing gets put together inside a Marwi light.

http://www.el34world.com/Misc/bike/BikesLights37.htm


(http://www.el34world.com/Misc/bike/images/IMG_1457_small.jpg)

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: TubeStake on July 03, 2009, 12:24:24 am

Brilliant!

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: TubeStake on July 07, 2009, 02:50:28 pm

My DX order arrived today. It got here in under 2 weeks; that's got to be a record! Any news from your machine shop on the capsules?

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: EL34 on July 07, 2009, 02:55:58 pm

yes, I put the order in for 100 of them.
They said it would be about 2 weks before I could see the same and give the go ahead.
That was last thursday.

Gonna be about $14, but they will be nice.

I could have had them made in China cheaper, but what a hassle that whole deal is.
I gave the work to some american boys just down the road from me near my favorite Thai restaurant.

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: TubeStake on July 07, 2009, 04:56:11 pm

I'm in for $14 (roughly the cost of a green curry with chicken or pork + a Singha beer). At least part of the light will be American made...

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: EL34 on July 07, 2009, 06:09:44 pm

I'll report back when I have more info

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: TubeStake on July 20, 2009, 07:21:31 pm

Quote

They said it would be about 2 weks before I could see the same and give the go ahead.

:wave:

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: EL34 on July 21, 2009, 06:46:10 am

Yeah, still waiting
I emailed them yesterday, no reply

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: TubeStake on July 21, 2009, 10:22:00 am

Probably not their top priority...but a job's a job.
Oh well, maybe soon; at least the days are still nice and long!

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: EL34 on July 21, 2009, 03:20:33 pm

It's just another job on the list and I am waiting my turn.
I am supposed to go in the moring to approve the sample.
Supposedly they will all be done by friday.

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: TubeStake on July 21, 2009, 04:38:58 pm

Sounds good.

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: EL34 on July 25, 2009, 03:10:55 pm

They are here, see this post

http://www.el34world.com/Forum/index.php?topic=7292.new#new

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: TubeStake on August 07, 2009, 01:51:54 pm

Hi Doug,

I just got back from vacation (no phones, no internet) and found your last post.  :grin:
I also noticed you've come up with an easier to build driver design. I don't mind making the harder version, if there's a significant  battery performance advantage. I don't know how much power the 1400mA boards consume compared to that which is dissipated as heat in the resistor version. Have you noticed or tested a battery-life difference between the 2 designs?

Title: Re: SSc P7 LED's
Post by: EL34 on August 08, 2009, 06:16:56 am

probably the dual boards driver is more efficient.
The simple resistor mod only has a low regulator and resistors burn off voltage drops as heat.

Not sure exactly how the 7135 current driver chips on the boards work, but they are not heat sinked like a voltage regulator that blows aoff a bunch of heat.