how to build your own (cheap) light canister...

[ssdiver2003]

due to the many requests that i had received,i will give you all out there the instructions on how i had built my light canister...
BUT FIRST OF ALL I HAVE TO THANK " P A D I P R O" FOR THE PICS AND A FEW TIPS...THANK YOU MY MAN :) !!!

here we go...
all items were purchased at our CANADIAN TIRE Store(comparable to HOME DEPOT)...

4 inch pvc piping @ 2 feet length -6.00$
2 endcaps (one on the bottom the other on as lid) -5.00$
2 brass fittings (plumbing section) 4.50$
6 feet of exterior electrical wire -3.65$
1 50W halogen bulb -3.59$
1 toggle switch (from my old flashlight) -free
1 set of trailer connector-plug -3.55$
2 12V-3.4amp batt. -28.00$ each(thats the worst part)
1 maglite flashlight -free (buy one on E-BAY for 5.00$)
2 suitcase latches (works as well as the other ones though)-4.00$
1 pack of 1/4 rivets -2.99$
1 O-ring 4 inches OD -2.00$
1 pack of 4 connectors or shoes -2.59$
1 brass handle -2.99$
and thats pretty much it though...

here is how i did it...
take one endcap and put a ring of silicone into the inside corner(this will be your bottom piece). put the tube inside your endcap and tap it down on top with a hammer to ensure tight fit and a good connection with the silicone.
let dry for about 48 hours....
take the other cap(which is your lid) and drill a hole in the centre to fit your 1st brass fitting.once in,put some silicone around it to ensure a good watertight seal.
drill another hole toward the outside to fit your switch,again,might wanna use some silicone...
let dry...
take a piece of plywood and cut to size (4 inches wide and 10 inches long,or so) place the battery on top and mark with pencil around it. cut out with a saw.now fit your batt. inside the cut out,and test fit the construction into your tube.
once you ensure a good tight fit,connect your batt. with some wire and the to your toggle switch...
take the mag light and place the halogene bulb were the original one was, should fit exactly.cut of the tappered end just below the switch and glue the head back on to the light.use metal epoxy !!!seal with silicone ,including a light beat around were your plastic lense is.cut a hole into the bottom piece of the batt. to fit your 2nd brass fitting. again,silicone it.
cut your wire to desired lenght and place the other ends of the fittings on both ends of the wire.connect the wire ends to the lid and the flashlight end and connect them tightly.AT THAT POINT,YOUR BULB IS ALREADY CONNECTED AND SO IS YOUR WIRE TO THE SWITCH.
connect to battery and test run your cannister....SHOULD WORK SO FAR...
once the silicone is dry,fit your battery into the tube,put the rest of the wiring inside it and secure the battery with a piece of scrap wood so it wont slide back and forth inside the tube.
now place your lid onto the top and and press it al the way down(dont forget the big O-ring inside the lid!!!) and install the suitcase latches. i used pop-rivets...works well,at least they dont come loose...again,use some silicone too.
and last,place your handle in centre of tube outside and mount...go over the whole project and make sure you have siliconed everything...AND THATS IT !!!
NOW I REALIZE THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE OTHER IDEAS AND EVEN MAYBE BETTER SOLUTIONS FOR DIFF. THINGS,BUT, I CAN HONESTLY SAY, IT TOOK ME 2 DAYS TO BUILD,AND UNDER 150$...PLUS IIIIIIII ACCOMPLISHED IT, SO I DONT GIVE A RATS WHAT "SHE" LOOKS LIKE,AS LONG AS "SHE" DOES THE TRICK...

THANK YOU VERY MUCH (padipro)

;)

ps: will post the pictures a little later

[mddolson]

A word of advise from someone with experience. Go to Canadain Tire and buy a toggle switch with a DC rating of 1 HP. Most light switches are only rated for 1/4 HP.

Halogen bulbs have a cold resistance of almost zero, and raises as the bulb comes up to temperature.

This means the inrush current on a 50 watt bulb can easily be 50 amps, or 10X rated. This can/will either fry your switch contacts, or weld them on permanently.

We built 3 cannisters lights, and it happened on two before we changed them all.

Mike D

[Padipro]

My pleasure.

Post some pics when you get them. I'm always interested in seeing how others lights turned out.


Scott

[blackice]

Now this sounds like a really cool DIY project, as I justs priced up a few canister lights and ... well they are kind of expensive ... like they cost the same as a BC and then some...

Are the pictures available? If you need a host to put them up let me know would be happy to do so.

[Padipro]

Here's the link to the pics of the light I built.

DIY Can Light (http://groups.msn.com/Divelight/divelight.msnw)

Scott

[AquaBob]

Hey Padipro,

I just looked at your photos of the canister lights that you built and am really impressed. Obviously you've had some design and machining experience.

I'm inspired to build a similar light and have sourced all components other than the waterproof rotary switch.

Where did you get your switch? (Part number would be useful if you have it.)

Thanks.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

[Padipro]

I worked aircraft structural repair for years so I'm used to designing and building things. Besides that I just like making things myself, kind of a hobby of mine.

The switch is just a single poll, single through mil-spec switch. I got it from Kilby Enterprises (http://www.kilbyenterprises.com/switches.htm), it's part number MS24523-22. The part that looks like a rotary knob is actually a switch gaurd. You can see the same type of gaurd on most name brand lights. I made it from a short piece of 1" diameter PVC pipe and then using PVC glue attached it to the top of the lid around the switch. The switch toggle is covered with a water proof rubber boot you can get from just about any marine store or even Radio Shack. I then filled the base of the gaurd with silicon sealant up to the top of the base of the rubber boot for some added water proofing.

Take a look at the attached picture to see the whole thing.

If you have anymore questions just PM me and I'l be glad to answer them.

Scott

[AquaBob]

Doh!
I hadn't thought of just putting a guard around a toggle.


Thanks for the quick response and the link.

Now, off to the shop.

[Padipro]

Build I say, build!

Scott

[DudeRasta]

here's my lighthead freshly welded :)

[Padipro]

Looks nice. Did you weld that yourself or have someone do it?

Scott

[DudeRasta]

at a body shop I used to work for....
I put a test cap on it and put 100 lbs of air in it with a blow gun seems good and tight
I'm makin a slightly bigger can, found some 7ah SLA that are 3.9 in. high and 3.5 in wide 5.9 in long , gonna use 2 and make a 14 ah can 15 bux a piece. Still debatin what material to use...
awfully tempted to run off with a canister from the bank drive up teller :P
hey one other question how did you attach the latches? screws in pvc are scary lol.
I may investigate the HID thing still also, if so I'm gonna push the envelope over the commercial lights up to 24 watt.
the cost just still seems greater than the benefit, I really don't mind the bigger can so much.

[Padipro]

My original can was a dual battery version but proved to be way to much burn time for the bottom time I get, even diving with Nitrox and a 100cuft HP steel tank. My single 12 volt 7 amp lasts for well over an hour and is still burnin bright at the end of the second dive.

I used screws to attach the latches to the can. The tube walls arn't thick enough to install a screw long enough to be of any use so I had to increase the thichness by adding a doubler inside the tube on each side under the latch. (see the pictures) this served a dual purpose, 1. To increase the wall thickness so the latch mounting screws had something to bite into and 2. To act as an anti rotation devise so the battery carriage would not rotate during the dive. The carriage locks into the doublers preventing it from rotating and pulling on the wires. I carefully predrilled the holes for the screws, installed the latches then removed the latches, removed the small lip caused by installing the screws using a counter sink. After the canister was painted and ready to go I put a little bit of 5 minute epoxy glue on each screw as I installed it to make sure it wouldn't leak. I've flooded the light head several times (I'm still working on that problem) but I've never had a drop of water in the canister.

[Padipro]

Another picture of the inside of the canister.

[Padipro]

Here you can see the doublers and carriage setup ready to be assembled.

[Padipro]

You can see all 74 pictures of the light at the link below.

DIY LIght (http://groups.msn.com/Divelight/diydivelight.msnw)

Scott

[kramynot2000]

SSDiver,

I'm building my canister with much guidance from PadiPro's files. However, because it is easiest for me, I decided to use endcaps for my 4" PVC pipe for the top and bottom. The bottom I cemented on using PVC cement. However, the top is held on using SS latches from McMaster.

The endcaps I got are caps that fit over the outside of the 4" cannister. These are held down with the latches. Did you use the same end caps? If so, for the top did you put in a large o-ring or rubber gasket or anything inside the cap to make a tight seal? I'm thinking of cutting a rubber ring to use as a seal, much like the rings you see on canning jars.

Tony

[pcscuba]

Wow! Padipro has been working on his site since I finished my light. Looks good!

[Narced-on-Land]

I can't wait to build my own light from all the great info on here!!

[Seasquatch]

just got hooked on building my own light. I CANT WAIT!!!

[DavidG]

NiMH's - HELP!
I have a lathe and drill press so I have the capability to build the can and head but I'd like to make a smaller can that would contain enough power to last for three dives when using a 10watt HID bulb. Given those requirements, I thought going to NiMH batteries would be the ticket.

I've got a UW light cannon and thought of gutting the ballast and bulb and creating a light head using it, but...

I've got a pack of 20, 2000 mAh AA's in a 2 x 3-4-3 configuration that generates about 13.5 volts with a total of (therotecally) 4 Ah's. My amp meter only goes so far and the thing with NiMH's is that their design permits high amperage discharge. So, when I hook them up to the ballast, they blow the 2amp fuse EVERY time. The ballast creates the initial arc with 6000 volts and then once lit drops to 12 volts in order to sustain the arc. At just under 10 volts the light dies. So the inital draw seems to be what is killing the fuse.

What am I doing wrong? If I use a higher rated fuse, won't I kill the bulb? Should I try a slow burn fuse? The manufacturer says the ballast and bulb can operate using NiMH's.

Have any of you been able to successfully get something like this to work. Obviously, I KNOW NEXT TO NOTHING ABOUT ELECTRICITY OR BALLAST ELECTRONICS.

[Padipro]

It sounds as though your fuse is to small for the amount of current the light is drawing at start up. What size fuse did the light you robbed the parts from have installed? How many amps does the ballast draw from the battery when you flip the switch?
We need to figure out how many amps are being drawn at start up and install the appropiate sized fuse.

This is Watt's Law. Just plug in the voltage of your battery and the number of watts the ballast draws at start up, do the math and it will tell you how many amps the curcuit is drawing, which is more the 2 amps, and install the correct size fuse or curcuit braker.

P = I x E
I = P / E
or E = P / I

Where
P = Power (Watts DC)
I = Current (Amps DC)
E = Voltage (Volts DC)

For instance, my light is a 12 volt, 50 watt halogen light. To figure out the correct size fuse I need to figure out what "I" (Amps) is.
P=50 (50 watt bulb)
E=12 (12 volt battery)
50 / 12 = 4.16
I=4.16 Amps
So I installed a 5 amp fuse.

Scott

[DavidG]

Padipro once bubbled...
...What size fuse did the light you robbed the parts from have installed? 2 amp.
How many amps does the ballast draw from the battery when you flip the switch? I don't know
We need to figure out how many amps are being drawn at start up and install the appropiate sized fuse.

This is Watt's Law. Just plug in the voltage of your battery and the number of watts the ballast draws at start up, do the math and it will tell you how many amps the curcuit is drawing, which is more the 2 amps, and install the correct size fuse or curcuit braker.

P = I x E
I = P / E
or E = P / I

Where
P = Power (Watts DC)
I = Current (Amps DC)
E = Voltage (Volts DC)

For instance, my light is a 12 volt, 50 watt halogen light. To figure out the correct size fuse I need to figure out what "I" (Amps) is.
P=50 (50 watt bulb)
E=12 (12 volt battery)
50 / 12 = 4.16
I=4.16 Amps
So I installed a 5 amp fuse.

Scott [/B]

OK,
startup: 10watt HID BULB / 6000volts = WAY under the two amp fuse.
sustained: 10watt HID BULB / 13.5 VOLTS = Under 2 amps, so either way the two amp fuse should work.

No, I think it has something to do with the Ballast circuitry or the characteristics of the NiHM's. I think there is something with the ballast that when it strikes the arc it's pulling WAY more than the 10 watts because yes, it has to be total current that causes the fuses to blow.

Another thing I have to worry about is the ohms resistance of the bulb - I think???

[DeepScuba]

DavidG:

You're obviously blowing the fuse for "current" reasons The "I" in the equation.

Assuming the ballast/bulb/batteries are all OK, then you wouldn't hurt a thing by installing a 3 amp, or 4 amp fuse. That's what's wrong anyways.

A higher amperage fuse won't "hurt" anything, it just won't protect quite as quickly if something does go wrong...but even that is in theory only, since if something goes wrong a 2 amp or 4 amp fuse difference, probably won't be "the difference" whether a part lives or dies.

Put a higher amperage fuse in!

I'm assuming 13.2V Power source is OK for this thing?

Don't worry about any Ohm reading on a bulb, First of all it's HID (No resistance spec since it's an arc), secondly, even a normal halogen bulb Ohm reading is irrelevant since it heats up dramatically when running, thusly raising the resistance level, thusly reducing current flow. Thusly any resistance reading of a bulb will yield no useable data. Try it on your 60Watt bulb in the house, and then do the math!!!

(Please allow to cool before touching.......)

[PhotoTJ]

As far as quantity of light goes, how much does the halogen put out vs. the HID (Light Cannon)?

[jonnythan]

PhotoTJ once bubbled...
As far as quantity of light goes, how much does the halogen put out vs. the HID (Light Cannon)?

BWAHAHAHAHAHA

[Padipro]

Sorry about that David, I wasn't being clear enough in my first post. DeepScuba was on to the same point as I was trying to make. It's a problem with the curcuit drawing more current then the fuse can handle. Just a Deep said as long as the battery, wiring, ballast and bulb are in working order there is no reason to worry about burining anything up. Install a bigger fuse and try it out.

You might want to ask the manufacture what size fuse you need for this type of set up. It sounds like you've talked to them before. I'm not real familiar with HID systems but I would venture to guess it's not the 10 watt bulb that's drawing to much current. I think it's the 6000 volts the ballast is producing that's blowing the fuse. You need to figure out how much current the ballast is drawing from the battery when you flip the switch and use that figure as the "P" in the equation. If I understand the way these HID systems work the ballast draws power from the battery and steps it up from the 13.5 volts of your battery to the 6000 volts you need to start the arc. This would mean that it's not the 10 watt rating of the bulb you should be using to figure out the amperage draw.

I found this on the internet and it kind of explains what I'm thinking.

"...a ballast should act as a current source allowing the lamp to determine its voltage."

Again, if this is true it would seem you should be using the current draw of the ballast as the "P" variable instead of that of the bulb.

Hope this makes sense.

Scott

[PhotoTJ]

jonnythan once bubbled...


BWAHAHAHAHAHA

OK, wise a$$, a simple more or less would do nicely. Or do you know?

Padipro, can you answer this for me?

[Atticus]

I'll make a quick stab at this one:

For the same wattage, an HID will create a much perceptively brighter light. This has to do with color temperature as much as anything.

The rule of thumb that I have heard is that a 10w HID should be considered to be on par with a35w halogen.

When applied to the size of battery pack you need for a given amount of illumination this means that you will either get a longer burn or be able to carry smaller batteries with HID.

Hope this helps at least a little bit.

- Atticus

[PhotoTJ]

...thanks.

[jonnythan]

PhotoTJ once bubbled...


OK, wise a$$, a simple more or less would do nicely. Or do you know?

Padipro, can you answer this for me?

I wasn't trying to make fun of you. Just laughing because the difference is pretty dramatic. For the same wattage you get a *dramatically* brighter light.

[Aquamaniac]

Here is my last effort.

Dave

[Padipro]

HID lights a more desierable then Halogen for several reasons.

1. The light "Color Temperature" is greater and results in a more natural looking light.

2. The light output, rated in Lumens, is far greater then for an equivalent wattage Halogen bulb.

3. The HID light requires less energy to burn, once started, then a halogen light so burn times can be up to 4 times longer with the same size battery pack.

50W HID....3200 Lumens and 5800 deg K color temp
24W HID....1850 Lumens and 5460 deg K color temp
18W HID....1150 Lumens and 6250 deg K color temp

50W Halogen....1000 Lumens and 3050 deg K color temp
35 W Halogen....700 Lumens and 3050 deg K color temp
25 W Halogen....500 Lumens and 3050 deg K color Temp

The new "Solex" Halogen bulbs have color temps of 3500K to 4700K

Some typical color temperatures are:

1500 k Candlelight

2680 k 40 W incandescent lamp

3000 k 200 W incandescent lamp

3200 k Sunrise/sunset

3400 k Tungsten lamp

3400 k 1 hour from dusk/dawn

5000-4500 k Xenon lamp/light arc

5500 k Sunny daylight around noon

5500-5600 k Electronic photo flash

6500-7500 k Overcast sky

9000-12000 k Blue sky

Scott

[DavidG]

Padipro & DeepScuba,
I understand the part about the ballast being the determining factor in the equasion. It's determining the wattage at the point of the arc strike that's impossible for me. But that aside, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I was thinking of trying other fuses (3, 4, or even 5 amp and maybe even slow burns) but was hesitating because I was thinking "If I allow too much current I'd blow the lamp". And at $100 a lamp that would not be a cool thing.

I'll go buy some fuses and see if I can melt the ballast :)

One other thing. I know it's the in thing right now to have the illumination of the sun with us on dives but I'm actually thinking that going HID may be a mistake. There are several potential drawbacks;
1.) There is the high power draw at startup. So most users keep their light on for the whole dive. If you want to experience photophosforesence (sp) on a night dive, shutting down and re lighting the bulb will rapidly drain your batteries.
2.) Many critters will hide from that bright of a light.
3.) The bulbs can be delicate, and if you drop your light head while gearing up, it might cost you $100 for a new bulb.
4.) With the Bulb/ballast and maybe even the NiMH's, the light IS NOT CHEEP!

For me, taking my camera with on every dive, the critter thing is my issue. If it weren't for the fact that I have this LightCannon and already have the NiMH's I would go Halogen. I may be one of the few folks who starts out with a HID that converts it back to a Halogen :)

[divermasterB]

DavidG once bubbled...
Padipro & DeepScuba,
I understand the part about the ballast being the determining factor in the equasion. It's determining the wattage at the point of the arc strike that's impossible for me. But that aside, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I was thinking of trying other fuses (3, 4, or even 5 amp and maybe even slow burns) but was hesitating because I was thinking "If I allow too much current I'd blow the lamp". And at $100 a lamp that would not be a cool thing.


One thing to keep in mind is that the fuse is simply a safety switch. It blows itself to keep other components protected. If I have something that requires a 3 amp fuse, and I put a 5 amp fuse in it, this will not change how the device operates, it simply means that in a failure (i.e. short circuit) I may not be protecting the components as much.

So, if youre light will run fine on 2 amps with a 3 amp fuse, for example. Putting a 5 amp fuse in place will not change the operation of the light.


1.) There is the high power draw at startup. So most users keep their light on for the whole dive. If you want to experience photophosforesence (sp) on a night dive, shutting down and re lighting the bulb will rapidly drain your batteries.


Try holding the light against your chest. I wouldn't advise shutting down a light at any point during a dive unless absolutely necessary. The highest probability of blowing a bulb is when you are starting it. Turning on and off the light, just increases the risk. Especially with Incandescent.



2.) Many critters will hide from that bright of a light.





3.) The bulbs can be delicate, and if you drop your light head while gearing up, it might cost you $100 for a new bulb.
4.) With the Bulb/ballast and maybe even the NiMH's, the light IS NOT CHEEP!

Sounds like you already spent the money.



For me, taking my camera with on every dive, the critter thing is my issue. If it weren't for the fact that I have this LightCannon and already have the NiMH's I would go Halogen. I may be one of the few folks who starts out with a HID that converts it back to a Halogen :)

Try the diffusers that came with the canon, makes a nice even light, and not as likely to scare off the critters.

[DavidG]

I know in fact that it is the batteries. I HAD two 2 x 3-4-3 (20 AA's) battery packs made up - 10 in series and then the two groups of 10 wired in parallel so that I get twice the available amperage while still maintaining the same voltage.
Out of frustration I tore open one and re-configured it to a 1 x 3-4-3 (10 AA's) pack. Guess what, at full charge the 10 pack works great, haven't blown a fuse yet. So I know it is the fact that NiMH's are designed to allow a very high discharge rate. That in conjunction with a design (ballast and fusing) that is for Alkaline or Nicad's (which have a lower maximum discharge capability).

As far as the fusing, my statement of using up to a 5amp fuse was within the context that I will step up the fuse rating until I find one that does not blow and then stay at that level.

Thank's everyone, I have no one to talk this thru with, but by being able to discuss this with you it has helped me not only decide on a course of action, but back it up with logical reasoning.

I'll post the results on this thread once I find the answer.

[DavidG]

padipro & deepscuba,
I haven't looked back in this thread to see who gave me the idea but THANK YOU BOTH! The fuse is only there to prevent a major catastrophy, not regulate the voltage, or amprage. A 3 amp fuse worked great. I'm getting 3.5 hrs (three dives) per charge. Next I'll build the canister and head with goodman style handle.

Whoever you are, you said it so that I understood - Thanks a million - Dave

[8buck]

Hey I have put together my light head and jb welded the end cap and siliconed it sam thing with the head unit ran a bead around the glass and the switch and jb-welded the switch in place. Did you all have this many problems sealing your head units i read padi pro had a few problems did he/you ever get them fixed

[whalerkyle]

Hi everyone, I just found this thread and it is FANTASTIC!!! I have a few questions for the people that have built the light.......1) The mag light lense, is it the original plastic lense? If not what is it and where do you get it? 2)Where do you get that 12 volt battery, and what aH should it be? 3) How do you charge the battery?

Thanks in advance everyone, I need a new project.


Kyle

[rjens]

Here is a link to an online battery store. Read back through this thread, or do a search to get more specifics on the battery that fits your needs.

Battery Station (http://www.batterystation.com/gelcell.htm)

RJ

[Hallmac]

it's the glass lens from the mag light rechargable-- available at your local police supply shop

Hallmac

[whalerkyle]

Thank you! What chargers do you all use?

Kyle

[mwilding]

Here is my last effort.

Dave
That is a sweet looking canister!

[DiveGolfSki]

HID lights a more desierable then Halogen for several reasons.

1. The light "Color Temperature" is greater and results in a more natural looking light.

2. The light output, rated in Lumens, is far greater then for an equivalent wattage Halogen bulb.

3. The HID light requires less energy to burn, once started, then a halogen light so burn times can be up to 4 times longer with the same size battery pack.

50W HID....3200 Lumens and 5800 deg K color temp
24W HID....1850 Lumens and 5460 deg K color temp
18W HID....1150 Lumens and 6250 deg K color temp

50W Halogen....1000 Lumens and 3050 deg K color temp
35 W Halogen....700 Lumens and 3050 deg K color temp
25 W Halogen....500 Lumens and 3050 deg K color Temp

The new "Solex" Halogen bulbs have color temps of 3500K to 4700K

Some typical color temperatures are:

1500 k Candlelight

2680 k 40 W incandescent lamp

3000 k 200 W incandescent lamp

3200 k Sunrise/sunset

3400 k Tungsten lamp

3400 k 1 hour from dusk/dawn

5000-4500 k Xenon lamp/light arc

5500 k Sunny daylight around noon

5500-5600 k Electronic photo flash

6500-7500 k Overcast sky

9000-12000 k Blue sky

Scott

Have you heard about the Chromolux line of bulbs? They claim to be full spectrum bulbs and there is a MR16 50W available.

[darylm74]

Has anyone used high output LEDs for a cannister light? I was looking around it appears that the highpower LED configurations can outdo the Halogens but obviously not the HID's. I was just wondering if the LED configurations might be as cheap as the Halogen ones and still provide more light than a Halogen.

[Camerone]

Has anyone used high output LEDs for a cannister light?

I've been looking at using three Luxeon V stars to do a light. There are two sets of pre-made optics, both of which would fit in an MR16 sized housing nicely.

Fraen makes a fixed set of narrow optics, which take three Lambertian stars and would theoretically give a 12 degree beam spread.

Carclo, from the UK, appears to have a superior set of optics and holder for three Luxeon emitters. The optics are roughly interchangable, and their 6 degree narrow lens appears to be just the ticket for what we'd want. Carclo doesn't seem to have any US resellers, though, at the moment, for these parts.

Both setups are around $20 - $25 for the optics for the emitters. Luxeon V stars or emitters are in the $30 - $40 range each, so figure on $120-ish for a set of lights/lenses to pack into the head.

The flux is 120 lumens per Luxeon V, so three ought to outperform a halogen by a long shot (and the commercial Tektite, using three Luxeon III emitters, does indeed make halogen lights look very shabby.)

The two issues to deal with then become mounting - the Luxeons need good heat sinking, which, in this case, would mean a nice, low thermal resistance path to the aluminum body of a maglite head. I haven't figured out how to solve that one, yet, with something that I'd consider acceptable.

The other issue is getting a power source to drive them nicely. It'd take 2.1 amps from a constant current source to drive all three in parallel. Obviously, a resistor is a dumb choice, as it'd waste a lot of heat and battery life, as well as not really solve the problem properly. There are no good commercial pucks for this purpose, so you'd have to put together your own switching power supply. It's not rocket science, but I've had more pressing projects on my agenda that need work, so I've put it off.

I suppose you drive each emitter from a separate commercially available boost puck (or whatever they're called), paralleling the _inputs_ for the pucks, but they're about $40 each, and much larger than a properly designed single unit would be. I'd mount the power supply in the handle and just feed the standard 12V to the head.

So, yeah, I've looked at it, but it's kind of low on the project list at the moment for me, especially since the light output is inferior to HID systems, with much engineering required on my part for a satisfactory experience.

On the plus side, bulb (emitter) life is outstanding, although the Luxeon V modules are shorter lived than their lower watt cousins. Color is excellent, in the same temp range as HID lights, and you absolutely cannot beat an LED system for ruggedness.

Reliability is probably up there with HID, as both of them really require a simple switching power supply to operate. Given the absence of high voltage in an LED supply, I might actually rate it somewhat higher than HID reliability (not including the fact that the LED "bulbs" are a heck of a lot more rugged.

[Fishlips_1]

Hello all,
After reading this whole thread, it seems no one has boiled water in a thin plastic cup in a fire. (7th grade science) you can also boil water in a paper cup. So, unless your bulb is hotter than fire, or you evaporate the whole body of water you are diving in. I can't see any problem with distortion. Maybe implosion if it is not thick enough.\
Just a thought,
Joe
P.S.
I'm really looking forward to building this DIY project!

[dwright]

Just a note on Luxeon V...I have been tinkering with different configurations for a while. I suppose making HID lights just wasn't exciting enough ;) The Lux V only has a 1000 hr life expectancy where the lux 3 (80 lumens) has a 10,000 hr life expectancy. Now I know that 1000 hrs is a fair bit, but considering that 3 lux 3's put out 240 lumens at 10 times the life, I think the 3 watt is a better choice plus they only cost around $10 per unit. I'll have pics of the lates light head using the lux 3 soon.

[darylm74]

Just a note on Luxeon V...I have been tinkering with different configurations for a while. I suppose making HID lights just wasn't exciting enough ;) The Lux V only has a 1000 hr life expectancy where the lux 3 (80 lumens) has a 10,000 hr life expectancy. Now I know that 1000 hrs is a fair bit, but considering that 3 lux 3's put out 240 lumens at 10 times the life, I think the 3 watt is a better choice plus they only cost around $10 per unit. I'll have pics of the lates light head using the lux 3 soon.

I can't wait to see the pictures of the HO LED light. I have slowly been gathering parts and so forth to start working on one. But then again I'll actually have to have the time to put it together.

[Scubacastor]

Hi guys,

with some work, you can switch from a regular UK C4 light to a 3xLuxeon III bulb. I've made this kind of work and found after (ie with regulation board and round heatsink) that I had enough space to put an additionnal laser diode ;)

http://eocean.free.fr/voyager/c05/castorled.jpg

I will probably put some plans in a near future.

[ShoalDiverSA]

Hi guys,

with some work, you can switch from a regular UK C4 light to a 3xLuxeon III bulb. I've made this kind of work and found after (ie with regulation board and round heatsink) that I had enough space to put an additionnal laser diode ;)

...

I will probably put some plans in a near future.

Great idea to include the laser pointer. The configuration is very neat.

Now you've given me an idea.... :)

PS - How is the laser pointer triggered?

Cheers,

Andrew

[teckhead]

can,y wait to see others making the canister light?
i like to see others with photos , and to see if and how any changers ,

[Scubacastor]

PS - How is the laser pointer triggered?

In the same way, the diodes are triggered , the C4 has a 2 positions switch so inside I used 2 sub-microswitchs from digikey to activate the laser or the diodes. That's very simple ;)

[mddolson]

That is a cool inovation.
How well does it work? I notice your's is green BTW.
I've got one of those red 2 AA cell U/W laser pointers, but you can't see the dot beyond about 7 -8 feet even in pool water.
RED? why would they pick red ? It's the first colour absorbed underwater.


Mike D


In the same way, the diodes are triggered , the C4 has a 2 positions switch so inside I used 2 sub-microswitchs from digikey to activate the laser or the diodes. That's very simple ;)

[Scubacastor]

I will test the laser this week-end in real condition (Monterey, green water, low viz) but I expect to have far more better results than with previous red modules. The green color is supposed to be better than red underwater. I guess red was a good choice before because green lasers were very expensive. Prices for green modules have dropped. You can expect to find a green module for 50 $ on ebay for example.

[Freeflyer]

Well, it's finally finished.

Living in Brunei, Borneo, I'm a bit limited on what I can get locally, parts wise, so it's been an interesting project. Fortunately, a holiday down to Perth last year sourced the cable glands and battery pack, saving me lots of shipping costs.

The can is made from 3" pvc, which the 9ah battery pack fits into nicely. The top is made of 4 layers of pvc, from a flattened out pipe, cut with a circle cutter, laminated in pairs (inner and outer) and then glued into a single piece. I couldn't source any thick acrylic or similar. The cable glands have an M16 thread but I couldn't source a tap of the correct size, so they were JB welded into the can top and the maglite.

Before I drilled and installed the cable gland into the top, I installed the latches and o -ring and dived it to 40m. The switch just had an o-ring under the toggle cover but I was pleased to find not a drop ofwater inside. Despite this, I still siliconed the switch into place after the gland was installed. Belt and braces. The switch guard is a bit of a pvc coupling cut down and glued on.

I painted the can, but it was a bit dusty and breezy that day, so it's a bit rough here and there, but at least looks better than plain pvc.

The goodman handle was made out of an offcut of flat pvc, as the only metal stockholder here would only sell me a 20' length of aluminium, when I only needed about a foot. To bend it, I wrapped it in newspaper, leaving a gap where I wanted it to bend, put it on the bbq for a couple of minutes and then it was hot enough to shape. It's a bit bigger than ideal, but I'll fix that with the second version when I have a few minutes spare.

I can only source 38 degree bulbs here with the glass covers, but I'm hoping to make a stepped lens for the maglite head, which would mean I could use an open bulb which I can get in a narrower beam. I did find a 12 degree bulb, but it's only 20w.

I left it at the bottom of a swimming pool during swim training on Wednesday and it was bone dry, so on Sunday, it will get it's first dive (without battery) and, if it comes up dry, the second dive of the day will be fully equipped. Our weekend diving the Labuan wrecks was cancelled due to weather, so just the local reef tomorrow.

I'd like to thank everyone here who offered advice along the way and particularly to Scott for the effort he puts in here, and giving me the idea of making my own can light in the first place.

There's a couple of photos here, but the rest are on Scott's msn group, here:

http://groups.msn.com/Divelight/jsdivelight.msnw?Page=1

Cheers,

Justin.

[ShoalDiverSA]

Well, it's finally finished.

...

Not only is it finished, it also looks Pro! Well done.

Cheers,

Andrew

[willydiver]

Great job Freeflyer. I like the clear tubing protectors that cover the hose clamp worm gear. Nice detail. That lid looks like it was turned on a lathe. Nice work.

WD

[Freeflyer]

Thanks for the nice comments, I have to admit it came out better than I expected. It went to 20m on Sunday and no leaks at all. I do want to change out the bulb for a spot one though.

The clear tubing was another idea I nicked from padipro, keeps them from rubbing at the bcd and possibly causing a leak one day.

J.

[wunat]

Thanks for the great postings, I have now decided to try to build my own canister and is currently doing some research to see what's available in the local hardware market.

In regards to the light bulbs, is xenon bulbs a better alternative over halogen for the lighting unit? Maglite are selling them s upgrade bulbs.

If we use the 12V 50W halogen bulbs, how often do we need to replace the bulbs?

[Padipro]

Another great light is born. LOL Good job Justin, looks like an expensive name brand light.

I have that clear tubing on my stage bottles as well. Those stainless steel clamps are sharp, I've cut myself on them several times, so I figured it was a good idea to keep from cutting something expensive like a BC.

Keep up the good work guys the lights are looking great.

[murphdivers286]

Nice lights. I have a question about flattening the PVC. I have a PVC heating gun, but couldn't I place the pieces in the oven on 250 degrees or greater and soften the PVC until I could flatten it between two pieces of wood or something else.

[Padipro]

Nice lights. I have a question about flattening the PVC. I have a PVC heating gun, but couldn't I place the pieces in the oven on 250 degrees or greater and soften the PVC until I could flatten it between two pieces of wood or something else.

Yes, that works much better but try 400 degrees for 4 to 5 minutes. Set a couple of scuba tanks on top of the plywood and let it cool.