eLed Modifications - x-post

[sucnip]

I'd like to buy an eLed torch and understand that the C8 is brighter than the C4, but the light module between the two is identical. Because the C8 is a lot heavier than the C4 I was wondering if anyone would recommend using AA NiMh batteries with C adapter sleves in the C8, or building a AA battery pack for use in the C4 that is as bright as the C8. Has anyone over-volted a C4? Is there any advantage to using more than 8 AA cells in this configuration?

dp

 

[gregor1234]

I'm not an expert on the two lights in question and am not sure I entirely understand your question but I think I understand that you are looking at two LED-type lights, one that used 4 C-cells and one that uses 8 C-cells and they both use the same LED light head and the C8 is brighter any you wonder if you could somehow achieve this effect within the C4 housing.

Well, the thing about leds is that LED's they are made brighter not by increasing the voltage (which will ruin them) but by increasing the current that you put through them. (Up to a point after which overcurrent will also ruin them... think welding arc).

If you can compare the battery configurations in the C4 and C8 lights, my guess is that you will probably find that the configuration of the batteries in the C8 does not increase the voltage by placing the batteries in series, but provides more power by placing more cells in parallel to increase the amount of current they can collectively provide acrossed the fixed voltage of the LEDs.

Using AA cells instead would be shooting yourself in the foot because even 2 AA cells will produce less current that a single C cell.

I guess that was the long answer. The short answer is that what you're contemplating will likely burn out your LEDs and if you want a brighter light, just spring for the C8 to begin with.

 

[misfit]

I've done the 16-AAs pack for the UK HID last year.
(Double the shining period of the C adapter sleves.)
The 16-AAs pack can be used with the C8, too.

I don't think that what U need will be a big problem, it is the same as what I've done at the C8.

And I made the 4-AAs pack to exchange almost all of the D batt. that were used inside the UK, Ikelite, ......................

What U can do is :
1. C4 with an 8-AAs pack.
2. C8(or HID) with a 16-AAs pack.
3. D4 with a 16-AAs pack.
4. D8 with a 32-AAs pack.

misfit

 

[misfit]

The C8 eLed set up the same LED light head with the C4 eLed.
The output of C8 is 5.6W, same head at C4 is 4.6W.

Of course that U can get the C4 eLed to light out 5.6W to bright as C8.

Get C4 ~ don't buy C8, then U save the money for the lite, and for the batteries..............

misfit

 

[Charlie99]

The eLED light head includes a little switching regulator. It sounds like that regulator delivers a constant current/power/brightness for 8 cells, but is beginning to drop out of regulation at 4 cells/5V range. 8AA cells in series would work fine, but obviously with shorter burn time. If 8 cells don't fit nicely, I'd try 6 cells, as there's a good chance it would be enough for full brightness.

At some point as you add cells, you will exceed the voltage rating for the light head regulator, so going to more than 8 cells isn't a good idea unless you have some way of finding out the max rating (Trying it out and finding that it doesn't immediately fail isn't a really good way of testing a vital piece of dive gear.)

 

[misfit]

Get C4 ~ don't buy C8, U save the money FROM the lite, and FROM the batteries.............. , then spend the money for the real dives.

misfit

 

[sucnip]

According to UK the batteries in the C4 and C8 are wired in series. They said using AA's would work fine with a shorter burn time. You'll notice that the eLED module is rated for 6 Watts, however the actual LED is only 5 Watts. The reason is that the voltage regulator circuitry itself consumes some of the power to feed the hungry Luxeon StarV. To put 8 AA's inside the C4 the easiest way is to get a 3 front/3 back battery pack and a 2AA battery pack and wire them in series. An 8 cell AA pack, 4 front/4 back does not fit. Burn time at full brightness with 8 1600MaH batteries (you can get better ones now) is around 2 hours. Plenty of time for two night dives.