Hacking cheap LED dive lights

[Imbodie]

Ok..
I have an Intova that has died... pretty sure the LED is fine, just the electronics driving it... (also have a UK pistol LED same issue) anyone have any luck hacking the electronics... I don't care about flashing I just want an on/off switch and light...... on smaller LED's (electronics kits and such) all you need is the LED and a resistor to light the LED.... shouldn't it be the same for underwater lights?

Ideas??


Tim

 

[KeithG]

you are most likely toast. hi power led lights have a bunch of high current driver circuitry associated with them. either the circuitry or the led may have failed.

if you google there is a "flashlight" message board somewhere out there that has lots of information about high power led lights.

 

[Imbodie]

I know this particular intova light had a lot of issues with the magnetic switch.... which totally has me baffled... unless there is a sensing component on the board which is close to the button end of the light...but I can't get the magnet part open... the control board was easy enough.... but all it should do is control the blink and power levels (maybe just the blink).

Tim

 

[redacted]

The magnets in my Chinese lights are not protected from corrosion. Even with good after dive rinsing, they are liable to corrode and become ineffective. I am not familiar with the Intova light, but you might try using a strong magnet to see if the internal switch and light might still be working.

 

[DBF]

In theory yes it would work you need to provide about 300-400 mA, but in practice the brightness will drop off very quickly as the battery voltage drops. What you need to use is a constant current driver matched to the led rating. The problem then becomes trying to fit it all back into the original housing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Imbodie]

Awap,
how do the magnetic switches work? is there a sensor on the board? There is no physical contact between the switch and the electronics which sit in the end cap of the Intova...

Tim

 

[redacted]

Awap,
how do the magnetic switches work? is there a sensor on the board? There is no physical contact between the switch and the electronics which sit in the end cap of the Intova...

Tim

There must be a sensor inside. There is a magnet in the external switch that looks something like one of these: 50pcs Neodymium Disc Mini 5 x 2mm RARE Earth N35 Strong Magnets Craft Models | eBay

When mine initially failed, I found I could operate the light with a strong refrigerator magnet and then went shopping on ebay for a neodymium magnet of about the right size.

 

[KeithG]

Awap,
how do the magnetic switches work? is there a sensor on the board? There is no physical contact between the switch and the electronics which sit in the end cap of the Intova...

Tim

Generally magnetic switches are simple mechanical "reed" switches.Reed switch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[raftingtigger]

Check out candlepowerforums.com they have a diving light sub-forum. I like awap's magnet idea. Once you start diddling with the innards of lights it is hard to stop.