As some of you will know I had a UK600 torch which I picked up of e-bay for £15 it was, to say the least, puny and gutless like a candle in a box!
Whist surfing on the net I came across home made torches, so I thought Id have a go, and as a first attempt I decided to convert my old UK600; it had a 6V lamp battery so plenty of space inside the case for new bits!.
The batteries, picked up from Lidl (my favourite shop), are 10 x C cells rated at 3500 mAh(i.e. 3.5 Ah) which cost me £10. The bulb is a standard MR16 halogen rated at 20W although I can also use 35W or even 50W. The bulb connector came from Maplins and the surround was an old down-lighter I had in the garage.
Ive tested it in a bucket of water and with the 20W bulb, burn time on a full charge is 1hr 15mins, with the 35W thats down to 40mins and with the 50W about 25mins. Ive also found a 3W LED bulb on the internet which I may try, its supposed to be equivalent to a 35W halogen if it works it will probably last all day!!
To charge the battery pack I bought an Intelligent charger (£11) used for charging radio controlled cars it takes 10h to fully charge at 300mA, although it has a 600mA setting for faster charging!
Is it bright you bet!
Next project a 50W umbilical torch based on a Maglite and an Otterbox, something to keep me busy over the winter!
