The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Equipment => Topic started by: Penninehillbilly on October 23, 2018, 05:42:30 pm
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Has anyone tried this?
We have an old torch heavy duty type, takes pj966 lantern battery .
Was about to throw it away and OH comes home with 3 batteries he found in a skip, still wrapped.
But I know batteries didn't last long in it, if i can find a cheap way of converting it, it can stay for a while.
Any thoughts please?
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Have a look on e-*ay, for conversion bulb, converted all our maglites last year , not cheap though, something along these lines https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3W-P13-5S-LED-Focus-Flashlight-Replacement-Bulb-Lantern-Torch-Work-Light-3-12V/292521604124?_trkparms=aid%3D555017%26algo%3DPL.CASSINI%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D54807%26meid%3Dd6b01fd994384aef8eb90cf2da8f0318%26pid%3D100505%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26%26itm%3D292521604124&_trksid=p2045573.c100505.m3226 (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3W-P13-5S-LED-Focus-Flashlight-Replacement-Bulb-Lantern-Torch-Work-Light-3-12V/292521604124?_trkparms=aid%3D555017%26algo%3DPL.CASSINI%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D54807%26meid%3Dd6b01fd994384aef8eb90cf2da8f0318%26pid%3D100505%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26%26itm%3D292521604124&_trksid=p2045573.c100505.m3226)
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Thanks RtB, I did look, but most seem tb be about £10 it's cheaper to buy a new torch ?,
Seen something about converting a bulb, but only a description, sounded complicated, maybe OH can understand it better :) .
But he'll probably destroy the torch :) .
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I've done it with a maglite but for a lantern it's cheaper to buy a new torch TBH - get a nice new rechargable one, it'll have a much bigger beam too!
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the lantern bulbs are about £3, easy to fit just change the bulb and the batteries will last much longer, still on last years batteries .
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I haven't worked out how to get the old bulb out yet, seems to be fit in a unit, which looks like you should pull it apart, but we are both worried about breaking it.
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I have no idea what your torch looks like but anything can be converted with enough effort. I'm no electronics whizz but leds are generally quite low voltage so end up needing a resistance to drop your 6v or putting some in series.
As an example of my silliness I went through a phase of pimping my car a little on the cheap. One thing I fancied was a blue dome light (before these things were easily available) so I made up an array of mixed series/parallel blue leds as a small square panel of them to suit the 12v car, sat the array in a simple candle wax mould (just softened and shaped by hand) and poured epoxy resin in to just below the level of the led tops. Voila - one replacement dome bulb for the sprung holder. It lasted several years - probably would have lasted a lot longer if my sums were better. You can buy 100 x 5mm leds on ebay for under a fiver so plenty of chances to get it right.
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sent pics of torch !
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sent pics of torch !
Took one earlier but need to put desktop on to load it. :)
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picture of torch, it seems the only way to get to the bulb is to pull it apart, but it doesn't give easily and worried about it breaking the front off.
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I went through this same decision process with my trusty MagLites a few years back. As painful as it was to see 4No expensive torches go to waste, in the end it was MUCH better to just buy a new good quality LED torch as they are almost the same cost, much smaller/lighter (so use cheaper batteries) and are built for purpose (rather than a 'conversion').
I bought Fenix torches which all run on rechargeable AA batteries, but LEDLenser make much the same thing, are a bit cheaper and often come up at very good prices on Amazon.
My one cell AA torch is about 3x as powerful as my old 4 D cell maglite and weighs virtually nothing by comparison. My two cell AA torch is brighter than a car headlight on full beam.
I use Sanyo Eneloop batteries and a good quality charger. It was all a bit of an investment, but we use our torches on a daily basis and if they died tomorrow I would buy exactly the same again as replacements. Very highly recommended and I don't miss my MagLites at all now.
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You could go wild with that... lose the reflector, a couple of discs of plastic or even wood with enough drill holes to let the tips of 100leds poke through and the backing disc isolating the wire pairs... light up Yorkshire with that....If you need to stick anything in place then kitchen sealant wuld be adequate and waterproof. Hours of fun drilling holes and soldering it up...
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picture of torch, it seems the only way to get to the bulb is to pull it apart, but it doesn't give easily and worried about it breaking the front off.
Aha white bit unclips,just turn it so lugs disengage pull away from reflector, then lift bulb out .
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picture of torch, it seems the only way to get to the bulb is to pull it apart, but it doesn't give easily and worried about it breaking the front off.
Aha white bit unclips,just turn it so lugs disengage pull away from reflector, then lift bulb out .
Tried that, and just tried again, it just turns, back of reflecter has a ridge right round,
Only way I can think of is to prise lugs back with a screwdriver. Bit dodgy though.
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I went through this same decision process with my trusty MagLites a few years back. As painful as it was to see 4No expensive torches go to waste, in the end it was MUCH better to just buy a new good quality LED torch as they are almost the same cost, much smaller/lighter (so use cheaper batteries) and are built for purpose (rather than a 'conversion').
I bought Fenix torches which all run on rechargeable AA batteries, but LEDLenser make much the same thing, are a bit cheaper and often come up at very good prices on Amazon.
My one cell AA torch is about 3x as powerful as my old 4 D cell maglite and weighs virtually nothing by comparison. My two cell AA torch is brighter than a car headlight on full beam.
I use Sanyo Eneloop batteries and a good quality charger. It was all a bit of an investment, but we use our torches on a daily basis and if they died tomorrow I would buy exactly the same again as replacements. Very highly recommended and I don't miss my MagLites at all now.
I know where you are coming from Maysie, i love my LED head torches, and the worklights, all on rechargeables but we have the 3 batteries, potential for another bright torch over winter, so if i can convert it for a few pounds it will be worth it. ?
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You could go wild with that... lose the reflector, a couple of discs of plastic or even wood with enough drill holes to let the tips of 100leds poke through and the backing disc isolating the wire pairs... light up Yorkshire with that....If you need to stick anything in place then kitchen sealant wuld be adequate and waterproof. Hours of fun drilling holes and soldering it up...
Last year I bought a little light string from asda, £1, found a plywood board, drilled holes in it to poke bulbs through, fastened a little dolly switch on, lights run off 2 AA batteries, brilliant little light board. One of my better ideas ????.
You've given me ideas for the torch, not sure about soldering though ?
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picture of torch, it seems the only way to get to the bulb is to pull it apart, but it doesn't give easily and worried about it breaking the front off.
Aha white bit unclips,just turn it so lugs disengage pull away from reflector, then lift bulb out .
Tried that, and just tried again, it just turns, back of reflecter has a ridge right round,
Only way I can think of is to prise lugs back with a screwdriver. Bit dodgy though.
the white bit will come off , try prizing the lugs back but warm it in case its brittle, but it will come off . ( or a very large hammer and put the battery on ebay :o )_
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the white bit will come off , try prizing the lugs back but warm it in case its brittle, but it will come off . ( or a very large hammer and put the battery on ebay :o )_
;D
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.....
Last year I bought a little light string from asda, £1, found a plywood board, drilled holes in it to poke bulbs through, fastened a little dolly switch on, lights run off 2 AA batteries, brilliant little light board. One of my better ideas ??? ?.
You've given me ideas for the torch, not sure about soldering though ?
Soldering would be more reliable and less fiddly than crimping but you might be able to do that with some tiny brass or copper tube bits from a hobby shop squeezed over the wire pairs. Even stripping some copper out of scrap mains wire, hammered flattened and a 'U' shape squeezed over the pairs but it risks loosening with use and temperature changes.
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the white bit will come off , try prizing the lugs back but warm it in case its brittle, but it will come off . ( or a very large hammer and put the battery on ebay :o )_
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Got it ;D
Carefully levered off with screwdriver
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the white bit will come off , try prizing the lugs back but warm it in case its brittle, but it will come off . ( or a very large hammer and put the battery on ebay :o )_
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Got it ;D
Carefully levered off with screwdriver
Well thats the easy bit , reassembly on the other hand, nah ! you'll be fine , hide the left over bits , I know I do :innocent: , get the led bulb that stick out a bit https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/P13-5S-PR2-LED-Flashlight-Replacement-Emergency-Bike-Torch-Work-Bulb-3-4-5-6V-UK/162945138008?hash=item25f0497d58:m:m6I8hhsaM4CwBz2G2XHX3bQ:rk:3:pf:1 (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/P13-5S-PR2-LED-Flashlight-Replacement-Emergency-Bike-Torch-Work-Bulb-3-4-5-6V-UK/162945138008?hash=item25f0497d58:m:m6I8hhsaM4CwBz2G2XHX3bQ:rk:3:pf:1) then bask in the satisfied glow ( see what I did there ) of achievement
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;D
Already ordered 2, got another torch somewhere.
(Got lots of old torches somewhere, I can see a new lease of life for the poor old pensioned off favourites :) .
But I'd better find them before ordering lots of bulbs
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Hmm, something to think about, led bulb is positive to centre, torch takes outer coil (positive) thru switch to side of bulb. Old bulbs of course work either way.
Darn it, why is nothing ever simple? ????
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Hmm, something to think about, led bulb is positive to centre, torch takes outer coil (positive) thru switch to side of bulb. Old bulbs of course work either way.
Darn it, why is nothing ever simple? ????
The ones above I linked to are like many replacement torch bulbs are " Universal Polarity Positive (+) or Negative (-) on Bottom contact or flange!"
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Hmm, something to think about, led bulb is positive to centre, torch takes outer coil (positive) thru switch to side of bulb. Old bulbs of course work either way.
Darn it, why is nothing ever simple? ??? ?
The ones above I linked to are like many replacement torch bulbs are " Universal Polarity Positive (+) or Negative (-) on Bottom contact or flange!"
Yes, those were the ones I ordered, been looking how to send a comment, but I can't remember password, will have to put desktop on later.