LED flashlight conversion to lithium-ion batteries. Do-it-yourself repair and modernization of LED lamps Lentel, Foton, Smartbuy Colorado and RED

Many are familiar with lanterns, ttype "Era" or "Cosmos" FA21M, as well as their numerous clones under other names. WITHa 30 watt halogen lamp and a 6 volt/4.5 ah lead gel battery. They are still on sale, as they were many years ago - except that the lamp has changed to an LED panel ...

Actually, in a lead battery and high power, the problem of such flashlights lies. Their power is categorically redundant for a house / garage / car, etc. - unless in the field or on the water such a searchlight makes sense. Dimensions are also redundant - it is not clear where to put / put this dinosaur ...
As a result, everyone who bought such a lantern or received it as a gift (they liked to give them on February 23, hehe ...) sooner or later put them away, and when they got them out on occasion, they found that the battery was hopelessly degraded - the lantern is quickly charging , burns after that for a couple of minutes, and goes out ...

The cost of a new battery is completely unreasonable, it often exceeds the cost of a flashlight assembly, so such flashlights are often sent to the scrap.However, the huge body gives DIYers room for creativity. You can put an LED lamp there, you can fill it with lithium batteries so that it burns continuously for six months, you can insert a PWM controller and much more.
True, the lantern will still remain hefty and awkward ...

I picked up such a lantern at a country dump in a complete set in a box - apparently, it lay in someone's dacha until the battery was completely degraded, and after finding out the price for a new one, it was sent to the trash. And I decided to make a compact flashlight out of it to illuminate the route when swimming. on a boat at night. The peculiarity of the alteration is the use of a native halogen lamp - firstly, it already exists, which means it is free, and secondly, it shines really powerfully. Converting this lamp to LED is not very advisable - the geometry of the reflector, designed for an incandescent lamp, is not very suitable for a diode ...

We unscrew the excess overall plastic from the lantern - the black “crown” around the reflector, the handle, throw out the battery, remove the switch, and then cut off the “head” with a cutter from a hacksaw blade - this is what we need:

Here's what happens:

We cut out a cover for the head from any plastic and put it on 5 M2 screws with nuts.

Oddly enough, holding this freak in your hand is quite convenient. I only made a rope lanyard so that the lantern would hang on it if it slipped out of my hand.
But fantasies will - you can even attach a three-kopeck door handle, even screw in a bolt and, if necessary, screw an empty tube with a pressed nut on it, which acts as a classic lantern handle - as you like. You can even attach an elastic band and make a headband of extreme power ...

A new flashlight ... lay down for a year and the battery died (as it turned out, this happens with all such flashlights, the same thing happened with 4 friends) - it's a pity to throw it away (I used it once), it's very difficult to find a new battery + the cost of the battery = the cost of the flashlight ... found a simple solution…
Interestingly, the lanterns had different operating conditions (by February 23 they were donated to employees) - but they all died “at one o'clock”. Naturally it's a shame, just needed, "new" and on you :)))

Having tried to search for similar batteries in special stores and markets, I came to the conclusion that it is completely inappropriate to buy such a battery for the cost of a flashlight. I did not find a cheap alternative, besides, the characteristics of the battery were embarrassing ... Ie. 5v strained when converting to a different type of battery ...

And there was no desire to radically alter the charging and the flashlight.
At first there was an idea to plug in 18650 - but the voltage per volt is lower (how the lantern will burn - again alterations ... + disassemble / assemble for charge ... in short, problems again :(

The solution was found to be very simple - buy an external cheap power bank, which already gives out 5v at the output, has a built-in charge system CHEAP AND TASTY :)

In fact, the native battery had 2Ah. It is clear that in our case there are all kinds of unnecessary losses - but the price justifies the means + some advantages appear :)

Literally on my knees, the lantern was disassembled, the network connector was removed (the charge was from 220 in the original) and, well, “interfering wires” - you could not actually touch it :)
Instead of a native battery, a power bank with a can of 2600 was attached, the native cover was removed from the power bank, secured with electrical tape so that the structure would not crumble during vibrations or shocks.
In fact, everything can be done MUCH more accurately naturally, but I was interested in the simplicity and speed of the solution.

Something like this happened (the wires could not be pulled out through the bank, at first there was an idea for a slightly different location).
Those. The power bank itself was fixed by inserting it into the former network connector, even without additional. fasteners quite firmly "sits"

Main advantages:
The lantern is alive!
Pretty easy and inexpensive!
It is easy to change the battery (in case of failure) - they are common and inexpensive.
You can charge from any USB (including in a car), and also, if necessary, use it as a power bank (depending on the quality of the latter).

The flashlight shines normally. I didn’t try to time it - but it shines for a VERY long time, several hours, probably, I didn’t try to discharge it at once.

I plan to buy +22 Add to favorites Liked the review +38 +71

Overview of 18650 batteries for different devices, converting a battery into a screwdriver, the best batteries from Aliexpress

TEST:

To understand if you have enough information about a lithium-ion battery:

When purchasing 18650 batteries for a flashlight with protection, which manufacturer is preferable?

What indicators should give chargers for 18650?

a) The output is 5 volts and the current is from 0.5 to 1 of the nominal capacity of the battery itself.
b) The output is 10 volts and the current is from 1 to 3 of the nominal capacity of the battery itself.

In what temperature range is it desirable to store the battery?

a) + 10 - + 25 - ideal indicators. The battery does not tolerate too cold or hot rooms. b) At a temperature of +20 - +45 degrees.

How many stages does a lithium battery go through?

a) Two.
b) four.

How many charging stages does a lithium battery have that takes less than an hour to charge?

Answers:

b) It is advisable to take Chinese KEEPPOWER batteries. Samsung does not release protected models.
a) The correct output indicators are 5 volts and a current from 0.5 to 1 of the nominal capacity of the battery itself.
a) + 10 - + 25 - ideal indicators. Do not place the battery in other conditions.
a) Two stages - first with a voltage of 0.2-1A, and then with a high constant.
a) Only one. A high voltage is immediately applied to the element. The rest of the steps are missing.

The problem of nickel-cadmium battery, installed in a screwdriver, in that it must be constantly used. If the battery is completely discharged or not used for a long time, then the crystallization process will begin in it, and the battery will soon completely fail.

To replace battery you will have to spend a lot of money, since batteries suitable for a screwdriver are not cheap.

For these reasons, screwdriver owners modify the battery a bit to connect lithium cells to it. But before starting such work, you need to think about whether it is necessary to make such an alteration and whether it is advisable at all.

Definition: Battery 18650 is a 3.7V battery.

3 pros and 5 cons of alteration for a screwdriver

Benefits of a remake:

The energy density of the elements will become better than nickel-cadmium. It means that screwdriver will retain its original weight, even be somewhat lighter, while the output voltage will remain within normal limits.
Lithium accumulators charge much faster than others. It only takes one hour to safely charge them.
For lithium-ion batteries no memory effect. From this we can conclude that it is not necessary to completely discharge them before installing them on the charger.

Flaws:

If you install lithium battery, it will have to be carefully monitored: when charging - above 4.2 volts it cannot be charged, and discharged by less than 2.7 volts. Otherwise, the battery will simply fail.
18650 cans are used as lithium elements. They are different from nickel-cadmium in size. In addition, you will have to find a place for the charge controller discharge wires. And all this should somehow fit in the body of the screwdriver.
Charging for cadmium batteries may not be suitable for rework. You may have to additionally look for a universal charger.
It will not be possible to work outdoors in winter, because the lithium battery does not tolerate negative temperatures.
Li-ion battery costs more than cadmium.

It is also important to know 3 nuances before starting work

First you need to determine the number of elements in battery. It is best to use 4 elements, since three will only give 12.6 volts.
Collecting the battery 18650, pay attention to the capacitance and discharge current. When the battery is running, the current consumed is in the range of 5 or 10 amperes, but if you sharply press the power button, it can jump up to 25. This suggests that the maximum value of the discharge current should be approximately 30 amperes on the battery 18650.
You should also pay attention to the controller. Its characteristics must be equal to the rated voltage and current discharge. For a 14.4V battery, the controller is the optimum voltage. The operating current must be several times less than the maximum allowable.

How to avoid 4 mistakes when assembling a 18650 charger

To properly connect to battery lithium cells, you will need to follow the instructions exactly:

Chargers for 18650 batteries

For battery The 18650 will have to use the correct charger. At the output, it will produce 5 volts and a current of 0.5 to 1 of the nominal capacity of the battery itself. If lithium cells support 2600 mAh, then a current of 1.3-2.6 amperes should be used to charge it.

device for lithium batteries charge the battery in several stages:

First on battery a voltage of 0.2-1A is applied.
Further charger already passes at a constant voltage.

If the charger has impulse mode, it will greatly speed up the charging time.

In the event that the battery has graphite, then the voltage should not exceed 4.3 volts per cell. If this indicator is exceeded, then the energy density will increase, and the oxidative process will begin.

There are lithium batteries, charging in less than an hour. They do not provide for the second stage - the current is immediately supplied by 80% and after that it starts to work. This is normal for a lithium type battery.

Answers to 5 frequently asked questions about choosing an e-cigarette battery

Battery

Look at the picture battery 18650 for an electronic cigarette. It is quite difficult to find the right sample battery for an electronic cigarette, since there are many varieties with varying degrees of power. For example, long-term, but they cannot be turned on at full capacity. Others will not heat up even at 40 amps, but they require frequent recharging. When choosing a battery for an electric cigarette, people are wondering about the criteria.

There are five main criteria: energy intensity, rated current indicator, voltage in use, temperature in use, cost. It makes no sense to pay attention to other nuances, like the color of a cigarette. All this is secondary. To choose a good unit, you should study in detail all the criteria. As a result, the buyer will receive all the necessary information for a good purchase.

Energy intensity

Electronic Cigarette

Energy intensity expressed in milliamps per hour. Accordingly, the higher this indicator, the better the model will be. Safety depends on the rated current indicator. The conclusion suggests itself that it is desirable to buy batteries with the highest current supply rate. For example, an LG hb6 battery has 30 A, which means it is also suitable for 40 A. But having made such a purchase, a person will prefer a high voltage and sacrifice energy intensity. The energy capacity of the above battery is only 1500 mAh. Therefore, it will hold a charge less than options with 3000 mAh.

Select indicators rated current, which won't overheat the device, but don't sacrifice battery life. It is better to purchase the LG HD2 model, which has an indicator of 25 A and microamps per hour. This will be the average. As for the voltage, you should not focus on this nuance when choosing - if the cigarette has the two previous indicators are good, then the voltage will be sufficient.

Which battery is better for a led flashlight. Tests for charging flashlights.

You also need to choose devices, having a low degree of heating. Overheating an electric cigarette will soon damage the entire mechanism. That is why the battery must be taken one that will work at the lowest temperatures. Price cigarettes approximately the same and this is not the most important criterion. It is advisable to build on indicators first of all.

Top 3 Best Battery Chargers

Nightcore digital charger D4

Charger device can power four batteries. This is a well-established brand, loved by many owners of lithium batteries.

Device equipped with a convenient display - you can study various data, including the speed and time of charging, the voltage on each element. The battery status is very convenient to observe on such a display.

It's universal charger, not only for the 18650 model. D4 should be used by people who have a large number of mobile devices that fit several types of batteries.

Beginners will quickly master the work, since charging takes place in an automatic mode.

Efest luc Blu6 oled Bluetooth intelligent Charger

It is also a very good charger model devices, designed for 6 batteries. In order to safely charge, a special protection against high current, voltage and so on is installed in the device.

The user gets the opportunity to connect his mobile phone with charging via Bluetooth- You can remotely monitor the battery level. The only drawback of charging is the high price.

Nightcore i2 intelligentcharger

Charger went on sale recently. This is a modern look of the device, equipped with interesting features and improved design.

Users don't have to worry about speed and time charging, because the device determines everything automatically. From a person it is only necessary to install the battery in the right place.

There is only room for two batteries on the device, but the charger is very compact and can be taken with you on a trip.

Li-ion 18650 battery for flashlight

Li-ion accumulators operate in the range of 4.35 - 4.2 volts. They are often used for the performance of LED lights.
You need to watch to battery not discharged below the set level - 2 volts. In order not to constantly monitor the necessary voltage, you need to use battery for a flashlight with protection. They keep the elements from overcharging or deep rarefaction.

Companies Samsung, Panasonic, LG and Sony do not manufacture such equipment. For this purpose, it is better to purchase a Chinese KEEPPOWER device.

The best 18650 batteries on AliExpress by reviews

rechargeable battery
Samsung icr18650
Rechargeable flat Top Battery

Ideal conditions for batteries- temperature +10 - +25 degrees.

Lithium batteries, now it's time to put this scheme into action by upgrading a few flashlights. Next, see a couple of applications of memory boards with TP4056 in flashlights:

Batteries are taken from old cell phones, found with the same capacity, balanced and soldered into a block. In the first version, 1.5 A, in the second, 1 A. They charge quickly - about 1-3 hours, depending on the current PSU used.

Then I started reworking another old camping flashlight for a 18650 lithium battery, painted a signet under it, came out almost like the original, but smaller. I tried charging, it works. I'll take the whole lantern.

But I completed another old camping flashlight. It is possible to change lenses for different focusing of the light flux. I replaced the acid battery with a 18650 type battery and added a charger on the same TP4056, the capacity of the used battery is 1.3 A:

One more case. They gave me a good case from an ancient flashlight on an incandescent bulb, with recharging from the mains.

The gel battery built into it was long and hopelessly dead. After a little thought, it was decided to build in it a block of parallel lithium batteries 4 pieces of 800 mA each, and expand the functionality by embedding two LEDs at 60 mA and 150 mA into the case.

In place of the removed retractable fork, an additional aluminum plate-radiator was cut out and an smd LED was screwed on for a working current of 150 mA. And in place of the former light bulb, an 8 mm round 60 mA LED was installed.

There was a lot of free space inside, respectively, a ready-made memory was built into the flashlight for, again, TR4056. The LEDs on the charger board fit perfectly under the hole of the former power LED. Under these charge indication LEDs, a Plexiglas cone indicator was machined and glued into the case. The result was a compact and resource-intensive (3.2 A) flashlight with a recharge from 5 V.

A protective plexiglass was added to the case to protect the LED from dust. And this is a disassembled case, for a more understandable visual acquaintance with the filling of the converted flashlight. There is still an empty space left, it is quite possible to add a step-up converter for recharging a cell phone.

Thus, old electronic structures and devices can be given the opportunity to serve further, using a modern electronic base in a new technical quality. And all this will help to do a small cheap chip 4056. With you was Igoran.

Discuss the article CONVERSION OF FLASHLIGHTS TO LITHIUM BATTERIES

Hello everyone! Many people have such a flashlight, it is sold in many stores under different names, but its design is the same. It is inexpensive, it shines well, but there is a big drawback - it is powered by two R20 batteries, which are several times more expensive than this flashlight. I want to propose my own way of solving this problem. Instead of batteries, I installed a phone battery in the case and brought out the charging socket. First you need to disassemble the flashlight, remove the rubber cover from the handle and pull out the spring (terminal "-"). She won't be needed anymore.

Next, you need to pick up the battery, it should fit in the flashlight handle. My battery fit perfectly. I attached 2 wires to the battery contacts with electrical tape so that the design was collapsible.

You need to solder the resistance to the LED block, because. our battery produces more than the 3 V required by design. You can calculate the resistance using an online calculator. Such LEDs should be rated for 3V and 20mA.

You can assemble the resulting design.

At the end of the handle I fix the charging socket with glue.

It remains to make a hole in the rubber boot opposite the nest.

Now the flashlight can be used.

Connection diagram.

This improvement allowed to significantly save on batteries. Even if you do not have a battery, then its purchase will pay off immediately, because. its cost is approximately equal to the cost of 2 normal R20 batteries. In addition, the flashlight works on the battery until the last, then it just turns off, while the brightness does not decrease significantly. I used a far from new battery, the flashlight has an operating time of 14 hours.