Easy LED Pocket Light

This tiny flashlight is super easy to make and only costs about $10 in parts!

Step 1 The Parts

First, you will need a project box big enough to hold all the components. You can purchase these at RadioShack; I purchased mine online. An altoids tin would also work. Whatever works for you aesthetically.

You will also need: two super bright 5mm leds (I'll be using 15,000 mcd white), 2 led mounts, 2 CR2016 batteries, a coin battery holder, and some wire.

Not pictured: You will need a switch to turn the light on and off. You can choose a toggle switch, slide switch, or a push button. Again, this is largely a question of aesthetics. You should consider though if a momentary switch or an off/on type would best suite your needs. I chose an oversized push button that does both.

Comments

[doctormerlin]

Neat!

Question: no need for resistors for the LEDs? Is forward voltage of button batteries low enuf to prevent burnout?

[toasterburn]

The voltage is low enough that you shouldn't need resistors (I have made a few of these now for friends and family and no leds have burned out yet).

If you want to make it brighter though, add a couple of resistors and an extra battery.

[klaviatury]

No thanks for ten bucks, I can get a Nebo Redline Tactical Flashlight which has is rated at 260 lumens using a high powered K5 Luxeon LED solid state diode , with built in battery indicator and sos strobe capabilities

[Santiago405]

very simple steps, thank you. do you have a source for the LEDs?, also if I want to build multiple LEDs with rechargeable batteries as power suply, do I need a circuit board?

[pteranosaur]

99.9% 0f my projects are sourced from reclaimed items...my bicycle system is total recycle-LEDs from batt powered lights,headlight and tail light housings are vintage tire generator housings converted to LED(using incandescent bulb bases so LED may be reinstalled in original socket) and LED driver is a cheapo multi-pattern flash tail light.Remove LEDs from circuit board,solder in wires to route to front,rear and SIDE (!) lights.Instead of 2AA/AAA batts,2 D-cells are contained in water bottle (found roadside),with momentary switch inserted thru bottle nipple. (Most persons do not realise the bootle is power supply !)

[mahsa arian]

its very nice. thank you.

[Cartago]

It's a good idea doing your own torches, but I think that this pocket light is a bit expensive. For example, if you buy one in a shop, it will cost less.


But, it is a good instructable.

[toasterburn]

True, but most flashlights at that price are not worth owning. They will almost certainly break soon after purchasing them, or they will be too dim to be very useful. I collect flashlights, and I wouldn't carry anything that I would have to worry about failing on me when I needed it.

A light like this though is bright enough to be useful and shouldn't fail on you. Plus, it's always nice to carry around something that you've made with your own hands.

[bakedicecream]

COOLIO! THANKS