Electric Light - LED Candle Hack

Why re-invent the mousetrap?
For that matter, why re-invent the candle?  It's been around forever, works every time, and does what is says on the box!  The Egyptians and Cretans were using candles made from beeswax, as early as 3000 BC.  This Instructable then is really just a homage to an invention that has been around since the start of the Bronze Age when man first built cities and started to write.

So without further ado, please find below my attempt to improve on something that doesn't need improving on, whilst stealing someone else’s clever circuit (and idea) just so I can say "why re-invent the mousetrap?"


Enjoy.

Step 1: Things to Gather

Materials

- Copper (any size copper wire will do, as long as you can bend it easily)
- Solder
- Led candle (you can get these on eBay here or at any $2 shop) 

***A note on the LED Candle*** 
These are really simple but cool idea which allows a led light to flicker just like a candle.  The circuit is quite simple and if you feel up to it you can also make your own.  Check out Make Magazines one here

- Light globes (the best are the ones used for the rear lights in cars)
- Solar panel (min 4.5v)
- 3 x AAA re-chargeable batteries
- Red and black wires



Tools

- Soldering iron
- Pliers (all types, especially needle nose ones)
- Hot glue gun

Comments

[lonesoulsurfer]

Hey everyone - I've entered my hack into the "hack it" comp, if you think it's fits the bill and you like it could you please vote for me.
Thanks for looking.
Lonesoulsurfer

[playafamily]

that was a cool idea.. I like it

[uncle frogy]

I like the look so electronic no resemblance to a real wax candle at all.
I made a flickering candle a couple of years ago that had to look like a candle from 30 feet away and be seen to flicker also with theater lights on it at the time. It worked pretty well I used 2 leds one the was on all the time and the other that "flickered".
I kind of wished I had taken pictures of the steps it took to make it alas no luck there. I used this circuit for the flicker
http://fnbcreations.net/Articles/FIREFLICKER.pdf
and put it in a cardboard tube with the batteries in a candy tin base paint and plastic worked on stage.
Yours gives that post apocalyptic feel I am personalty rather fond of.
keep up the good work
uncle frogy

[lonesoulsurfer]

Thanks Uncle Froggy.
Shame you don't have any photos of your flickering candle.

[Insonicbloom]

as it happens I made a candle flicker circuit a while back on stripboard for those of you who are cheap (like me haha) HERE

[lonesoulsurfer]

cool.
love your workspace by the way.

[EGbtrw385]

I have seen many examples of why paying for Instructables Pro is a worthwhile investment, but this pushes the point that bit futher. Thankyou for sharing, what you've built is enriching, I live with a very simple 12 volt solar system for lighting, and can see the benifits of these in my situation.

[lonesoulsurfer]

Thanks so much - really nice to get such positive feedback.
Cheers.

[amandaghassaei]

love the use of the real glass bulb! this is awesome! so is the microphone actually causing the LED to flicker?

[lonesoulsurfer]

Thanks - really appreciate it.
The microphone actually acts as an on/off switch. When you blow on it you can turn the led on or off. I also added an on/off switch so it didn't come on by accident.
The flickering of the led is caused by the small chip that comes with the led candle.

[amandaghassaei]

that's really cool, thanks for the explanation!

[Orngrimm]

Neat! :)
Soo steampunky... Love it!

[lonesoulsurfer]

Cheers - thanks for looking.

[whait86]

very nice, though ive never seen a led candle with a speaker, whats it used for?

[lonesoulsurfer]

The led candle that I purchased for the hack is really cool. you can blow it out like a real candle using the microphone, and blow it back on again.

[whait86]

EDIT* the microphone not the speaker :P