Introduction: Harbor Freight Led Flashlight-----of DEATH!!
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About: Working my dream job in the Telecom industry, so chances are, i'll never have time to respond to comments or messages, nothing personal.
Danger Will Robinson, This is a UV mod for my beloved harbor freight flashlight So here comes the disclaimers. UV is dangerous, it'll give you cancer, cataracts, and steal your check book, if you build this, You Will Die!! Although probably your death will not be related to this instructable. But seriously DO NOT shine this into anyone's eyes.
Step 1: Disassemble the Flashlight
take out the "circuit board"
Step 2: Unsolder
the existing leds, save them as supposedly they're 10,000 mcd's.
Step 3: Buy Some Uv Leds
I got mine from Alan Parekh in canada, $.35 each, not bad.
Alan is also an instructables user
Step 4: Solder
The Uv Leds into the circuit board
Step 5: Reassemble the Flashlight
and enjoy the pointlessness of a toy that causes cancer.
PS don't take this to a hotel, it'll spoil your nights sleep ;-)
80 Comments
3 years ago
???
Harbor Freight actually sells, or at least did, a UV 9 led flashlight made by Quantum. It's about $5.
9 years ago on Introduction
I actually found this tutorial trying to figure out how to get the circuit board out. I don't want to break anything that I don't have to. Does it come out the front or back? Any tips for getting it out without breaking anything?
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
the newer ones you got to tap the assembly outwards from the rear.
12 years ago on Step 3
That leds are too much expensive. In Led Shoppe (ledshoppe.com) you get 100pcs for 8$. And... WITH FREE SHIPPING!
Reply 12 years ago on Step 3
Awesome website. I just ordered 200 LEDs for $13.00. 15000mcd. Thanks for the tip
13 years ago on Introduction
added to my "ill make this one day" list
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Agreed and.... PINK FLOYD FTW!!!!!
13 years ago on Step 5
and vampires. UV mounted flashlights were used in Blade 2 :p
14 years ago on Introduction
I bought one of those light fro HF when they where dirt cheap, now I can buy them, with batteries at the local hardware store for the same price as HF when yo factor in P/H and batteries. I like the but I drop the HF model, and the spring that holds the battery carrier sprung, so now you have to give it a whack to get it working.
16 years ago on Introduction
if you did a IR torch light would it be enough light to light a room for a digital picture of say a room? it would make an awesome night vision system :)
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
You reminded me of a project I wanted to try, a IR light to see what my digital camera will see. No I have to add UV for the heck of it.
16 years ago
Just got a couple of these from HF...Aluminum bodies..the "hex" has been replaced by "pins". Fine tips work well to remove the assy. On to the solder station...
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Could you elaborate on this a a little more? I just got this and can't figure out how to get the circuit board out.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Never mind, I got it. Just took a lot of force.
14 years ago on Introduction
Does the Harbor Freight 9-LED flashlight board where the leds where soldered to have any polarity or can you just solder it how-ever you want.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
yes there is a polarity, the center is positive and all the outer part is negative
14 years ago on Introduction
Get a canon.
14 years ago on Introduction
These LEDs are NOT dangerous. They will NOT blind you. They will NOT give you cancer. They will NOT kill bacteria either. They do NOT give off the same light the dentist uses either. They are actually "near ultraviolet". In fact, they give off nothing more than narrow band black light much like the fluorescent bulbs you can buy. If you were to stand naked under 10,000 of them for a month or more they might drop your vitamin D level a bit but they are not going to do anything else to you. Don't believe me - go look it up. 400nm is harmless. However, they are pretty cool and are a lot of fun so build away and don't worry about these things harming you or anyone else.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Not that I didn't believe you, but I did just that: poked around on the net trying to find out which wavelengths can kill bacteria.
Wikipedia wins again, stating that 254nm is usually used, not just because it's the sweet-spot for germicide (see chart in second link), but because it's what a mercury vapor lamp produces.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet_germicidal_irradiation
This page has some information about the exposure time to kill bacteria, as well as a wavelength chart: now we know anything between 220-315 nm should work..
http://www.excelwater.com/eng/b2c/water_tech_3.php
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
they can blind you they are bright as hell and most of the light cant be seen by your eyes but they probaly arent powerull enough to cause cancer