MAKE a FLASHLIGHT THAT DOESN'T NEED REPLACEMENT BULBS OR BATTERIES!

by The King of Random

30K19325

Intro: MAKE a FLASHLIGHT THAT DOESN'T NEED REPLACEMENT BULBS OR BATTERIES!

A couple of years ago, I made a forever flashlight mostly out of old parts I found laying around.  This was the video I made of how I built it and how it turned out.  

http://www.thekingofrandom.com

29 Comments

momoka.duw 9 years ago

can I use any kind of magnet, sir?

cool project anyway :)

MagicTK 9 years ago

I wonder if you were to use two or three separate coils along the length and wire them in parallel to the Bridge Rectifier, would that help build charge more quickly? I haven't tried it, so I am just wondering your thoughts.

MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE 9 years ago

thanks. because i have cameras in larger supply, i will just use a camera capacitor

manicmonday 10 years ago

This is not near as easy as we are lead to believe. I tried this with 300 wraps, then 500, now 800 wraps before I ever got sufficient voltage. Also I tried it with 1 inch pvc and then found that 3/4 works better, and in fact I used my table saw to make a 1.5 inch groove 1/2 way through the pipe wall in the middle of the pipe so that the windings would be closer to the magnet. I recommend 28-34 gauge wire to make the winding smaller. Be advised that the smaller the wire gauge the higher the voltage, but the lower the amperage. Amperage = the actual power flow.

manicmonday 10 years ago

I have a question or two: You didn't say where the poles of the magnet are. Are they on the ends, or the sides? Also, why did you use 1 inch pvc? The magnet fits much better into 3/4.

Thanks

manicmonday 10 years ago

Using a bicycle speedometer to count 300 wire wraps.

Connect the magnet to the pvc pipe, and the sensor next to it. Make the pipe so it can easily be spun in place.

Circumference of 26 inch bicycle wheel 81.64 (wheel diameter x 3.14)

1 mile converted to feet 5280
1 mile converted to inches 63360
1 mile converted to 81.64 inch units 776.0901519
4 tenths of a mile is this many 81.64 inch units 310.4360608

Keep spinning the pipe until the bike speedometer says .4 of a mile, and you have sufficient wire wraps.

manicmonday 10 years ago

What would be the result of wrapping a single wire layer down most of the length of the pvc? Better? Worse? Not workable? Just curious.

Quantumagnet 11 years ago

A question, Can you use other types of capacitors? If so, what farad?

longwinters 11 years ago

Just one question, since no other storage component is listed, is the capacitor supplying the power for the run time?

Dayus 11 years ago

sorry, few laps with the copper wire was given to PVC coil and that should be the wire thickness???

The King of Random 11 years ago

If you're asking about the wire, it's about 26 AWG and approx 300 turns around the PVC. The thinner the wire the better, and the more wraps the better! I hope that helps?

Dayus 11 years ago

hello you must be thick copper wire and how you have to give back?

DoctorDv 11 years ago

This is so neat! Its a shame you missed the copycat challenge because this would have been a great entry!

-Doctordv

The King of Random 11 years ago

I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks for your feedback, and I didn't know there was a copycat challenge until you mentioned it. Too bad, maybe next time :) Thanks again!
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