Introduction: Make the World's Brightest Blue Led Flashlight
How to change your 3 watt(or 1 or possibly even 4 watt) rayovac led flashlight's beam color?
Want to spend $30 on a badass led flashlight and convert it into a badder ass BLUE led flashlight?
WANT TO VOID YOUR WARRENTY?!
dont read on, please dont, we dont want you to click step 2!!!
go here instead, neither site will void your warrenty www.google.com or maybe www.alluc.org
ok, if you are still here, click step 2 and have fun
http://www.google.com/products?q=3+watt+rayovac+flashlight
buy the flashlight here, i got it at menards
Step 1: Open It Up!
out of the box, the flashlight has the lens and reflector glued on, do not worry if it is hard to unscrew, you will NOT break it
grab the flashlight and twist counterclockwise
do the same with the led module(by the way, if your flashlight ever starts to get dim and flicker, clean the aluminum where the led module connects to the flashlight, aluminum against aluminum oxidizes badly and the connection grows poor)
Step 2: OMG LED HACKS!!!!
make sure you have the right model of flashlight, it will be a philips luxeon rebel
if it is any of the others in the picture, this hack will be alot harder(more acrylic protection = more of a chance of damaging the precious led die)
VERY carefully remove the little clear dome over the led, with a sharp knife, if you damage the die in any way you just made yourself a $30 paperweight that looks like a flashlight
Step 3: Clean the Phosfer Off the Led!
scrape all the white powder off the led(save it if you want, it'll glow bright orange under a black light)i used my fingernail, a plastic knife will probably work good
do NOT damage the led
Step 4: ??????
???????
Step 5: PROFIT!!!
reassemble the flashlight!
you now have 1 of the only BLUE flashlights in the world, especially with OVER 3 watts of output(the bare led die is brighter than the white output of the stock led) with extremely high UV output
hopefully i dont need to say this but do NOT look at the led for extended periods of time
the higher frequency the light, the more dangerous it is, as this is 100% blue and uv output, you can cause damage easily
18 Comments
12 years ago on Introduction
wow, i do not like the rebel line of leds
my 3rd flashlight(yay for menards replacing it free when it dies) 1st 1 went blue, 2nd 1 flat out died, 3rd 1 is now blue again(with no intentional damage what-so-ever to any of them) rebel diodes are small and bright and built hella cheaply
13 years ago on Introduction
dude that light is so bright i want 1 but cant make it
14 years ago on Introduction
bad news all the blue led flashlight is no more, i accidently dropped it on the end with the cap off and it stopped working... oh well, i got a new white rayovac, gotta love menards return policy, they gave me a new 1 no questions asked
14 years ago on Introduction
Nice idea, especially with scraping the phosphor off the rebel. Blue light is just cool. I wouldn't try this with anything but a TFFC rebel or K2. With anything else you'll probably rip off the tiny bond wires with the scraping and dome removal.
14 years ago on Introduction
What is the advantage of a blue flashlight over a white? (Forgive my ignorance ...)
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Conventionally a red LeD is used in dark environments, to not disintegrate you natural night vision. An incandescent or white light causes your retinas to close making it hard to see, in the darkness around you. I would imagine blue would work in a similar fashion. Not sure if that is the purpose of this particular I'ble. It may be of advantage because it is just nice looking and unique though.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
A blue LED is at the 430-460 nm range. Night vision is based on IR that is in the 900 nm range. Red is about 560 nm. The advantage is that the blue is less detectable by night vision. Check this light out and the research http://www.phantomlights.com/faq.phtml
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Thanks for the clarification. Although I do doubt that being "less detectable by night vision" was the main purpose of this particular convertion. Not exactly alot of people using night vision to track you in the burbs.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
added a pic of it in comparison to other light types through nightvision
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
i own a gen 1 tube based night vision scope, your understanding is very off, night vision scopes gather ANY light they can, from uv to fir, they amplify it and send it into a phosfer screen thus making it green
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
If that is true I would like to see a photograph of the research that you have done to prove your point. All of the research that I have done with my gen 1-3 tubes have shown a significant reduction in dispersed light. It is true that all night vision works across the spectrum, however, it is designed to be more sensitive toward the IR end. To tell a person their understanding is " very off " is quite rude. So lets see what you have now: pics, research, or just uninformed rudeness.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
eh i'll take pics through my scope some time, maybe its just that this flashlight is bright as **** but its MUCH brighter than my ir emiter
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Have you even looked at the link that I posted?
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Yes, very interesting.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Thanks to both.
14 years ago on Introduction
step 4, omg night vision shot!
14 years ago on Introduction
it has 1 main use, glow in the dark things or other florescent materials(ie, cd cases) glow REALLY bright
14 years ago on Introduction
i have that same royovac flashlight