help building canister light

[flik83]

hi everyone I am just starting to get in to scuba, and I would like to build a canister light as my main light source but don't know where to start. I was hopeing someone local who has before would be able to show me the ins and outs to makeing one. I would be very great full and more then willing to supply the beer coffee or plant a tree in there name haha .. thanx for the help

[defied]

Take a look at the DIY thread on here, and then talk to nwbrewer. 0]

D(B)

[camerone]

I would like to build a canister light as my main light source but don't know where to start.

All questions answered here: http://www.airspeedpress.com/newlitebook.html. Seriously worth the price of admission for the time it will save you alone.

[Nwbrewer]

Beer? Somebody said beer? :occasion5:

Flik I got you're PM. I'll give you some rough info over lunch, I have a BOM at home that I can e-mail you too. Figure for a 10watt LED you're going to be looking in the neighborhood of $200. It probably won't be quite that much, but that's a good reference point. You can build a 3watt one quite a bit cheaper though. Most of my stuff for the guts I sourced over the internet, but the lighthead and can I sourced locally and I can help you with that.

If you're not in a hurry, wait a little bit until I've got all the parts for my 10watt LED and see how it works.

Jake

[airsix]

I second Camerone's advice to buy the book. Well worth the cost if you build a light. It will put you light-years ahead of where you'd be if you are only relying on websites and your own ideas.

One point of caution: Do not embark on this journey unless you are doing it for fun. If the ONLY reason you are interested is to save money you might end up frustrated. If you want to do it because you ENJOY MAKING THINGS and saving money is secondary, then proceed with enthusiasm.

I built a 35w HID for $280 including 3.5hr battery and charger, but my wife says she would have rather I had paid for a new Salvo rather than spend the dozens (many dozens) of hours in the garage designing, building, revising, testing, redesigning... (But 1,800 lumens for $280 is pretty tough for me to complain about.)

-Ben

[Nwbrewer]

I second Camerone's advice to buy the book. Well worth the cost if you build a light. It will put you light-years ahead of where you'd be if you are only relying on websites and your own ideas.

One point of caution: Do not embark on this journey unless you are doing it for fun. If the ONLY reason you are interested is to save money you might end up frustrated. If you want to do it because you ENJOY MAKING THINGS and saving money is secondary, then proceed with enthusiasm.

I built a 35w HID for $280 including 3.5hr battery and charger, but my wife says she would have rather I had paid for a new Salvo rather than spend the dozens (many dozens) of hours in the garage designing, building, revising, testing, redesigning... (But 1,800 lumens for $280 is pretty tough for me to complain about.)

-Ben

I had that same conversation. Except now I've built a couple as the design improves, I get new ideas, etc. The other night I got the "Wouldn't it have been cheaper to just buy a light from the start?" Not yet, and I wouldn't have had nearly as much fun doing it.

For sure don't even think about it unless you have some generally mechanical aptitude and actually enjoy putzing around with stuff. If you don't work some overtime or something and buy a salvo. It's not for everybody, I flood my first two lights before my design improved. Yeah, I was to stubborn to buy the book...

Jake

[Sounder]

I make beautiful HIDs... AND they come with a warranty!! My secret?? I have a very special plastic 2" x 3" tool with a magnetic strip on one side and raised numbers on the other to make all my dive gear.

[airsix]

I make beautiful HIDs... AND they come with a warranty!! My secret?? I have a very special plastic 2" x 3" tool with a magnetic strip on one side and raised numbers on the other to make all my dive gear.

But on the other hand, if you build a secret laboratory full of strange tools where you frequently work deep into the night you get the pleasure of periodically throwing your head back, bloodshot eyes looking skyward and cackling "It's ALIVE!!!!" You can't discount the value of that until you've tried it yourself. Mad scientist is not the greatest career choice, but it makes a pretty good hobby.

-Ben

[Sounder]

Mad scientist is not the greatest career choice, but it makes a pretty good hobby.

Anyone in need of a new quote for their signature line?!

[Nwbrewer]

hey I put it in my sig line, but it won't show up, what gives?

[Alex]

I make beautiful HIDs... AND they come with a warranty!! My secret?? I have a very special plastic 2" x 3" tool with a magnetic strip on one side and raised numbers on the other to make all my dive gear.

Thanks for letting me borrow it!

How's that for a signature line!

[spatman]

I make beautiful HIDs... AND they come with a warranty!! My secret?? I have a very special plastic 2" x 3" tool with a magnetic strip on one side and raised numbers on the other to make all my dive gear.

i'll give you $280 if you make me a 35w HID. i'd like one that says "salvo" on it. thanks!

[Alex]

Is it possible to get 3 of those 10W LEDs and hook them in together?

[Sounder]

I make beautiful HIDs... AND they come with a warranty!! My secret?? I have a very special plastic 2" x 3" tool with a magnetic strip on one side and raised numbers on the other to make all my dive gear.

i'll give you $280 if you make me a 35w HID. i'd like one that says "salvo" on it. thanks!

You forgot to mention that it actually has to work... just that it has to say "35w HID" and "Salvo" on it? Baby Sounder has a new toy but for $280 it could be yours.

[spatman]

You forgot to mention that it actually has to work... just that it has to say "35w HID" and "Salvo" on it? Baby Sounder has a new toy but for $280 it could be yours.

well, if it doesn't work, that's what the warranty is for. and knowing you, you did buy baby sounder one of these, so i'll happily take it for $280.

[Sounder]

You forgot to mention that it actually has to work... just that it has to say "35w HID" and "Salvo" on it? Baby Sounder has a new toy but for $280 it could be yours.

well, if it doesn't work, that's what the warranty is for. and knowing you, you did buy baby sounder one of these, so i'll happily take it for $280.

Similar to that, but it's more of a scaled-down version to go along with his DSS baby back-plate. It's a tool for practice in the dive simulator. As I said, it's yours for $280 and it comes with dried spit-up accents.

[Nwbrewer]

Is it possible to get 3 of those 10W LEDs and hook them in together?

H20 Doc is building one right now. For me, the 10watt is probably going to be bright enough, and i can use a single reflector and (hopefully) get the nice tight hotspot that I like for signaling. Putting 3 in one head with seperate reflecotrs can get trickey to keep everything focused. For a video light it would work really well.