Messing around with LEDs

Ok a friend bet me that I could not turn a $3 led flashlight into a light source that could get a seed up to 3" in an otherwise dark room. Budget is $10 not including tools. SO I htought this would be the perfect group to share it with. how to convert a led cluster from a flashlight to AC power: First I don't think this is fesible to grow under LEDs $$ wise, but if you needed to do a battery powered stealth grow, I think you could do it up to the flowering stage but you would need 20+ lights as I have below. but you would be able to place them in the plant. FYI this 9 LED cluster runs full power on 3 AA batteries for 48 hours.

1st Pull the LED cluster out of the flashlight this one is a 9 led cluster from a 3$ flashlight from Checker auto.

Solder 2 wires, one to the spring and one to the ground (the little wire that will be sticking out.

run wire through a bendy straw see pic

I used a 300 ma power supply set at 4.5 volts (walmart $6) if you set this to more than the voltage of the batteries it will fry the leds, I fried 4 testing this.

Attach wires to power supply stick straw in the medium and bend cluster into position.

I will start germing a seed tonight to win the bet.

That is cool. How are the little ones doing?

serrated said:

Ok a friend bet me that I could not turn a $3 led flashlight into a light source that could get a seed up to 3" in an otherwise dark room. Budget is $10 not including tools. SO I htought this would be the perfect group to share it with. how to convert a led cluster from a flashlight to AC power: First I don't think this is fesible to grow under LEDs $$ wise, but if you needed to do a battery powered stealth grow, I think you could do it up to the flowering stage but you would need 20+ lights as I have below. but you would be able to place them in the plant. FYI this 9 LED cluster runs full power on 3 AA batteries for 48 hours.

1st Pull the LED cluster out of the flashlight this one is a 9 led cluster from a 3$ flashlight from Checker auto.

Solder 2 wires, one to the spring and one to the ground (the little wire that will be sticking out.

run wire through a bendy straw see pic

I used a 300 ma power supply set at 4.5 volts (walmart $6) if you set this to more than the voltage of the batteries it will fry the leds, I fried 4 testing this.

Attach wires to power supply stick straw in the medium and bend cluster into position.

I will start germing a seed tonight to win the bet.

Click to expand...

i really like what your doing. 10 dollar limit? shit that could be a tiny prob. for one tho, dont wire into ac a small dc supply is best. if u can give me the exact specs of the leds (forward voltage, milliamperage and powersupply volts and amps i'll do the math for u to get resistor or just use a good led calc (some dont consider your not using enough electricity and will give u wrong info i fried leds this way before) im interested to see white leds in action everyone says that they arent the right spec but ive checked into a few of them and some have good blue spec coverage (peaking between 430 and 450 nm)

u can order single luxeon k2's (which in the future im building my led setup with) for under 10$ get a 455 royal blue or 470 blue lambertian. make sure your power supply will put off 3.85 v and 1500mA tho. they have them in 700mA too but not as many mW/lm. i think u could do it =)

if u have a liquidation outlet they sell leds 10 cents a piece, some of them.

ive spent so long researching leds to find the right crap let me throw u a couple websites that might help u.

ledmuseum.com cool site
luxeonstar.com product information and or ordering.
futurecb.com website i got from luxeon when i called them dirt cheap prices use luxeonstar for product number only prob its like 9$ shipping but cheap binned parts. besthongkong.com has good prices for blues and reds but ive heard bad reviews--not sure if its bhk or an idiot who broke their own stuff tho.......

hope that helps some keep us informed!!!!

very nice man! way to save the dollers and win a bet