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CreeBar: 12V proto/ idea

McGizmo

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May 1, 2002
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Maui
Hi guys,
Some of you have become familiar with the CreeStrip and CreeBar that Wayne and I are messing with. I have commited myself to doing something with these components given I have sunk a lot of time and resources as well as $'s into them. :eek: A thousand pounds of CreeBar are at the anodizer as I type this.

There is still a long and unclear road ahead with components and options yet to be designed and sourced but the foundation is about here.

I took one of the prototype CreeBars and built out a 12V light for Mr. Ted Bear. I want to share this build with you here for whatever it may be worth in terms of getting some ideas going.

I used one of Wayne's Sharks with Remora as the driver:

SharkRemora.jpg


The driver has a UI that allows for a nice and reasonably intuitive access to three levels of light output. I used a "normal" momentary clickie switch to power and signal the Shark. I wanted a clean and simple physical mount of the Shark that didn't require any adhesive and I also wanted to provide for some thermal relief to the driver. I took a 1/8" copper rivet and lost the "nail" from it. I uses a #2 machine screw and pre installed the screw into the copper to cut the threads before I soldered the rivet to the ground plane of the Shark:

SharkSinkPost.jpg


There is a sizeable ball of solder inside the rivet that is bonded to expossed copper on the PCB. The rivet pedestal is quite secure. I ran the #2 screw though the bulkhead/ sink of the CreeBar and mounted the Shark:

SharkMounted.jpg


The elevation provided by the rivet allows easy ingress and egress of the wire leads.

This build was intended for portability and multiple 12V inputs so I attached a first grade "BlueSeas" coiled pigtail with a fused cigarette lighter male plug:

complete.jpg


Well that's about it. :eek:

After building this for Mr. Bear, the only thing I know for certain is that I want to make one for myself when I get the parts and find the time. :)
 

McGizmo

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Thanks Wayne! For a number of things!!! :nana:

Oh yeah, loose some of the solder mask on the bottom of the Shark. :duck:
 

Kiessling

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Nov 26, 2002
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Old World
With this concept and style I can see an industrial-design desktop lamp for 220/110V wall outlets, dimmable. Useful. Cool.

I'd buy one in a second.
 

dat2zip

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Jan 5, 2002
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Bay Area
I just finished the Makita Cree bar and added it to my collection.

Here's a photo of the two.
makita_640.jpg


Both have a Shark and Remora inside as the controller of the LEDs.

Wayne
 
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kenster

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Nov 6, 2005
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Location
San Antonio, Texas
With this concept and style I can see an industrial-design desktop lamp for 220/110V wall outlets, dimmable. Useful. Cool.

I'd buy one in a second.

I`ll second that Creebar LED desk lamp. :thumbsup: But ... I have been thinking about something that might be neat. :shrug: Desk lamp would be 12 volt with the Shark driver using Remora or an external pot for multiple levels of light. A wall wart for 110V is no biggie to me at a desk. It looks like four Cr123 lithium batteries would fit in the channel along with the Shark which could be switched to as backup during a power outage. This could work for a plug in 12 volt light like pictured in the first post for back up power to its power source(Boat, Car....) For the desk lamp, those side plates need dressing up with maybe........ short spacers for some nice Cherrywood plates to be attatched. Yup, Cherrywood would look sharp on the ends of the black anodized Creebar. :D

I`m done rambling now! :wave:

Ken
 

McGizmo

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We need something like the Xitanium driver that will respond to on/ off cycles like Wayne's Shark/Remora does for variable output. As for back up off the grid, I think an intelligently outfitted home has a nice sized SLA in place smartly charged by the grid and feeding low voltage lighting throughout the house. You have permanent lighting in place that you use daily but ultimately independent of the grid.

Ken, I like your rambling!! :)

I have some similar ideas with metal stand off posts from the sides and sculpted wood rails mounted to the posts. Wood and metal look real nice together when done right!!
 

Kiessling

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So ... when can I retire my desk lamp then? :D

And just in case you wanted to ask ... I like Bubinga and black metal and I prefer big knobs for power throttle. :p

bk
 

kenster

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Nov 6, 2005
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As for back up off the grid, I think an intelligently outfitted home has a nice sized SLA in place smartly charged by the grid and feeding low voltage lighting throughout the house. You have permanent lighting in place that you use daily but ultimately independent of the grid.

Well, my lack of intelligence is starring me in the face on this one! :rolleyes: A couple of lamps like I mention with built in battery back up would be for a stand alone solar system that I failed to build large enough. I assumed two 5,500 watt converters running on over 6,000 pounds of lead acid batteries fed by almost 5,000 watts of panels with a 10,000 watt generator as an automatic back up for high current draw or low battery condition was plenty for a 3 bedroom home. It would be for me but I don`t live there. Didn`t figure on the curling irons, blow dryers, commercial double burner Bun coffee maker, toaster oven........... Can you see the pattern of high draw NO-NO`S involved. The system had to be detached from the house and up on the hill above because the hill would have blocked the afternoon sun from the solar panels at the house. Anyway, suddenly sitting in the dark at night happens and I thought I could give my Mother :green: a couple of these lamps since I am tired of working on her solar system and that house. :whistle: Man, I am one lazy dude, eh? :p I`ll make her some lamps myself. :D

Now, back to these cool Creebars. ;) But I did notice a couple new things listed at the Shoppe soon to be for sale, I hope! :)

Ken
 

London Lad

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Feb 24, 2006
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Suffolk U.K.
This would work well in my electronics workshop. I would mount it on an anglepoise arm but have it detachable and keep the coiled cord.
 

McGizmo

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May 1, 2002
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I took a Noga dial indicator arm and mounted it on a straight shaft of aluminum that has the other end turned down to fit in one of the generic table clamp stands. I mounted an early CreeBar proto on the Noga. This has been serving me as a work light on my electronics/ optics test bench:

BenchLight.jpg


Digikey has these table clamp mounts as well as a wall mount that I have used elsewhere like the reading light CreeBar below:

ReadingLamp.jpg


If you don't require the wire lead to go through the wall or table mount, you can move the light from one mount to the other. They both take the same diameter post.
 

Edwood

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Aug 27, 2006
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SoCal
When will the Creebar extrusion be available for purchase? I'm itchin to make myself a Makita Creebar! Or perhaps a "RebelBar" :)

-Ed
 
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PEU

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Feb 26, 2004
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Buenos Aires / Argentina (I like ribs)
Hi Don, sorry if this was asked before, but I don't understand why you use a reflectorized LED under a diffuser glass, I mean why not use the LED alone under a transparent glass?

Nevertheless, the design looks cool.


Pablo
 

McGizmo

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May 1, 2002
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Hi guys,
The extrusions are at the anodizer now. The anodizer is in Oakland, CA and when I go back to Berkeley on the 15th of this month (for a week of long overdue old shop clean up and clean out) I will pick these up and bring them to the house in Berkeley. I am keeping the fixed lighting inventory there and my wonderful wife is helping me with the wholesale business we run from inventory kept there. I would guess that some of these extrusions can get to Wayne and Cindy then to be made available as components for DIY. I have a few ideas for turnkey lights based on the CreeBar but I still need to get additional components designed and sourced towards those designs.

PEU,
Good question. First and foremost, I want to get the light out of the front of the CreeBar and that means some form of reflector, given its design with the LED's mounted so deep. I wanted a more concentrated beam than one using no secondary optic and the McR-17XR were the best reflectors on hand. The CreeBar can be used with a clear window obviously for a light that has a concentrated spot and spill. The frosted acrylic window acts like a less efficient version of a SF beam shaper. I wanted to get max versatility out of this extrusion so I provided the depth in the front end to allow the option of reflectors. For pure flood, I am planning to use the MC-PET material that has recently come to light (thanks again to Newbie for this!!).

I want and wanted the CreeBar to be as versatile as possible and to serve as host and heat sink for the CreeStrip (6xLED) in any number of possible applications; fixed, semi portable and portable. Although I named it the CreeBar, it is not limited to the Cree XR-E LED's for that matter. Wayne and I have already played with some Rebel 6x strips that will mount in this and I have some sample Nichia LED's that are worthy of investigation with potential in this extrusion as well. The CreeBar is heavy with noticible mass and a fair amount of surface area. Compared to flashlights, it seems like overkill and yet it gets warm when you are driving 6 LED's with reasonable current.

I have been using the one proto that is mounted on a Mikita 18V Li-Ion all the time around the house and it's the best work light I have had the opportunity to use. High on the list is an end cap for the CreeBar that will serve as a dock for the Makita battery.
 
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