# Multi-purpose Aluminum Headlamp Design



## rmteo (May 21, 2009)

I am working on a design concept for a headlamp. By recycling some elements from my other designs, this is what it looks like thus far.







Key elements:
a. Infinitely variable output to 180+ lumens with a CREE R2, 0-100% by rotating the knob.
b. Adjustable from spot (about 6 degrees) to flood (about 100 degrees) by rotating the head - shown in flood position. Spot mode will move the head forward by about 9mm.
c. External power source from 4.5V to 10V - can be anything from 3x alkaline to 6V SLA and Lithium Ion. I like the idea of using 7.4V camcorder batteries as they are available in wide variety of sizes/capacities (typically from 1400mAH to 6000+mAH) and quality chargers are widely available.
d. Head can be tilted +/- 35 degrees.
e. Diameter of the head is 25mm. (0.98in) and length to the rear of the bracket is 63mm. (2.48in).
f. Estimated weight (excluding headband) - less than 50gm. (1.76oz).

Any comments/suggestions appreciated.


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## Woods Walker (May 21, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*

I would also consider a Q3-5A for a warm tint option.


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## rmteo (May 21, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*

Emitter options will be considered. Are there any headlamps currently available that have variable/multi output capability *AND *focusing (adjustable beam angle) optics?
Minor design update:


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## Vinniec5 (May 21, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*

Will it be possible to attach the light to the battery pack and use it as a lantern too? Would def be interested either way


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## rmteo (May 21, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*

That is an excellent idea - having the ability to use the headlamp as a lantern. I have incorporated a threaded (1/4-20) hole in the bottom of the bracket that will allow it to be mounted on a standard tripod. An optional base can also be offered for lantern use.


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## wapkil (May 22, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*



rmteo said:


> Key elements:
> e. Diameter of the head is 25mm. (0.98in) and length to the rear of the bracket is 63mm. (2.48in).
> 
> Any comments/suggestions appreciated.



Nice project :thumbsup:

Sorry for the question but wouldn't there be the problem with the lamp bouncing? It seems to be long, thin and with weight not exclusively in the rear part...


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## Yucca Patrol (May 22, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*

If it were mounted directly to a helmet the length would not be a problem.


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## wapkil (May 22, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*



Yucca Patrol said:


> If it were mounted directly to a helmet the length would not be a problem.



Yup, but I thought it's designed to be used as a regular headlamp. rmteo even mentioned the headband in the first post.


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## gunga (May 22, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*

Any way to make it shorter? It may feel odd having such a long light on the head. Nice concept...


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## rmteo (May 22, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*

Thanks for your comments, guys. I have made a revision to the design to make it slightly shorter. Also, this change makes it easier to manufacture, and therefore less costly to produce.






The U-shaped bracket has a threaded 1/2-20 hole that will allow the light to be attached in the following manner:

a. used with camera tripods.
b. direct attachment to a helmet - needs just a 0.25in. hole and a SHCS for secure attachment.
c. and adapter plate for securing to a headband.
d. to a base plate (as in my previous post) for use a lantern.

The light is smaller than it appears in the CAD renditions. It measures 60.5mm (2.38in.) from the front to the back of the bracket - that's only about 10mm. longer than an AA cell.


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## vtunderground (May 22, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*

I like this rendition a lot better than the first one. I have a couple of suggestions though - keep in mind that this is a light that I would use exclusively on a caving helmet:

- Is the red button the switch? If so, accidentally bumping the light into something might cause the light to swivel back and the switch to contact the helmet. It'd be annoying if my light went off every time I bumped my head on a rock.

- For helmet mounting, it would be preferable to have multiple mounting holes (instead of just one). With one hole, there is the chance that the light could pivot on the bolt.

- The wider you can make the beam, the better! I like to be able to see the cave floor AND the ceiling without having to move my light up and down.


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## rmteo (May 22, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*

The red button is actually the brightness control knob - it will adjust continuously from 0-100% (0 to about 180 lumens). In the earlier renditions, the knob is on the top. In the last iteration, it is moved to the rear (and made much larger for easy manipulation) so it is less like to get bumped.

There is no switch on the light. The battery pack will have to provide the switch - or alternatively, the light can be turned off/on by plugging or unplugging it from the pack without using a switch. The cable exits from the bottom of the body through the "U" in the bracket. I can provide a smaller secondary threaded hole that can be used as an anti-rotation mechanism when helmet mounted.

The wide setting of the beam will probably be about 100 degrees (with spot at about 6-8 degrees). Compare this to a maximum of about 120 degrees for the "flood only" lights such as ZL.


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## wapkil (May 22, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*



rmteo said:


> The red button is actually the brightness control knob - it will adjust continuously from 0-100%
> 
> (...)
> 
> There is no switch on the light. The battery pack will have to provide the switch - or alternatively, the light can be turned off/on by plugging or unplugging it from the pack without using a switch.



Why don't you want to use the potentiometer as a switch (e.g a push/push pot)?


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## rmteo (May 22, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*

On pots with built-in switches, the switch is not able to handle higher current up to 2A. The pot is connected to the MCU and is used to control brightness. When the knob is turned down all the way, current draw is <1mA and should not be a problem in use.

If you are aware of a pot (less than 16mm. diameter, 12mm. long) with a built-in switch that can handle 2A+, please let me know.


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## wapkil (May 22, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*



rmteo said:


> On pots with built-in switches, the switch is not able to handle higher current up to 2A. The pot is connected to the MCU and is used to control brightness. When the knob is turned down all the way, current draw is <1mA and should not be a problem in use.
> 
> If you are aware of a pot (less than 16mm. diameter, 12mm. long) with a built-in switch that can handle 2A+, please let me know.



I'd think that 2A is a problem for a pot but not for a switch. A quick google search shown a few 17mm long ones (e.g. from Lorlin, a Chinese one, few Indian ones, etc.) so 12mm should also be available somewhere...


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## rmteo (May 22, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*

Those are good finds, thank you, but they are too big. The body of the light is 22mm. with an ID of 17mm. The switch needs to be able to handle up to 2A - the pot is for signal only and its power handling capacity can be anything from 100mW on up.

If you do come across anything else, let me know. I prefer ones where the body is round and the terminations are on the end instead of the side.


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## Vinniec5 (May 22, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*

Like the new design def count me in. Any ides for the battery pack and wiring?


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## wapkil (May 22, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*



rmteo said:


> Those are good finds, thank you, but they are too big. The body of the light is 22mm. with an ID of 17mm. The switch needs to be able to handle up to 2A - the pot is for signal only and its power handling capacity can be anything from 100mW on up.
> 
> If you do come across anything else, let me know. I prefer ones where the body is round and the terminations are on the end instead of the side.



Well, chances that I will accidentally bump into something that perfectly fits your requirements are rather small. Especially since there are many additional factors - linear or log, resistance, tolerance, dents, price, availability, etc. I have shown those links only to illustrate my impression that if 10A push/push pots with 17mm length are so easy to find then it's possible that you may be able to find one that fits your design.


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## rmteo (May 22, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*

My requirements for the pot are:

a. linear taper.
b. value can be anything from 10K -100K Ohms.
c. tolerance +/- 10% or better.
d. price, important for a production item - see below.
e. availability - same criteria as d.

I have found several pots (albeit without switch) that will work. The only downside is price - they are typically in the $4-$8 range in quantity - about the same as a CREE XR-E R2, way too high for a production light.

I am inclined to go back to my original concept (which I have not mentioned previusly) of using multi-mode (high-mid-low) instead of continuously variable output.


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## vtunderground (May 22, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*



rmteo said:


> I am inclined to go back to my original concept (which I have not mentioned previusly) of using multi-mode (high-mid-low) instead of continuously variable output.[/IMG]



Nothing wrong with that... multi-mode has the advantage of giving the user a better idea of the remaining runtime on a set of batteries.


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## rmteo (May 22, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*

@Vinniec5, the battery could be as simple as a 4 D cell holder such as this (with 10000mAH NiMH cells, run time will 120+ hours on low, 9+ hours on high - about double with alkalines):







Or a 6V sealed lead acid battery. The light will come with a 1.2m. (47in.) long cord with a polarized connector of some kind. A mating connector will be provided for connection to the power pack. Spare cords for connection to chargers will be made available.

@vtunderground, multi-mode is also my preferred choice for the reason you mentioned. It will also eliminate the need for power switch.


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## Grumpy (May 23, 2009)

If multi-mode, I think that it is a good idea to have last mode memory.


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## rmteo (May 23, 2009)

Thanks for the suggestion - it will have last mode memory. Latest iteration in lantern configuration (with optional base).


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## wapkil (May 23, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*



rmteo said:


> I am inclined to go back to my original concept (which I have not mentioned previusly) of using multi-mode (high-mid-low) instead of continuously variable output.





rmteo said:


> Thanks for the suggestion - it will have last mode memory. Latest iteration in lantern configuration (with optional base).



I think the sequence lo-med-hi could be more popular here on CPF. I know that I would certainly prefer it - in the headlamp I don't mind if I have to click a few times to get to Hi but I would hate to ruin the night vision when it instantly goes full power.

The mode memory would somehow solve the problem with starting on Hi but there are many people who don't like to be forced to remember in which mode they left the light when they used it last time. Others would love to have the mode memory so you may want to check what users in your target market think about it.

You may have hard time deciding what output levels should Lo and Med modes be. With Hi set to maximum you'd have only two modes left to cover 100+ lumen range. I like the way it's solved in ZebraLight H60 with three modes, each with two settings accessible with a double click.

I don't know if you are designing your own driver or planning to buy an existing one. Depending on how much freedom you have, you may want to get a constant current driver (instead of PWM or at least PWM with a sufficiently high frequency), consider single-cell operation (so down to ~2.8V), think about user-programmed modes, etc.


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## Vinniec5 (May 23, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*

For connectors I'd recommend POWERPOLE connectorsfor a few reasons;
1) Quality
2) standardized
3) have many adapters already made to connect to chargers and batteries on thier site
Just a suggestion but would make it easier for you


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## jankj (May 23, 2009)

*Re: Design concept - Aluminum headlamp*



wapkil said:


> I think the sequence lo-med-hi could be more popular here on CPF. I know that I would certainly prefer it - in the headlamp I don't mind if I have to click a few times to get to Hi but I would hate to ruin the night vision when it instantly goes full power.
> 
> The mode memory would somehow solve the problem with starting on Hi but there are many people who don't like to be forced to remember in which mode they left the light when they used it last time. Others would love to have the mode memory so you may want to check what users in your target market think about it.



+ a very large number for this! I couldn't agree more! 

Apart from being well designed and well performing lights, I think the factor I like most of my fenix'es and zebralight H50 is that they ALWAYS start on LOW. _Don't destroy more than absolutely necessary of my precious night vision! _Need more light? Just double/triple click.


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## rmteo (May 23, 2009)

@vinniec5, I have used the Anderson Powerpole connectors. They are on the list of potential candidates.

@wapkil, jankj, the sequence can be changed to Lo-Mid-Hi. Is mode memory still useful?

Another idea. I notice that most headlamps are located at the front of the headband/helmet. Also, most have adjustment for elevation but not azimuth. How about a gimballed mount that can be used on the left, right or top and can be adjusted in both axis, then locked in any position with a single knob? This configuration will also eliminate any clearance issues for the switch on the rear of the light. In fact, this style of mount can be used with a normal flashlight if an external power pack is not required/desired.


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## wapkil (May 23, 2009)

rmteo said:


> @wapkil, jankj, the sequence can be changed to Lo-Mid-Hi. Is mode memory still useful?



As I wrote before, there are different opinions on that. For me the mode memory is not only useless but really inconvenient. When I turn on the light I want it to start on Lo, no matter what was the mode when I last time turned it off.

I can imagine that for someone who constantly switches the light on and off the mode memory may be useful. For me it's only annoying because it frequently makes it impossible to guess in what mode the light will start.

The obvious solution is to offer users the option to turn the memory off (like e.g. in the Liteflux lights).


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## Vinniec5 (May 23, 2009)

Gimbal mount is excellent! still going to make the lantern mount?


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## IlluminatedOne (May 24, 2009)

I really like the design, 

also having a POT to vary the output is a great idea as sometimes you want something inbetween low/medium/high.


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## dom (May 25, 2009)

The gimbal looks like a great idea -though not needed on a headlamp as you move your head instead.

Would be fantastic for a bike light though - wish i had of thought of that when making bike light mounts myself.


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## problemchild200 (May 25, 2009)

Would it be out of the question to make a MC-E/P7 version? Maybe you could fin the head to handle the extra heat? I am spoiled with the extra light the big emitters put out.


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## Vinniec5 (Jun 13, 2009)

rmteo how's this project coming along? any ideas if/when it might be built. just wondering haven't seen any updates to this thread in a cpl weeks THX


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## rmteo (Jun 13, 2009)

We are focussing on the C and D cell lights for now as it represents the largest market - to be followed by the 18650 (2x CR123A). We will revisit the headlamp after that.


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## Vinniec5 (Jun 13, 2009)

what else are you making? where can I see pics/order?


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## rmteo (Jun 13, 2009)

This should give you some idea. From the top is 2D, 2C, 18650 (or 2x CR123A) with a SF 6PL thrown in for size comparison. All versions have the same features, multi-mode, focus/zoom capability and 180+ lumens. They will be manufactured in the USA with projected MSRP's of around $100. None are available yet but as I alluded to earlier, the 2D and 2C will be released first. Options will include tail-standing switch caps and tactical/crenellated bezels.


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## Vinniec5 (Jun 13, 2009)

thx for the info and count me in when you start production


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## beautifully-stupid (Jun 28, 2009)

looks to be coming along nicely.:naughty:

I might be in the minority, but like the original mount better. If the gimball mount were optional accessory it would be nice, but simple is usually better (cheaper), and providing fewer points of potential failure.

Good work either way!


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