Triple Luxeon LED Bicycle Headlight from Standard Parts

Summary

The next step from the basic single LED headlight is this triple LED version.
Heat dissipation is an issue in this power range, so the body is made from metal.

Mounted on bike Front view of triple LED headlight

Partlist

  • Stainless steel sugar shaker (mesh shaker)
  • Stainless steel mounting bracket
  • Aluminium sheet, 5mm thickness
  • Various bolts
  • Fraen triple collimator with holder (I use narrow type)
  • Luxeon Star LEDs (3ea), may be 1W or 2/3W
  • Heat-conductive glue (I use an Arctic Silver product)
  • Heatsink compound
  • Speaker cable
  • Rubber sleeve to fit cable
  • 1.0 mm acrylic glass (cut from cheap safety goggles)
  • O-ring 50mm inside diameter, 2mm thickness
  • Electrolytic capacitors 1000uF 16V (2ea)

    		•  Sugar castor to be turned into a headlight
    60mm diameter, Fackelmann brand, EUR 3.79 @ Walmart in 2005

    How To

    Aluminium disk as a base for the Fraen triple collimator and three Luxeon Star LEDs
    1. Cut a 50mm diameter disk from a 5mm thickness aluminium sheet
    2. Drill 3 holes for collimator legs (3.5mm on a 19mm radius)
    3. Drill center hole (3.3mm) and cut M4 thread. This is one of two mounting holes.
    4. Glue LEDs to aluminium disk (heat-conductive glue). Use triple collimator to align and hold them until the glue has set
    5. Wire the 3 LEDs in a series connection
    6. Connect capacitors across the LED-chain (both in parallel)
    7. Determine a good spot for the second mounting hole near the perimeter of the disk. Drill 3.3mm hole and cut M4 thread
    8. There are sugar castors with a mesh inset in the lid (right one in the photo). These are most convenient to deal with: Push out the mesh and the securing ring
    9. Cut an acrylic glass disk from the safety goggles (use scissors), so it fits into the LID of the sugar castor
    10. Put the O-ring into the lid of the sugar castor, add the glass disk and lock it with the securing ring that previously held the mesh. Alternatively, you could glue the glass into place with silicone glue
    11. Cut the bottom part of the sugar castor so that it fits the collimator-LED-disk-assembly (I use Dremel)
    12. Drill two 4mm holes into the bottom of the sugar castor can, so the mounting holes of the aluminium disk can be accessed
    13. Drill two 4mm holes into the mounting bracket so they fit the holes in the can
    14. Drill one hole into the side of the sugar castor can and fit the rubber sleeve
    15. Attach connection cable to the LED-chain
    16. Apply heatsink compount on bottom of aluminium disk
    17. Assemble mounting bracket, bottom part of can and aluminium disk using two M4 bolts
    18. Feed cable thru rubber sleeve
    19. Fit the collimator and the lid of the sugar shaker
    20. Secure lid by means of glue, adhesive tape or bolts
    Rear view of triple LED headlight Half-assembled triple LED headlight Bits and pieces of triple LED beam

    When done,
    apply appropriate
    current and enjoy:

    		 Lit

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