Close
0%
0%

ArmaLamp - Armageddon resistant night lamp

Plastic covered photo cells + Supercapacitor with unlimited life

bobriciusbobricius
Following
Liked Like project

Just one more thing

To make the experience fit your profile, pick a username and tell us what interests you.

Pick an awesome username
hackaday.io/
Your profile's URL: hackaday.io/username. Max 25 alphanumeric characters.
Pick a few interests
Projects that share your interests
People that share your interests

We found and based on your interests.

Choose more interests.

OK, I'm done! Skip
Similar projects worth following
3.5k views
12 comments
52 followers
View Gallery
Features:

- 6x BPW34 photodiodes aka solar cell
(plastic diodes, more resistant to damage against glass solar cell)

- Up to 10F supercapacitor
(You can use bigger capacity but 10F is optimal for charge in one sunny day)

- 4 hours operation in night depends on intensity

- Auto night on

- Step up converter effective use all stored energy, discharge scap until 0.3V !!!!!!

- Output is activated in night

To Do:

- make smaller board to fit in acrylic sample bottle

Supercapacitor is charged via Schottky diode,  this current also disable step up booster,
In night or if it lose power booster is automatically started and very effectively discharge
supercapacitor and convert almost all stored energy because can work until 0.3V

PCB is now not optimizes to minimal dimensions, it can be much smaller

Operation TEST

Some assembled pictures:

Circuit is extremely simple to make it reliable.

board.png

Portable Network Graphics (PNG) - 32.36 kB - 04/28/2022 at 07:31

Preview
Download

schematic.png

Portable Network Graphics (PNG) - 10.39 kB - 04/28/2022 at 07:31

Preview
Download

armalamp.sch

sch - 601.33 kB - 04/28/2022 at 07:31

See BOM
Download

armalamp.brd

brd - 72.82 kB - 04/28/2022 at 07:31

Download

  • 6 × BPW34 Opto and Fiber Optic Semiconductors and ICs / Photodiodes
  • 1 × MCP1640 Power Management ICs / Switching Regulators and Controllers
  • 1 × 4.7uH
  • 1 × 10F 3V Supercapacitor
  • 1 × 10mm White LED

View all 9 components

View all 4 project logs

Enjoy this project?

Share

Discussions

dougal wrote 05/06/2022 at 18:28 • point

What is the approximate cost for all of the parts?

  Are you sure? yes | no

ross wrote 05/05/2022 at 20:01 • point

Brilliant idea. Could a switch be safely inserted in to the circuit to allow charging but not turn the light on when it got dark? Allowing you to store the 4 hours of power for when it was needed? I understand the realiabilty reason of not including one but I was thinking reed switch? 

  Are you sure? yes | no

bobricius wrote 05/19/2022 at 09:33 • point

I try add switch in next release

  Are you sure? yes | no

Matthew Loser wrote 05/05/2022 at 19:26 • point

Help an amateur out here! I am thinking this is something even I could build. I would love to hand them out to people for kicks (my thinking is to do what upstageleft suggested and cast it in resin--clear bubble on top and dark cylinder below. But how do I go about ordering the PCBs for this? I am in the US and have searched for a few sites, but am not sure how to configure what I want. 1 layer or 2? And THEN it gets harder. :)

  Are you sure? yes | no

bobricius wrote 05/19/2022 at 09:34 • point

testing smaller boards,  put in resin is possibly but I have no experiences with resins

  Are you sure? yes | no

teraz wrote 05/05/2022 at 11:06 • point

is possible add mirror/metal top outside tile? or meybe normal reflector.

or add https://hackaday.io/project/158857-body-heat-powered-flashlight

or add "Forever Torch" Flashlight Just Shake old idea.

 for enclosure i rather prefer https://www.instructables.com/LED-Zippo-Flashlight/

  Are you sure? yes | no

Benji Greig wrote 05/05/2022 at 01:55 • point

Great idea  @upstageleft. Totally agree. Would be keen to make a few of these for where I live as we have power go whenever big storms happen.

  Are you sure? yes | no

upstageleft wrote 05/04/2022 at 23:25 • point

Rather than a sample jar, have you considered casting in clear resin? Also, you could put a neodymium magnet at the base and make it a throwie (or just easily mountable). Seriously, I would buy a bunch of those...

  Are you sure? yes | no

bobricius wrote 05/19/2022 at 09:35 • point

it is possibly but I have no experiences with resins

  Are you sure? yes | no

Luís Carlos wrote 04/30/2022 at 21:09 • point

A beauty PCB :)

Why D5?

  Are you sure? yes | no

bobricius wrote 04/30/2022 at 21:13 • point

through D5 is capacitor charged and also disabling power supply booster

  Are you sure? yes | no

deʃhipu wrote 04/29/2022 at 08:29 • point

Very illuminating!

  Are you sure? yes | no

Similar Projects

Very simple Tesla Coil - 3 components only = LED, BUL45D2G transistor and 82K resistor
Project Owner Contributor

Easy Open Tesla coil on PCB

bobriciusbobricius

Protects electronics (and your bank account) that share a power supply with servo motors.
Project Owner Contributor

Bank Account Protection Circuit for Motors

Mark RehorstMark Rehorst

This board is for a workshop I'm doing showing folks how to do some soldering using stencils, PnP machine, by hand and with hot air.
Project Owner Contributor

BGA & SMT Soldering Workshop

technolomaniactechnolomaniac

A Wireless, Solar Powered GPS & Compass Dongle using Bluetooth Low Energy
Project Owner Contributor

Wireless Navigation Sensor

Erland LewinErland Lewin

Does this project spark your interest?

Become a member to follow this project and never miss any updates

Going up?

About Us Contact Hackaday.io Give Feedback Terms of Use Privacy Policy Hackaday API

© 2022 Hackaday

Yes, delete it Cancel

Report project as inappropriate

You are about to report the project "ArmaLamp - Armageddon resistant night lamp", please tell us the reason.

Send message

Your application has been submitted.

Remove Member

Are you sure you want to remove yourself as a member for this project?

Project owner will be notified upon removal.