Luxury LED Bicycle Light

Brighten your beam and banish burnt-out bulb blues

Having treated himself to a new bicycle fitted out with all mod cons including a shiny hub dynamo, the author was looking forward to many miles of pedalling pleasure. But then disaster struck: after just a couple of hours use the bulb in the front light burned out! Not finding the prospect of repeated replacement attractive, he set out to substitute a power LED for the bulb.

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Materials

080153-PCB.pdf

Gerber file

CAM/CAD data for the PCB referred to in this article is available as a Gerber file. Elektor GREEN and GOLD members can exclusively download these files for free as part of their membership. Gerber files allow a PCB to be produced on an appropriate device available locally, or through an online PCB manufacturing service.

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PCB

Download Gerber file: 080153-1.zip

Component list

Resistors
R1 = 2k7
R2 = 560
R3 = 1k8
P1 = 1k preset, miniature, horizontal mounting
Capacitors
C1 = 1000µF 35V, radial, lead pitch 5mm
C2 = 10nF
C3 = 470µF 16V, radial, lead pitch 5mm
Semiconductors
D1-D5 = SB540 (Schottky)*
LED1 = 3W power LED, white*
Miscellaneous
L1 = 100µH 1A (e.g. Reichelt L-PISR 100µ)*
Optics for power LED (20°- type)*
PCB # 070797-1