How to Remove the LED Circuit in the Flashlight
LED flashlights provide a brighter and more powerful beam than their incandescent bulb-using cousins. Unlike a bulb, the LED does not screw into the flashlight but is attached to circuitry that provides it with power as well as controlling its intensity. Removing the LED from the circuit board it is attached to will let you use the LED for other projectors. The removal requires a careful touch and the ability to use a soldering iron in a cramped space. Do not remove a LED from a flashlight if you have no experience with soldering.
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Instructions
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1
Put some newspaper down on a table. Remove the battery cap from the flashlight. Remove the batteries from the battery compartment.
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2
Unscrew the reflector from off of the front of the flashlight if possible; otherwise hold the flashlight in one hand while gripping its front and twisting the two casings apart using the pliers in the other hand.
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Place the reflector or the front section of the flashlight aside. Place the body of the flashlight with the circuitry inside of it on the newspaper.
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Hold down the body of the flashlight with the left hand (reverse this for "lefties"). Grab the circuit board that is inside the body of the flashlight with the needle nosed pliers in the other hand. Gently pull the circuit board out of the body of the flashlight. Put the circuit board down on the newspaper.
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Heat up the soldering iron. Apply the tip of the soldering iron to the sides of the metal bucket that surrounds the LED. Grab the metal bucket with the needle nosed pliers and pull it up off the circuit board. Put the metal bucket down on the newspaper.
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Heat the bottom of the metal bucket with the soldering iron. Gently grab the LED with the tweezers and pull it up and out of the metal bucket. Put the LED down on the newspaper. Straighten out the two conductive pins coming from the LED using the tweezers.
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Tips & Warnings
Use as fine a tip on the soldering iron as is possible.
Scratching the circuit board can cause it to fail to work.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit flashlight image by Sonar from Fotolia.com
