help me! master power LED blows!

[mrb]

hey everyone!,,
I am working on a flashlight mod, with a 99cent dollar store flashlight...
its comming along good. I decided to keep the stock on/off button on the bottom, to use as a master switch.
I am also able to fit a "vaping" switch.
I installed an LED and resistor for both the vaping switch,, and the master switch...
question: how do you connect the Master LED?
since everything is grounded to the same place essentially, (the flashlight tube) it is allowing power to get to the battery connector, apparently, backward through the ground or something...
how do you keep this power indicator isolated? is there a diode or something that will not allow the power to circulate,, and only show that there is power available?
any help with this appreciated... it is ready for final assembly, but need to resolve this problem first... would it be easier to just get rid of the led?

 

[o4_srt]

LED needs to be tied in to the positive wire between the master switch and the "vaping" switch. I would probably strip a small section of this wire and solder one lead of the resistor to it. The other lead of the resistor goes to the cathode (+) of the LED, and the annode (-) of the LED goes to ground.

The "vaping" LED is installed in exactly the same way, only between the "vaping" switch and the atomizer connection.

No need for additional parts for either LED, just the LED and resistor.

Here is a VERY crude block diagram i whipped up

 

[mrb]

thanks for your input,, I guess i do have it connected properly,,
I am just a little gun shy because i have had this little project together twice now, and each time, everything is great until i get it all set the way i want the components sitting in their "resivoir".. and i test it with a battery,, and fryyyyy! goes the master led. then i get to take it apart and do it again.

i think i might have shorted something before.... this time i coated all connections with epoxy so nothing can short. but it's weird,, when i test with my meter, pos on the pos battery terminal, and neg on the atty connector,, i get an ohm reading, showing that it is an open circuit. unless there is something about this i do not understand,, i am a noob.

i'll try again with everything now sealed... i did have it working last night until i started pushing all these components into tight confines.

thanks

 

[Java_Az]

Are you putting a resistor on one of the LED legs ??? without it your gonna fry them.

 

[o4_srt]

thanks for your input,, I guess i do have it connected properly,,
I am just a little gun shy because i have had this little project together twice now, and each time, everything is great until i get it all set the way i want the components sitting in their "resivoir".. and i test it with a battery,, and fryyyyy! goes the master led. then i get to take it apart and do it again.

i think i might have shorted something before.... this time i coated all connections with epoxy so nothing can short. but it's weird,, when i test with my meter, pos on the pos battery terminal, and neg on the atty connector,, i get an ohm reading, showing that it is an open circuit. unless there is something about this i do not understand,, i am a noob.

i'll try again with everything now sealed... i did have it working last night until i started pushing all these components into tight confines.

thanks

if you put the positive lead on the positive battery terminal and the negative lead on the atty connector, you will have an open, unless you have the master on/off switch on, and the "vape" switch depressed. Not sure what you are trying to test here.

What value of resistor and what color LED are you using? What type of battery?

 

[mrb]

Are you putting a resistor on one of the LED legs ??? without it your gonna fry them.

yes, I am using the gold, tan, violet etc.. variety. the ones that come with the led's shipped.

 

[mrb]

all i know is if i touch my tester to the pos terminal for the battery, without the battery installed, and the other to the positive of the atty connector, the master light comes on. i thought i remembered getting like .5 ohms reading also.

I put it all togther and tested it with a battery and atty attached... it works so far. i must have had a short somewhere.... looks like it works now. vaped for about 3 minutes on it without incident.

i'll learn more along the way i am sure.... i thank everyone for their input.

hey, by the way. where on the forum do you set up the quitmeter signature or whatever it is called..." smokefree days, etc.."

thanks

 

[grantemsley]

I built one of those. I use huge (but durable) buttons so it was a tight squeeze getting everything inside where the bulb used to be.

For a fun trick, you can use a two colored LED to show when the master switch is on and when the vaping switch is pressed.

 

[mrb]

that is exactly what i did... check it out! only the "vape" led is only working sometimes... acutually, it isn't working at all a day later... not sure what went wrong. it was working fine before i sealed it in the resin,, now i can't get at it. lol.. oh well

YouTube - 3.7 volt flashlight ecig mod The Lightning Rod.wmv

 

[Rocketman]

yes, I am using the gold, tan, violet etc.. variety. the ones that come with the led's shipped.

Read the color code the other direction, and don't forget the first band. The tan is really brown.