DIY LED Flashlight: Better than off the shelf?

摘要

As a member of the genus homo electronicus the author has an aversion to buying any electronic product that he can better make himself. Take for example the humble LED flashlight, enter that phrase into the search engine on a well known internet auction site and you can waste an hour scrolling through all the items on offer. Some for less than a couple of dollars including battery, case and shipping from Asia! To think that you could build a flashlight more cheaply than you can buy one mass-produced by an Asian production line is unrealistic. The chances are that the design criteria of such products would most likely be geared to lowest manufacturing cost rather than operating efficiency of the finished product. Best price usually infers poor quality but better quality products from well-known brand names can often be unreasonably expensive. An alternative is the DIY route; along with the satisfaction you also get an insight into the technology and a chance to hone your practical skills.