Modern lampara: one 18650 cell, USB-C charging and a two-step brightness driver
by 
Zen★ Founder · published today · 0 opened in the lab · 0 page views
The lampara, the old kerosene lamp with a glass chimney, rebuilt for today: no flame, no smoke, and it charges from a phone charger. One 18650 Li-ion cell (3000 mAh) sits in the base. A TP4056 USB-C board charges it at 1 A and protects it against over-discharge and shorts, and a small constant-current LED driver runs a 3 W warm-white LED at 0.7 A on HIGH, or a soft night-light on LOW (click the driver to switch). A full cell gives about 4 hours on HIGH and well over a day on LOW. The glass: any clear glass jar or a lamp chimney over the LED; frost the inside with fine sandpaper for a softer, even glow, and keep the LED on its aluminium star so it stays cool. Remix it: try a 21700 cell for twice the hours, or a second LED.
What is on the bench
6 parts, 8 wires.
| USB-C PD charger | 1 |
|---|---|
| TP4056 charger module | 1 |
| 18650 Li-ion cell | 1 |
| Toggle switch | 1 |
| Flashlight driver board | 1 |
| High-power LED (star) | 1 |
Built for real
Nobody has posted a real build of this one yet. Be the first!
Comments
⚠️ Mains wiring, big batteries and solar arrays can hurt you. Comments are other makers’ experience, not checked by the lab: check advice against the datasheets and your local electrical code, and report advice that looks dangerous. Be kind: community rules.
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Put it on your page
The project runs live inside the frame: readers can press buttons, turn knobs and read the meters.
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Link
https://zencircuitlab.com/p/zcflampara
Published by its author under the lab's community terms: it may be opened, copied and changed by anyone. Simulation results are for learning; check a real build against the parts' datasheets.