I am in need of some help with a small led lighting project. I shoot competion archery and when shooting indoors I need a light to brighten up my fiber optics. I modified a battery powered led light laying around the house to fix my problem but the problem is that the light is too bright. Is there some sort of small dimming switch or dial I can use with this light. I'd like it to be the size of the battery pack or smaller. They do have lights like this I can buy but they run $100 to $200, but they also have a timer which I can do without. Any help would be nice

 

Look for a small potentiometer, the trimmer potentiometers are real small but you might need a small screwdriver to turn it. Make sure it's rated 10 K ohms or more.

 

Look for a small potentiometer, the trimmer potentiometers are real small but you might need a small screwdriver to turn it. Make sure it's rated 10 K ohms or more.

Thanks for the advice, I'll go to the store and get one today. Now I know I said I don't need a timer but it would be nice. Would a timer be difficult to do considering I have no experience with electronics.

 

You could also try a 555 PWM circuit if the LEDs require more power. A potentiometer would generate a lot of heat and be pretty inefficient if the LEDs need more than a few mAs. Just google "555 PWM LEDs". If you follow the schematic exactly, you don't have to understand it too well.

Sorry. I posted before I could read the reply. It would be pretty difficult for a beginner, but there are many advantages.

 

Would a timer be difficult to do considering I have no experience with electronics.

What’s the function of the timer?

A simple resistor is all you need to dim your LED. Using a pot may help you find the level of resistance you need, but once you know that (and assuming one brightness level is good), you could just use a fixed resistor.

 

What’s the function of the timer?

A simple resistor is all you need to dim your LED. Using a pot may help you find the level of resistance you need, but once you know that (and assuming one brightness level is good), you could just use a fixed resistor.

The levels of brightness I would need would vary depending all the time because some indoor ranges have better lighting than others, and sometimes I'm shooting in a feild and sometimes in the woods with lots of shades. The timer would be to shut the light off after a minute because sometimes I forget to turn the light off and run down my battery. Like I said it's not necessary but it would be nice to have.

 

The levels of brightness I would need would vary depending all the time because some indoor ranges have better lighting than others, and sometimes I'm shooting in a feild and sometimes in the woods with lots of shades. The timer would be to shut the light off after a minute because sometimes I forget to turn the light off and run down my battery. Like I said it's not necessary but it would be nice to have.

If you want full range dimming then a PWM controller is what you want. You can buy these very inexpensively on eBay.