Retrofitting Bike Light With LED Light and USB Cable - Retro Bike Light 0.2

Retrofitting an old bike light with USB charger. Difficulty- level 1. Cost- Level 1. This is my second attempted at updating this light. My goal is the same as last time, up date a retro light so it id rechargeable. This time I want to turn it off and on without needing to open it every time I want to turn it on. A bonce to this project is that when you can charge your phone with the power bank when you need it.

1. Retro Bike Light Housing
2. USB Cable - Use one you already have that you do not need
3. LED Torch - A cheap one from a Dollar Store
4. Double-Sided Tape
5. Scissors
6. Portable Battery Bank

The most expensive part of the build is the battery bank you can get them from 10-15$ but you may already have one.

This build is assuming you have a retro bike light housing that can use. If you buy one it will cost you 60-80$ some times more. But if you look locally you can find a broken light to fix, for much cheaper. So keep an eye out.

After gathering you supplies; Start by taking the LED torch apart. You want to get the LED and circuit board out, be careful not damage the board.

Using the double sided tape, fix the LED place. Note I am recommending using bubble sided tape because it can be removed if you want to return the retro light back to how it was before.

Take your old USB Cable and remove one end, Note not the end that looks like the picture. Make sure you have enough length to plug it into the power bank with a little slack in the line. After you want to remove 3 cm of the outer covering of the cable. This should reveal two weirs, one red and one blue. Now remove the plastic cover from the two individual weirs, about 2 cm.

1. Start by laying out you parts, check your bike light enclosure for a whole. There should be a whole were a weir use to run to the alternator. Note there may be a screw that when removed will revile the whole.
2. Now thread your weir through the whole. Note you make sure the part with the two smaller weir is going to the inside and the USB end is on the out side.
3. Its time to connect the weir to the LED power terminals. NOTE. RED weir to + and BLUE weir to -. I was lucky enough to find a circuit board with pins, i.e the connection points stuck up. This meant I could wrap the weirs around each pin and then put a little tape around it to hold the weir in place and make sure they keep connected.
4. Note If you have a soldering iron then use it.
5. Note Your make get a circuit board that has soldering points. If you don't have a soldering iron then carefully coil each wire. This will create a wider contact area for the connection. Then you can use the tape method to hold the weirs in place.

Before securing everything in place, check that it works by plugging in the power pack. The light should come on and the light should not flicker. If your light flickers check that the weirs are connected correctly. Note. Before moving on to the next step unplug the power pack.

1. Start by double securing the weirs and circuit board, I did this using a strong tape. See picture above.
2. Now with the front part open, find a good length for the weir. Note you need to be able to open the light with out the weirs being pulled and disconnecting.
3. Then secure the weir in place at the whole, using the double sided tap. You want to make it water proof and hold the weir in place. Note make the tape none tacky by touching the out side.

Now you have a rechargeable retro bike light. Once you have your light back on your bike find a good place to put your batter pack. I use a little bag with a clip that clips to the handle bars.

Enjoy. :)