Building an LED Ring Light (part 1)
After failing to find a reasonably priced LED ring light which does what I want, I have decided to build one myself. My electronics knowledge was never particularly good at school, so it should be fun!
My basic requirements are that it:
- Illuminates small (~5mm) to medium (~2cm) sized insects without casting too many shadows
- Fits on different microscopes
- Is powered by a (rechargeable) battery
Additional requirements are:
- The option to power it from the mains
- The ability to dim the LEDs
- Switch groups of LEDs on/off
I shall start with a basic prototype consisting of 8 white LEDs, potentially adding more and making the circuit more complex. It shouldn’t be too hard but I haven’t used a soldering iron for years!
Tags: Entomology, LEDs, ring light
