making LEDs brighter

As I have a brown snake that has taken up residence in my house I need a safe way to look into crevices, behind furniture etc.

So I bought a thing called a 'Snake' (coincidence hey) which is a camera on the end of a long flexible tube, which connects to the USB input of a Windows computer and allows you (well me actually) to either take a snapshot of the area or watch live video.

In order to illuminate the area for the camera there are two LEDs mounted on the end of the tube - a pot controls the brightness of these.

The problem is I need to look into very dark areas, and the LEDs just don't light up the area enough to allow clear vision.

It would be very difficult to replace these, so are there any suggestions on how I can increase the brightness of them - reduced life would not be a problem.

Ideas greatly appreciated

David (walking very gingerly around his house)

Reply to
David
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If it's for a one-off purpose, couldn't you just stick some extra ones, and the wires to power them, onto the outside of the tube with sticky tape? Power them off a small battery, with approriate resistors.

Sylvia.

Reply to
Sylvia Else

if you can find the resistor (inside the sanke somewhere) that sets the current the LEDs get you could try reducing it Sylvia's idea is probably better.

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Reply to
Jasen Betts

LEDs are current driven. Over a certain upper rated current, you just shorten the life of course, and of course total failure at a point. But you get a pretty much a linear increase in lumens output vs current. So measure the current consumption and then add your own constant current driver to drive the LEDs, driven from the 5V USB power.

How much extra light do you recon you need? If it's double, that should work just fine. If it's 10 times then it's not likely you'll get what you want out of the existing LEDs.

Can't you just tape on some new LEDs to the outside of it?

Dave.

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Reply to
David L. Jones

\

As both you and Sylvia have suggested I guess that is the best way to do it - so thanks to both of you

David

Reply to
David

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