Weber 9057 Grill Light: LED Conversion.

[Ed P]

Gary, have a look at the first picture posted earlier. In the original configuration, both positive poles are joined and a single wire runs to the SPST ON-OFF switch. Positive is common to both sides, negative is not, so you have two individual circuits with a single pole switch. Here is a picture of the cap end showing the spring and a crude schematic. B1 and B2 represent the 3 'C' cell packs in series. Looking at it now, I don't see why it could not be re-wired but it didn't hardly seem worth the effort when it is so easy to just reverse the batteries, and my intent was to use a single cell 18650 in each side.

EDIT: Created better schematics.

 

[Gary - bassguitarist1985]

Excellent. That schematic tells me the lights and batteries are in parallel operating at 4.5VDC. This mod should be very easy to do.

 

[Bruce]

Gary, if you do the mod, please video tape the process or do a good photo "HOW TO" on it and post it up.

 

[Gary - bassguitarist1985]

Gary, if you do the mod, please video tape the process or do a good photo "HOW TO" on it and post it up.

I intend to!!

I have a youtube channel. Ill post it there when I'm done. Photos too. Preferably ill post the pictures in the first post so people dont have to scroll through the thread.

https://youtube.com/user/xboxer1985

 

[Jon Tofte]

I didn't have any problem reversing my batteries, so I was satisfied. However, I do worry about battery corrosion (just tossed out my favorite Mag long handle light because of that...too long neglected with my move, etc. and no way to get those batteries out.)

Using lithium AA batteries in those holders would eliminate that problem in these handle lights, at least as I understand it. I only use lithium in my Smoke, ThermoPro thermometer, and a couple other items that I am willing to spend more to make sure they aren't ruined by a leaking battery.

 

[Bruce]

GOod points Jon. I should probably put Lithium in my Smoke. Of course, then you have the problem of them starting on fire....or did they solve that problem now. LOL.

 

[Ed P]

Gary, if you do the mod, please video tape the process or do a good photo "HOW TO" on it and post it up.

Be sure to add, at the end off the video..."Or, you can simply reverse the batteries and avoid all this."

If you don't, someone will surely point that out to you in the YT Comments section, if allowed. Social media, I'm tellin' ya... (SMDH)

 

[Gary - bassguitarist1985]

Be sure to add, at the end off the video..."Or, you can simply reverse the batteries and avoid all this."

If you don't, someone will surely point that out to you in the YT Comments section, if allowed. Social media, I'm tellin' ya... (SMDH)

Not to worry ill do my best it keep it pithy! I have had plenty d-bags on ytube point out obvious stuff. My delivery in my videos comes off a bit dry and lacks the "pro" editing chops of most channels, but its still informational which is key.

I am also one for keeping things stock as possible especially if they are NLA. I dont mind modding something if I can easily make it stock again with little difficulty. I think I can do that with this light.

Will be on the lookout for the mailman tomorrow!

 

[Ed P]

Not to worry ill do my best it keep it pithy! I have had plenty d-bags on ytube point out obvious stuff. My delivery in my videos comes off a bit dry and lacks the "pro" editing chops of most channels, but its still informational which is key.

I am also one for keeping things stock as possible especially if they are NLA. I dont mind modding something if I can easily make it stock again with little difficulty. I think I can do that with this light.

Will be on the lookout for the mailman tomorrow!

Cunningham's Law:

Cunningham's Law states "the best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer."

People are slow to innovate, but quick to criticize. The more I know people, the more I love my dogs. All the best, Gary!

 

[Bruce]

Ed, I hear you. I had a 7 or 8 year old video on youtube that someone made a stupid remark to. Just a totally ignorant comment.

 

[Gary - bassguitarist1985]

No light today. Still in VA delayed. No suprise. Probably won't be here till Saturday or likely Monday. The LEDs themselves should be here today though and I can at least measure the current draw.

In other news though I did get my storage and carry case for my new Inkbird IBT-6XS which is also delayed with the light as well. Can't wait to try out that toy!

 

[Stefan H]

Postal service is slow right now. I had a package coming from Massachusetts to Texas via priorty mail. It took 13 days.
But I also just reversed the batteries on mine. So far it has been working flawless for about two years.

 

[Ed P]

I have the newest Weber grill out light (#7661) on my Silver C and I was using it the other night...one problem we have here in SoCal is Black Widow spiders. I've lived here my entire life and they are everywhere so I just generally ignore them. Well, I put RH tables on my Silver which means I can't see the propane tank as it sits behind a swing table now, so I reach around to turn the propane on the other night and I put my hand in a spider web.

One of the nice things about the 7661 is that you can slide it off the bracket and use it as a flashlight. It's nowhere near as bright as the 9057 but it's adequate. The other thing I like about it is that it has a tip switch...open the lid, it's on, close the lid. it's off. And it shuts itself off after 30 minutes of no activity so there is no worry of leaving it on and running the batteries down.

It sure would be nice to have some of that new technology in the ol' 9057, and with a single cell 18650 there is plenty of room to install some electronics within the light. I ordered up some tip switches a couple of months ago to play around with it but it's another one of those unfinished round tuit projects I seem to collect...a guy might even be able to take the electronics out of the 7661 and put them in the 9057, I dunno...

 

[Gary - bassguitarist1985]

Postal service is slow right now. I had a package coming from Massachusetts to Texas via priorty mail. It took 13 days.
But I also just reversed the batteries on mine. So far it has been working flawless for about two years.

Very cool on the longevity comment! Yeah USPS is having serious logistical nightmares. I can tell everyone that the less than 1lb shipments like small boxes and envelopes will be seeing a 20% increase in costs come January Uggh!


Anyways, got the LEDs, and confirmed the amp draw with my meter is exactly 0.445A at 4.5VDC.

- With 6 AA's that's 14,000 mAh of capacity which with 0.89A of two LED lights will provide nearly 16 hours of run time.

- With 6 C cell batteries with two LEDs, that's 36,000 mAh of capacity with a run time of 40.5hrs of run time.

The trade off with lesser capacity of the AA's I don't see as a huge loss. Others might.


The auto off feature would be nice, and there are plenty of ones using an NE555 timer chip. Trick is to have it on a preprinted circuit board to fit inside. More work than I want to do, but I like the feature!

EDIT: A Device like this would get you the "delay off" function you are looking for, the problem is form factor trying to fit it inside. The alternative would be to build it on a custom printed board (not hard, just inaccessible to most) to fit in the light. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015Z2EQCU/?tag=tvwb-20

 

[Bruce]

 

[Ed P]

Get well soon, Jeff! (he's battling lymphoma)

 

[Ed P]

To me, the most bothersome flaw in the 9057 is the lack of a tilt switch. Open the lid, it goes on...close the lid, it goes off. No forgetting to turn it off at the end of a cook, just close the lid.

I bought these switches, 10 for $6, but they are a little underrated as far as current-carrying ability, so I doubled them up to double the ampacity. Then there is the annoying flickering that the slightest vibration causes (they are of rolling ball construction). I think a capacitor or an inexpensive transistor will smooth that out...we'll see.

Here's the tilt switches sitting on a Lincoln head penny.



FOLLOW-UP: This is an old post and I didn't want to bump it to the top so I'll add this here. I designed and printed a couple of single-cell 18650 battery adapters, one for each side, that contain 4 of the tilt switches in parallel. I've been very happy with the way it works...lid up is on, lid down is off, battery is easily accessible, and the whole cartridge slides out should the need arise. Also, the 3w LEDs @200 lumens are very bright and may cause reflector damage due to the heat given off. I've since changed to 1w LEDs (120 lumens each).

 

[Gary - bassguitarist1985]

I like the idea. Ordered these, should be here Tuesday. Got plenty of time since my 9057 light is stuck in Virginia somewhere in a USPS break bulk terminal...

Agreed on a transistor controlled by tilt switch. Each switch is 0.3A rated. So for both LED lights you would need 3 of them (should you not use the transistor) since the current draw is just under an Amp at about 850mA.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R2MQD1Y/?tag=tvwb-20

I have plenty of transistors lying around from my pinball rebuilds. Worst case is if I dont use them here, I can use them for other projects, they are very inexpensive.

 

[Gary - bassguitarist1985]

Finally got my light in today! Wound up doing exactly what Bruce described by putting the batteries in backwards and works as expected. Seeing how it has a spring for the normally negative lead, and a spring clip instead of a flat contact for the positive lead, I have concluded that flipping the batteries for me isnt a big deal and will live with it that way. The tilt sensors idea while nice to have, you need three of them to handle the current, but can easily be spliced in next to the switch mounted next to it with hot glue.

So to modify the light so the batteries go the "correct" way in I'll edit the first post so everyone doesn't have to go searching. Its a simple procedure I will break down in two parts to make it easy to follow along. The good thing is it can be reversed undone if you wanted to.

 

[Bruce]

Thanks Gary. Enjoy the light.