Whether or not you’re afraid of the dark is irrelevant here (but if you’ve ever read Lovecraft, you’d know that you should be). Unless you sustain yourself on a diet of carrots, your eyesight in total darkness probably isn’t great. That’s why night lights are a great way to keep your home illuminated without being too intrusive.
Thanks to a clever maker, this concept has been combined with a Joule Thief to create something truly special. While joule thieves typically run on standard 1.5V primary cells like alkaline batteries, with a lithium battery you can drive additional LEDs or higher voltage ones by delivering more power overall.
In the case of the LiTTLe Thief LiFePO4, there’s also a rechargeable battery and plenty of potential for DIY mods as well. This version runs on a single 14500/AA-sized LiFePO4 cell. It charges from any 5V microUSB source, including wall adapters or solar cells.
The battery has protection against over voltage. These types of batteries are also generally safer than li-ion or li-po cells. Thanks to the low power consumption, you can run this light for 10 hours each night, 10 days straight on a single charge.
For those looking to stretch their DIY muscles, external LEDs are possible, thanks to an on-board switch that gives you the option between the two. There is also room for two through-hole LEDs on the PCB, which allows for DIY experiments and solder extension wiring.
