Why do LED flashlights need a solid state chip board to operate?

[Grahamione]

In regular flashlights it is just a contact from the bulb to the bateries. what dose the solid state do to the light to make the bulb brighter?

[Wok]

In regular flashlights it is just a contact from the bulb to the bateries. what dose the solid state do to the light to make the bulb brighter?

LEDs are constant current devices which work differently to filament bulbs.To get the advertised life from the LED, the current must be controlled...hence a circuit board is used...note that the circuit is not usually intended to make the LED brighter.
However there are those who will push the envelope and you will find them on Candlepower Forums.

eng hoe

[Brianna3]

flashlight

LEDs are constant current devices which work differently to filament bulbs.To get the advertised life from the LED, the current must be controlled...hence a circuit board is used...note that the circuit is not usually intended to make the LED brighter.
However there are those who will push the envelope and you will find them on Candlepower Forums.

eng hoe

Very interesting.  Now how about how a motion flashlight works.  I'm sure it captures the kinetic energy but I have always wondered how.  Do you know?

[james2115]

In regular flashlights it is just a contact from the bulb to the bateries. what dose the solid state do to the light to make the bulb brighter?

Also, to make the battery last longer, they flash the LED at a high enough frequency so you don't notice, but the duty cycle is reduced by up to 50%.

[Mallory Black]

yeah if they could have whacked an LED on Brocky's energy polariser I reckon it would have actually worked!