Commuting - Cateye HL1600 battery upgrade

For those who may be interested:

After being caught out by a failing headlamp a couple of times recently it was obvious that the NiCad cells in my Cateye rechargeable (HL1600, tungsten halogen, 2.4W) were reaching the end of their life.

As I like this lamp I bought a new one of the same model, which includes 5 new 1000 mA hour NiCad "AA" cells. Eager to extend the run-time of about 2 hours I also invested in a set of NiMh cells, which have an astounding 2100mA hour capacity, in theory offering twice the available operation time compared to the batteries suplied. The price came in somewhat high at about £3 each and the lamp required 5 cells. My old lamp was treated to the fresh NiCads provided with the new lamp to make up a reliable spare for emergencies.

In my first week of running it is clear that the higher capacity batteries are providing much longer service. So far I have made 7 journeys on the first charge, the low-battery warning having lit up on the last 10 minutes. This suggests at least 3.5 hours of operation before the warning indicator shows. NiMh batteries are reputed to be slightly below rated capacity from new, taking 2-3 charge-discharge cycles to "run in", so I may get more time from these in the future.

Please excuse the long post,

Cheers,

Ed

Do the NiMH batteries charge properly in the light? Or do you have to remove them and charge them in an external charger? Did you get the light locally, or online? I just may have to follow in your footsteps on this one...

Hi Brokenrobot,

Thanks for raising the important subject of battery care & charging. There is quit a bit of info on the web regarding rechargeable batteries, for example:

http://www.greenbatteries.com/documents/Battery_FAQ.htm

http://www.greenbatteries.com/documents/Battery_FAQ.htm


Most important is to avoid overcharging the cells, this will reduce their useful service life. I have quite a bit of electronics knowledge, so was able to measure the charging current and calculate an appropriate charge time based on this and the battery capacity (see the first link for details). I run the charger from a time switch to ensure the correct charge time - It is possible to leave them overnight this way without the risk of me forgetting to switch off.
Cateye actually recommend a different charger for NiMH cells from the type supplied with the lamp, which has NiCads, but I think the careful use of a timer overcomes any of the real dangers.
Of course you could use a NiMH specific charger an this would be a "safe bet". Sometimes they are sold as a pack with cells, but watch the mA Hour rating of the cells supplied - they are usually not so good. I have a NimH/NiCad compatible charger and from measurements, it applies exactly the same current on the NiMH and Nicad Settings. However I *think* the electronic sensing for ending the charge period may be different, but I have not been able to open it to look at the circuit.

I purchased the light from my LBS, and batteries from a local department store. I'm sure it would be possible to find something similar (possibly cheaper) online - plenty of options if you type "rechargeable batteries" into Google!. The batteries I have are 2100 mA Hour capacity, manufactured by Saft. I think 1500 and 1800 mA Hour types are quite common now. Of course it depends on your location.

Last of all, the light made another 1/2 hour journey last night at full brightness making a full 4 hours run time - the low battery warning light was on for the last portion of the ride, so it is time to refill!

Again, please excuse the ramble,

Cheers,

Ed

Use a dynamo -- no toxic batteries needed, rechargeable or otherwise (NiCad=toxics, NiMH=toxics). Batteries never go dead no matter how far you ride, 'cause there are no batteries; newer 'standlights' stay lit when you're stopped.

Randya - you make a good point about using a dynamo, although, personally, I prefer not to add "extras" to my bike (vanity... :) ). A self contained system such as rechargeable lights also makes it simple for me to transfer lights between the two bikes that I use.

The toxicity issue of batteries is another problem, and I admit this is not ideal - even rechargeable batteries are ultimately a disposable item. NiMH technology is a real step forward, since Cadmium is a particularly unpleasent substance. However, there are genuine concerns with Nickel.

The point of my original post was simply to alert people the possibilites offered by the improvements rechargeable batteries, but it is always good to explore the issues. It is something folks on this forum do very well.

Cheers,

Ed

Use a dynamo -- no toxic batteries needed, rechargeable or otherwise (NiCad=toxics, NiMH=toxics). Batteries never go dead no matter how far you ride, 'cause there are no batteries; newer 'standlights' stay lit when you're stopped.

This is true - but it's also not feasible for me, simply because I can't afford a dynamo hub setup right now, and an add-on dynamo, I suspect, would get removed pretty quickly from my locked-outside NYC commuter. So I need a lighting system that can come indoors with me :(

We've discussed the need for secure indoor bike parking for NYC commuters here before. This is something that the city should require in all office buildings, and cyclists should lobby hard for!

Use a dynamo -- no toxic batteries needed, rechargeable or otherwise (Ni-Cad=toxics, NiMH=toxics). Batteries never go dead no matter how far you ride, 'cause there are no batteries; newer 'standlights' stay lit when you're stopped.
Both Ni-CAD and NiMH batteries are recyclable. Just take them to a Radio Shack or a Staples (there are other places that will take them as well)

We've discussed the need for secure indoor bike parking for NYC commuters here before. This is something that the city should require in all office buildings, and cyclists should lobby hard for!

Actually, after December, I may get it! My office is moving to a building with an underground garage, and I'm trying to convince the guys working on the lease that we need bicycle parking included in our rent costs! Nothing's in writing yet, but I'm hopeful...