Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Any tricks to stop battery rattle in L2D

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noisebeam
10-08-08, 04:09 PM
I like this light, but the batteries rattling against the housing make a clicky rattle sound over every tiny bump in the road when handlebar mounted. Very annoying.

Batteries are AA Duracell NiMH. I know different brands and/or types of AA batteries have slightly different diameter. (In my experience NiMH tend to be very slightly thicker than non-rechargeable.)

Adding a bit of diameter with tape may help, but when I've tried this in the past there was too fine a line between getting battery stuck in case vs. loose enough to rattle.

Maybe someone has an effective and practical solution.

Al

Speedball
10-08-08, 04:14 PM
Maybe a wrap or two of masking or electrical tape?
noisebeam
10-08-08, 04:16 PM
Maybe a wrap or two of masking or electrical tape?

Even a strip of elec. tape on side of battery, let alone a full wrap, is too much.
I wouldn't complain about a minor rattle, but it sounds worse than a crazy loose headset.

mechBgon
10-08-08, 09:39 PM
Try cutting a piece of paper to the size needed to form a tube. Slip that in there, then slide the batteries into it. Worked for mine.
noisebeam
10-09-08, 10:28 AM
Try cutting a piece of paper to the size needed to form a tube. Slip that in there, then slide the batteries into it. Worked for mine.

Sounds like a plan. Simple and hopefully effective w/no sticky residue.

Before last nights ride I put a wrap of clear wrapping tape on the batteries. One wrap still left some rattle, two wraps made the batteries too thick to fit. In the end the light stayed in my jersey pocket (It's a backup, not primary)

Hopefully copy paper will end up being the right thickness or even provide some 'rattle dampening cushion' that the plastic tape doesn't.

Al
notnormal
10-09-08, 12:13 PM
Post-it notes work great and are usually about the right size.
Editz
10-09-08, 01:57 PM
So are you saying the batteries hit the sides of the housing, or are they somehow moving back and forth (front to back) inside the housing?
noisebeam
10-09-08, 02:03 PM
So are you saying the batteries hit the sides of the housing, or are they somehow moving back and forth (front to back) inside the housing?

Not front to back or end to end I believe. Instead side to side (long side of batteries against inside of battery holding tube)

The spring does a good job of controlling end to end movement it seems, but no spring of this size could be 'strong' enough to prevent movement perpendicular to the force applied to the ends of the batteries.

You can feel this my rapping side flashlight against palm of hand.

Al