Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Upgrade/Better Dinotte AA battery connection Suggestion

Using the Dinnotte 200L AA battery light and am getting a bit frustrated on how poorly the battery connector stays tight to the light connection. I have bought some new battery holders but eventually these things tend to seperate.
I can use a rubber band to fix the issue, but perhaps someone has created or found a better connection system?

Thanks

thanks for the suggestion, I've been wasting all this time ensuring the battery pack was well secured from the outside, I'll get some thick rubberbands.

This is the weak point of the DiNotte AA-series design. i would think that you could solder on any connector pair you wanted (see for example suggestions given in the omnibus Magicshine thread for replacing those battery connectors). I have used rubber bands for over a year now and they work so well that I have not given any thought to upgrading the connectors.

Rubberbands work, I keep the batteries together that way.
I have a magicshine so I may just do both at the same time, cause sooner or later that one will go.

The AA series must use a different connector from the Li series. I have a total of 3 of the L series lights and battery packs, and the connectors are bomb proof. Is it possible to get the L series connectors from Dinotte?

The AA series must use a different connector from the Li series. I have a total of 3 of the L series lights and battery packs, and the connectors are bomb proof. Is it possible to get the L series connectors from Dinotte?

The AA series uses what look like standard 9V battery connectors. It should be no trick to replace the connectors if that's what you want. On the other hand, my son shipped his light back to DiNotte and they repaired it and sent it back the same day (no additional cost). It's a good company.

I never have problems with the connector to the AA battery pack. But the AA batteries would pop loose all the time. So now I wrap two rubber bands around the battery pack to hold the AAs in.

I have the cloth battery pack bag velcroed to my stem, so the wire to the light loops around in a circle to the battery pack and has no strain on it. It's never come loose.

The AA battery pack is the weak spot of the design. Nothing much Dinotte can do about that if you want the convenience of AA batteries. You can use elastic bands, stretchy electrical tape, a piece of inner tube, or heat shrink tubing to keep the batteries in place and the 9V-style connector attached. Elastic bands are probably the easiest and cheapest. The big plus is AA batteries are ubiquitous, and you can replace a damaged battery holder (or carry a spare pack ready to go) at Radio Shack. I use rechargable NiMH cells in mine and carry a set of AA Lithiums as a back-up.

I did pick up a 600L headlamp and Li-ion taillight last fall during one of Dinotte's sales for my commuter. My AA 200L is now a helmet light and I use the AA-powered taillight on my road bike.

If you're handy with a soldering iron, you can try to solder new connectors on both the battery pack and the light. These (http://www.batteryspace.com/connectoradaptoronepairtwopinslockableconnectorwith8coilcord.aspx) are about $7 per pair, are waterproof and won't come loose accidently. However, even with these, you'll still be left with the problem of the AA batteries popping out of the holder at inopportune times. So, it's back to rubber bands for the batteries. And if you're using rubber bands for the batteries, why not just apply that technique to the stock connectors also. Ahh...I just convinced myself out of spending $$ for the connectors. :D

I get a fresh set of AAs for the Dinotte about once a year. It's nice having batteries that hold a full charge, instead of making due with old, half worn out batteries.

I've now broken two of the AA battery holders by dropping them on the floor with batteries in them. At least they are only $1.99 at Radio Shack.

The AA series must use a different connector from the Li series. I have a total of 3 of the L series lights and battery packs, and the connectors are bomb proof. Is it possible to get the L series connectors from Dinotte?

I just use 2 terminal rubber trailer connectors such as these (http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/CON-320/2-CONDUCTOR-WATERPROOF-CONNECTORS-18-AWG/-/1.html) when my lighting connectors have gone bad in the past. They're kind of ugly, but they WORK and are pretty much bombproof.