Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Help: Adapting new power source for old Vistalite head light (Lightstick)

Greetings:
New years brings clean up around the bench and i found these 4-5 old Vistalite headshells that I inherited that are collecting dust. They were powered by a lightstick, but the run time was ugh and eventually it stopped charging or giving power or wire was bad or all three.

I have lamps that are rated 5,10, and 15 watts.

I used a couple clippies and attached it to a 4xAA back up bundle for my Dinotte and the lamps worked fine. I had hacked into the cable to bare wire to make it work.

Question: Can anyone suggest an easy power mod so I could mount one of these as a back up flood light source on the commuter? A Batteries Plus ready to go product? The original cable had one of those female plugs, but I can solder and mod.

http://mungo.com.au/Images/vista.jpg

thanks!
Mark

How about one of these 6v battery packs (http://www.batteryspace.com/nimhbatterypack6v4200mah252wh5xscwithtabs.aspx):

http://www.batteryspace.com/ProductImages/customize/4457.jpg (http://www.batteryspace.com/nimhbatterypack6v4200mah252wh5xscwithtabs.aspx)

It should a little less than an hour with all three lights running. You can solder the wires from the old pack to it and zip-tie/velcro it underneath the stem?

I used to have a Nightstick set too! Nice design, but run time was not very good.

You have a primary light (Dinotte) and plan to use this as a backup only? How about a Y-cord to the Dinotte battery pack? Or are you planning on running the lights simultaneously?

If you want a separate power source, go for a nominally 7.2V battery. Overvolting the halogen by about 20% is a good trade off between more light and burning out the bulb prematurely. The original Nightstick battery provides 7.2V IIRC, for the same reason.

--J

Ah yes, over-driving halogens gives higher-efficiency. If you increase voltage by +20%, you actually get even more light, like +25% more lumens. In that regard, you can get a pre-made battery-pack and not have to worry about mounting them:

7.2v 5ah waterbottle (http://www.batteryspace.com/waterbottlenimhbattery72v5ah36whwithtrail-techfemaleplug-1.aspx)
http://www.batteryspace.com/ProductImages/bikebattery/7.2V_5000_bklight3.jpg (http://www.batteryspace.com/waterbottlenimhbattery72v5ah36whwithtrail-techfemaleplug-1.aspx)

That might do the trick.
Guess I'd have to go for the charger too (I have the old Vistalite charging brick but not sure about the connection.)


You have a primary light (Dinotte) and plan to use this as a backup only? How about a Y-cord to the Dinotte battery pack? Or are you planning on running the lights simultaneously?

I commute on and off commuter paths in town, and there is a lot of ambient light except on a stretch of path through a residential area. At that point I crank on the flood light for the path. So I wouldn't be running the lights at the same time. Mostly I have these several VistaLite light shells and bulbs and such that they are just not being used so looking to use them somehow,