520commuter

Hey guys.

My Niterider Road Rat quit working yesterday, and I rode home with no front or rear lighting. From now on I will atleast carry a back up blinky.

Anyway, from what I can tell the battery is fine (lead acid). The connection from the charger to the battery is good, since I can check the voltage during charging and ensure that the battery is getting power. I am not sure about the connection from the battery to the light however, or the "splitter" connection that splits the current to send to the headlight and taillight. Both lights were not working last night, so I figured it was a battery issue, or atleast the connection with the battery. On the ride home the headlight came on very briefly (1-2 seconds) a couple times going over bumps (I think the taillight came on too). Could it just be the headlight bulb? If the bulb was burnt out would that also prevent the taillight from getting power?

I have called Niterider on this, but they want me to send it in for them to look at. The light only costs about $50 new, so it would be better for me just to figure it out on my own. Any ideas, guys?

Thanks for any help!

520commuter

Ok, so I checked the three "pronged" plug from the battery. It has current too, but the light still won't come on... Atleast I'm narrowing it down.

operator

This probably isn't going to help, but how did you like that light anyways?

520commuter

I liked it, especially the price. 10W is just at the edge of enough in town, and plenty on dark streets. I also thought it would be nice to have something simple that I could fix instead of Niterider... I don't care much about weight on my commuter anyway.

It looks like battery voltage is dropping pretty quick just sitting around. Maybe it is the battery, but then why didn't the light work right after charging when the battery was fresh. My wife has the same system, so I am going to use her battery and see if my light works on it..

The saga continues.

Jean Beetham Smith 

If you have a voltmeter, or know someone with one, you can check the wiring harness. Most manufacturers don't supply enough velcro to keep the cables from "slapping" the frame, and that can lead to breaks.

520commuter

Thanks for the reply. Well, last night I used my light with my wife's battery (identical setup to mine), and the light worked! Ok, so it is definitely the battery now.

I charged the battery over night (6V, 6ah), and after 15 minutes off the charger this morning it is only at 2.9 volts! It looks like the battery may be toast, but would that cause complete blackout? I would think that I would atleast get a brown glow from the 10W bulb... BTW, there are 3 wires in the cable from the battery, the positive and negative, and then a yellow wire that is not connected to the battery at all. Any idea what that one does?

Sorry for all the questions, I really appreciate the help.

520commuter

According to a friend of mine, half of the battery is dead (thus the 2.8 volts), probably due to a connection between cells broken from vibrations. He also said that a halogen bulb would not light at this decreased voltage, since it is not the 6v it was designed for. Time to go battery shopping. Anyone know where Niterider buys their LA batteries? It'd be nice to get the same one to fit in the pouch.

jazzy_cyclist

I'm not an expert on these things, but do you have a "smart" charger? I think it's possible to zing the batteries by overcharging. I believe that you are correct in that lead-acid would normally be dimmer, while a NiCad would shutoff as low power.

BTW, I'm looking at the trail rat if anyone has opinions - more for occasional night rides and commutes, not hard core daily commuting.

-Jim

520commuter

The charger is the one from Niterider, but I don't think it is that smart.

520commuter

Well, I am now using a 6v, 5ah SLA battery that I had laying around the office for use with a datalogger. The Niterider battery "says" that it is 6v, 6ah, but I am not sure if I believe it. The batteries are the EXACT same size and shape, probably built in the same factory, they just have different casings on them. I wouldn't be suprised if Niterider just rates theirs a little higher than it actually is. The Niterider charger is currently charging up this "imposter" battery just fine...

So the light works fine now with the new battery. Niterider wants about $38 for a replacement, but you can get the same (I believe) battery at a local shop for $17. It just won't say Niterider on it.

kf5nd

Battery voltage is determined by chemistry. A lead-acid cell will always have a given voltage, the manufacturer cannot jimmy with it. The only way they can alter voltage is by changing number of cells hooked up in series. Also, if it's the same size, same shape, same chemistry, and same price-point, they probably have very much the same capacity, within spittin' distance of each other.

Corsaire

I got a week ago the Niterider Trail Rat 2.0 as a back up light for my Cygo Explorer.
I had to send the mounting clip back for repair/exchange because it failed at first try-out, a really faulty design.
The 10W beam on the Trail Rat doesn't compare to the Cygo 10W beam, Cygo's is way much brighter and potent.

Corsaire

PaulBravey

I got a Trail Rat on Thursday. I agree about the mounting clip - mine didn't fail but it seemed unnecessarily difficult to attach, requiring a fair amount of brute force. I've not had much to compare the light to but it's a lot brighter than the old cat eyes I've used in the past and just about enough for the 17-18 mph I'm normally going at. The only time I wished I had more light was on a couple of pitch black downhill sections.

cyclezealot

On a serious night ride I carry two batteries...Also, I have the Cateye Model 300.Puts out pretty good light for that little light..Also, I carry some extra AA batteries for my backup...RIding in the night out in the pitch dark country..THink I would freak out.
I do not do cell phones , either.Not yet at least.