Anyone notice their head lights not lasting as long in the cold weather?
11-30-12, 05:44 PM
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Anyone notice their head lights not lasting as long in the cold weather?
Seems like my 8 month old Minewt600 won't give me an hour on high anymore. It is supposed to do 1.5 hrs. But it doesn't, and I have noticed shorter run times in the cold weather.
Is this common?
Is this common?
11-30-12, 05:48 PM
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I've experienced this with battery lights, as well.
This is part of the reason I now have a dynamo setup for my primary lighting.
My blinkies last about 50-60% as long in Winter as they do in the warmer months, or so it seems. I haven't measured it, but it is noticeable.
This is part of the reason I now have a dynamo setup for my primary lighting.
My blinkies last about 50-60% as long in Winter as they do in the warmer months, or so it seems. I haven't measured it, but it is noticeable.
11-30-12, 05:48 PM
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Yes, cold weather affects battery life. Maybe get a handlebar bag, a small one, and store the external batteries inside there - that is what I do and I've noticed an increase in battery life times because it is insulated and warmer inside the bag.
11-30-12, 05:49 PM
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Anything battery driven will suffer issues in the cold. My wife has similar runtime issues with her mobility scooter, and that thing runs on 75 pounds of deep-cycle batteries.
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11-30-12, 06:02 PM
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keep a spare battery or two in your warm inside pockets and swap them around. I don't know if it'll work but you'll have spare batteries anyway. This is assuming your light takes generic batteries and not some proprietary type that costs $$$$$
12-01-12, 04:53 AM
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Yes, batteries don't operate as well in the cold: https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/a...w_temperatures. I use flashlights with 18650 batteries. I bought premium batteries (Kallies Kustoms) for use in winter and they last longer than the cheap DX batteries. I always use two lights (both front and rear) and carry spare battery, although the spares are in my seat pack, not on my body.
12-01-12, 05:02 AM
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I'm sure it's rated for 1.5h over a range of operating temps.
I use an LED light with 4 AA batteries and when the temp is below 0C/32F I get roughly 25-50% of the longevity I get at 25C/85F.
It's OK as I only commute max 1.5h/day and I recharge the batteries every night (but I seem to get a max of roughly 6h if I forget to charge them for a day or two.)
I use an LED light with 4 AA batteries and when the temp is below 0C/32F I get roughly 25-50% of the longevity I get at 25C/85F.
It's OK as I only commute max 1.5h/day and I recharge the batteries every night (but I seem to get a max of roughly 6h if I forget to charge them for a day or two.)
12-01-12, 08:49 AM
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Many Li-ion batteries 'age' and will have diminished power with time. 8 months is a little excessive, however, for the kind of run time reduction you are seeing. If you are storing the battery on the bike, try storing and charging inside and see if that makes a difference. If it doesn't call Niterider.
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Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
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Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
12-01-12, 08:55 AM
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