Permanent Battery Securment
 

Ok, well maybe semi-permanent. I have a MagicShine light, and I'm tired of having to take the battery pack on and off my bicycle, especially when I'm grocery shopping because I usually stash it in my pannier, then forget to take it out before loading, then have to dig for it in the bottom of my bag. (The light itself is small enough that I can put it in a side pocket.) I'm going to be putting a Wald wire basket on the front of my bicycle, and want a way to mount the battery semi-permanently to the bottom of the basket. I don't need it to be Fort Knox-secure, but enough to discourage casual theft.

Here's a picture of the battery:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

I was thinking about a bolted-on metal bracket that goes under the metal pins that you tension the velcro strap around, but whenever I've gone to hardware stores or machine shops to see what they have, they look at me like I have three heads, so obviously I'm not using the correct vocabulary to explain what I want.

Or who knows, maybe there's some sort of lock I could use that would work on object like the battery that I don't know about.

I know everyone raves about their magic shines, but in recent years with the advances in LED lights and USB charging batteries the concept of a separate battery pack and the issues you face are just a non starter for me. I have two ridiculously good self contained lights, a cygolite and a nite rider, I have extra mounts on all my bikes and helmet. It's just a no brainer, which is totally appropriate for me ;)

My MagicShine battery pack came with a Velcro pouch. I attach it at the rear of the top bar and it stays on the bike permanently. I assume that any thieves aren't going to be interested in a battery.

Consider using dynamo lights.

My article

Eventually I'm going to do that, but right now I'm looking for an <$500 solution.

Not too much meth in your neck of the woods, eh?

I second the self-contained option. Absolutely love my Cygolite ExpiliOn 700. Just don't love the interference it produces on flash modes, which effs up my wireless computer in close proximity. Works fine when the light is on any steady-state mode, though.

Dynamo lights are a great option and if I had one main bike that I rode all the time I'd do it for sure. But I have several bikes that may need lighting on any given day. It's simply not feasible or even possible to put a dynamo hub on all of them. Light mounts on the other hand are cheap, so are extra batteries for my cygo.

Collenc solved the same problem by putting the battery in a vest pocket. My bike is usually stored indoors so I don't have to worry about theft, but know just what you're talking about when I end up taking the whole magicshine setup off the bike when I'm not able to park indoors.

lol, I guess not. My boss doesn't even lock up his bike outside, and it's a fancy road bike. I do take the light off and stick it in my bag. I think most people walking past wouldn't even know it was a battery.

Yeah, meth heads will take anything that looks vaguely electrical/complex/mechanical, to see if they can strip it down to sell for scrap. Or just because it's shiny, but they don't generally have the stick-to-it-ness needed to take off something that's bolted on. And, you know, if they stay in one place too long the CIA agents spying on them might find them. :lol:

As my article states, the cost of building a system just like mine is about $161. Given that it might last ten years or more with little maintenance, that beats any battery system in dollars per mile.

A fair criticism. I'm working on it. If all your bikes run 700c wheels, I've already got that worked out. I can move my dynamo front wheel from bike to bike. I'm working on making the lights detachable, too.

One really cool option is to attach the headlight to the front wheel, but that's quite tricky and not necessarily going to work on just any bike. Sheldon managed it.

Think the battery will fit in this?
http://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-54...ef=pd_sim_hi_1

Edited to add: you'd probably need to drill a hole for the wire. Check on amazon - there seem to be tonnes of stuff similar to this, and some have holes to allow headphone wires.

All of the quotes I got for building/installing a dynamo system from local shops were in the $500 range. I have neither the expertise, tools, equipment or time to build my own dynamo wheels.

Wait, how does that work?

I'll be in Eugene for a day on June 15.

But seriously, building a wheel isn't as hard as it sounds. The more you read about it, the harder it seems. We've walked MANY folks through it, and it always works out.

You would need a rod that is attached to the front axle. The wires go from the hub, up the rod, and to the light, which is has the light at the other end of the rod. When you clamp the wheel in the bike, the rod is held in place with the QR skewer or the axle nut.

Works really well whenever I have to tether my battery pack to my light that is helmet mounted.

I see several possible solutions for the OP. You can try just using zip ties around the battery pack and through an onpening of your basket. Another idea is to use a large hose clamp around the battery pack and through the basket opening. For someone to steal that means they will need a screw driver to loossen the hose clamp. Or you can use both hose clamp and zip ties.

Third idea is to find a U-bolt clamp that is square shape and clamp your pack down. This will requure someone with a wrench to loosen the nut.

Another thoughts is to find a project box from Radioshack that fits the battery. Drill 4 holes in the bottom of the box and bolt that through a opening of the basket. Place battery in box and screw the lid with the original screw or maybe even replace the original screw with some tamper resistant screw. You will need to drill a large size hole for your battery connector to exit the box.

All else fail is to find some plumbers strap and strap that around the battery pack and through the basket. You can then use a bolt and nut or even a mini padlock around any two holes on the strap, just be sure it is tight.

HOSE CLAMP

That's exactly what I was thinking of, but I didn't know the name of what I was asking for. I asked for "metal strapping" all sorts of stuff. I'll probably just use some hose clamps to secure the battery underneath the basket, that way it's sort of out of sight as well.