Hey super-duper,
These batteries are from APC SmartUPS 1400 rack mounted power supplies.

The light ran for a little over an hour before it started to dim. I don't know the charge level of the battery prior to this test. I am charging it now to see how long it takes from a "depleted" state. Then will re-run the "drain" test.

As soon as I get a chance I am going to Home Depot to see if I can find some lower power lights like most of ya'll are using. I'll keep the 55W for a nice BRIGHT light when its needed.

Bob

When I read about the light systems some of us on the forum have I think I see some confustion. If someone here knows for sure please correct me! I know Volts X Amps = Watts. I went to Batteries Plus and they wrote down the formula for me so I could figure out what I wanted in a battery and runtime. Right now I have a 6V, 6W system. Following the formual I should draw 1Amp. Using a 5AHr battery, I should get 5 hrs runtime. Almost always a little less depending on how cold the weather is and how old the battery is. NMHi batteries may give better performance but with your basic halogen, I think the formula is fairly accurate. NMHi are a little pricy but those "in the know" say they are worth the money.

Occasionally I'll charge my battery to full and turn on my headlight for a timed test. Right now I get about 2.75-3Hrs out of my 5AmHr battery. It's getting old. Time to shop for another one. Hope this helps.

Yeah Amp Hours is misleading. From what I understand, you don't want to drain these batteries totally dead. Instead run 'em to about 1/2 their capacity and they'll last longer.

Youwsa !!!

Check this out !! parts for Building your own HID!!

I found this source for ATV HID lights the other day. $130 for the kit and add your own battery for another $40. Looks promising.

Light:
http://www.trailtech.net/helmet_moun...ght_kits_1.htm


Battery:
http://www.batteryspace.com/index.as...S&Category=712

where did you get the battery for $11? I saw one at Fry's Electronics for $22, at Radio Shack for $25. thanks

wow some very cool stuff here

OK, well, I guess the $11 was at zbattery.com so you would have to add shipping. I was buying some other stuff, like their 1000ma 2 stage charger, also. We don't have a Fry's here, but the electronics store a couple of blocks from me sells 5AH sla for about $15. Check at a more battery-specific place and you may find a better price.

OMG! I love my geeklights, but I have to admit that the Trailtech kit is making it hard to keep my wallet in my pocket! More power, ar, ar, ar!

No problem, Spidey!

"Wait until it gets dark.
Turn your light on. Its bright eh? Ride towards some car drivers.
See the car drivers flash their headlights at you.
See the car drivers shout and swear.
See the car driver stop, get out of his car and start chasing you.
Ride faster.
Ride for another 10 minutes and realise that your battery has gone flat and you are in the middle of nowhere."

They really had the right idea, but they were drunk, and couldn't finish the job, eh? :) 130 watt beamage is too serious for a drill battery!

(Thanks for the link! :D )

Indeed. That's hard to resist, particularly with using my existing 12V system.

The LiIon packs are pretty sweet, but not really $130 sweet.

130 W? Must be a typo More like 30-35W

No, 130W is about right for a halogen car lamp, which is what they're using. That's a 10 amp draw per light, which is about right.

My local Pep boys does not have the Vector Pocket Power 12 volt DC power supply that LittleBigMan recommended at the very beginning of this thread.

Not having much in the way of electronics skills, this appeared to be the simplest and CHEAPEST source of power for my 20V Malibu light that LittleBigMan also recomended.

Can anyone recomend a subsitute power source that is simple and cheap? The Vector's $20 price for the battery, case, charger and wires is pretty tempting. I can't seem to find the Vector on the internet to buy it, can anyone offer a link?

By the way, how does one connect a second headlight, if I wanted to? (No electronic skills or experience, remember).

The easiest way is to get one of the adapters to let you plug 2 or 3 things into a car cigarette lighter. Then get some of the plugs from auto supply or DIY electronics place. No switches needed.

Vector power pak can be ordered from Vector's website http://www.vectormfg.com/site2/vecto...t.php?cPath=24

PepBoys is EVIL - do not deal with them! They screwed me *and* my car over the last time I was in there, and made things worse. I finally got my money back from them, but I will never go back, and tell everyone who is interested to not go there either!

This is my system:A 20 watt 12 volt landscape light in a home made aluminum housing. With a SLA 12 volt 4APH Battery. Works wonders. Puts lot's of light where I need it. Lasts about three hours before needing a refill. See it on page 10 of my site. The Tour De Pants

I have a few Q's that seem applicable to the "total geekiness" thread:

a) Is there a source yet for AA sized lithium ion rechargeable batteries? [I just checked a few on line spots to no avail.]

b) Can 2 CRV3 Li Ion rechargeables be modified to work where 4AA's would? [cateye lights, as an example]

c) Has anyone on here successfully recharged their Energizer NON RECHARGEABLE Lithium AA's? [Perhaps someone would/could like to explain why it's not possible]

Thanks!

You will not find them, for a couple of reasons:

- LiIon cells are 3.6 volts each. You can't just drop in 4 LiIons where 4 AAs were, some rewiring would be necessary (series/parallel instead of just series, and then recharging would be complex without removing the cells).

- LiIon battery packs (not cells) have internal regulation and safety circuitry. This is for good reason: LiIon cells, if shorted out or overcharged, will EXPLODE. I don't mean pop a seal and leak some stuff out like an old AA cell. I mean get hot as hell, boil their electrolyte, and blow the side out of whatever they're in, possibly injuring people. This is the reason you never see raw cells, except in electronics catalogs where it's assumed people know what they're doing, and even so when you buy them, they'll come with an orange warning tag in the package.


No. Because normal Lithium batteries use a non-reversible chemical reaction when creating their juice. All batteries are doing chemistry when releasing power. Rechargables use a reaction that's designed to be reversible (the ions can be regenerated electrically). Non-rechargables use reactions that are difficult or impossible to reverse simply by putting electricity across the junction.

Hummm, sounds like John knows what he's talkin' about! Great Advice. :D

Hey John,

I've noticed that the "CRV3" sized LiIon cells(packs) are 3.6V. I was hoping for info on using 2(two) of them to replace 4(four) AA's. The overvoltage is handy in LED lights (makes them incredibley bright etc)&occurs when one uses 4 non-rechargeable AA li-ion cells as it is now. Perhaps the battery cases of the lights themselves can be modified(ie, fitting a square peg into a round hole...)?

Also, thanks for the understandable explanation re: not re-charging. Makes sense!

Sure does! And more is better :)

Becca...What's up with PepBoys????

Well, you asked.... ;)

Back in June (maybe July; memory is fuzzy) my car had died. I had it towed to PepBoys. They kept it for a week, saying they thought it was this, then that, then another thing... finally they called and said we could come and take it home. "You won't be driving it across the country, but it'll get you home," they said. We happily jumped on the bus and went to retrieve the car. $500+ bucks was the bill. OUCH. Then we went to get in the car. I could get it to turn over, but I couldn't hardly keep it running! I had to keep it floored *and* pumping the gas just to keep it going. Went back in to complain, and they sent the mechanic out to try. He didn't have much better luck. Finally I told him to take it across the street to the Goodyear shop. I then went back into PepBoys and raised enough of a fuss that they finally refunded all my money. Part of the stink I raised was that they were attempting to put us on the road with an un-road-worthy vehicle that would likely get us into a wreck, and possibly injured or killed! Yes, it was that bad!

Over at Goodyear, they sympathized with us, and said that they had gotten many such complaints about Pepboys over the previous 6-12 months. They couldn't get to us that day (Saturday), but Monday for sure. On Monday they called and said that the oil pump was gone and wasn't getting oil to the top of the engine block. Because of this, the top of the engine block was seizing.

If it had been a horse, we would've taken it out back and shot it. As it was, we donated it. From that day forward, we make a point of telling people about our experience and telling people to stay away from PepBoys.

WOW HID!!!

a friend of mine forwarded this too me. batteryspace.com , Which is always a good place to get some batteries , now has a HID light for $129
http://www.batteryspace.com/index.as...OD&ProdID=1332