BIKE LIGHT 500 Lumen "Mt.Bike" for under 10 bucks by Veggiecycle

Step 7 Battery ...now this is gonna cost you a little bit

You need to find at Radio Shack or a specalty electronics supply for a 10 AA batteries holder. Solder the other end of the RCA cable to it and ....
The best battery to use is a Nickel-Metal Hydride or NiMH 2500 mAh I found the Energizer from HD the best price. You need 10 cuz they are 1.2 volts each 10x1.2 = 12 volts. Put the battery pack in your underseat bag or in a water bottle. The light should work for 3 hours with a 10 watt bulb and 10 2500 mAh batteries. Or 1 1/2 hours with a 20 watt.
If you have any questions drop me a line....

10 AAbattery holder $1.00
Energizer 4-Pack AA NiMH Rechargeable $8.97HD
Energizer 4-Pack AA NiMH Rechargeable w/charger 17.95

Comments

[dlfynrdr]

Why not just use one of those rechargable battery packs they sell for use for an RC car? A lot more compact and cheaper, and still 12v.

[mtaylor22]

You could do that too, but if any of the cells weaken or are damaged, you have to replace the whole unit. This system (aa's) would allow individual batteries to be tested and replaced more easily. Also you could use up gift or leftover AA standard batteries. Some people even recharge alkaline AA's with the new home chargers ($40) that are popularized through dpt stores.

[jarrelb]

i wonder if you could use this same configuration to replace a bulb on my 50cc scooter...which is 35amps? the stock bulb is vastly weak

[mtaylor22]

I ride a motor bicycle, and the 20w 12v narrow flood beams do NOT work well in traffic. this bulb is WONDERFUL for off road riding at 5-15mph though. SInce you will have a bigger battery or generator system, you may be able to get satisfactory results by using 2 of these, one with a narrow flood beam and one with a narrow spot. If you can run a 35watt bulb with your scooter, just buy a fog light or dune buggy light, probably you will be happier.

[mtaylor22]

That's great! I was wondering if you could get enough run time from AA's to make it worth bothering with. Look on batteryspace com for DIY light supplies and batteries. They cater to bicyclists fed up with overpriced kits. I use a "hip pack" for my current battery (6lb!) so I think 2 10 * AA's should fit in there great.

[jbaillargeon]

Why wouldn't it be better to use just 1 long battery holder. then using to of them. u could have that go any where on yr Bike. i would do that in stead of to or more. & i don't no y u couldn't use a Solar Powered Unit like they have at Harber Freight. people use them to keep there Battery charge up in there car. so Y can't u use that 4 yr Battery on yr Bike light

[amberisdelighted]

I am very excited about this project, however I keep getting curve balls thrown at me. I bought a battery pack today, however it doesn't have the red and black wires connected to it, just a pos and neg stud. Is there anything I can do, or do I need to find another battery pack matching yours?
Also, I was advised at RadioShack that Hooking Wire would also be usable in a project like this, however without the red and black wires, I'm wondering if I've just collected a bunch of pieces that don't fit together.

Thanks so much!

[roland985]

Just solder the wires...

[amberisdelighted]

Just soder the wires....straight onto the the battery pack?

Your comment is a bit ambiguious.

[roland985]

I have soldered to batteries many a time, the trick is to put solder on the wire and then touch the wire to the contact while the solder is still molten. I sometimes use a flat piece of metal to press the wire to the contact as well. The result is a pretty decent connection without getting too much heat into the battery.

[DDRAMbo]

I'm wondering if at this point, and for other projects with a need for a similar battery holder, you could substitute the battery case from a laptop battery, which is essentially a battery holder for a bunch of AA-size rechargeable batteries. Dead or cheap 'used' laptop batteries should be widely available. Just a thought.

[congamongo]

Also, does it matter what mAh rating the batteries have?

[Digi]

Yes it does matter on the mAh rating. To put it simple, the higher the mAh rating, the longer the battery lasts. You will notice in general, when you price shop, the higher mAh rating the higher the price.

[mysss]

(mAh, or milliamp-hours, are a measure of charge, so the more mAh, the longer the battery will last.)

[cheese.trading]

first im pretty sure u dont need that mainy batteries. i mean if u want threehours of battery life then yeah sure. But if u are to add a capacitor then u can have less as the capacitor will build it up to the 12 volts. an if u are using the NiMH then i think they are rechargeable (imay be wrong so dont have a go) then most rechargeables dont stay at 1.2 constantly they fluxtuate between 0.9 to 1.2, so u realy do need a capacitor. i know most lights are built to handle those etremetys but if they do they will not last as long. so back to capacitors if u have, say just a slim pack of 6 rechargeables then it may only last an hour and a half but u only need it to get home so my point is that u can then recharge them and this whole idea makes the bike a lot lighter and faster (also u can bring other backs or batterys with u).

[tkjtkj]

I'm not sure i understand your idea, but if i do read you correctly, you are in error. A capacitor will not, can not, 'charge up' to any voltage that is higher than the applied voltage. Think of a capacitor as a 'balloon' that you try to blow-up. There is no way that you can cause the pressure ('voltage') in the balloon to exceed the pressure your lungs provide in inflating it. But perhaps you had in mind some other kind of circuit .. if so, do forgive me (but do tell me what that circuit might be.)

[mobstar76]

You will get get a much brighter light running at 12V instead of 6V+Cap. Capacitors are only good to hold a steady voltage on variable voltage applications such as audio amps and sensitive electronics. a light is a constant source of drain therefore there is no need.

[rams]

***BATTERY CONFIG TIPS*** His light unit needs 10 AA batteries. So you can use the 6+4 long holders (on the light wired) or one ten holder (5x2 on the left). I built my own light a year ago. I was using the rectangular battery holder (5x2) but its far easier to use long holders. I found it annoying, removing batteries from the box on the right as each battery has a spring on the bottom. With long battery holders there is only springs at the base.

[congamongo]

Sorry, a little confused on the battery config. In steps 7 and 8 you're showing lots of batteries and cases. Not sure which are to be used. Is step 7 image just two ways to accomplish the 10-pack? Also, where is the gray wire from? It doesn't look like an RCA cable. Thanks.