Kilo-Lumen bike headlight

Step 10 Battery

Powering a headlight like this requires a substantial amount of power, enough that if you were to add it as resistance to pedalling by means of a generator, it would be very noticable. I chose to use what I had, namely power tool batteries. They are cheap, available everywhere, and in my case you can get LiPo replacements for much higher capacity.

The challenge with using power tool batteries is the connections. The freebie that comes with many of these power tool kits is a flashlight and I found that I never used it. So with one quick slice with a hacksaw (well many actually) I transformed the flashlight into a battery adaptor. I added a powerpole connector to the adaptor and epoxied it in place. I also sewed a pouch to carry the battery on the frame of the bike. A small aluminum cap glued to the top provided debris protetion until it fell off. I haev yet to bother to replace it.

Remember to fuse your conenctions. I didn't but then I'm just lazy. Or maybe I'm hoping that someday I can increase my visibilty riding to work in one bright flash of flame.