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This page describes the construction of a universal bike light battery with eight "C" cell rechargeable NiMh batteries. It is made from a Parmesan ch...
An 8 ounce Kraft Parmesan Cheese container happens to fit into a standard bicycle water bottle cage very well. Run to your local supermarket (or perha...
You'll need a few more items to build this battery pack. First, pick up two battery holders capable of holding four C-cell batteries each. Make sure t...
Purchase two connectors that are compatible with your bike light. In this case I used Size N Panel Mount Coaxial DC Power Jacks from Radio Shack. You'...
The Parmesan cheese container fits snug into a standard water bottle cage. However, you may wish to modify the container slightly to overcome any fitt...
One suggestion to customize the container is to use a heat gun. The heat will soften the plastic so that you can mold it to fit your bottle cage. Be c...
Solder lead wires to the connectors. I recommend installing braided 18 AWG wire as opposed to 20 or 22. The 18 AWG will reduce resistance from the bat...
You'll find that the plastic in the bottom of the cheese container is thicker and more rigid than the sides. This is a nice feature as it makes connec...
The battery holder will likely come with red and black leads. Remove these and solder the connector leads from step #7 directly to the battery termina...
Of course make sure you leave enough length in your wire to remove and install the batteries. In this example I am wiring two separate four-cell batte...
Now you're ready to go. The battery pack is complete and ready to accept your choice of "C" cell batteries.
I picked up Radio Shack rechargeable NiMh "C" cells for this bike light. Each cell is rated for 1.2V and 3000mAh. This is a good capacity for bike lig...
The assembled battery holders slide into the container back-to-back. You may have to insert one pack at a time to get them both inside. Small variatio...
It is a tight fit, but that is the idea. This battery pack puts eight C cells into a container that is about the size of a small water bottle. Plus, t...
Install the lid. The lid on these cheese container flips open so that you can shake the cheese out. I thought of using that feature to run the wires o...
Snap the lid down and you're ready to ride!
The battery pack mounts with the lid facing down. The wire runs up the down tube to the handlebars where your light is mounted.
Here is a variation on the position of the battery connectors. In this case I mounted them on the side of the container. Depending on where your light...
There is at least one benefit to this connector position. That is the wire that you solder to the connector extends across the bottom of the container...
Connectors mounted on the side of the container give you a different position to run the power leads. Your decision.
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