|   anyone know what size NiMH battery Niterider uses | evs
Sep 12, 2002 5:12 AM | | I was looking in to making my own and need the mAH , manufacturer and how many they use
for a 12 volt system. I was mostly interested in the one with the rgey rubber coating that is about the size of a deck of playing cards.How many and what type if batteries are in those things. I haven't taken one apart yet....TIA
evs |
| re: anyone know what size NiMH battery Niterider uses | kid4lyf
Sep 12, 2002 6:11 AM | | From your description I assume you're talking about the battery they use with the Storm HID. It is quite a bit bigger and thicker than a deck of cards, though. They actually use the same batteries as their water bottle type. It's just in a different shaped package. I believe they use 9 "C" size batteries to get 13.5V. I went to a hobby shop that specializes in RC cars and planes to have a new NiteRider bottle mount battery made. They will be able to give you advice on brands and amp hours. |
| re: I see what you're refering to, but the 2001 headtrip | evs
Sep 12, 2002 6:42 AM | | wa what I was looking at.I don't see any 2002 models that have the battery pack of last year. Check out my link.This is the style I wanted to find out what size and type of battery they are using.If I can get the smaller battery in the same mAH then it will be lighter in weight.
Thanks for the info.....
http://www.niterider.com/products/bike_digheadtrip2.html |
| re: anyone know what size NiMH battery Niterider uses | rturanc
Sep 12, 2002 7:14 AM | | There's a topic over in general discussion right now that has the info you need "Battery Replacement . . ." You need 5 1.2V cells - that's a 6V battery you have. If you do a search on batteries, you'll find a lot of diy stuff on here. |
| Sorry, both other responders are wrong wrt your question. | Fast Eddy
Sep 12, 2002 8:42 AM | | The storm HID is a 10v light, and probably uses 9 cells, but that's not what you asked.
5 1.2v cells give you 6v, but that's not what you asked.
Here's the chart from the NiteRider page you referenced:
3:30 Hrs @ 6 Watts
2:25 Hrs @ 10 Watts
1:45 Hrs @ 15 Watt
6w@12v=0.5a : 0.50a*3.5 Hrs=1.75ah
10w@12v=0.83a : 0.83a*2.4 Hrs=1.99ah
15w@12v=1.25a : 1.25A*1.75 Hrs=2.19ah
So the flat gray pack is pretty close to 2ah. Check out http://www.batterystation.com/nicads.htm. Those cells are probably the HR-4/5AUX Sanyo or equivalent. I doubt Nite Rider is spec'ing quality Sanyo cells. Probably some Vartas or something. That pack is probably 10 cells. You can use 11 cells for a little more output.
If you're home-building, go with HR-4/3FAUX. Best power/weight and power/$$ ratios. More than double the capacity of the HR-4/5AUX for less than 50% more cash.
Here's a picture of my pack of 11 HR-4/3FAUX cells:
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| Nice setup, is that your charger .... | evs
Sep 12, 2002 8:52 AM | | and if so do you have a schematic you'd care to share. I was thinking about using these plastic battery holders that only hold 6 or 4 batteries to a pack and putting them in series with 2 more so I can remove them so they can be put in a charger. But if I can put all of them in series and charge them with out removing them that would be a big bonus.Thanks for the input. By the way I'm looking to light a 12v halogen for as long as I can. :-) |
| I thought of that too. | Fast Eddy
Sep 12, 2002 9:21 AM | | If you had the right digital circuit, you could have two packs of six-cells each and run them in series on the bike, and in parallel on the charger. It's hard to find a charger for >12v. I tried hacking my makita 18v charger without success. I may revisit that attempt this season. Right now I use a lab power supply at work and charge them at 1amp for 4.5 hours until they start to get warm. If you forgot, it'd fry the $75 battery pack.
The circuit in the picture is a digital light controller and speedometer. It has some cool features, but it's not quite ready for bar-mouting yet.
Dual bulb output: All these features work across the two bulbs. The output of each of the two bulbs is programmable.
LCD display: Shows the current output wattage of each of the two bulbs, battery voltage, speed, odometer, and light output mode. It's pretty big and heavy though. I'd probably skip it for a production model.
Speed sensed light output: When you're climbing, you get a low preset light output. When you crest the hill, and gain speed, the light will crank up following a formula that you can set. When you get to the next uphill, it will slowly drop the light output back to the low preset.
Output Clamping: You can use 50w bulbs, but keep them clamped down to a max of, say, 15w and 30w respectively, but blast a car when it turns in front of you.
Voltage Clamping: You can use a 14.4v battery, which will actually be about 17v when it's fully charged. The controller will give you a constant 13v (or whatever you set it to), so the light output will be constant over the whole charge. If you want to go on a longer ride, you can set the max to a lower value, and get a longer run-time.
Data storage: There's a 256k bit seeprom that can be used to store speed and voltage over time so you could tune the output functions to maximize the output for your favorite rides. You plug in a 1/8" stereo jack that goes to the serial port on your computer to download the data. You can also upload software updates.
Charger: Built in, voltage sensing peak charger.
I'd sell you a schematic and source code, but you wouldn't want to pay what I'd want for it. Wait until I get it finished, and I'll offer completed units for a good price. Don't hold your breath though. I've been working on it for a year. I need to figure out a good source for the speed sensor. So far I use a cateye sensor, but I doubt they'd sell just the sensor. I'd like to be able to optically sense the valve stem, or even better, spoke nipples, from a brake-mount. It's not hard, but it's yet another project. |
| What type of light are you using??... | evs
Sep 12, 2002 10:18 AM | | see below. I'm using an mr16 12v halogen and would like to stick to it or a similiar size 6v one. Nice stuff your working on but I want to keep it as simple as possible. I have a shunt resistor with a single pole double throw switch with the center neutral (off) and one side running at an overvoltaged(14.4v) 20 watts and the other side running at 12 watts so I can save some battery time on the non technical terrain or when I'm going slower. The heat sink is tie wrapped to the bottom of my stem. With all the bouncing around and rough riding I opted for the simpliest design. Plus I added a fuse.
It would be nice to blast a 50w bulb at times:-) |
| eew | Fast Eddy
Sep 12, 2002 10:30 AM | | You're going to burn a bunch of batteries into your heater. I suppose you could warm your hands on it on cold nights, but...
Why don't you run two lights? One 10w and one 20w on the two poles of your switch. You'd also be sure to be able to ride home if one bulb burnt out.
I have low-voltage yard lamps that cost $10 each mounted with plastic reflector mounts. One uses the stock reflector and a little plug-in bulb that's 12w. The other one I modified to take an MR-16, and I use a 35w bulb. I (currently) use a lightbrain digital controller that cost $25 and gives 5 output leves from two lights: 4w, 8w, 12w, all from the 12w lamp, then the 35w comes on at 50% and 100% for a total of 30w and 47w. I never use the highest setting, except bombing down one 5mi paved dh that I ride sometimes. |
| No no , it really works great.... | evs
Sep 12, 2002 10:43 AM | | This is setup for my handle bar and the wires are right there from the light for the shunt resistor. I thought it would be way to hot to but by mounting it on my metal stem, it acts like a giant heatsink plus it's air cooled while I'm riding. I only use a big tie wrap that is one of those removable kind.It's extra thick but I never even came close to melting it. I have another light on my helmet that is a straight 20 watts. No heatsink there :-) I don't need another hiole in my head.Try it sometime. You'll be amazed at how cool the shunt resistor stays. Just make sure you shut if off when you stop. I use one of those ones that is a ceramic resistor with the big metal heatsinks wrapped around it with a flat end used to mount on boards. The flat end fits snug under the stem.SImple and efficient so far. I've been using it for 2 years so far and haven't even come close to melting the plastic tie wrap |
| Yea, but what I'm saying is... | Fast Eddy
Sep 12, 2002 1:21 PM | | ...that you are using just as much power as 20w when your light is switched to 12w mode. You're just diverting some of the voltage, therefore current, to the resistor. |
| idea | JCintheBA
Sep 13, 2002 2:47 PM | | Yo Ed,
I like your optical sensor idea but I don't know who robust it would be. How about those silver WTB valve caps? Large, light, cheap, reflective and you could tune the receptor to their signature fairly easily I imagine.
Your light sounds awesome. When you go into production can I get a deal? ;)
JC |
| Sorry, both other responders are wrong wrt your question. | rturanc
Sep 12, 2002 9:36 AM | | "Check out my link.This is the style I wanted to find out what size and type of battery
they are using.If I can get the smaller battery in the same mAH then it will be lighter in weight.
Thanks for the info.....
http://www.niterider.com/products/bike_digheadtrip2.html"
That battery in the pic is 6V made of 5 1.2V cells (I know this because I own it and have researched making a spare). That's what you asked. |
| Humblest apologies, you are correct. | Fast Eddy
Sep 12, 2002 9:48 AM | | I glanced at "12v in-vehicle charger" and only saw the "12v" part.
In that case, they're likely using 5 of the same 4/3faux cells that I use. |
| Dont mind Fast Eddy, he's to fast, That's what I needed.... | evs
Sep 12, 2002 10:04 AM | | thanks. But now I don't recall ever seeing something comparable to my MR16 12v halogen bulb in a 6v version. I have a nice metal bulb enclosure that is pefect for the mr16.If I can get a 6v version in the same diameter that would be awesome plus I wouldn't need as many batteries for it. :-)
This is great.Now I know what type of batteries they use in the NiMH version. I have access to a variable voltage supply so I can charge a pack in similiar fashion as Fast Eddy. If I was to buy the charger and batteries it becomes cost prohibitive. I might as well by a nite rider setup. |
| Brightness times runtime is proportional to the weight... | Fast Eddy
Sep 12, 2002 10:37 AM | | ...of the batteries. That little 6v battery is light-weight and all, but you get what you pay for, so to speak. To get 15w out of 6v batteries, you have to draw 2.5 amps, so your 4.5ah battery will be good for less than 2 hours. At 12v it's only 1.25 amps, so you'll get over three hours, but the battery will weight twice as much.
If you don't do long night-rides, check out 6v MR-11 bulbs. They're smaller than MR-16s, and produce a decent amount of light.
Also, if you go with 6v, you can get a hobby peak charger pretty cheap. Probably around $30. |
| paging Fast Eddy.... | alibi
Sep 12, 2002 12:44 PM | | Where do you get that large shrink-wrap material? |
| I got lucky... | Fast Eddy
Sep 12, 2002 1:23 PM | | ...they happened to have it at the local new/used electronic supply place. It's called Halted Supply Company, and it's in Sunnyvale. I don't know if they send you some or not. Probably not. |
| thanks, guess I'll hafta keep looking....(n/m) | alibi
Sep 12, 2002 2:47 PM | | .. |
| The flat packs are 6V and NR uses... | Metroid
Sep 12, 2002 9:40 AM | | The same 4/3FUAX 4.5 Ah cells that Fast Eddy is using only with 5 cells (1.2V each). These cells come with tabs so you can solder them together in series, positive to negative.
If you want a 12V bulb, I would recommend using 11 cells for 13.2V. Most high end 12V systems including NR, Jet and others use 13.2V batteries. This 10% overvolting provides about 40% more light output with the same bulb. However, most of the production systems use lower capacity sub-C cells (more like 3 Ah) so if you use the 4.5 cells, you'll have a higher capacity battery.
To figure your burn time...
Burn Time = Voltage x AmpHours
------------------
Bulb Wattage
Dunno what bulb you are using, but here's an example...
Burn Time = 13.2V x 4.5Ah / 20W = 2.97 Hours
That is much better than any standard halogen system.
The trouble with this pack is that you'll need either need to buy an expensive charger like the Maha MH-C777Plus or make your own. The easiest way for the DIY charger is to use the Maxim MAX712 chip. Details here...
http://www.gnt.ee/users/ergo/charger/index.html
and here...
http://www.maxim-ic.com/quick_view2.cfm/qv_pk/1666 |
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