Re: lighting battery - what I have now done :-)

"Pete Biggs" <p@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message news:3spdmhFph7c5U1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> gentlegreen wrote:
>> I hate the idea of buying NiCds because of the environmental
>> implications and I already have a decent Maplin automatic SLA
>> charger , so I am inclined towards Cyclon cells for one last attempt
>> at lead acid. 4 a/h of NiMH is comparable in price, but a smart NiMH
>> charger is 55 quid .......
>
> 13.2V NiMH smart charger is £39.99 from Lumicycle*. A worthwhile
> long-term investment, I would have thought (as also would be a complete
> Lumicycle system). High-capacity NiMHs are getting cheaper all the time,
> are lighter than NiCds and substantially lighter than lead acid.
>
> * http://www.lumicycle.com/Product/Productlist.aspx?page=1&dep=88
>
> There are other companies selling NiMH battery packs and chargers for non
> rip-off prices as well.... sorry, the names escape me now.
>
> Alternatively......
> My main battery is a Lumi Li-ION, but I made an alternative/back-up
> battery from 12 ordinary AA NiMH 2700mAh cells (via eBay) in a Maplin
> battery box, so I could use my AA charger (since that's the only charger I
> have for NiMH). Powers an over-volted 10W 12V MR11 halogen lamp for about
> 2 hours. It is hassle unpacking and charging all those cells, but it's a
> relatively cheap solution if you already have a decent suitable charger.
> One advantage over tagged cells is that each individual cell gets well
> looked after (if the charger has independent monitoring).
>

Just ordered from a seller on Ebay :-

10 off 3.3 A/h tagged sub-c NiMH r/c cells - £16.50 (which is roughly the
same "A/h per £" as 4.5A/h cyclon packs discounted at CPC) SLA is half as
much but of course they're cr*p

.... and a smart charger for £11.50 !

I should have done this yonks ago !

If I remember, I will report back to say whether these are the bargain they
appear to be.

I also ordered 20 ultrabright red LEDs to make a new rear light and hence
hopefully get over 2 hours' running time. They're rated at 5Cd but over 25
degrees which is a bit narrow, but I plan to mount them on an arc of
silvered plastic ***.

I also ordered 20 ultrabright white LEDs as an experiment to see if I can
live with even less wattage - would be fine for cycletracks.

See - I've been quite restrained - my original intention was to use about 50
LEDs in my tail light :-)

I'm hoping to standardise on tamiya r/c power connectors and hence be able
to carry an emergency pack of AA NiMH - which is the most cost-effective and
readily available way of buying NiMH capacity ....


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