Black Diamond NRG Kit

[wolfmichael]

hi there,

today i buyed the black diamond's icon headlamp (nice bright shining). black diamond offers also an compatible 3.6 volt nimh accumulator pack (unknown capacity in mAh...) with a charger. i assume it's only a simple ac/dc converter with a fix output voltage, the charger electronics is integrated in the headlamp battery case. do anyone know's the output voltage of the original dc supply from black diamond ? i think about an home-made-nrg kit....

thx
michael

[Szemhazai]

This idea s....

In this pack you have 3 AAA cells in series, so the best you can get from the market is 3,6V 950mAh battery pack

From 3 AA size NiMH's you will have at last 2500mAh and it will be cheaper

[wolfmichael]

Hi to the neightborhood...

I want to make an triple-AA-Pack with 3 NiMH/2700 mAh accumulators in serial connection, there is space enought in the original battery case (i have tested, and all the stuff like connectors etc. is already available in my ragbag = no material costs). only the correct voltage of the power supply is unknown, but a newzealand shop had described the nrg kit with an 6 V dc ac/dc adapter, this sounds really plausible. if not - i will have a nice barbeque, i know...

wolfmichael

[wolfmichael]

some days later.....

very nice. after some tests it seems ok, the home-made-style 3.6V 2700mAh battery pack will recharged in 8 hours with an 6 V dc source. fine - saved 25 €.

michael

[Limth21]

Thank you for the valuable info. I was looking for right dc input to the lantern, otherwise I would get bbq.. as you said.
DC 6v output is easily available.. thru.. pda and other digital device car charger.

Then see this,
If 4-aa-battery cartridge is in serial connection, then we get already 4.8V DC.
Without expensive nrg battery kit, if we put in 4 - AA NiMH battery (1.2v), we can use any dc 6v charger. Max current 1.0 A will be safe.

[wolfmichael]

Hi @Limth21,

please think about that twice, what you have planned, will be sure kill your headlamp (sorry for my bad english skills...)

the 1st point: please, not use 4-AA-Pack with 4.8 V, that's too much for your lamp, i think so. Otherwise your integrated charger electronic (within the battery holder) can not be operate under correct conditions, that's rendered to load an 3.8 V-Pack.

2nd: 1.0 A !!! ? Please not ! NiMH- and other (like NiCd)-Pack's should be charged with round about 10% of their capacity in mAh, please keep in mind, when you have 2700 mAh battery pack, you should use an charge current 250...270 mA for approximately 8 hours or so. (in the case for our headlamp: the green status led is on after complete charging).

best regards
michael

postscriptum: please told me if i wrong...

[wolfmichael]

...pda and other digital car chargers mostly designed for 5 Vdc (the voltage of the USB)... 5 Volts are not enought for the correct charging current, i have tested it...

[Limth21]

Thank you!

I have an Apollo lantern - it has battery holder (I mean.. battery cartridge) which can hold 4 aa battery.. I am using Sanyo NiMH 2000 mh.

I guessed that the charger can charge the batteries in the lantern.

And, I've checked the car charger(BD brand) spec. it said 12VDC and 1A - which I believe input power. Output power of the car charger will be 6V DC (as you said) and unknown current(A).

[wolfmichael]

Ahh, ok, first i think we talk about the icon headlamp.

Now i'am confused. The apollo lantern has an 4 AA battery holder and use the same NRG Kit like the icon headlamp (internal 3 AA) ? Curious, but true, then i think you can try that. "To be on the save side" (it's an german phrase...), you should measure the real current during the charging, should be 200 to 300 mAmps.

Good luck !

Regards
Michael

[tomcatacec]

hi there,

today i buyed the black diamond's icon headlamp (nice bright shining). black diamond offers also an compatible 3.6 volt nimh accumulator pack (unknown capacity in mAh...) with a charger. i assume it's only a simple ac/dc converter with a fix output voltage, the charger electronics is integrated in the headlamp battery case. do anyone know's the output voltage of the original dc supply from black diamond ? i think about an home-made-nrg kit....

thx
michael

Hi, wolfmichael
If you follow my solution, you do not need to buy/make battery pack, you can use/charge your NiMH batteries inside of Black Diamond Icon headlamp:
http://arden.blogsite.org/showtravel...g?articleId=31

[Antoniorivelli]

Hello guys. I'm new here but got to the forum trying to solve the same issue once i recently got an apolo lamp.
After reading your discussions above, all very smart, comes to me the following doubt: If Apollo comes with a soket rack to 4 AA batterie, why do not simply use an standard external charger to charge 4 AA NiMH rechargeble batteries and use them 4 at the lamp standard rack? Would It work? Or would It da,age the lamp? Hope to listem from you guys. Take care...

[tomcatacec]

Hello guys. I'm new here but got to the forum trying to solve the same issue once i recently got an apolo lamp.
After reading your discussions above, all very smart, comes to me the following doubt: If Apollo comes with a soket rack to 4 AA batterie, why do not simply use an standard external charger to charge 4 AA NiMH rechargeble batteries and use them 4 at the lamp standard rack? Would It work? Or would It da,age the lamp? Hope to listem from you guys. Take care...

Yes. You can bring external charger. Sometime, I do not like to bring too many chargers(this lamp inlucdes charger).