Rechargable Battery Mechanics... (Bike Headlamps)

[stovepipe]

I have a couple of fairly nice, 15 year old, Vistalite VL-400 bicycle lamps that I want to put back into service, but don't know enough about rechargeable batteries to feel comfortable doing it without first asking a couple of questions... I'd hate to blow them up, or otherwise ruin them.

Inside, the lamps really don't look much more than a glorified flashlight using a 2.5VO83A screw in flashlight bulb, 4 AA sized rechargeable batteries, and an "AC adapter" rated: Input - 120VAC 60Hz 3W, Output - 3VDC 300mA (Class 2 Transformer)

The battery compartment is marked with three battery types: AA, LR6, and UM3. - The original batteries were generic and unmarked except for the name Vistalite.

Is it safe to say the original batteries were the UM3's, and that the the transformer is the "recharger?" - Or, different kind of battery? (Or, will it be cheaper to buy new bike lamps? [I need to go the cheapest route for now]) - I thought there was more to a recharger than a small transformer. - Maybe not...

Thanks for your help!

 

[stovepipe]

I'm assuming a UM6 battery is a Carbon Zinc, or other such battery... But, maybe UM6 only a size and I need NiCad's?

 

[pe2er]

AA, LR6, and UM3 are all indications of the same (penlight-size) battery. Just replace them with any NiCd or NiMh battery of the same size. If they are real old lights, the original NiCd batteries probably had a capacity of around 600-750mAh. If you use batteries with a larger capacity, time to charge will increase, without a change of blowing-up things. As a bonus, runtime will increase also

 

[stovepipe]

Thanks Pe2er... Will I still be able to use the same Vistalite AC Adapter (transformer) to recharge either type of battery? - It's nice to simply plug the AC Adapter into the Vistalite and not have to remove from the bike, remove the batteries, and put in a charger...

 

[Steve K]

Thanks Pe2er... Will I still be able to use the same Vistalite AC Adapter (transformer) to recharge either type of battery? - It's nice to simply plug the AC Adapter into the Vistalite and not have to remove from the bike, remove the batteries, and put in a charger...

that light is from the era of nicad batteries, which were more tolerant of trickle charging than NiMH batteries are. At 300mA, you could easily hurt a NiMH if you overcharged very long, but perhaps you can get by if you limit the charging to 6 or 7 hours. Be sure to carry spare batteries, just in case!

regards,
Steve K.

 

[yellow]

with that original "charger" You dont get much out of modern Ni-Mh (or Ni-Cads) and do damage them eventually as additional "bonus".

Get 4 "precharged" low self discharge rechargeable cells (Eneloop or such) and a GOOD charger for them.
Charge the cells outside of the light
... so much for that!
My personal view: a good charger + cells cost too much. Especially for such a light.



Get this here:
light:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.32749 (newest led, multimode), or
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.32721 (newest led, on/off only), or
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.14450 (less bright led, variable focus)
... all are "entry level" lights, but they work good enough to use them to start
battery:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.19770
charger:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4151 (multiformat, doublecell. Investment in future Li-Ion batteries)
bar holder:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.24355
(secure it with additional rubber band. At front over light, under bars, at end over light)

all together less expensive than charger + Ni-Mh cells and worlds better.
(brighter, long runtime, sturdy)

 

[stovepipe]

Thanks for the help guy's!! I'll give the NiCads a try this weekend.

 

[stovepipe]

Yellow, thanks for the links! - Those look like some great options. I'll give them a try if the NiCads don't work out.

 

[rufusbduck]

Is it safe to say the original batteries were the UM3's, and that the the transformer is the "recharger?" - Or, different kind of battery? (Or, will it be cheaper to buy new bike lamps? [I need to go the cheapest route for now]) - I thought there was more to a recharger than a small transformer. - Maybe not...

Thanks for your help![/QUOTE]

Those light were ALL plastic, pretty dim and in my opinion, not worth the trouble unless you like the output of a AA flashlight. The fucusing ability was nifty but there just wasn't enough output to see well without streetlights. The halogens are better and there is sufficient metal to make them worth madding with leds.