Now help with HID battery pack for motorcycle
Thanks Mr. Happy.
I am looking to upgrade a Baja Designs Diablo HID headlight kit, 10 of these cells in series are the included battery pack. My friend has gone through two of them in a short period and at low RPM's the light is shutting down. I started the light from a car battery and it seems to draw about 7 amps at start up, climbing to 8. (12.6 volts or so). I can't imagine why a 35 watt HID is using 100 watts of power!
I removed the included nicad pack and charged it on a hobby charger, then started the light with it. It took several tries to strike the light but finally managed. In that case, it was drawing about 6 amps and sagged to about 11 volts. (66 watts) Ran it for maybe 40 seconds, let it sit for ~15 seconds and attempted a re-strike. Surprisingly it was successful.
I THINK the voltage regulator is doing it's job, but tests are still in the works. It appeared to be limiting charge current to about .35 amps. The bike has a 200 watt stator.
So, I wonder what chemistry battery pack will be best. Right now we are looking at small SLAs anywhere from 1.3 to 5 Ah (though smaller the better.)
In addition to that, one other occurance I can't understand. I try to run it from my benchtop power supply, mastech HY3010D and it won't light. (well, it did one time, but I can't reproduce it.) The power supply is supposed to be capable of 10 amps, and I have gotten that briefly into a large resistor, but in the case of this light, it no workie. The ballast clicks and hums, the power supply voltage drops from 13.6 to about 8 volts. The current control light comes on faintly and then the light shuts down. I can't really figure it out. Is it just too much of a load? Or perhaps some sort of feedback or A/C or something?
I suppose this could belong in the transportation section or the HID section, but then, it is about electronics and batteries as well.
