DIY lights question

In article <[email hidden]>,

Dukester said:

Is it possible to use a 12V or 14.4V cordless power tool battery as the
power supply for a homebrew light system? How would one make the connection
to the metal tabs on the battery while still allowing the unit to be plugged
back into a charger? Has anyone done anything like this? Links, tips
appreciated.

Brian deSousa's BikeCurrent page leads to scads
of info on homebrew lights, etc:
http://briandesousa.com/bicycling/bikecurrent/

cheers,
Tom

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"Dukester" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Is it possible to use a 12V or 14.4V cordless power tool battery as the
power supply for a homebrew light system? How would one make the

connection

Quoted message said:

to the metal tabs on the battery while still allowing the unit to be

plugged

Quoted message said:

back into a charger? Has anyone done anything like this? Links, tips
appreciated.

It would be a pain to use a power-tool battery for the exact reason you
state. The power tool usually has spring loaded contacts inside the tool to
press against the contacts.

With 2000mAH NiMH AA cells selling for around $1.25, it probably isn't worth
spending a lot of money creating a way to use a power tool battery. OTOH, if
you're using 12 NiMH cells (14.4V), using the power tool battery charger
might be a way to save some money.

The best place to learn about DIY lighting is over at:
http://bicyclelighting.com This site is a treasure trove of good ideas and
great advice. And I'd say that even it it wasn't my site!

Steve
http://bicyclelighting.com

"Steven M. Scharf" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Dukester" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Is it possible to use a 12V or 14.4V cordless power tool battery as the
power supply for a homebrew light system? How would one make the

connection

Quoted message said:

to the metal tabs on the battery while still allowing the unit to be

plugged

Quoted message said:

back into a charger? Has anyone done anything like this? Links, tips
appreciated.

It would be a pain to use a power-tool battery for the exact reason you
state. The power tool usually has spring loaded contacts inside the tool

to

Quoted message said:

press against the contacts.

If you can get the connection made then they can be a very good source of
power. I've seen a lot of other projects use the batteries. I've read that
14.4 volts will give a much brighter light than from a 12 volt source at the
cost of a shorter lifespan for the filament. The efficiency is greatly
increased because lights throw out a lot more light when the filament is
hotter.

Quoted message said:

With 2000mAH NiMH AA cells selling for around $1.25, it probably isn't

worth

Quoted message said:

spending a lot of money creating a way to use a power tool battery. OTOH,

if

Quoted message said:

you're using 12 NiMH cells (14.4V), using the power tool battery charger
might be a way to save some money.

Some of the better battery tools have very good chargers. Some batteries
have an extra pin on them to give info to the charger. (Maybe temperature
measurement).

The best website for batteries is here.
http://www.batteryuniversity.com/index.htm

Quoted message said:

The best place to learn about DIY lighting is over at:
http://bicyclelighting.com This site is a treasure trove of good ideas and
great advice. And I'd say that even it it wasn't my site!

Steve
http://bicyclelighting.com

Marty

"Marty Wallace" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Steven M. Scharf" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Dukester" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Is it possible to use a 12V or 14.4V cordless power tool battery as

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

power supply for a homebrew light system? How would one make the

connection

Quoted message said:

to the metal tabs on the battery while still allowing the unit to be

plugged

Quoted message said:

back into a charger? Has anyone done anything like this? Links, tips
appreciated.

It would be a pain to use a power-tool battery for the exact reason you
state. The power tool usually has spring loaded contacts inside the tool

to

Quoted message said:

press against the contacts.

If you can get the connection made then they can be a very good source of
power. I've seen a lot of other projects use the batteries. I've read that
14.4 volts will give a much brighter light than from a 12 volt source at

the

Quoted message said:

cost of a shorter lifespan for the filament. The efficiency is greatly
increased because lights throw out a lot more light when the filament is
hotter.

This is true, but the same effect can be achieved with 12 NiMH cells, versus
10.

Quoted message said:

Some of the better battery tools have very good chargers. Some batteries
have an extra pin on them to give info to the charger. (Maybe temperature
measurement).

Many chargers have a temperature sensor for NiMH cells, i.e. the high end
Maha chargers. But using a power tool charger is fine (if it's for NiMH),
and a good way to save money. But it's easier to use two 6AA battery holders
and some NiMH cells than a power tool battery.