Cheap NIMHS
- Thread starter DNAXdiver
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Dectek
Guest
How does 4/3A compare in size to a C cell?
This is the first time I have seen this size cell? While I am asking questions... What voltage rating does it have. I have seen were Dan can add a cell to the Battery pack from 9 to 10 cells. Doesn't this add voltage to the battery pack and not just burn time.
I am used to adding 1.5 volts per cell in packs. These things can not be 12volt all wired parallel.
Yep....I am an idiot.
This is the first time I have seen this size cell? While I am asking questions... What voltage rating does it have. I have seen were Dan can add a cell to the Battery pack from 9 to 10 cells. Doesn't this add voltage to the battery pack and not just burn time.
I am used to adding 1.5 volts per cell in packs. These things can not be 12volt all wired parallel.
Yep....I am an idiot.
I would like to build a $43 NiMh HID canister where are the instructions. Please show me where I can get the info on how to solder the battery pack together. I would also need the info on where to get the dimensions for the canister. When I order these batteries or as you say cells which side of the cells should I have the tabs put on. Where can I order just 1 bulb and 1 ballast for a reasonable price ($100). I would have to order a starter pack from WA for $500 to get this price, right or should I just buy a head for $300 instead of making one. Can you also direct me to the plans where I can make the canister lid with the exact same switch and dimensions for holes. Mind you I'm still on a $43 budget. So for the average Joe like me who doesn't own a lathe and a milling machine how do I go about making this and not having it come out half assed. Please give details as I am mechanically inclined and think I can do this, just need a little help from someone like you who has made one. I realise you were talking $43 for just the battery pack but can you give me a figure on what it would cost me to build the entire light. $43 for the battery pack, $300 for the light head, how much you think it will cost me to have a tool shop make me 1 canister. I'm sure this wont be cheap because I happen to know they dont like to set up their machines for 1 or 2 stinking parts. So lets say we add $20 for the hunk of delrin and say a min of $75 for the canister and another $25 for the lid. Add another $15 for the switch and $3 for the compression fitting for the cord (strain relief). Oh one other thing add another $25 for the switch guard to be made. I want this to be just like their light remember not some half assed piece of garbage that I'm afraid to show even to the fishies. By golly I think you got something here I can make the light exactly like Halcyons and DJS for as little as $506. Worse case if I dont mind having a crappy canister I betcha I could make this for about $400. What a savings!!!! Please post your info asap as I'm ready to start building.
PS. I forgot to add in solder, connectors, wire, shrink tube, shrink wrap, fuse if you want one. I also forgot to add in the $10-$20 SS latches for the canister and the SS screws for the latches and switch guard and the $30 to $80 for the battery charger. Biggest thing I forgot to add was my time and since I dont know what some one would get paid an hour to make lights I will add in what I think my time is worth so lets say $25 an hour. If you dont care about your time and your doing this because you like playing around with new stuff, delete the $25 an hour.
PS. I forgot to add in solder, connectors, wire, shrink tube, shrink wrap, fuse if you want one. I also forgot to add in the $10-$20 SS latches for the canister and the SS screws for the latches and switch guard and the $30 to $80 for the battery charger. Biggest thing I forgot to add was my time and since I dont know what some one would get paid an hour to make lights I will add in what I think my time is worth so lets say $25 an hour. If you dont care about your time and your doing this because you like playing around with new stuff, delete the $25 an hour.
The batteries are wired in series. According to my charger the ten batteries in series are 12.7 volts, so each cell must be approximately 1.27 volts, rather than the more common 1.5 volts. Your observation about increasing the voltage with the additional cell is correct.
A normal filament light bulb would just burn hotter (and probably brighter) for the same amount of time.
High Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs utilize ballasts that regulate the voltage and current, maintaining a constant power draw. If the voltage is increased, the current is reduced allowing the batteries to last longer.
Mike
scubanarc,
You may be obsesing here.
I think what DNAXdiver meant is that you could build the battery pack for $43. This is less than half of what DJS chargers for a spare battery pack. But I bought a spare from DJS and think it was well worth the money. To me it's not worth the time it would take nor the risk of shorting something out and the associated fire and/or explosion, to make my own. Not to mention the risk of damaging the ballast or the bulb if I screw it up.
If I needed ten it might be a different story, but for one or two, it's not worth it.
Mike
retnug
Registered
Just an fyi- Alkaline batteries are 1.5 volts, NIHM and NICDs are around 1.2 volts. So where you would need 8 Alkaline batteries you would need 10 NIHM batteries to get the equivalent voltage.
Gunter
Gunter
MikeS,
Your right and I know what DNA was saying but like the other light posts he has written acting like he knows so much about specs of these NiMH lights. I basically want to know what he knows so I too can be a light maker and a critic. Sorry if you didnt understand what I was trying to get at.
Your right and I know what DNA was saying but like the other light posts he has written acting like he knows so much about specs of these NiMH lights. I basically want to know what he knows so I too can be a light maker and a critic. Sorry if you didnt understand what I was trying to get at.
Ballasts can only accept so much over-voltage before blowing, so you don't want to be in a severe over-voltage situation. You could wire in parallel instead of serial to prevent the over-voltage, but then I believe that it increases the current instead which can also be bad.
I was talking to my brother just the other day idly who is an EE about making a "backup" 10 watt HID light with 3 volt Lithium Ion cells (similar to a Surefire M6 Millennium, but on Steroids and waterproof/depth rated), but it's not entirely as easy as "pick 9 batteries from collumn A" and "lighthead and ballast" from collumn B" and slap it into custom body. Still thinking about it, trying to get a good combination of runtime/size and all that jazz but $500 bucks for a HID "developer kit" isn't small scratch for a DIY project when there are so many "reasonable" store bought alternatives for much less.
I was talking to my brother just the other day idly who is an EE about making a "backup" 10 watt HID light with 3 volt Lithium Ion cells (similar to a Surefire M6 Millennium, but on Steroids and waterproof/depth rated), but it's not entirely as easy as "pick 9 batteries from collumn A" and "lighthead and ballast" from collumn B" and slap it into custom body. Still thinking about it, trying to get a good combination of runtime/size and all that jazz but $500 bucks for a HID "developer kit" isn't small scratch for a DIY project when there are so many "reasonable" store bought alternatives for much less.
I knew where you were going and it was pretty entertaining. I was just scared that others reading the thread(s) wouldnt understand and think that there is a way to build a HID light system for $49 when the bulb cost more than that.
For whatever its worth, to effectively bait Trolls you need to be a bit more subtle.
Mike
For whatever its worth, to effectively bait Trolls you need to be a bit more subtle.
Mike
Similar threads
