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Walrus
Guest
Its 2 x 6v 4Ah batteries like the sort you get in the million candle power torches from all good DIY stores (and most cr*p ones). After charging they each measure 6.45v and stay there. Now (24 hours continuous use on my little arrangment) they measure 5.5v each. Each one requires 16hrs to charge up again (I'm using the charger from the aformentioned million candle power torch).
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Walrus
Guest
Grrr - cant edit the post!
Forgot to add: The converter is going to go at the back of the helmet in a Nova Flexi battery box so I can keep the leads/connections to swap back to the Nickel battery when I want to and the batteries themselves are at the moment in a leak-proof sandwich tub - but it doesn't fit in the bag I bought. But the batteries themselves do, so I may try a heath-robinson strapped-up-to-death jobby.
Forgot to add: The converter is going to go at the back of the helmet in a Nova Flexi battery box so I can keep the leads/connections to swap back to the Nickel battery when I want to and the batteries themselves are at the moment in a leak-proof sandwich tub - but it doesn't fit in the bag I bought. But the batteries themselves do, so I may try a heath-robinson strapped-up-to-death jobby.
Though no doubt long-life, and interesting as a project, it does sound a bit awkward for caving in terms of bulk/weight.
With a Nova pulling 0.83A @3.6V, I'd imagine that'd take a shade over 0.5A @6V. To get your 24+ hours off 2x 4Ah batteries, are you running at a lower power level, or are the batteries very conservatively rated?
With a Nova pulling 0.83A @3.6V, I'd imagine that'd take a shade over 0.5A @6V. To get your 24+ hours off 2x 4Ah batteries, are you running at a lower power level, or are the batteries very conservatively rated?
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Walrus
Guest
Mostly half-power - but even then it still beats the Nickels 5-6 hours even if it lasts 12 hours. Useful when going away for the weekend with no chance to charge the Nickel or for longer trips - and cheaper than buying Duracell flatpacks.
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Walrus
Guest
Wired it all together properly & left it running last night on one 6v 4Ah battery on half power. 10 hours later its still going and I cant see any drop in light output. There is a 0.1v drop from the main battery to the light via the converter, probably due to resistance in the length of the cables (about 2m).
The converter is mounted in a Nova Flexi battery box with normal spade connections going to the box wiring so it can easily be converted back to use with, say, a flat-pack battery. If/when the main cable is removed there is a little rubber bung to stop dirt getting into the box. The box itself is mounted on the back of the helmet like the Nickel batery. This way I havn't had to modify the light itself at all and I now have the Nickel as a reliable backup. The cable then runs down a 2m cable to the main battery which is held in a waterproof Maplins box which I'm putting in a girlie-looking bag which is going on a battery belt.
Its ready for a field test so if/when I can prove it works after a few hours UG I'll start work on waterproofing!
The converter is mounted in a Nova Flexi battery box with normal spade connections going to the box wiring so it can easily be converted back to use with, say, a flat-pack battery. If/when the main cable is removed there is a little rubber bung to stop dirt getting into the box. The box itself is mounted on the back of the helmet like the Nickel batery. This way I havn't had to modify the light itself at all and I now have the Nickel as a reliable backup. The cable then runs down a 2m cable to the main battery which is held in a waterproof Maplins box which I'm putting in a girlie-looking bag which is going on a battery belt.
Its ready for a field test so if/when I can prove it works after a few hours UG I'll start work on waterproofing!
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Walrus
Guest
SamT said:
Its a project - and I like the Nova. And it may help other people who have spare battery configurations kicking around - it should work with just about any lamp.
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andymorgan
Guest
How robust and reliable are the Nova 3s? I am thinking of buying one as my 7 LED Speleo technics headlight is becoming unreliable: if I bang it against something it goes out, and when the cable is moved the light flickers.
If it's the connections on the battery pack that are the problem, and it's not fixable by maintenance, wouldn't it be the same with a Nova on the same pack, or fixed by a new battery pack on the existing headset/cable?
If it's the cable that's the problem, it is replaceable.
Is the problem just between battery and headset - are the switch contacts OK?
cap n chris
Well-known member
Ceased using Speleotechnics lighting systems last year after too many years of flickering caused by the battery connection design. SamT was right, all along. :bow:
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andymorgan
Guest
It flickers due to some loose connection at both the battery end and the light end. If I get a new lamp I would also get a new battery. I can see how the battery contacts get damaged: it is actually a problem with the charger: the plastic on the connector is too big and over time gradually pushes the connector on the battery away from the battery. Shaving a few mm off the the end of the charger (90 degrees to the contact) may solve the problem. However it sounds like they still have the same problems with the battery in their new lamps, so I may try a different manufacturer.
I also have a Duo, which is a great lamp, but I have doubts about its long term durability, and it lets water into the battery box.
I also have a Duo, which is a great lamp, but I have doubts about its long term durability, and it lets water into the battery box.
In fairness, I guess with a Nova 3, if used (as by some people I know) with alkaline flatpacks to get long duration, you could consider the battery container as a bit more 'disposable' in the long term than NiCd, nickel or lithium packs.
The Duos do seem pretty good and fairly little-complained-about. If I didn't make lights myself, I'd probably have gone for one of them, and I dare say many of my mates probably would have done as well.
The Duos do seem pretty good and fairly little-complained-about. If I didn't make lights myself, I'd probably have gone for one of them, and I dare say many of my mates probably would have done as well.
Hughie
Active member
potholer said:
Tricky to tell, really. Seems to have a long, very wide beam. Incredibly bright. The two chaps assure me they're seeing things underground they've not seen before. We even found a badger in the Hunters bar we didn't know was there!
This site makes some good comparisons :- http://www.mine-explorer.co.uk/reviews/stenlight_s7/default.asp
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darkplaces
Guest
Some testing is currently being done with reflectors, plus wide angle lense from one LED and a tight focus from the other. Something the Nova 3 cant do.
Still, the nova3 wasn't far behind the stenlight and had a better battery choice (headlite's and FX3s) 13-15hrs on high :tease:
For my Fx3-Nova3 I will shortly be chopping off the current connectors and putting my own on.
Still, the nova3 wasn't far behind the stenlight and had a better battery choice (headlite's and FX3s) 13-15hrs on high :tease:
For my Fx3-Nova3 I will shortly be chopping off the current connectors and putting my own on.
