Waterproofing Magicshine Battery Packs

flatpat

Having just replaced a battery pack due to water damage, I'm trying to work out what to do with the new one.

There's obviously scope for water to come in around the cable - has anyone out there managed to waterproof this successfully?

I'm guessing heat shrink and/or melting some wax might help?

Alternatively, the newer magicshine lights seem to have fancy new cases - like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Magicshine-MJ-828-Digital-Lithium-Battery-/140590032038?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Cycling_Bike_Lights&hash=item20bbd1a4a6

Has anyone used them - seem waterproof to you?

Any other waterproofing tips gratefully received!

junglist_matty

flatpat wrote:

Having just replaced a battery pack due to water damage, I'm trying to work out what to do with the new one.

There's obviously scope for water to come in around the cable - has anyone out there managed to waterproof this successfully?

I'm guessing heat shrink and/or melting some wax might help?

Alternatively, the newer magicshine lights seem to have fancy new cases - like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Magicshine-MJ-828-Digital-Lithium-Battery-/140590032038?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Cycling_Bike_Lights&hash=item20bbd1a4a6

Has anyone used them - seem waterproof to you?

Any other waterproofing tips gratefully received!

I have the MJ872 with the battery pack in your link... Went out for a night ride last night at Thetford, rained very hard pretty much all ride (2hrs) , was soaked to the bone and the battery was fine. Also taking into consideration that I have to mount the battery under the downtube because I have cables on my top tube, it gets even more of a soaking from front wheel spray and I went through a lot of puddles!
Didn't put any extra water protection on it, just strapped it to the frame and off I went... Worked a treat!

flatpat

Cheers Jungle man - sounds like the way to go.

In the meantime (because I'm so mean) has anyone managed to waterproof their current battery packs? Heath Robinson?

The Rookie

Most the people I ride with use silicon sealer (bath stuff) smeared across top and bottom and in around the cable....

Simon

craker

My first battery pack died in the wet. I'm now running 6 x rechargeable AAs in a play-dough pot with a bit of hot glue around the lid where the cable runs through.

The play-dough pot sits in a water bottle that sits in the bottle cage.

Kinda sorted, I'd rather be running li-ions 'cos charging 6 AAs at a time is a pain.

flatpat

A small plastic pot to keep it all together sounds good - otherwise tugging the lead is likely to break the seal. And then smother lid and cable hole in bathroom sealant.

Right, I shall give that a go. And if it all goes tits up, an MJ872 with the fancy casing will become worth getting.

Thanks all.

gtd.

Buytl Self-Amalgamating Tape should work well, just looking at some old laptop batteries and thinking of making some six cell batteries up as spares for the light I've just ordered

http://www.maplin.co.uk/self-amalgamating-tape-4099

pastey_boy

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Self-Amalgama ... 230f195f4c
or wider
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scapa-Self-Am ... 19c915bcee

Mojo_666

GTD. wrote:

Buytl Self-Amalgamating Tape should work well, just looking at some old laptop batteries and thinking of making some six cell batteries up as spares for the light I've just ordered

http://www.maplin.co.uk/self-amalgamating-tape-4099

That shit is amazing, I never knew it existed! ebay shows a shed load of listings much cheaper than Maplins though.

gtd.

Never thought of ebay, last bought a big roll of it from RS years ago

101_North

Wrap it in a 1L drybag with the cable coming out. That's what a few of my mates do:

http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?tar ... ory_id=295

At £3.50 it's worth a shot!

101

d3matt

Have you tried cling film? It would need replacing every ride, but it would probably work better than it sounds. I currently wrap my smartphone (a 5" Dell Streak) and tools in cling film and it works well.

diy

Are you making this too complex. What about a standard polly bag or one of those dry bags above with a hole in for the cable - insulation tape around the cable and the openning at the other end, secured with a a wire tie.

Just roll the bag back to get the pack out.

SI - look at ebay for 18650 holder, there are plenty of 2, 3, 4 bay holders for a couple of quid. Some have protection circuits built in. You'd need 2 or 3 of the 2 bays.