# Light bar powered by 18V Ryobi batteries?



## TimTucker (Nov 9, 2011)

Getting dark earlier around here, so I'd started looking around at options.

Does this sound like a reasonable option for riding around the neighborhood?

12 Inch 72W LED Spot Flood Combo - $18
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WE46ZWC/

Also see a bunch of these claiming in the 700W+ range on ebay for similar prices, which sounds wildly exaggerated for 12" lights:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/12INCH-756...ombo-Offroad-Pickup-ATV-Boat-12V/323359398369

Light bar clamp kit - $9
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0791NB4FM/

Wiring harness - $9
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EZ9Y33W/

Specs say that the lights are good for inputs from 9-30V and I have a stockpile of 4AH 18V Ryobi batteries sitting around.

I have an old Ryobi charger around I can scavenge for the battery socket. Battery & controls would get tossed in a Topeak bag on a rear rack (along with an extra battery or 2 as backup).


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## Joules (Oct 12, 2005)

dude....

ok, i'll bite: 
way back when, before decent quality LEDs were available for reasonable prices, I tried to jerry rig a drill battery like you're describing (it was a Makita, not sure if there's that much of a difference in chargers but I'd guess not). Bottom line: cordless battery chargers aren't built to deal with the vibrations a mountain bike will undergo - meaning the light would just shut off for a second sometimes, and aren't water resistant at all (dripping sweat would short mine).

with things like this available for <$25: 
https://www.amazon.com/Victagen-Wat...F8&qid=1538500882&sr=1-13&keywords=bike+light
what you're talking about seems, to me, like a lot of work for something that's unlikely to be very reliable. Unless you have much, much higher lumen requirements than most of us. Even then, I'd get several of the above before rigging a truck light and drill battery.


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## TimTucker (Nov 9, 2011)

Yeah.. My wife already talked me out of it and reminded me that I'd sold the extra charger I thought I might use at our garage sale this summer.


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## KenPsz (Jan 21, 2007)

I just did this and it is way brighter than those 2 LED systems (I have those too).

Thanks for the link to the light bar mounts since that was a part I jery rigged up.

What I did:

1) Cheap 30w 12-24volt 7in LED light bar from Ebay
2) Reclaimed 16850's from a laptop (4s2p)
3) Some aluminum gopro mounts and other bits

You get a light bar that will run for 2.5hrs and is as bright as the high beams on your car.

Total cost around $40 

Of course that does not include the cost of the charger since I had one of those from my RC days.


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