Jambo
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Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
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Want to Bench test my xenons before I install on the car to save time taking headlamps off and dissembling and re assembling them.
I have a trickle charger than manages 5amps and barely lights the bulb. I have read it needs to be 8amps
Went to B&Q today and came home with a 2/8/12 "switchable" power pack, however it's an "intelligent" one do if it doesn't sense a battery connected it quite simply does nothing.
Most I have found are upwards of £90.
Anyone on CS Got a suggestion or bit of equipment they use?
Needs to ignit rebased H1 HIDs and 35w ballasts for a max of about 30mins. At this rate I could just buy a battery but this is something I can use afterwards.
Halp!
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Jonny.N
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Registered: 10th Sep 08
Location: scotland
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What about few bits of wire and a battery booster pack? Done it a few times with cd/dvd players etc. Works a treat
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Gary
Premium Member
Registered: 22nd Nov 06
Location: West Yorkshire
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Your car battery?
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Bonney
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Registered: 14th Nov 04
Location: St Helens
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How about car battery attatched to said charger then wires feeding to said lights?
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Jambo
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Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
User status: Offline
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quote: Originally posted by Gary
Your car battery?
Cant put my car on a bench mate. Although I suppose if i had 15m jumper cables I could make a decent fire hazard/power my headlights
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Jambo
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Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
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quote: Originally posted by Jonny.N
What about few bits of wire and a battery booster pack? Done it a few times with cd/dvd players etc. Works a treat
Explain? Booster pack?
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Jonny.N
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Registered: 10th Sep 08
Location: scotland
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The small booster packs with jump leads. Some of them have lights or tyre inflator aswell. Handy to have incase ur battery goes flat. and u dont need another car and jump leads
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dragon2309
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Registered: 1st Mar 09
Location: Strood, Kent
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these things - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-900A-HEAVY-DUTY-CAR-JUMP-STARTER-START-BOOSTER-CABLE-LEAD-BATTERY-BOOSTER-/290670077106?pt=UK_Recovery_Tools&hash=item43ad4964b2
has a 12Ah battery, so could dump 12A for up to an hour. Easily do 8A for some lights for a while.
[Edited on 24-11-2012 by dragon2309]
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Jamie-C
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Registered: 3rd Jun 08
Location: Ballycastle
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quote: Originally posted by Jonny.N
What about few bits of wire and a battery booster pack? Done it a few times with cd/dvd players etc. Works a treat
This is what I do too, handy to have for when you/a friend has a flat battery too.
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Jonny.N
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Registered: 10th Sep 08
Location: scotland
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I use it to check cd/dvd players etc. Works a treat
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Jambo
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Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
User status: Offline
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That's approximately 892 amps more than I need. Think the igniters would explode
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Olsrey
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Registered: 13th Jan 07
Location: Bradford Drives: LET Vectra B
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quote: Originally posted by Jambo
That's approximately 892 amps more than I need. Think the igniters would explode
The lights will only take the current they want/need.
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
User status: Offline
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quote: Originally posted by Jambo
quote: Originally posted by Gary
Your car battery?
Cant put my car on a bench mate. Although I suppose if i had 15m jumper cables I could make a decent fire hazard/power my headlights
Jump leads and Coke cans
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Jambo
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Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
User status: Offline
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Ed that is some classic MAN engineering right there
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Mertin
Member
Registered: 12th Oct 05
Location: Scotland
User status: Offline
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Could just whip the battery out your car if its easy enough to get to?
Iv just bought one of the booster packs mentioned, got one from costco. Had to use it for my mates clio first day I bought it! I started a thread a few weeks ago in GC asking for reccomendations
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Jambo
Member
Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
User status: Offline
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Right I think I have found a soloution after much head scratching.
Laptop power supply shetto modded and some croc clips.
Job done and won't cost £50
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tom_simes
Show Staff Organiser: South Wales Premium Member
Registered: 12th Jan 05
Location: Undy, Newport Drives: Skoda Octavia vRS estate
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quote: Originally posted by Olsrey
quote: Originally posted by Jambo
That's approximately 892 amps more than I need. Think the igniters would explode
The lights will only take the current they want/need.
This is the important point. Voltage is important, current less so, as the lights will draw what they need only.
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dragon2309
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Registered: 1st Mar 09
Location: Strood, Kent
User status: Offline
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you have a laptop power supply that supplys 8A??? Most are only like 3-4A
Btw, you van get those jump start units in maplins for about £25. And yep, as that other guy said, amperage is only supplied as the device draws it, so it'll only supply 8A if you're lights draw 8A. It can supply *UPTO* 900A (all be it for a very short time period, and would likely break)
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Jambo
Member
Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
User status: Offline
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They are rare but they exist. However Xbox power supply is plenty powerful.
Going to see if I have my old one kicking around the garage.
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dragon2309
Member
Registered: 1st Mar 09
Location: Strood, Kent
User status: Offline
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pretty sure you can power a house with an xbox one, lol, they're beast
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antnee
Member
Registered: 30th Dec 07
Location: Cov Drives: Clio 197
User status: Offline
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Do you have any PC power supplies knocking about?
Basically solder all the 12v cables together and the ground/- cables and there you go, 12V source. These are very stable, I have had a few chargers running off one drawings around 20amps or so with no problems at all.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Convert-an-ATX-Power-Supply-Into-a-Regular-DC-Powe/
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Jambo
Member
Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
User status: Offline
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Yeah im aware of the PC thing, but I dont have a spare and dont fancy taking a PC apart then soldering minute contacts. I dont have the skill for that.
I can manage chopping a plug off, twisting some wires together soldering and adding some connectors on the end and voila, I have a power pack!
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antnee
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Registered: 30th Dec 07
Location: Cov Drives: Clio 197
User status: Offline
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quote: Originally posted by Jambo
Yeah im aware of the PC thing, but I dont have a spare and dont fancy taking a PC apart then soldering minute contacts. I dont have the skill for that.
I can manage chopping a plug off, twisting some wires together soldering and adding some connectors on the end and voila, I have a power pack!
If you can get hold of a PC PSU, then you basically just do what you have described in your 2nd sentence
[Edited on 26-11-2012 by antnee]
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Jambo
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Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
User status: Offline
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Link please
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antnee
Member
Registered: 30th Dec 07
Location: Cov Drives: Clio 197
User status: Offline
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Link for what? PSU?
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