Battery Charger Blog

Do you know who made your laptop battery?

As per my previous post, it now looks like Apple is recalling it’s notebook batteries manufactured by Sony, just like Dell has done with some of their laptop batteries produced by Sony .

It’s therefore not inconceivable that the manufacturing fault - whatever it may be - may be present in Sony batteries supplied with laptops sold by other companies too.

Do you know who made your laptop battery? I bet you would like to know whether it was Sony!

Most laptop batteries do not state the OEM manufacturer on their label, and sadly Windows’ Power Management control panel utility does not give this information even though it is available to the operating system.

I would recommend checking whether your laptop has it’s own vgp-bps2c battery monitoring tool which might tell you (my Lenovo ThinkPad’s ‘Power Manager’ does).

Otherwise try downloading a battery monitoring application such as PassMark’s BatteryMon (or others). BatteryMon will tell you who made your vgp-bps5 battery (see second screenshot), and then from there it’s up to you whether you uninstall it or keep it on your machine.

(You could also try Notebook BatteryInfo, a freeware alternative. I should point out I haven’t tried any of these options, I’m just going by their screenshots to confirm they highlight vgp-bps3a battery manufacturer)

I think it’s worth being aware that you have a VGP-BPL2 battery that might explode (although the risk is very small) but perhaps more importantly it’s useful know that your dell 1691p battery could be subject to a recall.

If you have a Sony battery but couldn’t live without a Vgp-bps2a battery in your laptop (maybe you’re on the road a lot, etc) then it might be prudent to source an alternative (non-Sony) unit now in case yours is recalled.

“Click.” It’s one of winter’s first and most unwelcome sounds - the sound of a dead vgp-bps2c battery. But you don’t ever have to hear that ugly sound if you keep the health of your vgp-bpl2c battery in mind, and take a few precautionary measures:

Before you find yourself hearing this mechanical death rattle some cold wintry morning, go outside right now and check out the condition of your vehicle’s vgp-bps2a battery. As a general rule, if the battery is more than four years old, expect a funeral for it sometime soon. Even if it starts your car just fine right now, when the outside temperature next drops below freezing, its weakness will be apparent. Cold weather reduces the operating efficiency of all vgp-bps2 batteries by half or more - and weak, dying batteries are the first to give up the ghost. This is one of the reasons, incidentally, why electric cars are unusable in the cold Northeast and have been sold thus far only in places that are warm year-round (California, Arizona, and New Mexico so far).

Click here to find out more! Know how old it is. Most batteries will have a date they were put into service visible on a plastic tag on top of the case. It will show the month and year, letting you know about how much useful life is left. If your car has the original, factory-installed vgp-bps3 battery, however, it may not have any such helpful info because instead of a label, there will be a “Delco” (if it’s a GM product) or “Motorcraft” (if Ford) stamping - and that’s all. But if you know how old your car is, you also know how old the vgp-bps3a battery is. If the vehicle is more than four years old, replacing the battery is good insurance, even if it’s working fine right now.

If it’s old, replace it. There are several options here. The most expensive is to go directly to the parts counter of your new car dealership and request an exact replacement. You can have the dealer install it or do the work yourself. But the markup and labor costs will definitely hurt your pocketbook. A better alternative is to go to a reputable auto parts store and buy a good name-brand vgp-bps5 battery. Interstate batteries are high-quality pieces; so also the “DieHard” replacement Vgp-bps2b batteries sold at Sears. Auto parts stores also stock “Original Equipment Manufacturer” (OEM) batteries made by AC-Delco (GM’s supplier) and others. The important thing is to be sure you get the right vgp-bps5a battery - that is, one rated for your specific car’s needs. If you have a car with lots of electronics and power options (most late-model vehicles fit this category), you’ll need a higher-output Vgp-bps2c battery than an older car that lacks these current-drawing parts.

Make sure you get the right one. Finding the right Vgp-bps2a battery is easy. Just ask the parts man to look up the correct application in his book. Don’t skimp and try and get by with a lower amp VGP-BPS2A battery than listed for your car or truck. As with fuel recommendations and tire pressure ranges, there’s a good reason for abiding by what the engineers who built your car suggest.

Save some dough and do it yourself. For those who want to avoid labor charges to install the sony vgp-bps2 battery, take heart: the procedure is a simple task that takes about ten minutes and typically requires a crescent wrench and a screwdriver to do the job. All you have to do is loosen the cable clamps that attach to the VGP-BPS2B battery’s terminals. Remember, remove the negative VGP-BPL2 battery cable first, and reconnect it last . Then unscrew/unbolt the hold-down brace that keeps the sony vgp-bpl2 battery in position. Lift out the old dell 1691p battery and install the new one, reversing the procedure. That’s it. You’re done. Some VGP-BPS2C batteries - the ones with side post terminals in particular - are a bit more challenging. For these, you may need some open-end wrenches and other tools.

Check everything before you finish. Before closing the hood on your new VGP-BPS2 battery, make sure the cables and terminal ends are not cracked, corroded, or dirty. If they are, clean or replace them with new parts to ensure a positive connection.

How are newer battery chemistries faring?

Lithium-ion is the winner for portable applications. Among the most popular lithium-ion are the 18650 cylindrical cells and a variety of prismatic cells in metal package.

Lithium-ion-polymer serves well when the cell geometry must be less than 4mm or when specialty packs are required. High power lithium-ion-polymer pouch cells allow convenient stacking to create a powerful and compact F4809A battery pack with optimum space allocation. There is a price premium, however. Lithium-ion-polymer cost about 10% more than lithium-ion without gaining extra capacity. Some room allocation for swelling must to be considered when stacking pouch cells.

Lithium-ion is being tested in medical instruments and hybrid cars with mixed xenon hid results. Short service life and high price are major hurdles. These markets will continue to be served by the more rugged and lower-cost lead and nickel-based batteries.

There are no new pa3107u battery chemistries on the horizon that will replace the classic lead-acid for automotive and wheeled-mobility markets. Lead-acid is mature and the manufacturing costs are low. The spiral wound lead-acid, a technology similar to the valve regulated lead acid and the absorbent glass mat (AGM) are gradually replacing the flooded car battery on high-end applications. Again, there is a price premium on these more advanced hp laptop batteries but the longer service life will pay back the investment.

Battery power and the Boeing 747 jumbo jet

Travelers experience the exhilarating take-off of a jumbo jet. Fully loaded at 400 tons, the Boeing 747 requires 90 mega-watts (MW) of energy to get airborne. This relates to 120,000 horsepower (hp). The energy consumption during cruising is reduced to half, or 45MW (60,000hp). The global pa2487 battery power consumed by mobile phones and laptops could keep 56 Boeing 747s in the air.

The mighty Queen Mary, an 81,000-ton ocean liner stretching over 300 meters (1000 ft) in length, was propelled by four steam turbines producing 160,000hp. The energy consumed globally by mobile phones and hp dv1000 battery laptops could power 20 Queen Mary ships, with 3000 passengers and crew aboard HID , traveling at a speed of 28.5 knots (52 km/hr). The Queen Mary was launched in 1934 and is now a museum in Long Beach, California.

A 275hp (200kW) motor powers an SUV or large car. The average family home is wired to draw 20kW. A large vehicle has enough power to provide electrical energy for 10 houses and 367759-001 satisfy peak current requirements. This is substantial when considering that most vehicles carry only the driver

An active person requires 3500 calories per day to stay fit, which relates to roughly 4000 watts in 24 hours (1 food calorie = 1.16 watt-hour). If traveling on foot, a person covers about 40 km per day (25 miles) compaq presario r3000 battery . In Figure 1 we compare energy per passenger-kilometer for a loaded Boeing 747, the retired Queen Mary ocean liner, a gas-guzzling SUV and a fit person on a bicycle and on foot. The figures are estimated.

Technological advancements regularly take off soon after a major breakthrough has occurred. Not so with electricity. Electrical power was discovered circa 1600 AD (or earlier). At that time, no one knew what to do with it other than create sparks and experiment with twitching frog legs ballast . Metal plating by means of electrolysis only began in the 1800s. But soon after, a primary compaq presario 2500 battery powered the first electric light using charcoal electrodes. Once the relationship with magnetism was discovered in the mid 1800s, generators were invented that produced a steady flow of electricity. Motors followed that enabled mechanical movement and the Edison light bulb appeared to conquer darkness.

The invention of the electronic vacuum tube in the early 1900s was the significant next step towards high technology, enabling frequency oscillators, signal amplifications and digital switching. This led to radio broadcasting in the 1920s and presario 2100 battery enabled the first operational digital computer (ENIAC) in 1946. The discovery of the transistor in 1947 paved the way to the integrated circuit ten years later. Finally, the microprocessor ushered in the Information Age and revolutionized the way we live.

While large primary f4812a batteries have been around for 200 years, the sealed nickel-cadmium, as we know it today, is only as old as the transistor (1947). In the meantime, hp laptop battery have become a very important energy source and demand is growing steadily.

In the year 2000, the total pp2200 battery energy consumed globally by laptops and mobile phones is estimated at 2,500 mega watts. Let’s make some power comparison with various transportation modes from the early beginnings to today.

Try this: With the vehicle running, disconnect the negative cable from the Vgp-bps2a battery. If the vehicle keeps running, the battery could be bad. If the vehicle dies, the alternator is probably bad. Most major auto parts stores can test batteries and alternators.

Your car’s volt gauge should read about 14 volts with the engine running. It should read 12 volts with the engine off. You mentioned the old battery had a lot of corrosion on the cable connections. Corrosion can cause a voltage drop to the starter, causing it to turn the engine over slowly or not at all. Auto parts stores have testers for Vgp-bps2b batteries. These simulate the load of the starter on the battery and measure whether the battery has enough juice in it. The machine can also test the alternator while it’s on the car to determine if it is charging when the engine is running. Also there is a quick and dirty test you can do with a multimeter. Set it to the “Volts DC” scale. With the engine running, touch the red probe of the meter to the positive “+” post and touch the black probe to the negative “-” post of the battery. It should read 13.5 to 14.5 volts. If it is less, the alternator may not be charging.

Try this: With the vehicle running, disconnect the negative cable from the Vgp-bps2c battery. If the vehicle keeps running, the battery could be bad. If the vehicle dies, the alternator is probably bad. Most major auto parts stores can test batteries and alternators.

One should never disconnect either battery cable with the vehicle running/on, as it could cause an explosion, leakage, or serious electrical damage to vehicle.

you need to hook it up to a battery charger for several hours at 3 or 5 amp slow charge- then bring it to a battery store or maybe a kragen or pep boys auto store and they load test it for free.

How old the battery is generally your first clue. Most only last about 5 years. Second, are you in hot or cold climate? Cold weather drains a battery so the cold cranking amps on it have to be high enough to allow cranking of the battery in really cold wheather. Age of the battery can reduce the power of the amps needed. Heat in really hot climate can also kill a battery over the years. If you can take it to a auto parts store they can put it on a machine to check to see if the pa3399u-1brs battery is fully dead or is still good. If it is still good and just has a low charge, they can fully recharge it. If it is still in the car and you want to check it without going to the store, try to crank the car. If it drags a little and you are not in a cold climate it just may just need a boost (If in a cold winter climate it probably needs recharging). You can boost with another car and cables or buy the instant boost sets they have out now (no other car needed and they work great). If it cranks with a load turnover noise and the car just doesn’t start it could be another problem. You also need to remember that the alternator is the equipment that charges your battery. If your alternator is bad the battery will just drain like a flashlight battery until it is dead. The alternator keeps your battery recharged as your car uses it while the engine is running. Just hope its the vgp-bps8 battery because an alternator is much more expensive.

Mike installed a 4300K HID (high intensity discharge) motorcycle headlight kit from Xenon Depot after finding the information on the webBikeWorld Motorcycle Lighting page. Since motorcycle HID lights are a relatively new technology, Mike decided to be on the “bleeding edge” and he wrote this article on the installation to share with others.

High Intensity Discharge ( HID ) lighting does not use the filament that is commonly found in normal automotive or motorcycle light bulbs. Instead, the bulb is filled with Xenon gas. The gas is ignited and creates an arc of light from the high voltage. The amount of light output is claimed to be three times a standard halogen bulb. hid xenon conversion kit lights burn at a higher light temperature that gives gives them the white-blue appearance. Note that a motorcycle ballast is needed to start the HID light burning, because the xenon ballast light units typically need 30 amps or so at startup, which would overwhelm a motorcycle’s electrical system if the lamp was started without a ballast . The ballast provides the increased electrical current at startup without higher amperage. This means that in most cases, the HID light and ballast system can work with the bike’s existing fuse and wiring. HID lights take only 5 amps or so after the initial burn.

I’m semi-retired and I have lots of time, so I thought this article might possibly help someone else wanting to do this. So here goes… First, I got the 4300K kit from Xenon Depot based on my internet cruising. webBikeWorld and Xenon Depot seemed like the best. I am interested in putting a lot of light out there at night due to the many critters on the road.

The ‘look’ was not as much of a concern as getting the most light for the power output. I wanted to make sure I didn’t tax the alternator too much, because my wife and I tour, and use Gerbing electric clothing. Check out my motorcycle pages for more info. My bike is a 2005 BMW K1200 LT with only 3000 miles so far. My last one was a 1999 K1200 LT Custom. You may notice in the photos on my website that there is also a PIAA installation with an AutoSwitch on my bike. Those lights are 55 watts each and are tied into the high beam.

The headlight arrangement on the K1200LT has changed from 1999 to 2005. I can tell from looking at my space headlight pod. I think the 2005 is where the change occurred as the high and low beams are now separate, and the high beam is 65 watts of H-9 instead of the prior 55 watts for both. I don’t know what fuses the ‘99 used, but my ‘05 has 7.5 amp mini-fuses on 2 separate circuits xenon hid conversion kit .

I didn’t want to burn any bridges; i.e, I wanted to make this installation reversible. I have done non-factory installations before and gotten into a mess. Sorry, “plug and play” has seldom been the experience for me. I wanted to retain the low beam, which is an H-7 bulb. I didn’t see any conversions for the high beam H-9, which is 65 watts.

I have an extra 1999 LT headlight pod because I got a rock chip hole to the front lens on my old bike. The whole unit had to be replaced, costing about $400. The new 2005 is plastic. I keep all the old parts around, and in this case it has helped me with the conversion. The ‘99 pod door fits the new 2005 headlight pod. I used the old door and kept the new door as a spare electronic ballast . Being able to look at the old pod and decide where to drill was helpful. I drilled 2 holes in the pod door. A 5/8 inch hole (or 23mm) for the HID bulb and a 1/2 inch hole for the HID power input. I used a wood drill and drill press to make the holes.

Note on the ‘99 headlight pod pictures, there is a factory power fitting that might take the hid ballast H-7 input plug in. If you have that style pod, you would only have to drill one hole, if you can plug the HID into the wiring going into the pod.

From the picture you can see there are 3 wires though, so I expect the high and low beams are both there. Then you probably would lose the high beam if you used that factory wiring to the HID. Maybe the three way wouldn’t work, or you would have to rewire the whole thing.

Anyway, my 2005 has a completely separate, overdone, Teutonic-style plug-in fitting that is grommet sealed with a spring loaded keeper on it…the H-7 input from the HID kit will not fit into the wiring harness plug. I took the factory pod power input fitting off to look at it after I removed the left side fairing on the LT for exposure. That in itself is a job!

If you can work in tight places and see up close (a problem for us old guys!), I don’t think you would have to remove the fairing. Especially so now that I can tell you what is up there.

I took the door off the headlight pod, and could see that there is enough space inside the pod for the fittings to come through the drilled holes. The HID bulb was drilled on one side and the H-7 input connector on the other.

The white dots on the photo (left) show where. The holes need to be above where the wire closer and tensioner snaps into place, and to either side of the back of the headlight reflector for enough space.

Try to put the hole for the hid kit power input close to the standard H-7 bulb plug wires. I didn’t, and the H-7 plug wires were a little tightly stretched…but it did reach. Note on the old LT pod picture prior to 2005 that the factory input fitting is on the left side. My 2005 factory power input into the pod is now on the right.

The 2005 pod cover has a ‘boss’ on the left side while the old ‘99 cover was smooth.

The grommet on the hid wiring seals the hole fine. You have to massage the hole a little with a round file where the connectors go through, but the installation was easy.

I used a small screwdriver, bent the retaining metal back, and released the pins from the HID kit plastic power input fitting. I drilled the 1/2 hole, put the wiring through the hole in the pod cover, and replaced the plastic H-7 fitting on the pins. I used an automotive grommet similar to the black one next to the pod cover in the picture. I think it was a green grommet for control rod linkage. The one pictured is a PCV grommet. I also put 2 small zip ties on each side of the cover and some silicone as the grommet was slightly loose, and I wanted a strong, water tight seal.

There is enough wiring to allow you to replace the standard H-7 bulb with the HID bulb, and hold it with the factory wire keepers in the headlight pod. Then you plug in the factory H-7 bulb plug into the hid lamps input fitting, gently stuff it all into the pod and replace the door. Snap the wire keeper up and you’re done.

The LT has an “X” frame just below the headlight pod. I used the doubled sided tape and heavy zip ties to hold the HID boxes up on top of it. Nothing comes anywhere near the fork and there is room up there for a box on each side of the “X” arms.

The wire looms were looped back and forth a few times and zip tied to the same place.

You need to find the fuse box under the seat. Take out the 7.5 amp fuse (unless you want to try it and burn it out first, like I did) and replace it with the 10 amp fuse.

That’s all there is to it!

Looking at the bike, it looks stock until you turn the power dell 1691p on. Plenty of good light! I ran all day Sunday and nothing bad happened yet. The BMW has a knob to raise or lower the headlight beam. I suppose I will have to play with that to keep the oncoming cars happy. I rode around in the darkest places I could find last night. Everything worked super, and I only got 2 on-coming cars that flashed their high beams at me. I think the conversion is definitely worth it. I just hope I don’t get ticketed for it, because it isn’t stock. A lot of the high end new cars have these, so with time I doubt it will be a problem.

Sony Corporation announces the new line-up of lithium ion Vgp-bps2a batteries, with industry’s highest level of energy density, responding to the needs for high capacity and large current in secondary batteries for mobile products. Shipment will start from December 2004 onwards.

The capacity depends on the requested size of the battery.

Accomplishment of higher capacities in secondary batteries continue to be required from the market, due to higher performance and enhanced features in mobile products such as note PCs, digital video cameras and mobile phones. At Sony, commercialization of the world’s first high power density, small size, light weight and long life lithium ion battery was announced in 1991 and, in 1999, lithium ion polymer battery with flexibility in shape and enhanced safety was announced, further responding to such needs. As a result, the world-wide market size of lithium ion batteries (including lithium ion polymer batteries) has grown to a market of 1.2 Billion units.

In the cylindrical lithium ion battery and the lithium ion polymer battery announced today, industry’s highest level of energy density has been accomplished, enabling long hours of operation in mobile products. In the cylindrical lithium ion Vgp-bps2c battery, , in a cylindrical standard size of diameter 18mm and height of 65mm standard size, maintaining the same level of charging/discharging characteristics, industry’s highest level of high capacity with 2550mAh (which is 6% increase from the conventional battery) has been accomplished, further adding power (i.e. “Stamina”) to the operation of note PCs and digital video cameras requiring high power.

In the Lithium ion polymer battery, , characteristics such as high freedom in the ease of product design (in which the battery is to be used) and high level of safety from the polymer construction have been maintained and 830mAh (9%increase from Sony’s conventional model, with the same size) have been realized, supporting long hours of operation in small portable products such as mobile phones.

In addition, targeting the expansion of business in the mobile phone market as well as expansion of lithium ion Vgp-bps2b battery market, new models, the S Pack and V Cell, VT Cell Series are introduced.
S Pack is a lithium ion polymer battery pack dedicated to mobile phone use, where high efficiency is realized in a limited spacing from the convergence of the two technologies, lithium ion polymer and packaging.
In the V Cell and VT Cell Series, the challenge of large current discharge has been accomplished, enabling use of lithium ion dell 1691p batteries in power tools, cleaners, motor assisted bicycle where lithium ion batteries were not used in the past, leading to market expansion of high-power cylindrical lithium ion batteries.

Sony will continue making progress on technology development of batteries with respect to various aspects, such as safety, reliability in high performance, high capacity and consciousness to the environment, and by introducing new lithium ion battery line-up Sony will target to expand its apple a1185 battery business as well as the market.

? Main Characteristics of industry’s maximum capacity Cylindrical Lithium Ion (G8 Series) From the change to ‘Can’ and the cathode structure, high level of charging has become possible, leading to 6% increase* in capacity compared to conventional powerbook g4 battery. Also, due to the fact that the change is focused on structural changes, the curve of discharge is negligible compared to the conventional cell, enabling usage of the in the same battery pack as the conventional one.
*2550mAH (comparison with conventional cell:2400mAH)

? Main Characteristics of industry’s maximum capacity Lithium Ion Polymer (A8 Series) By slimming of the external structure, 9% increase of the capacity has been accomplished, compared to the conventional battery. As it is of a higher capacity when compared to a same size rectangular lithium ion laptop battery, it is appropriate for new generation mobile phones for multimedia purposes.
*830mAh (comparison with conventional same size battery : 760mAh)

? Main Characteristics of New Concept Battery Pack (S Pack)
Utilizing the characteristics of lithium ion pcga-bp71 batteries (no leakage, less swelling), the battery pack has been simplified, reducing the number of parts. Also, by using a stronger external film as it is as the exterior pack, maximum space efficiency has been achieved in the final products, which is the battery pack.

? High power Cylindrical Lithium Ion battery (V Cell, VT Cell Series)
By using Nickel/Manganese mixture in the positive electrode, stability in high temperature conditions have been achieved, also achieving safe usage with high level of current, this being the characteristics of V/VT series. By the combination with high-voltage, which is the characteristics of lithium ion vgp-bps5 batteries, usage in the high-power output application field (such as power tools, cleaners, motor assisted bicycles) will be ideal, where conventionally Nickel-Cadmium, Nickel-Hydrogen batteries were used. In the 18650V cell, maximum output of 10A, and in the 6650VT cell hid kit, maximum output of 50A have been achieved.

High Intensity Discharge ( HID ) is a new type of lighting technology that primarily different from the conventional halogen bulbs that use a heated tungsten filament. Unlike Halogen lamps, High-Intensity-Discharge ( hid ) lamps don’t have a filament but create light by the arc between two electrodes. The arc activates the Xenon, which in turn ignites the metal halide. The light produced by an HID Xenon lighting system is greater than a standard halogen bulb and with less power consumption. On the road, HID Xenon lighting systems appear as a bright white beam which resembles natural daylight. The bright white beam offers greater visibility and road safety.

In an HID Xenon lighting system for automobile, the voltage between the two electrodes rises firstly from 12V to 23000V and keeps stable at 8000V by using the Xenon HID ballast s system. Due to the ultra high voltage, the Xenon gas ionizes and a super-bright beam is produced, whose color temperature is up to 12000K. The HID Xenon lighting is much more economic, stabler and brighter than the conventional automobile lighting.

What are the advantages of Xenon Light?

LOW POWER CONSUMPTION

The xenon bulb provides more than twice the amount of light of a halogen bulb, while only consuming half the power (wattage). Therefore, the driver can see more clearly, and the car has more power for other functions. Moreover, it is environmentally friendly, as less power means less fuel consumption.

3 TIMES BRIGHTER

The clear white light produced by the Xenon bulb is similar to daylight. Research has shown that this enables drivers to concentrate better. Furthermore, this particular light color reflects the road markings and signs better than conventional lighting.

EXTREMELY LONG LIFE

The xenon bulb also delivers a marked contribution to road safety in the event of limited visibility due to weather conditions. In practical terms, the life span of the bulb is equal to that of the car, which means that the bulb need only be replaced in exceptional cases.

Why is good quality car lighting so important?

Because it saves lives. Better lighting leads to earlier and improved recognition of objects, cyclists, pedestrians, road workers, etc. Earlier and improved recognition of traffic signs and road markings is also vitally important to accident prevention. Therefore, better lighting delivers an active contribution to road safety and driver comfort, and can save lives.

Can I change my headlights to Xenon gas discharge?

Yes! Installation is so fast and easy, most people are done in only 20 minutes. Everything you need to complete the installation is included in the kit - no tools are required. And our instructions are designed to be clear and easy to follow. However, For low beam applications a replacement of existing halogen bulbs against a new Xenon headlamp is necessary. In addition to that, a cleaning & automatic leveling device is required by law when using Xenon for low beam applications. After all, you can re-install the original halogen bulbs after the XENON H.I.D. kit has been installed.

Why was Xenon Light developed?

For more safety on our roads. In the past decade, car manufacturers have made cars safer and more comfortable by the introduction of A.B.S., air bags, air conditioning, etc. But still, no less that 60% of all traffic accidents take place in poorly lit conditions. Therefore, lighting greatly contributes actively to road safety and comfort.

What does the XENON HID light system kit includes?

We will supply you with all of the necessary components and hardware to install this system into your vehicle. Each kit includes: 2 direct plug-in XENON H.I.D. lamps, 2 ballast s (transformer / igniter unit), all necessary wiring, complete and easy to follow installation instructions and wiring diagram.

Why is Xenon Light more expensive than halogen lighting?

Xenon lighting is not simply a question of a new type of bulb, but a whole new system consisting of:

(1) A complex HID Xenon bulb manufactured according to the highest standards of precision.

(2) A hi-tech HID electrical ballast system specially adapted to the Xenon bulb.

The price is governed by all these components. Generally the price of the dell 1691p , which is NOT necessary to a traditional bulb, accounts for 2/3 of the price of the whole Xenon HID lighting system.

What is Lumen (lm)?

The international unit (SI) of luminous flux (quantity of lights). For example, a dinner candle produces about 12 lumens and a standard 60-watt incandescent bulb produces 830 lumens. The higher the number is, the brighter the light is.

What is Kelvin (K)?

A basic unit of thermodynamic temperature (color temperature) used to measure the whiteness of the light output. The higher the number is, the whiter the light is. When over 5000K the light begins to turn to blue as daylight.

How do I determine if an hid ballast is operational or has failed?

First replace the lamp with a known good lamp listed on the fixture or ballast label. If this does not correct the problem, then measure the input voltage to the fixture and to the ballast to verify the availability of supply voltage at the hid ballast input. If the supply voltage exists at the ballast input leads, check for OCV, using the cautions in A2 above. If the OCV voltage is correct as listed on the ballast label, the problem could be a defective capacitor or ignitor. Change one of these component one at a time to correct the problem. Generally,if the ballast shows no signs of overheating and the OCV measurement is correct the ballast is good and there has to be another component failure or a wiring problem.

What will cause my lamp to cycle on and off?

This is an indication that the lamp has reached the end of its life. Replacing the hid lamps with a lamp specified to operate with the installed ballast will usually correct the cycling. This problem is most likely to be observed with High Pressure Sodium lighting systems.

Can a lamp of the same wattage be used with any ballast rated for that wattage, such as, a 400 W Metal Halide hid lamps with a 400 W High Pressure Sodium ballast?
No. A lamp will only operate properly when used with the ballast designed for that particular lamp. The lamps to be used with a particular ballast are listed on the ballast label and in the ballast literature. Using a lamp that is not specified will affect hid ballast life, lamp life or both. HID lamps all have specified unique operating characteristics. The ballasts have been designed to operate the lamps within those specified parameters.

What is HID Xenon?
High Intensity Discharge ( HID ) is a new type of lighting technology that primarily different from the conventional halogen bulbs that use a heated tungsten filament. Unlike Halogen lamps, High-Intensity-Discharge ( HID ) lamps don’t have a filament but create light by the arc between two electrodes. The arc activates the Xenon, which in turn ignites the metal halide. The light produced by an HID Xenon lighting system is greater than a standard halogen bulb and with less power consumption. On the road, HID Xenon lighting systems appear as a bright white beam which resembles natural daylight. The bright white beam offers greater visibility and road safety.
In an HID Xenon lighting system for automobile, the voltage between the two electrodes rises firstly from 12V to 23000V and keeps stable at 83V by using the Xenon electronic ballast system. Due to the ultra high voltage, the Xenon gas ionizes and a super-bright beam is produced, whose color temperature is up to 12000K. The xenon hid conversion kit is much more economic, more stable and brighter than the conventional automobile lighting.

HID Technology:
XENON HID lamps do not have a filament. Instead the light is created by an electrical discharge between two electrodes in an air tight tiny quartz capsule filled with xenon gas, mercury and metal halide salts. This improves durability as road vibrations can cause damage to coil lighting technologies. These light sources also produce a blue-white light that is safer because it is closer to natural daylight. The color temperature is approximately 4200 K compared to 3200 K for halogen. The increased light output from a 35 watt ballast lamp is approximately 80% more light then a 55 watt halogen bulb. The xenon hid conversion kit system will also draw less power from your vehicles electrical system.

Temperature:
Color Temperature is a measurement in Degrees Kelvin that indicates the hue of a specific type of light source. Many people believe the misconception that colour temperature is a rating of the brightness of the bulb or xenon hid conversion kit . This belief is completely false. The reality of the matter is that the higher the colour temperature, the less useable light output you will obtain. A perfect example would be a black light. This light has a colour temperature of approx 12,000k and has almost no useable light or lumens output. Higher K kits such as 7000k, 7500k, etc. have been manufactured for individuals that are more concerned about the actual colour output of their lights as opposed to the actual useable light output

Colour Temperature (Tcp)
A black body (perfect radiant body) is an ideal object that absorbs all energy, changes its colour from red through yellow to white as its temperature increases. The absolute temperature T (K) of the black body is referred to as the colour temperature and colour by a locus (black body locus).
The above diagram is sometimes used to indicate the colour of a light source. Correlated colour temperature is used to apply the general idea of colour temperature to those colours that are close to, but not exactly on the blackbody locus. For instance, a light source which has a colour difference of 0.01 in the green direction (Duv) from a black body which has a colour temperature of 7,000K is indicated as having a correlated colour temperature of 7,000K + 0.01 (uv unit).

If you trench before Ballasting, you might want to consider lining the trench with weed guard. The stuff is only marginally effective in stopping weeds, but it will tend to separate the ballast from the surrounding dirt.

Trenching is important if your soil drains poorly, it will allow rain to spread out and not puddle so badly around the track. If your soil is very well drained, then you can just ballast on top of the existing grade, just as the real railroads do. In this case, you will want to ballast an inch or more thick and you will have to secure the hid ballast by some method (see below) to prevent it from washing away from the track. Unfortunately, this is one area where the effects of the ballast do not scale. Actually, it is the rain that doesn’t scale. It would take a lot of rain to wash 4″ chunks of rock off of a real roadbed, but it doesn’t take much 1:1 scale rain to wash away 1/4″ pieces laptop battery.

Build your ballast up to about 1″ from its final height. You can use larger crushed rock for the lower layers. Then lay the track down in its final configuration and connect the sections together. Then use a large mug or cup to scoop up some ballast and pour it onto the track in small piles 18″ to 24″ apart. Level the track over a long section and adjust its height as necessary by working only on the little piles. When the track is at the right height and level, then pour ballast right through the track between the supporting piles. Pour on enough to cover the track. Then use an old 2″ paint brush to distribute the ballast down the center of the track, allowing the excess to spill over the rails. If you have too much, brush the excess down the line to a section that needs it vgp-bps2a. If you need more, pour it on. Wiggle the track to get it to spread out and tamp the ballast. Keep checking the height and level as you go at about 6″ intervals.

If you are going to leave your ballast loose, just brush it out until the appearance suits you. If you are going to secure your electronic ballast, then read the section below and make preparations vgp-bps2c you apply the ballast.

Turnouts require some special attention. There have been many methods described to keep ballast out of the turnouts. I have found that none of them work very well. Ballast gets in there anyway. I just pour the ballast over the turnouts like regular track and clean them up later with a narrow blade on my pocket knife. It is easy enough to brush out most of the ballast and then pick the rest of it out of the flange ways, points and frog.

It is really important that the track be level. Superelevation is not really practical for the tight radius curves that most railroads have, so level is best. Use a small spirit level to check the track about every 6 inches. Be aware that you’ll have to recheck the level of the track periodically. Even if you tamp the ballast well, the forces of nature will nudge things around. The vibration from passing trains, lubrication from rain and thermal squirming due to daily heating in the sun will tend to cause drifts in the level of the track. Track that is out of level, especially if it changes inside a foot or so xenon hid conversion kit, will cause derailment problems.

Real railroads use crushed rock to ballast their track. Its cheap and effective. For the same reasons, crushed rock works very well for ballast ing garden railroad track too. A lot of different material has been used for large scale track xenon hid conversion kit , but most of it falls in these categories:

Crushed rock
Poultry or Chicken Grit
Decomposed Granite sometimes mixed with cement
Real cement
Most of what I’ll deal with here is loose or semi-loose electronic ballast because that is what I have experience with. If you get a lot of leaf litter, then you will want to use some form of secured ballast so that you can either sweep or vacuum up the litter. Loose ballast won’t put up with a Shop Vac, heavy winds, moving water or burrowing animals.

The best and cheapest ballast material is crushed rock. The stuff that we want is the scrap left over from the crushing operation, small rock and dust. This stuff is usually real cheap IF you have a way to transport bulk quantities from a local quarry. This material goes by many regional names:

Crusher Fines
Screenings
Stone Dust or just Dust
Quarter minus (1/4″ or smaller)
#5
In any event, its the small sharp stuff that works the best. The more “dust” it has in it the better as the really fine stuff sets up after it gets wet and holds the larger stuff. It doesn’t much matter what kind of rock it came from as long as you like the color. Volcanic rock makes EXCELLENT ballast as it has nothing but sharp edges and it locks into a tight mass really well. It is usually dark in color. Volcanic rock sometimes contains a lot of iron. Please be sure to test it with a magnet as described in the section on tests.

Most gravel available in building supply outlets is either too big or too round. You will probably have to look around for the good stuff. Try these places:

A rock quarry (best chance of getting it cheapest if you can haul it)
A animal feed store (for grit, usually bagged)
Roofing supply outlet for #5 bagged. (Roofers need bags to get it on the roof)
A decorative rock store (for colored rock if that’s what you want)