Re: [CR]Wonderlight batteries...

(Example: Framebuilders:Bernard Carré)

Date: Sun, 02 Sep 2007 11:53:50 -0700
From: "Steve Maas" <bikestuff@nonlintec.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR]Wonderlight batteries...
References: <002601c7ec79$0457f660$0100a8c0@nicd60e2c6b784>
In-Reply-To: <002601c7ec79$0457f660$0100a8c0@nicd60e2c6b784>


These were probably the most common battery size in Europe back in the 50s. Eventually, they fell out of use in favor of the US standard sizes. They consist, as you suspect, of three conventional 1.5V cells in a single package, having flat, spring contacts instead of a button. If you solder three ordinary cells together and wrap with something to make them fit the housing, that should work fine. No one can see it, so, unless you're really hung up on these things, there should be no originality issues.

Steve Maas (Too hot to do the Pasadena ride today, so I've stayed home in) Long Beach, California

Nic Henderson wrote:
> Is this the battery in question? 'Wonderlights' were the lights to have
> here in the UK for a while.
>
> http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Duracell-Duracell-MN1203-4.5V-Flat-bat
> tery-1725.htm
>
> Nic Henderson
> Newport
> UK
>
> Harvey Sachs wrote:
>
> The original battery pack was rectangular with rounded sides - looked
> like a stack of 3 (smaller than C) cells. Several years ago I had
> trouble selling several of these at Cirque; the battery is an issue.
> But, if I'm right and the bulb still works, 3 A cells in series ought to
>
> do fine as a 4.5V source. Might need to wrap to prevent rattles, and
> might want to use rechargeables, since the battery life will be less
> than with the originals (although, come to think of it...).
>
> I'm assuming you have the kind that looks a bit like an oversized stack
> of playing cards, with the lamp face in the top half of one big face.
> Otherwise, I have no ideas, but wish you luck: In my hands the front
> version had short lives. Sort of like the old leg lamp with clear lens
> forward and red lens back, funny T-shaped thing. Why I shudder just
> thinking about having used one.
>
> harvey sachs
> mcLean va
>
>
> Marc St. Martin wrote:
>
> I'm looking for some information regarding a "Wonder" rear bike light.
> Looks like a little flashlight with a red lens cover which fastens to
> the left rear dropout of a randonneur bike; e.g., Singer, Herse, etc. I
> won one of these on the 'Bay, but I can't locate a battery for it. It
> looked initially like it would accommodate 2 Size-C batteries, but the
> battery case is slightly too small in circumference to handle Cs. If
> there was a Size-B battery, it would probably fit :^) Perhaps maybe our
> European counterparts might be able to point me in the right direction.
> Any masters of battery esoterica out there?
>
> Thanks for any assistance,
>
> Marc St. Martin
> (singin my Herse ain't got a tail light blues)
> in Livermore, CA