Wheat Lamp

chemistry1969 · **Posted:** Sat Apr 18, 2009 10:37 am

Is there a way to use a "twist type" Koehler wheat lamp charger with a slide on Mark V type light and battery? Could you use alligator clips and wire and if so how would you do it? Thanks to all who reply.

Doug · **Posted:** Sat Apr 18, 2009 2:46 pm

Oh No! I'm having Flashbacks.

I just went through this myself.

The aligator clips will work but they have problems attaching and you need to make use they are heavy enough. If there is any doubt, they should not get warm.

It depends on what you are wanting to do. If you only have one light and the charger is mismatched. You can easily change the connector over. The kit to put a slide ( newer style ) on a key style is $17.00. And easy enough to install.

Also watch E-Bay as these things are constantly listed.

If you have more than one light a charger for each may be helpful as these seem to like a long charge as they get older.

If you want to get real wild and have some electrical understanding, you can do what I did and that is to install both types of connectors on one charger. But remember you can only charge ONE light at a time. Especially if either one is nearly dead, with great care and electrical understanding if might be possible to top off two batteries provided the charger has a current meter. But that is going to take some serious electrical understanding to keep from burning up the charger and maybe your house.

chemistry1969 · **Posted:** Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:02 pm

Thanks Doug!!
If I do try the alligator clips what do I attach them to? This battery has the slide on charger on the light and on top of the battery itself. Where do you get the conversions if all else failes. Thanks Again.

Coalfire · **Posted:** Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:59 pm

Does your light have a pto on the top of the Battery? Thats the slide that allows a joy remote control to be plugged up. If it does then you can get two cords from a joy miner and splice them together and then you can charge like that.

Doug · **Posted:** Sat Apr 18, 2009 9:03 pm

Koehler Parts are available from United Industrial Supply.

http://www.koehlerlighting.com/contact-us.asp

I'm hesitant to go into details, its obvious if you have a bit of electrical knowledge and a meter.

With the slide mount it is hard to get on the negative/ground side on the lamp. I suggest going directly to the battery post and not jumping to the lamp bracket.

Chango · **Posted:** Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:30 pm

Like all lead acid batteries, it should be possible to charge them at a higher voltage, as long as the charge tapers off as the battery voltage increases. If so, then it should be possible to charge a 4 v Koehler battery with a variable voltage 6 v charger like a person would use for light equipment batteries. Connections aside, I have both types of lights, is this true, and does anybody have any experience with this? Thanks and good luck

Doug · **Posted:** Tue Jun 02, 2009 3:35 pm

As any battery charges/discharges the internal resistance is always changing.

That said, over-voltage charging will put the battery in an over-current state. If the battery is near dead and designed for 2 amps to start charging and you charge at 6 volts the current will be nearer to 3 amps.

I'm not going to speculate, but if you are going to do that, it would be best to know how that current will effect the wiring in the entire circuit.

John · **Posted:** Tue Jun 02, 2009 9:41 pm

i have successfully charged a 4-volt wheat lamp battery with a 6-volt emergency lighting battery charger. it worked fine (thanks todd!). now all i need is a damn 4-volt battery that lasts more than 2 hours....

oh and i actually found a key (for a lock) that fits into the key-type headpiece perfectly, which makes it easy to get to the positive terminal. the negative terminal is the rounded nut.

i still think a 12-volt system is the way to go......

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