[BiG WaVe]

I bought a set of the Vista Nightsticks awhile back and somehow managed to space off the charger that came with them.

I have another universal type Charger that I got from Wal-Mart or something that has variable DC output ranges. Does anybody know if I can use this to re-charge the nightsticks? If so what setting do I use?

I tried to find a phone # for Vista Lite but no such luck.

 

[prerogative]

You need a 7.5V charger that puts out ~300mA. You could charge above 7.5V (up to 12V) if regulated properly to ~300mA - BUT be careful with this, as overcharge is bad.

The battery is a 6V (5x sub-C batteries), and full charge should be ~7.05V, thus the 7.5V charger. I'm not sure what AH (Amp-Hour) rating it is - this determines how long you charge, but around 5 hours if depleted (to ~5V) should be enough.

Do not overcharge. The easiest way to determine when it's charged (if you don't have volt-meter), is temperature. When it get warm to touch, it's charged. This is how some better quality chargers sense the charge (a thermistor on battery sends xVolts back to circuitry - similar to a digital thermometer). The other way they regulate charge is a bit more technical.

In summary: if the battery get hot when charging, it's venting and putting our energy in heat - instead of charging. Venting is bad for battery life.

Beware - the Night Sticks are wrapped in aluminum - which masks the temp when touching. If the batteries are just wrapped in shrinkwrap, it's easier to feel when they're warm.

If you can find a tricke charger (7.5V, ~100-150mA), it will take around 12-15 hours to charge, but is safe when left on the charger for extended periods.

Good luck! Regards