Phoenix, AZ. Going to leave light in car as an experiment.

[papershredder]

Okay guys. I'm in Phoenix, AZ. It gets hot here.

I'm going to leave a streamlight stylus pro with two AAA alkaline batteries installed in my glove box.
I've measured the cell voltages already. The cells have gotten a little use, and are performing well so far. They're Enegizer brand. I'm going to put my oven thermometer in there to see how hot the car can get with the windows up and in direct sunlight. I usually crack my windows, but I'm almost always in the sun on weekdays. The car has got black paint too. No sun shades.

The plan is to check in on the cells every week. I'll fire up the light and use my multimeter too. I'll probably check in on the cells more frequently at the beginning of this ad-hoc experiment.

Lets see what happens. This should be just about the worst, yet still plausible, torture test you could perform. I've got a garage door opener that has permanent residency in my car. It takes a 9V alkaline, and it held up very well last summer with some off-brand battery.

Day 0, June 13, 2013
Cell A: 1.458
Cell B: 1.458

 

[StarHalo]

- A basic voltage reading won't tell the whole story, some dead batteries have no problem giving a nominal voltage reading, yet will zero instantly when a load is applied. You'll need a load tester to get more info.

- If your Energizers are Lithiums, there will be very little to see with a test, as they're rated to temps that are higher than your glovebox experiences.

- If you just want to see the worst-case scenario, put alkalines in your light and store it atop the dashboard. Be prepared to sacrifice the flashlight.

 

[Knight_Light]

Just a data point. I just did a runtime test on a headlamp putting out 1010 lm. They head of the headlamp reached 178°F the battery tube on the outside reached 158°F and the lithium-ion 18650 that was pulled from the light reached 132°F. Probably similar to what you would find in a hot car. You can see the temperature data here http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...rmytek-Wizard-Pro-Prototype-Long-Term-Testing .

 

[Valkman]

I live in Pahrump, NV just outside of Vegas and I just pulled a Led Lenser Tac Torch (3 AAA batteries) out of my truck last night to see if it worked. It's been in there a year probably and it lit up just fine - I was suprised!

 

[papershredder]

Day 1 is over. June 14, 2013.

Cells are back at ambient for measurements:
Cell A: 1.471
Cell B: 1.471

The cells actually increased in voltage by about 0.9%.

Car ambient got to 130F. This was in full sun with windows up.

Fired the light up briefly, no problems.

The LCD readout on my temperature gague (meat thermometer) looked like all the segments were lit up due to the heat. It was hard to read.
It was painful to get the switch to click. Streamlight Stylus Pro takes a lot of force to turn on. I had to grip the 130F piece of metal pretty hard.

EDIT: I checked the cells a few hours after posting. They're still at 1.471 volts.

 

[papershredder]

Day 3. Night of June 16.

Cell A: 1.467
Cell B: 1.468

I let the girlfriend use it for a task. I unscrewed the tailcap and kept that with me, leaving just the switch exposed. That way she could turn it on without to much trouble. The light only saw a few minutes of use.
It's still going strong... Back in the oven (car) tomorrow.

 

[papershredder]

Day 4. Night of June 18. I forgot to put it in my car yesterday.

It baked quite nicely on the dash today in direct sunlight.

I just took it apart. Some plastic sleeve insert came out of the streamlight. I never noticed that in there before! It's stuck to both of the batteries.
I thought the batteries were bulging, but it turns out the wrapper just pulled back a few millimeters, exposing the metal case. The insert was stuck to the wrapper adhesive. Any idea what that insert is for? Alkaleaks?

Voltages are up from last time:
Cell A: 1.490
Cell B: 1.490

Light turns on, seems to be performing well. However, there are now chromatic abberations in the beam. I see some yellows and some blues. There is also a sliver of beam starting from the hotspot and traveling out farther than the rest of the spill. Odd.

 

[StarHalo]

there are now chromatic abberations in the beam. I see some yellows and some blues. There is also a sliver of beam starting from the hotspot and traveling out farther than the rest of the spill. Odd.

Ya baked the emitter or the reflector/lens assembly. Nothing survives the top of the dashboard..

 

[novice]

I don't know if it was independently peer-reviewed, but I saw a picture of a Glock that was left on the top of the dashboard in a locked car in the summer in a southern state. Massive frame deformation. I have never seen anything quite like that, and I would bet that the polymer compound they use was stringently tested for desert environments.

 

[papershredder]

Day 6. Night of June 21.

It's spent the last two days in the glove box again.

Cell A: 1.479
Cell B: 1.479

Still works. I might go top of dash again.

 

[bstrickler]

I'd be surprised if you do it this weekend. Isn't it supposed to hit 120 degrees up there? That'd be the ultimate torture test.

I've got 6 CR123's sitting in the car right now (two in a Z2), just as my emergency light. I'll test them after summer is over, to see how they do (even though cheap-a$$ me doesn't want to use them if I don't have to).

 

[Atakdog]

I once left my 4sevens mini 123 running on a 16340 going for 20 minutes on the floor if my room. I don't know what temp it was but when I picked it up it burned by hand after less than a second. After turning it off and opening it with pliers the battery was also hot enought to burn me.
After this and much use where it is on long enought I can't hold it anymore the light and battery are still going strong.

 

[Yamabushi]

I don't know if it was independently peer-reviewed, but I saw a picture of a Glock that was left on the top of the dashboard in a locked car in the summer in a southern state. Massive frame deformation. I have never seen anything quite like that, and I would bet that the polymer compound they use was stringently tested for desert environments.

Must have been faked. Glocks are made of Nylon 6; melting point above 400°F; dimensionally stable to about 285°F. The vinyl trim in a car would probably completely melt before a Glock started to distort.

 

[papershredder]

Well,

It's starting to cool off. The light has survived.

Cells are at 1.483 and 1.475 volts. I can't read the "Cell A, Cell B" I wrote on with a sharpie anymore.

I never saw anything bad come out of leaving it in the glove box. However, leaving it on the dash, in the sun, with the windows up definately was a torture test. The cell wrappers shriveled up, and a plastic insert running the length of the battey tube came out. Something happened to the emitter, as it started making some weird colors and the beam profile got all funky.

Long story short: Glove box--good. Dash/direct sunlight--bad.