Let's start a list: Lights OK with Energizer Lithium AA (L91) cells.

Greetings!

Let's start a list of lights that have been verified to function properly using Energizer Lithium AA cells (L91 cells). I'll start:

River Rock 1-AA 1W LED (1-cell)
River Rock 2-AA 1.5W LED (2-cells)
River Rock 4-AA Lantern (4-cells)
Princeton Tec Impact XL (4 cells)
Inova X1 - Original TIROS Version (1-cell)
Inova X1 - New Reflector Version (1-cell)
CMG Infinity Ultra - Red LED (1-cell)
CMG Infinity Ultra - Blue LED (1-cell)
NexxTech Combo Shake Light/3AA Light (3-cells)

I've personally tried Energizer Lithium AA cells in all of the above lights for several days of constant use - so I know all of the above lights will not be damaged by these Lithiums. Before posting your lights, please be SURE that they keep functioning for several days of use, don't just pop a battery in and see it light up and assume it's safe... some lights will degrade slowly before dying if exposed to over-voltage condition.

Best wishes,
Bawko

I also love AA lithiums.

Energizer hard case tactical
UK eled zoom
heliotek ht1
MMag 3AA for a little while at least

Streamlight 4AA ProPolymer Luxeon

i just guessing here but i would assume almost all lights that take the aa battery would be fine with the energizer lithiums?

maybe a list of lights that are not compatible would be better or am i missing something?

Maxlite, the best AA light out there IMO is designed to work with that battery.

Petzl advise against them for most of their lights (although I used them before I learnt this)

BrightGuy.com says that you should not use lithiums with the PT Impact XL.

The Gerber LX 3.0 can use lithiums.

Princeton Tec (PT) has/had also cautioned against using lithium AAs in their Surge--may/will blow the bulb.

Radio Shack pocket fluorescent: several years ago, while using lithium AAs in this light for about 15-20 mintues (constant on), I detected a slight odor/burning smell and immediately turned off the light. The light was fine, so I don't know if the batteries would actually damage the light, but I've never used lithiums in them since.

Underwater Kinetics (UKE/UK) lights with lithium AA batteries have served me well for years with no adverse effects.

Eternalight is great with lithium AA batteries. And if I recall correctly, the manufacturer states that if you use lithium batteries in their Marine model, the light will float.

I don't understand why they wouldn't work in any reasonably well designed flashlight that used AA cells... The voltage is NOT that much higher then a Alkaline cell, particularly once you start pulling more then a 100mA from them.

I've only had one application where the voltage of these cells caused problems... that was in a portable storage device that was very picky about having more then 6 volts input... I was trying to use four AA cells and found it just wouldn't work, without first using something to coax a little current from the cells... which quickly drops the voltage down bellow 1.5V.

I would think a more interesting list... would be those flashlights that are KNOWN to have problems with these cells... That way I would know what ones to avoid...

Greetings!

Uncle Bob said:

BrightGuy.com says that you should not use lithiums with the PT Impact XL.

Click to expand...

He's wrong. See this thread:

http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=151430

Here is the post:

Burgess said:

I contacted Princeton Tec, with the following e-mail:

Have a question for you, regarding your Impact XL flashlights . . . .
Is it OK to use Energizer Lithium L91 AA cells in these flashlights ?
On the "Bright Guy" website, it is stated:
NOTE: Not for use with lithium batteries.

However, I've encountered others who insist that they use 'em, and never had problems.
Thought i'd write to you folks at Princeton Tec directly, and get the real story.
Thank you for any light you can shed on this subject.
----------
And this is the reply i just received:

Hello,

You are able to use lithium batteries in the Impact XL.
If you have any other questions, let me know.

Regards

Jay Harrington
866.509.5021 Direct Toll free
800.390.7793 Fax
[email protected]
www.switchback321.com
----------
So, it appears that the cautionary note on Bright Guy's website is not necessary.

Hurray ! Good news !

Click to expand...

This was not a surprise to me, as I've been using Lithium AA's in all 6 of my Impact XL's from the time I purchased them with no problems.

Best wishes,
Bawko

I stand humbled and corrected.

It sure would be nice to have manufacturers state on their product literature at point-of-sale if lithiums can be used. I'm always guessing or trying to find out some other way.

This is a good subject, Atomic_Chicken.

Mag LED 3 AA.

Hey Atomic -


Congrats on your 100th post.


You are now *officially* a Flashaholic !



BTW, i forwarded those e-mails of mine to BrightGuy.

We'll see if he actually changes his website's product listing on the Impact XL.


This is a very good thread. Always wanna' know if Lithiums are OK to use.

Photon Proton.

Although out of production, the old ARC AA works fine with lithium AA batteries. I carry one with me as a back-up light.

Electrical products ought not to be designed to such tight tolerances that stable discharge voltages degrade their reliability. Hale to lithium AA & AAA cells for they have superior performance and won't destroy the contacts if they (almost never) do happen to leak.

Longbow ECO, MiniM@G Led 2AA

I must be missing something here. Hopefully some of you are not confusing AA-sized rechargeable lithium ion batteries that have open circuit voltages well above 4 volts? I can understand where AA flashlights not designed to regulate these higher voltages would or could have problems. The L91 lithium Energizer is rated at 1.5 volts, though a fresh battery may have an open circuit voltage as high as 1.6 volts. But as soon as that battery is connected to a significant load like any flashlight, the voltage will drop below 1.5 volts. The alkaline AA cells, by comparison, start at 1.5 volts under no load conditions. I would think that any flashlight designed for AA batteries would not care one way or another about the extra 0.1 volts when the flashlight is off, and/or would be damaged by 1.5 volts/cell under load.
The lithium cell is capable of delivering higher current for much longer time than an alkaline cell under high current draw conditions. But the current draw from the battery is not determined by the battery, but by the regulator circuit setting (or by the load itself if direct driven, like in a Photon light). (Actually, the battery's internal resistance may limit the current if the load impedance is low enough to approach the magnitude of the internal resistance - but regulator circuit input impedances are significantly higher than this). The bottom line is that the lithium cell, as with the alkaline cell, will only source as much current as the load demands, and any small differences due to internal battery resistance are insignificant.
Thus I do not see how any AA flashlight would care if it is connected to a 1.5 volt lithium or 1.5 volt alkaline. If it is that critical that it makes a difference, I don't want that flashlight!!!

I know that Eveready Lithium AAA batteries work fine in my Energizer LED penlight (the chrome one that looks like something from 20 years ago; it has a pocket clip and a black click switch on the tailcap.)

jki said:

Thus I do not see how any AA flashlight would care if it is connected to a 1.5 volt lithium or 1.5 volt alkaline. If it is that critical that it makes a difference, I don't want that flashlight!!!

Click to expand...

I don't want to muddy the waters but this subject confuses me. Does your logic extend to AAA lithiums? My PT Eos headlamp can take AAA lithiums. Petzl, however, does not recommend AAA lithiums for my Tikka Plus or XP. Is there a general rule for substituting lithiums in AA or AAA? :candle: