I haven't even lurked here that long and just joined the main forum today and this is my first post, and I've already lost my sanity. Great. :nana: I kept telling myself that as long as I stick to only watching for killer deals on the marketplace, If'd buy less.
So anyway, I bought a Magcharger with a TerraLUX TLE-300MR already installed, on the marketplace (thanks, wacbzz!). It just went in the mail today, and I'm already thinking about batteries!
At this point, it's down to either sticking with the stock stuff, or a 9AA to 3D adapter and Sanyo eneloops.
I've already ruled out a 3500 mAh NiMH drop-in pack, as that'd be more of a step sideways than an actual upgrade. I don't see myself using something so bright for more than a few minutes at a time, more than a few times per week. I'm also not planning on obsessively charging it every couple days. It can expect to be charged when it gets dim, and when I feel like it. With that kind of usage, the ~26% greater capacity (assuming the NiMH cells lose about 10% of their capacity under a 2 amp load, and that the stock NiCds are 2500 mAh) would most likely have self-discharged away by the time it dies. And I'm really not concerned about the "memory effect."
Eneloops, on the other hand, have better self-discharge than NiCds, and also hold up extremely well under moderate currents. Which wouldn't even be necessary, since the light would only draw about 1.1 amps on average. 10.8 nominal volts, and call it 1850 mAh per cell at 1.1 A, give a 33% increase in Wh, on paper. I theorize that the TerraLUX unit should also regulate better as 6v is on the lower end of its rating, and the batteries should be more efficient, as even NiCds will drop their voltages as current increases (thus causing current to increase more, voltage to drop further, etc., with a regulated light). This may result in a little more runtime than the on-paper watt-hour figures suggest.
I'd also be just fine with leaving the diode in and wiring a different trickle charger into the cradle. I'm sure I could find some old 10.8V, ~150-200 mA trickle charger on Ebay or wherever, for an old RC model or airsoft or something. Like I said, intermittent use, so fast/quick/rapid/turbo charging isn't a priority. I'm sure the batteries can tolerate a few excess hours of .1C, and there's no point in getting LSDs if putting the flashlight on top of something metal can make it lose all its juice in a week.
Main issue, aside from cost, would be the physical properties of the battery pack. About how much does a fivemega adapter weigh, and how mechanically robust are they? I mean, the entire point of getting a Maglite over something more "modern" is its dual function as both a light source and a head-knocker. If by some chance it should come down to that, a short-circuit in the battery pack would just make a bad day a great deal worse.
As for the cost, it's up to me as to whether it's worth doubling the price of the light, to increase runtime and decrease self-discharge.
Opinions, alternatives, I-don't-knows?
So anyway, I bought a Magcharger with a TerraLUX TLE-300MR already installed, on the marketplace (thanks, wacbzz!). It just went in the mail today, and I'm already thinking about batteries!
At this point, it's down to either sticking with the stock stuff, or a 9AA to 3D adapter and Sanyo eneloops.
I've already ruled out a 3500 mAh NiMH drop-in pack, as that'd be more of a step sideways than an actual upgrade. I don't see myself using something so bright for more than a few minutes at a time, more than a few times per week. I'm also not planning on obsessively charging it every couple days. It can expect to be charged when it gets dim, and when I feel like it. With that kind of usage, the ~26% greater capacity (assuming the NiMH cells lose about 10% of their capacity under a 2 amp load, and that the stock NiCds are 2500 mAh) would most likely have self-discharged away by the time it dies. And I'm really not concerned about the "memory effect."
Eneloops, on the other hand, have better self-discharge than NiCds, and also hold up extremely well under moderate currents. Which wouldn't even be necessary, since the light would only draw about 1.1 amps on average. 10.8 nominal volts, and call it 1850 mAh per cell at 1.1 A, give a 33% increase in Wh, on paper. I theorize that the TerraLUX unit should also regulate better as 6v is on the lower end of its rating, and the batteries should be more efficient, as even NiCds will drop their voltages as current increases (thus causing current to increase more, voltage to drop further, etc., with a regulated light). This may result in a little more runtime than the on-paper watt-hour figures suggest.
I'd also be just fine with leaving the diode in and wiring a different trickle charger into the cradle. I'm sure I could find some old 10.8V, ~150-200 mA trickle charger on Ebay or wherever, for an old RC model or airsoft or something. Like I said, intermittent use, so fast/quick/rapid/turbo charging isn't a priority. I'm sure the batteries can tolerate a few excess hours of .1C, and there's no point in getting LSDs if putting the flashlight on top of something metal can make it lose all its juice in a week.
Main issue, aside from cost, would be the physical properties of the battery pack. About how much does a fivemega adapter weigh, and how mechanically robust are they? I mean, the entire point of getting a Maglite over something more "modern" is its dual function as both a light source and a head-knocker. If by some chance it should come down to that, a short-circuit in the battery pack would just make a bad day a great deal worse.
As for the cost, it's up to me as to whether it's worth doubling the price of the light, to increase runtime and decrease self-discharge.
Opinions, alternatives, I-don't-knows?
so now i have a spare.
