Sunwayman V11R - Battery Choices

Hi everyone,

I just ordered a V11R with AA extender. I've already got a Maha PowerEx C9000 whatever it's called charger, and a bunch of Eneloops.

I imagine I'll be using the Eneloops to power the light on a standard basis. I'm wondering about backup plan though. I'm talking more along the lines of an emergency situation, car breaks down, power goes out, all my Eneloops are dead. Which batteries do I keep on hand in my car? Do I just get a 4-pack of Energizer Lithium AA, or do I get CR123A?

I imagine having the AAs will be more useful for other devices as well, but what about for just this light?

thanks,
grimakis

If u are using Eneloops on a daily basis, then just keep a bunch of the Lithium AA in ur car, that way u dont have to remove the extender to fit the CR123A cells..

18350 are brighter but they don't fit

kreisl said:

18350 are brighter but they don't fit

Click to expand...

I've had my V11R for a couple...few years and it replaced my V10R which stopped working on primaries. I also have a NIB V11R with the XM-L2 U2 that I got, along with two AA extender tubes, from Illumination Supply, for a very good price.

I use the red AW IMR 16340s in my light (and my EagleTac D25C Ti. clicky) almost exclusively, since it keeps the light as close to 'lipstick size' as possible. I sacrifice a few minutes in runtime, but that's no bother, since the 16340s will give me about 20 minutes on high and I rarely approach that in everyday (night) life. Spares are easy to carry if need be and if I'm going to be needing more illumination, there are other lights that I have that might be better in terms of 'runtime.'

The V11R with the AA tube almost puts it in the same size category as a small 18650 light and for me, the point of lipstick lights is that they're small and unobtrusive in my pocket.

14500s, Eneloops, Energizer Lithium Ultimates, all will work, but I like the lithium ion cells, of either size, since the light is a lot brighter with the 3.7v cells.

Chris

i wished the V11R was less bulky. de 16340 is such a tiny battery!!

Yes. I'd buy more if it was slimmer.

kreisl said:

i wished the V11R was less bulky. de 16340 is such a tiny battery!!

Click to expand...

Try the EagleTac D25C Ti clicky, it's noticeably slimmer than the V11R.

"Bulky" is a relative term and both lights are substantially smaller than even the smallest of 18650 lights.

Plus, with a li-ion cell, they're incredibly bright for their size.

Chris

i think the NIetcore PD series is de best

kreisl said:

i think the NIetcore PD series is de best

Click to expand...

Yeah, my P1D is smaller than both, but it's not as bright. That is my first LED boutique light and it still works!

Different strokes...

Chris

kreisl said:

18350 are brighter but they don't fit

Click to expand...

With an extra extender 16650 do!

Thanks for the responses so far.

So it sounds like keeping a 4-pack of Energizer Lithiums in my car sounds like a smart move. I have a few supplementary questions for you all.

1. How should I store my batteries? Any plastic cases that you guys recommend? As of now, I have them all in ziploc bags. Perhaps a waterproof case for the batteries in my car, or is that overkill?

2. When my flashlight's battery dies, what voltage will that be at? Will I damage my Eneloops from letting my flashlight run them down, or does the light cut out when the voltage drops to like .9V?

3. Does anyone sell color filters for a flashlight like the V11R?

Grimakis said:

Thanks for the responses so far.

So it sounds like keeping a 4-pack of Energizer Lithiums in my car sounds like a smart move. I have a few supplementary questions for you all.

1. How should I store my batteries? Any plastic cases that you guys recommend? As of now, I have them all in ziploc bags. Perhaps a waterproof case for the batteries in my car, or is that overkill?

2. When my flashlight's battery dies, what voltage will that be at? Will I damage my Eneloops from letting my flashlight run them down, or does the light cut out when the voltage drops to like .9V?

3. Does anyone sell color filters for a flashlight like the V11R?

Click to expand...

I'm looking at 4 quads of Energizer L91 Ultimate AAs on Ebay now, for $26 shipped and with expiry dates of 2035. I'll probably be dead by then, lol. They're great in the temperature extremes of a non-garaged car.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/291681913741?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I buy the little plastic snap cases that hold 4xAA and 4xAAA and they're cheap and don't take up much volume. I have them for my 18650s, which hold two, or in some types, 4xCR123As/16340s.

I have one of those plastic utility storage cases with adjustable partitions for all of my batteries and it keeps things relatively tidy. You find them at Home Depot, Lowes, or places like Bass Pro Shops in the 'fishing and tackle' section.

If you're running your V11R on high and the voltage starts dropping, the light will start blinking until you dial the output back down and then it will repeat, as it drains further.

Eneloops are a nominal 1.20v, so a little below that is where I charge them back up.

You'd have to measure the head of the V11R and then look to brands like Fenix, or NiteCore to see if they have any slip on colored filters. They're out there, but you just have to know the dimension.

Then there's this:

http://www.arborsci.com/color-filter-swatch-book

You might be able to 'cut and fit.'

Good luck, Chris

I have the AA extender but I prefer to run the V11R without it and use 16340 rechargeables and CR123A's and not use the lower voltage of an Eneloop or Energizer L91 on this particular light. A 14500 might have just a slight bit more energy than a 16340 but I like the light in the smaller form factor than with the extender on. So my backup primaries for this particular light are CR123A's.