1, 2, 3, or 4 AA cell to D cell adapter

[lambda]

This is a nice AA cell to D cell (1.5V) battery adapter.

Thanks go to gregw who pointed this out in the ProMagnum thread as available here .

While these are well made, they also come with problems right out of the box.

The holes in the plastic front spacer plate are too small for the positive battery terminal to fit through. But luck has it that these are easy to disassemble and fix.

First, turn the rear contact plate to unlock the assembly.

Then bend the metal contacts up a little.

Push on the positive contact and shove the rear contacts back through the hole in the end a little.

Now all the parts can be easily removed.

Use a 7/32 drill bit followed by a 15/64 drill bit to ream out the holes by hand.

Reassemble the parts as shown in the photo so the center strut is seated in the plastic front spacer plate.

Then just push on the negative contact to snap everything back in place. Turn the rear metal contact part to lock the adapter parts in place. Now the positive contacts fit through the holes and make contact.

That's it, adapter fixed and ready for AA cells.

This adapter costs $3.25, so for two of them it will set you back $6.50 plus $8.00 shipping from Aventrade. Aventrade did ship my order the next day and I received them a few days later by UPS.

If there is enough interest, a group buy can be made to save on shipping costs. Any interest?

 

[marcspar]

I rec'd 4 of them already from Aventrade and was unhappy that they did not work....

Now, thanks to you, I know why!

Anybody want to 'fix' the four I have and keep two them for their labor?

I'd be interested in getting more if you recommend these over the three aa adapters that are coming in the pro-mag.

Thanks,

Marc

 

[lambda]

I don't know if I'd recommend them over the other adapter.

These will work, but even after getting "fixed", it can be a challenge to get four AA cells in a Mag D. I was able to get four 2100mAh Energizers to fit, but just fit. Some older 1700mAh cells fit much better as they are not as fat in diameter. So it's really a combination of the Mag battery tube diameter and AA cell diameter. Not all AA cells may fit in all Mag D battery tubes. But, when they do fit, they work very well. Close to zero internal resistance so good for heavy currents too.

The 6AA adapter is hassle free and easily changed. This 8AA adapter can make you utter prayers (or other things) while trying to get it to fit.

 

[TrueBlue]

Hmmm? Quite a decision-33% longer run-time with a 4 AA adapter versus a finicky and iffy fit of batteries. I do know Gold Peak (GP) NiMH batteries are shorter than Energizers NiMH batteries. I throw fits when I forget the size difference between the two batteries and my light doesn't work. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rant.gif

I'll consider buying the 4 AA adapter after I get the ProMagnum light but I suspect I'll keep the 3 AA adapter if it works well.

Lambda, have you tried Gold Peak batteries with the 3 AA adapter to see if the batteries make contact?

 

[lambda]

[ QUOTE ]
haveblue said:

Lambda, have you tried Gold Peak batteries with the 3 AA adapter to see if the batteries make contact?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've never even seen that brand, but since the 6AA uses real springs, I'd think they will fit. The springs give a lot of travel so short cells should be ok.

 

[litho123]

These are parallel, right?
So using 3 or 4 batteries is still 1.5v?
Their picture shows a series type setup, yet their wording states parallel.
Please clarify.

Thanks!

 

[lambda]

[ QUOTE ]
litho123 said:
These are parallel, right?
So using 3 or 4 batteries is still 1.5v?
Their picture shows a series type setup, yet their wording states parallel.
Please clarify.

Thanks!

[/ QUOTE ]

These are parallel. I corrected my 3V reference...

 

[BatteryCharger]

[ QUOTE ]
lambda said:
If there is enough interest, a group buy can be made to save on shipping costs. Any interest?

[/ QUOTE ]

I would definately be interested. Maybe we could even get a lower price for the battery holders? Or maybe we could get them from the manufacturer?

 

[Vifam]

I'm interested to get 2 for my ProMagnum. I don't have access to drill. Can you help me modify them?
Thanks,

 

[lambda]

[ QUOTE ]
Vifam said:
I'm interested to get 2 for my ProMagnum. I don't have access to drill. Can you help me modify them?
Thanks,

[/ QUOTE ]

As long as it doesn't turn in to hundreds, yes I can help there.

 

[theepdinker]

Lambda,
If you get over loaded I can help out.
Theepdinker

 

[stein]

How would three of these with AA alkalines do with a DB 833 driving a Lux3 with a vf of J? What kind of regulated runtime could I expect?

 

[fivemega]

If you look carefully at picture, nipple on left side AA is more extended compare to right one. These type of batteries will work fine on http://www.aventrade.com/baad.html 4AA to D parallel battery holders and any number of batteries from 1 to 4 can be used depending on expected current and capacity. But if you are using short nipple AAs then you will need to correct adapter as lambda explained or extend nipple by solder drop.

 

[stein]

Bump. Question above.

 

[vacuum3d]

I bought these and found the following...
1) If you try to bend the clip in any way, it snaps. I managed to get the center piece out, but not without breaking 2 of the 4 leaves on that clip.
2) The hole is small even for AA alkaline batteries. In fact, the Nimh button top fits better, but too short. I think it might be better if you'd just add a dap of solder inside the top holes.

Anyhow, I'm not impressed with them. The parts don't fit together well. The metal clip breaks if you sneeze.

Anyone know of a different brand that's has a higher quality?


ernest

 

[TrueBlue]

I got my adapters, 4 of them, yesterday and finished modifying them with great difficulty. While I didn't snap-off any of the arcing negative clips on any of the battery holders it was tough to get the clips back into place. The arced negative contacts are very thin and warp easily. Getting contact for the negative post on a battery is hard because the negative arced tabs tend to stay bent when you take out a battery. I am never really sure if all of the 4 batteries have 100% contact.

I noticed I have to push the positive end of the battery into the positive contact of the adapter to really make sure it makes contact, even after the modification. I don't know if the battery is contacting the positive side of the adapter. It is a 50% chance that it is.

Then I have to check to negative contacts to make sure the spring clips are still touching. 50% of the time the negative clips are not touching anymore. The bent negative tabs have to be bent at just the right arc to make contacts.

That is a lot of 50% chances. Then with a lot of fiddling around and only using certain type/diameter of batteries I got the adapters to fit but I'm not certain all 8 batteries in the ProMagnum are making contact.

The batteries I did get to fit in the light with the adapters are the smaller capacity AA batteries. So I can, unreliably, get eight 1800mA batteries to fit two 4AA to D adapters or use the reliable Lambda 6AA to 2D adapters, I have 6 of the Lambda adapters that can fit the larger diameter 2300mA batteries.

The math: 1800mA x 8 = 14400mA in the 4AA to D adapter or 2300mA x 6 = 13800mA in the reliable Lambda adapter. That is only a 600mA increase using the 4AA to D adapter and it connects so unreliably I have no doubt that I get less power out of the 4AA to D adapter.

Many of the batteries I use will not work in the adapter. Oh, I can get bigger diameter AA batteries to fit in the adapter but then the adapter will not fit in my ProMagnum light because the batteries bulge out of the adapter. I have lots of batteries now with torn off plastic covers.

I don't recommend the adapters.

Out of the four adapter I can get two of the adapters to work, mostly, reliably. The bad adapters are just too much trouble to get to work because of the warped negative tabs/ negative bottom plate.

My recommendation is to stick with the Lambda 6AA to 2D adapter and just modify those to work with AA batteries. I trust the 6AA to 2D a lot more.

I don't recommend the 4AA to D cell adapter at all. The adapters are not ready for prime-time. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsdown.gif

 

[mudmojo]

Thanks for your valiant efforts guys. Sorry things didn't work out for the better.

I've the same question as vacuum3d...
Does anybody know of worthy/bombproof 4AA->D adaptors out there on the market?

 

[David_Campen]

[ QUOTE ]
Does anybody know of worthy/bombproof 4AA->D adaptors out there on the market?

[/ QUOTE ]
Bump. Me too would like a good 4AA to D adapter. I would like to add a strobelight to my backpacking gear but the one I have found uses a D cell and all my other equipment - headlamp, handlamps, GPS, radio - work on AA cells.

 

[cgpeanut]

Yes, please post the link to where we can get a better quality 4-aa to D adapter. I think it would be a worthy mod for a 2D Maglite running a DB SWOJ@833mA.