This is an Eiger update:
Before we get into the run times vs. output of the Eiger, I would like to review a little bit about the AAA battery. The AAA Alkaline battery was not designed for high current draws. The original requirement was for a constant output of 30 mAh. If we look at the larger AA size that was designed for a constant current draw of 100 mAh, (over three times as much), we can see what a disadvantage the AAA has with high outputs. At 30 mA draw, the AA battery capacity is 2800 mAh or 100%. At 100 mAh draw the capacity is now 2500 mAh or 89%. At 250 mAh draw the capacity is 1800mAh or 64%. At 500 mA draw the capacity is 1300 mAh or 46%. At 1000 mAh draw the capacity is 900 mAh or 32%. The AAA battery results are even worse in percent capacity as current draw increases, and it starts out at only 1200 mAh at a 30 mA constant current draw. Lithium batteries are capacity rated at a 100 mAh constant current draw.
The reason for reduced battery capacity to higher current draws with Alkaline batteries is internal electrical resistance buildup of both electronic and ionic conditions. To pack as much capacity as is possible into a limited space, the current collector within the Anode mixture of an Alkaline battery is a thin wire. This combined with other mechanical parts constitutes the electronic resistance buildup. High current outputs in the AAA would be much better with a larger surface area of the current collector. A cork screw spiral instead of a straight wire would be a good compromise. The Ionic resistance is the chemical reaction and heat build up in reference to the amount of current draw per time factor.
Now some numbers:
This first group is the starting outputs using 5 different battery combinations. The Alkaline batteries are Cosco house branded Kirkland AAA made in the USA. The NiMH units are 850 mAh capacity Energizer. The 10280 Lithium-Ion is from AW. The LED is the Rebel 0080 bin using the Eiger production lens and window assembly. The production LED will be the 0100 bin units, so the numbers shown here should be absolute worst case minimums. I am listing eight different power levels for each battery combination. I did not include the AAA Lithium battery for this list as the voltage difference to an Alkaline is minimal.
The first column is the battery combination followed by the output in measured foot-candles, (Candela), and the third listing is the approximate Lumen output. The lens/window ratio in this application is 5 fc to 1 Lumen. That is not very good as compared to a 20 mm reflector, (32 to 1), but considering the overall size of the assembly and that the hot spot is wider than the 5 mm LEDs that we use in the Matterhorn and with more usable side spill, I think it will be acceptable. Because of the wide hot spot and side spill the Lumen output is higher than the same Candela output from the typical 5 mm LED used in other small single AAA powered flashlights. In numbers 5 thru 8 Alkaline batteries are marginal. Use Lithium or NiMH rechargeable for better results. In the list below 'fc' refers to foot-candles and 'L' is Lumens.
#1--------------------------------------------#2 XLR?
1xAlk…….30.2 fc…...…6 L-------------------45.1 fc….….9 L
2xAlk…….34.7 fc…...…7 L-------------------52.1 fc…10.5 L
1xNiMH….30.0 fc….... 6 L------------------ 44.4 fc….…..9 L
2xNiMH….32.3 fc…...…6 L-------------------48.4 fc…..9.5 L
10280…...62.9 fc...12.5 L-------------------92.5 fc..18.5 L
#3--------------------------------------------#4 HP?
1xAlk….…58.5 fc…11.5 L--------------------65.9 fc…..…13 L
2xAlk….…68.7 fc…...14 L--------------------78.3 fc….15.5 L
1xNiMH.…55.9 fc…...11 L--------------------63.5 fc….12.5 L
2xNiMH….64.0 fc….…13 L--------------------73.6 fc….…15 L
10280….119.3 fc….…24 L-------------------138.3 fc…27.5 L
#5--------------------------------------------#6 UP?
1xAlk…....94.2 fc……19 L--------------------131.2 fc…...26 L
2xAlk…...120.4 fc…..24 L--------------------164.9 fc…...33 L
1xNiMH…..91.8 fc…18.5 L-------------------128.3 fc...25.5 L
2xNiMH…112.3 fc…24.5 L-------------------152.4 fc...30.5 L
10280…..193.0 fc…38.5 L-------------------255.0 fc…….51 L
#7---------------------------------------------#8 SP
1xAlk…….155.1 fc……31 L--------------------212 fc….....42 L
2xAlk…….202.0 fc..40.5 L--------------------392 fc…..78.5 L
1xNiMH….155.2 fc……31 L--------------------197 fc…..39.5 L
2xNiMH….179.8 fc……36 L--------------------359 fc…..71.8 L
10280……345.0 fc……69 L---------------------520 fc…..104 L
The battery run times are done using an Extech Light Meter with their Data Acquisition program monitored by a HP Pavilion computer, and saved in Microsoft Excel. I needed a reference comparison to other single Alkaline powered AAA battery lights. I chose the other quality American made lights that use the Nichia 5 mm LEDs. One uses the latest GS LED and the other one the previous lower output DS unit. The third one is the Peak Snow white single 5 mm ultra power. For the comparison I used the #4 Eiger power level from the list above. That is the closest output higher than the three reference lights. The high power Nichia GS light had approximately two hours on it according to the person that I borrowed it from. All batteries for this test were from Cosco and were their Kirkland house brand made in the USA. I matched the battery voltages for all four batteries at 1.608 volts. I typically stop testing at 5 Candela as anything lower is really not that usable. All lights in the test use a single AAA Alkaline battery. In the table below 'fc' refers to foot-candles or Candela.
Run Time…..…Peak 1…...Brand "A".....Eiger…..…Brand "A"........Eiger
………….....…..….LED ……..…Nichia..….....#4……...……GS................#2
…………....…..….Ultra……...…DS....…..…Rebel…..…Premium...........Rebel
Start………...…..40 fc…..…..43 fc….....…66.5 fc…...…60.3 fc..........44.2 fc
30 Minutes..….33………......35……......…64.3……....…54.0..............43.9
1 Hour……..…..29……....…..32……......…63.8…….......51.4.............43.7
2 Hours…….....25……....…..28……......…63.4……....…46.6..............43.5
3 Hours……..….23……...…...25.….....…..63.0…....……43.3..............43.2
4 Hours……..….22 ……...…..23……......…48.2…....……38.9...............42.8
5 Hours……..….20……...…...22……......…40.6……....…34.9..............42.6
6 Hours……..….19……....……21…........…33.3……....…31.7..............34.2
7 Hours…..…….18………....…19……........28.2……....…25.2..............31.1
8 Hours…..…….17………....…13...….....…24.5……....….1.2...............28.0
9 Hours…..…….16……...……0.7…......…..18.6……...…note B.............25.3
10 Hours…......15.……………...…...........14.1...............................22.5
12 Hours…......13………………......….......11.1...............................15.4
14 Hours…......10………………..........……..5.6................................11.2
16 Hours…...……8……………......…..….…note A...............................7.8
18 Hours…...……6...................................................................5.4--note C
Note A: At 3 hours 15 minutes the output was 62.9 fc. At 3 hours 20 minutes the output was 51.4 fc. At 15 hours the output was 4.8 fc. Test stopped.
Note B: At 7 Hours 28 minutes the output was 15.6 fc. At 7 hours 33 minutes the output was 3.9 fc.
Note C: At 5 Hours 35 minutes the output was 42.6 fc. At 5 hours 40 minutes the output was 35.2 fc. At 19 hours the output was 4.7fc and at 23 hours the output was 3.0 fc.
The 40 Candela 5 mm LEDs are running about 7 Lumens and the 60 Candela 5 mm LED about 9 Lumens. Because of the larger hot spot of the Eiger the 66 Candela output is closer to 13 Lumens. The 60 and 66 Candela tested flashlights will light up an object at the same distance with the same apparent brightness. In a closed room the higher 13 Lumen output will be noticeable.
More testing to come.
Curt
) have any information on this?
