I ordered a D10 and am waiting for it to arrive. The website says it can handle common AA's as well as protected lithium-ion R14500's. What is a protected R14500? What kind of charger do you need for those? I assume i can use the energizer lithiums or rechargeable nickle metals? Help!
Batteries for a Nitecore D10 R2
- Thread starter bacchus99
- Start date
Help Support Candle Power Flashlight Forum
45/70
Flashlight Enthusiast
First of all, don't bother with alkalines. They really don't perform that well in the D-10. The best solution is to run NiMHs with a good charger. No offense, but since it's obvious you aren't familiar with lithium ion cells, you should have looked at the following links first. They are displayed at the top of this Forum. Pay particular attention to the referenced threads on Li-Ion batteries.
Smoke and Fire, Hot Cells and Close Calls - The dangerous side of batteries
and, these.
Li-Ion's aren't like the batteries that your Grandpa used to use, so it's very important to understand their proper handling and usage.
Dave
Smoke and Fire, Hot Cells and Close Calls - The dangerous side of batteries
and, these.
Li-Ion's aren't like the batteries that your Grandpa used to use, so it's very important to understand their proper handling and usage.
Dave
Last edited:
Ok so the li-Ions are dangerous is not handled properly. Tell me what brand battery and charger to buy(best bang for the buck) and i'll be in business. My cell phone or laptop has never blown up so i'm assuming there is a safe way to handle R14500's. Another question: How would the NiMH compare to the R14500's in the D10? Aren't the NiMH 1.2V? Nitecore doesn't specify those to be ok in the light?
I can't help you with th 14500's because I have no experience with them, but aI can tell you that NIMH rechargeables work fine in the Quarks.
A couple of details;
a single AA cell, whether it's an alky (don't use them, they're a waste of money and a leakage risk to your light) or a rechargeable NIMH put out 1.2-1.6v. That is not enough voltage for the boost circuit to drive the led to its potential. The result is that you will see little difference between high and max brightness levels with one AA. With 2AA, you will see a pronounced difference between the two levels.
Using a good NIMH AA is the way to go if you want to stick with that battery type. Sanyo eneloops or Rayovac 4.0, Rayovac hybrids and the like seem to be the best, most trouble free NIMH rechargeables in my experience. The best deal I have been able to find is the Rayovac 4.0 from the Battery Junction or Fry's electronics. Well under $6 for 4 AA cells.
Charger wise, I use 2 types. I have an energizer 15 minute charger which appears to be the same unit as the Lenmar Mach 1 Lightning charger (MSC815), but $10 cheaper. It will recharge 4 AA NIMH batteries in less than 30 minutes and comes with both AC and DC Car power supplies. It constantly monitors individual battery temperature and charge state as it recharges. Also has a built in cooling fan for batteries.
On the way, I have a La Crosse Technology BC-9009 AlphaPower Battery Charger that should be here today. It has some diagnostic capabilities that make it worth the price.
Best of luck!
Last edited:
45/70
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'm not going to get into a "who/what's best" discussion here. For Li-Ion batteries though I would go with AW's. His Li-Ion's are known to be higher quality, more consistent from cell to cell, and overall good performers.
For a charger I would recommend a Pila IBC. It uses the proper charging algorithm, which most others available, do not.
There are a lot of other choices. In the end though, when you combine lower quality cells with an inferior charger, you end up spending more time and money sorting things out, in addition to possible safety issues, and end up buying quality batteries and charger anyway.
As for your D10 questions, the 14500 is brighter at 100% than a NiMH, but won't run as long. I use both in mine, but usually have an eneloop installed. Various reviews have lux/lumen numbers for the difference between the two. It's important to remember though, that to double the apparent brightness (as perceived by your eyes) of say a 120 lumen output, you would have to increase to 480 lumens, 240 lumens would seem 50% brighter etc. Numbers can be misleading. To me, there is not all that much difference between a 14500 and a good NiMH in the D10.
Your concern about the lower voltage of NiMH's really isn't as much of a factor, with a boost circuit, as how well the battery can hold voltage under load. NiMH's, like the eneloop's, do very well in this regard.
I suspect that NiteCore doesn't mention using NiMH's in the D10 because there isn't any voltage warning/cut off built into the driver, as for example the LF5 XT has. Under normal use this really isn't a problem. When the light seems to be dimming, change the cell. The only time there would be a problem, would be if you always used your D10 at low levels. This is also why the D10 must use a protected 14500 cell.
It's important to note that many Li-Ion protection circuits may not work at low current levels, and some don't seem to work at all, another reason to buy quality cells. Even with good quality cells that have protection circuits, it's best to avoid tripping them. The protection circuit is there as a safeguard, not to remind you to charge the cell. Also, deep discharges will shorten long term cell life.
One more thing, maybe your cell phone or laptop has never blown up, but I've heard of quite a few that have!
Seriously, laptop and cell phone battery packs are designed with protection circuits specifically designed for that device, installed into either the device itself, or the battery pack. The cells we use in flashlights (known as "loose Li-Ion cells"), for the most part, are unprotected cells that originate from the same source as the manufacturers of these packs get theirs. A "universal" PCB protection circuit is then added onto the bottom of the cell. This means that the protected 14500 cell you put in your D10 is not specifically made for your light and may or may not work under all possible circumstances.It is not my intention to scare you, or anybody else away from using Li-Ion cells. Personally, I believe when used properly, they are safer than lithium primaries. I just want to emphasize that it is necessary to understand how to use and maintain them. Recently, I realized that over half of my rechargeable battery cells are Li-Ion, about half protected and half unprotected. Reading the Forums, I see an awful lot of folks that seem to be totally clueless about Li-Ion cells, what they are, and how to maintain them properly. I fear that if there are enough "accidents", loose Li-Ion cells will become impossible to obtain. As it is, manufacturers won't sell them, in the U.S. anyway, and they are only available through third parties. That could end.
Good luck with your D10, bacchus99! I'd do some more reading here on the Fourms and I'm sure you'll come up with a good battery/charger combination.
Dave
Last edited:
RGB_LED
Enlightened
bacchus99, 45/70 has pretty much covered it but I wanted to put in my two cents... I use a D10 + AW 14500 and I find it a bit brighter than NiMh AA batteries. For traveling and ease of use, I tend to go with the Eneloops / Powerex Imedion cells but I do like the added brightness when using 14500.
As for Li-Ion's and chargers, we can't say enough about reading up on them and ensuring that you understand the possible dangers. Pila IBC is the way to go. If you haven't checked out the link provided by 45/70, you should do so.
I have used a WF139 to charge my AW Li-Ions but I am seriously thinking of picking up a Pila IBC charger. I can tell you first-hand that I had one single bad experience where I accidentally overcharged a 18650 cell and it resulted in venting when I placed it in a light and turned it on. Luckily for me, it vented only liquid and no smoke or fire but it ruined the reflector in my light. I was close to a door so I took it outside immediately and got rid of the cell, making sure it wasn't smoking or burning, then I thoroughly cleaned my hands, arms, etc. and then left my light outside for two days to make sure any remaining chemicals have gone... it's been said many times on this forum that the chemicals vented are noxious, dangerous and hazardous to your health.
Stay safe and be as vigilant as possible when using Li-Ion's and you will avoid these types of events.
As for Li-Ion's and chargers, we can't say enough about reading up on them and ensuring that you understand the possible dangers. Pila IBC is the way to go. If you haven't checked out the link provided by 45/70, you should do so.
I have used a WF139 to charge my AW Li-Ions but I am seriously thinking of picking up a Pila IBC charger. I can tell you first-hand that I had one single bad experience where I accidentally overcharged a 18650 cell and it resulted in venting when I placed it in a light and turned it on. Luckily for me, it vented only liquid and no smoke or fire
but it ruined the reflector in my light. I was close to a door so I took it outside immediately and got rid of the cell, making sure it wasn't smoking or burning, then I thoroughly cleaned my hands, arms, etc. and then left my light outside for two days to make sure any remaining chemicals have gone... it's been said many times on this forum that the chemicals vented are noxious, dangerous and hazardous to your health. Stay safe and be as vigilant as possible when using Li-Ion's and you will avoid these types of events.
I can't add to the excellent posts you have gotten, but I have the D10 and run it primarily with a AW 14500 and it works great, this little aa light is amazing, my friends are simply amazed at what it will do! If I didn't edc my RA Clicky it would be the D10!
I'm not going to get into a "who/what's best" discussion here. For Li-Ion batteries though I would go with AW's. His Li-Ion's are known to be higher quality, more consistent from cell to cell, and overall good performers.
For a charger I would recommend a Pila IBC. It uses the proper charging algorithm, which most others available, do not.
There are a lot of other choices. In the end though, when you combine lower quality cells with an inferior charger, you end up spending more time and money sorting things out, in addition to possible safety issues, and end up buying quality batteries and charger anyway.
As for your D10 questions, the 14500 is brighter at 100% than a NiMH, but won't run as long. I use both in mine, but usually have an eneloop installed. Various reviews have lux/lumen numbers for the difference between the two. It's important to remember though, that to double the apparent brightness (as perceived by your eyes) of say a 120 lumen output, you would have to increase to 480 lumens, 240 lumens would seem 50% brighter etc. Numbers can be misleading. To me, there is not all that much difference between a 14500 and a good NiMH in the D10.
Your concern about the lower voltage of NiMH's really isn't as much of a factor, with a boost circuit, as how well the battery can hold voltage under load. NiMH's, like the eneloop's, do very well in this regard.
I suspect that NiteCore doesn't mention using NiMH's in the D10 because there isn't any voltage warning/cut off built into the driver, as for example the LF5 XT has. Under normal use this really isn't a problem. When the light seems to be dimming, change the cell. The only time there would be a problem, would be if you always used your D10 at low levels. This is also why the D10 must use a protected 14500 cell.
It's important to note that many Li-Ion protection circuits may not work at low current levels, and some don't seem to work at all, another reason to buy quality cells. Even with good quality cells that have protection circuits, it's best to avoid tripping them. The protection circuit is there as a safeguard, not to remind you to charge the cell. Also, deep discharges will shorten long term cell life.
One more thing, maybe your cell phone or laptop has never blown up, but I've heard of quite a few that have!
It is not my intention to scare you, or anybody else away from using Li-Ion cells. Personally, I believe when used properly, they are safer than lithium primaries. I just want to emphasize that it is necessary to understand how to use and maintain them. Recently, I realized that over half of my rechargeable battery cells are Li-Ion, about half protected and half unprotected. Reading the Forums, I see an awful lot of folks that seem to be totally clueless about Li-Ion cells, what they are, and how to maintain them properly. I fear that if there are enough "accidents", loose Li-Ion cells will become impossible to obtain. As it is, manufacturers won't sell them, in the U.S. anyway, and they are only available through third parties. That could end.
Good luck with your D10, bacchus99! I'd do some more reading here on the Fourms and I'm sure you'll come up with a good battery/charger combination.
Dave
Thanks for the info. That is the kind of info I need. The li-ion protection issue makes sense. I'll do some research. In the mean time i'll run the D10 on L91's. Would the basic energizer NiMH with charger be ok? Or should i just order some eneloops? What kind of runtimes do you get with NiMH?
Eneloops are the nimh cells of choice at CPF...at least from my observation. I have been using eneloops for about a year and the low self discharge and high current output are great for my D10. I highly recommend Eneloops.
As for the charger, stay away from very fast chargers, your cells will get too hot and this will shorten the life span and give you shallower charges.
I use a MAHA 401FS (old) charger but I think your should check out this charger that comes with eneloops for a good price. Here it is without the eneloops.
Search around the web for reviews, I heard good things about the BC-900.
EXCALIBUR1
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2007
- Messages
- 122
I have a NiteCore D10 Q5. I use Sanyo Eneloops charged on my Lacrosse BC-900. Everything works great.:twothumbs
Just ordered myself a Nitecore D10 R2 for EDC based on the opinions and reviews expressed on this site - you guys are a great resource! I too use the MAHA 401FS (it's been a great charger for years) and a mix of GP, Powerex, Energizer and Duracell NIMH cells in the 1800 - 2500 MAH range. My question is 'are the eneloops worth the cost when I have 16 high capacity NIMH batteries already'? Is the difference in discharge rates that marked?
I'm currenly charging the cells once a month to 'top them off' - doesn't take long with the 401FS. My question is this: using eneloops and assuming limited use of the light, would I still be best advised to 'top off the cell' once every month?
Thanks in advance.
HA HA great! You will love the D10 kymarkh. Eneloops have a very low self discharge. They should retain 70% to 85% of their charge after one year (depending on temperature where they are stored). That's why I use them, I have great powerex nimh cells but they were always dead or near dead when I needed them.
I don't know much about the discharge rates of the other nimh vs eneloops. I never had a problem with any nimh cells in my 3 watt torchlights. All Nimh cells that I own (duracell, powerex, radioshack brand and eneloop)seem to have a pretty healthy discharge rate. I am pretty sure CPF has some discharge rate curves if you search around.
:twothumbs Wow I just made the 100 post mark!!! I am now a flashaholic....yes!
