Battery draining lights

[Sinjz]

I've seen this topic mentioned a few times before and the usual suspects show up. People say get the Inova X5 and the Splashlight, etc.... Does anybody actually have info on how far these lights will drain a single CR123? Would a Arc LS in moon mode do any better than the splashlight? Inova X5-red? MilkyCandle? Anything else?

 

[ACMarina]

My problem has always been that I kill one battery before another. Today, for example, my KL4 wouldn't light up right, it flickered and sputtered and was generally a pain to deal with. I traded out batteries with my QIII and the KL4 would work, but now the Nuwai was doing that flicker thing. When you push the button it would flicker, but you could stare blankly at the emitter and see nothing. Just for kicks I put it in my E1e, and nothing happened as suspected. It's now running happily in the Splashlight.

I'd guesstimate, although I don't have an Arc LS, that it wouldn't do anything in there either. There's just not enough juice, even for moon mode. I don't believe you'd see anything unless the battery was in something really efficient, like the Splashlight or MilkyCandle. .

 

[Sinjz]

That's exactly why I ask. I always have batteries at different discharge levels. I have no idea why. I'm looking for a good single cr123 battery drainer.

Have you tried it on your EverLED? What's with the 'z'? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

How bright is the Splashlite?

Does your 24/7 light with that battery? I hear contray info about how good that light is for draining batteries.

 

[shiftd]

Sinjz,
maybe the peak light for CR123 battery is your solution.

or if you want to make your own, a joule thief will drain your light drier than anything (that i know anyway).
i don't have the link handy for the tutorial, but if no one chime in to post the link and you are still interested, i can post the link later at night.

 

[Zigzago]

I remember reading in an old post that the Arc LS1 was good for draining batteries. Apparently it has a different circuit than later LS's. I have an LS1 but I usually run it with the 2AA tube.

 

[greenLED]

yeah, it'd be nice to have a 1 cell milkycandle (and version(s) of the candle that drained AA, C, and D cells).

 

[Solstice]

Not to hijack, but quick question: ACMarina- which Splashlite are you talking about? I don't have the incan version, but I have the 222 5mm LED and the 233 Luxeon replacements emmiters. I really like this light (lite?)- actually I find that the 222 puts out more light (albeit bluer) than the Lux (maybe since the lux is a side emitter and can't quite reach the sweet spot of the reflector). In reference to Sinjz, the 222 version is maybe twice as bright as an infinity ultra- definately bright enough for most non throw related tasks. Good to know it's an efficient unit, if it is the LED one you guys are talking about. Haven't gotten anywhere close to draining the first battery yet.

 

[chevrofreak]

My XO3 will suck a battery DEAD! It is even fairly bright on a set of batteries that will barely make my E2e glow for a second or two.

 

[ACMarina]

Sinjz,

Everled(z), as in plural. I've got a bunch of them. I've not tried it, but I'd guess it would do alright.

The Splashlite (LED version, Solstice, FYI) is probably around the same brightness as your average Infinity Ultra at this point. If you shine it at the ceiling with the lights on, you'll see a shimmer of light, enough to know that it's on but not enough to make a difference in ambiant lighting. I've not tried it on the 24/7, but I'd bet it would work, at least on the lower-powered options. .

 

[Sinjz]

That Joule Thief sounds cool. How bright would it be with a dying cr123? Anybody know where I can get a cr123 battery holder? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif If I can't get this together, it sounds like the Splash-lite 222 is the best battery drainer out there. Anybody disagree?

 

[Stanley]

I have a couple of Splashlite Leds and also the L233 Luxeon bulb, and I share the same sentiments as Solstice, the Led (L222) version is brighter. Probably because the Luxeons need to be underdriven to give out less heat, as the light itself is not very heat friendly. However, the L233 output is much whiter though.
To answer the original question, the Splashlite Led is indeed about twice as bright as the Infinity Ultra or Ultra G, and I have tried putting in a battery measuring at about 2.23V and it still lights up to be dimmer than an Ultra G. Just enough for reading close up, from about 1 metre away, but still lights up nonetheless...

 

[Joseph]

How about red Inova X5? I'm currently using XM-2 as drainer and thinking of buying X5, either one cell or two. Would it work better than XM-2? How do X5 and splash lite compare to each other in draining capability?

Thank you.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I noticed that replacing the cheap LEDs in my homemade 2AA boosted light with 26kmcd LEDs allowed me to further drain some cells for many more hours putting out more useful light.
The lower Vf of the LEDs results in more drainage.

 

[greenLED]

I just thought about this: The Zetex circuit in the Infinity Ultra can start down to 0.8 V. If you bore the tube and add a spring to the tail (or shorten the tube and thread it) you'd have a 1x123 cell battery drainer.

 

[Joseph]

[ QUOTE ]
greenLED said:
I just thought about this: The Zetex circuit in the Infinity Ultra can start down to 0.8 V. If you bore the tube and add a spring to the tail (or shorten the tube and thread it) you'd have a 1x123 cell battery drainer.

[/ QUOTE ]

This could be cool! but I've got no way to bore the body.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Solstice]

Stanley- In reference to the Splashlite (sorry if this seems like hijacking) I also speculate that the LED isn't seated quite far enough out into the reflector in order to take advantage of the side emitter- the light is shooting into the hole for the old bulb and not onto the reflector. I wonder if a high dome in this thing, even at the exact same current, would trounce the 222.