Battery Question

[Fiddleback]

Please help me figure out my battery needs.

Nitecore D10 - Which rechargable for this. Lion rechargables are listed at 750 mAh, whereas the NiMH's are much higher. Should I go with NiMH's, and if so, please recommend some good ones, and a charger.

Incindio - Can the same charger charge RCR123A's?? If not, please also recommend a charger for these, and advise me please on which RCR123A's are the best/safest. I would assume protected batteries are the way to go.

Orb's. I just ordered the Raw and Wee together. Will either above charger charge these batteries too? The Raw comes with a charger. Will that charger handle the RCR123A's that the Incindio will eat?

Thanks in advance for any help given.

 

[jdong]

Please help me figure out my battery needs.

Nitecore D10 - Which rechargable for this. Lion rechargables are listed at 750 mAh, whereas the NiMH's are much higher. Should I go with NiMH's, and if so, please recommend some good ones, and a charger.

Remember that Amp-hour ratings are typically given at the battery's design voltage (i.e. lithium rechargeables would be 750mAh @ 3.7V, NIMH'es are 2000-2500mAh @ 1.2V). The lithiums typically give you better runtime due to their higher voltage (less energy lost as heat due to resistance), and will also be lighter in weight. Personally I prefer using lithium rechargeables while I have charged up cells, and falling back to more common NIMH/alkalines when I run out.

Incindio - Can the same charger charge RCR123A's?? If not, please also recommend a charger for these, and advise me please on which RCR123A's are the best/safest. I would assume protected batteries are the way to go.

Depends on the charger and type of RCR123A. If you buy 3.7V protected lithium AA-sized cells and the WF-139 charger, you can use a spacer to charge RCR123A's that are also 3.7V. Otherwise, a $5 charger off DealExtreme won't kill you.

 

[Fiddleback]

Thanks!! Which NiMH's do you use? Do you use them in your camera too? Do they last as long as disposable lithiums?

 

[DM51]

"Battery Question". Posted in the LED section. Hmm. I wonder which sub-forum it should have been posted in, and where I should now move it to...

 

[Fiddleback]

I apologize for misplacing the thread.

 

[DM51]

Don't worry - it happens all the time. But now you're here in the correct sub-forum, you might find some other threads that are relevant to your question. Have a look around...

 

[jupello]

I think eneloop's or some other low self-discharge nimh batteries are the best if you are not using the light a lot. If you drain the batteries out almost daily, then maybe some high capacity normal NiMH might last longer.

Edit: Here's a great D10 review by selfbuilt: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=202436
From those graphs you can see how long different batteries should roughly last in your light.

 

[Alan_P]

I have a d10. I use Powerex 2700mah or Sanyo 2500mah batteries in my camera. These pack a lot of power but they will self discharge. If you don't mind charging your battery every couple of weeks these will work for you. I use a Maha CF-401FS to charge them. It has four independent units so it will charge a single battery. You need to avoid chargers that require you to charge batteries in pairs.

If you don't want to charge your battery that often you can use eneloops. They have less capacity but will not self discharge quickly.

I picked up a lithium ion 14500 to see how much brighter it would make the d10. There is a slight difference. I use a Ultrafire 137 to charge it.

I have several Raws. The first one I bought came with a nano charger which will charge RCR123 batteries.

Alan

 

[jdong]

Thanks!! Which NiMH's do you use? Do you use them in your camera too? Do they last as long as disposable lithiums?

you know, it really depends on the kind of lights you use. Eneloops are popular because of their low self discharge, but put that in perspective: Do you really expect to use your flashlight so little that it going flat in 3-4 months by itself is a huge deal? Sure in an alarm clock or remote control where otherwise 2000mAh would last 2 years, that is a huge deal, but for an EDC flashlight IMO the point is moot. I find that I always have a fresh set on the charger and am cautious to carry charged spares with me anyway.


The regulation on the D10 looks phenomenal -- a lot of lights I suspect direct-drive 4.2V (aka "3.7V") lithiums because they cannot downconvert it into the correct voltage, which will make your light look really bright but also dramatically reduce efficiency and therefore increase heat production. From runtime graphs it doesn't look this way with the D10 -- it seems to have a full buck-boost DC-DC converter that regulates these high voltage cells too.

Bottom line is I doubt you'll see a huge brightness difference -- lithium 14500's vs NIMH's are going to just represent a runtime difference (the lithiums will last longer). On the other hand, NIMH chemistry is more stable, depending on how much you are concerned about all those exploding/flaming lithium products in the news. You just don't want to be using alkalines as your regular cells, as no regulation circuit can fully work around their high internal resistance.

 

[Fiddleback]

I took everyones advice, and went both directions. :shakehead Typical.

I got a CF-401FS and eneloops. I believe I will find a hundred uses for these around the house anyway. Our camera takes AA's. So no more buying lithiums for that sucker.

Then I got an Ultrafire 137 and two RCR123's and two 14500's.

If you're going to spend 400 bucks on lights in three weeks, don't skimp on the batteries, right?