Can a UK Q40 handle Lithium AAs?

jtivat · Jun 17, 2003

Has anyone tried this it uses the same lamp as the 4AA.
Thanks /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Prometheid · Jun 17, 2003

I put 4 fresh Eveready L91 AA Lithiums in my UK 4AA and it worked for about one second. It was VERY bright for that one second, though.

HTH.

Kerry

caver · Jun 17, 2003

Yes... No... Well sort of...

You can run them but don't put them in the light when they are brand new. I popped two bulbs before I figured out the secret. Just run them in another light for 10 minutes or so, then put them in the UK. I think this takes the peak out of the voltage. I wear mine on the side of my caving helmet for spotting in large passages. I don't know what kind of runtime you may expect, because I only use it for 30 seconds at a time.

jtivat · Jun 17, 2003

Thanks /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

brightnorm · Jun 17, 2003

I use mine exclusively with lithiums and have never popped a bulb.

You will get a minimum of 4 continuous hours of functional light with fresh lithiums. After multiple run tests (where it consistantly outran the PT 40 by approx 45 minutes) I personally rate it at 4.5hrs steady burn, with an additional 20-30 minutes half hour of dim but usuable light.

Even if stored in the light, the lithiums self-discharge very gradually, but once you have used them, even only briefly, the self-discharge rate accelerates so that if your next use occurs several months later the light will certainly work, but will be less bright than if the second burn had occurred closely after the first burn.

This was something that I wasn't aware of until it was clarified for me as the difference between shelf life and usage life.

I'm little puzzled as to why you and others blew bulbs on liths and I never have. Maybe different bulb "vintages" have subtly different power handling capabilities.

Brightnorm