db 8AA

[**DONOTDELETE**]

D820WB-E
DOUBLE BARREL with / 8 AA Batteries
$25.00 ea
http://www.cheapbatteries.com/flash.htm

If anyone knows where I can get the 6AA db, please let me know.

 

[lemlux]

I already talked to the owner. The post was an error. They meant to list the DB 4AA which they don't have in stock anyhow. They have DB 4AAA's in stock and will have DB 4AA's

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Somebody from there called me today to say they didn't have the 8aa db in stock. (they said they were supposed to have some, but they never came.) He said he'd send me one when he gets them.

I was at batteries plus a few days ago and they had a few of the 4AA dbs for $13 or $14 ea.

Almost bought it, but I think the 6AA will be more practical for LED mods if I can find one.

 

[lemlux]

Jakester:

Yesterday I called all the Office Depots in San Diego County about DB's. Two of them had DB 4AA's which were in their special bins at $7.99 @. I bought all of 7 of them and am trying to decide whether I'll put in 9-Watt Welch Allyn bulbs or P61's in each. Maybe I'll have Aragorn install P61's with quick disconnects and and store W/A bulbs in the spare bulb holder.

The Office Depot staff says that Energizer has the discretion to ship DB's every now and then to Office Depot and that Office Depot typically tries to blow them out in a special bin rather than stock them in the flashlight aisle.

I guess that's what happens with a large 3V flashlight that's no brighter than a 2D Xenon flashlight.

BTW, Office Depot San Diego sells Energizer Lithium AA 4 Packs for $8.99.

 

[Mike]

I bought a couple of the 4AA DoubleBarrels at Office Depot and converted them into 7 LED lights with step-ups. I'm actually very impressed with the light output. I like it better than the standard Xenon bulb, and it runs about twice as long in my test. I'm auctioning one of them on eBay if you want to see my pictures - link

 

[recercare]

Many shops here still sell db8AA and 6AA. But they are pretty expensive though
30-40$

 

[Adam S.]

I bought a 4AA at Office Depot and added a p91 and three cr123 batteries. This gives me a poor mans three cell SureFire, and I can add three more batts (in parallel) for longer run time.

 

[lemlux]

Adam:

How did you remove the plastic sleeves inside the DB 4AA barrels so that the 123's will fit?

 

[Adam S.]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lemlux:
Adam:

How did you remove the plastic sleeves inside the DB 4AA barrels so that the 123's will fit?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I just stuck my finger in past and bent my finger tip and pulled, but if you take the head off you can push them out with something.
Here are some pics, the ones with names have some descriptions if you click on them.

 

[lemlux]

Adam:

Very effective pictoral presentation. I had passively assumed that the sleeves were glued or heat welded after someone replied to another thread where I noted that the 123's would fit into my DB 8AA and DB 6AA. (This was before I had opened up a DB 4AA.)

I think I'll set up at least one of my DB 4AA's this way (if I'm successful in removing the spacers.)

I ponder what using two sets of batteries in parallel would do for the voltage drop. Brock reports that the P91 9V drops to 6.25 Volts on 3 123 cells. Six in serial / parallel drawing half the apmerage per cell would probably only drop voltage to around 7.35 V based on what Brock reports the P90 drops the voltage on 3 123 cells at half the amperage.

That would equate to overdriving the assembly by about 15% compared to the three cell variety. Brightness should go up by better than 15% and lamp life should decrease by something worse than 15%.

The lower draw per cell also suggests that 6 123 cells would drive a P91 for the same 60 minutes that 3 cells drive a P90, not only 40 minutes = (20 minutes plus 20 minutes).

Six 123 cells might also overdrive a P90 for between 2 1/2 and 3 hours rather than for only two hours.

Thanks.

On the other hand, it will be cheaper to run the P91 in my DB6AA with Nimhs, but it would be nice to have a single / double barrel option also.

 

[Adam S.]

Lemlux:
Thanks, I had wondered if six batts would overdrive it. I dont think the p91 has much room to overdrive (short life) but the p90 idea sounds cool to get better run time from less draw. It would definitely be more cost effective to use the rechargeables, but I don't actually get to use my lights very often I just play with them mostly.

On the other hand since I don't use them very often, I might try the p91 with six batts after all, it would probably give me one or two sets of batts before it popped

 

[kb0rrg]

Is the 8AA a difficult light to find? There is a store across the street with a couple.

 

[lemlux]

kbOrg:

Are you teasing us? The DB 6AA and DB 8AA have been discontinued in the U.S. for a couple of years. They are marketed in Australasia and we hear reports from Northern Europe from time to time.

If you're not teasing, I'd be delighted to buy either of the lights across the street if you don't want them unless they're being held for ransom.

 

[kb0rrg]

I will look into it closer today

 

[lemlux]

KbOrrg:

Thanks.

These silly DB's all look like they should hold 2 more batteries than they actually do.

 

[kb0rrg]

There are four DB 6AAs across the street. No DB 8AAs. They are 24.99. Who want one?

 

[snake]

lemlux,
woo, I didn't know that DB6AA & 8AA cease production for so many years.. in Hong Kong it is easy to found 6AA,8AA & 4AAA. even I found the old spare bulb as well(with white base) is the old bulb a good one? any info on Volt, Watt & Amp? thanks

beside CR123 is not cheap in Hong Kong except Sanyo ($12->USD1.5)& Panasonic($15->$1.9)

 

[lemlux]

Snake:

Recent threads have said that only the recent DB 4AA and DB 4AAA have used the unattractive white plastic based bulbs.

The OEM bulbs for the long DBs are:

DB 6AA WA # 01286 4.2 V 0.70 A 4.8 W 45 L
Lumens increase to 74 if driven at 4.6 V, but life drops from 40 hours to 6 hours. The latter option is approximately what happens if the bulbs are used in a serial DB 4AA with Nimh's. In a DB 4AAA with Nimh's you'll get intermediate results. This is one of Klaus's favorite recommended combinations.

DB 8AA WA #
01288 5.5V 0.70 A 3.85 W 79 L
(Energizer marketing calls the Lumens 88 which requires the bulb to be driven with 5.7 V per interpolation of the WA tables.)

This bulb is difficult to use effectively with any Nimh combinations because of the design voltage. The bulb is probably optimized in the stock DB 8AA.

As to 123 costs:

I've just jumped on the 223 bandwagon. I just bought 25 223's in a group buy for $35 delivered that will disassemble into 50 123's at a cost of $0.70 each plus a little time.

 

[Klaus]

lemlux,

found something on the 8AA regarding the 60 lumens / 80 lumens difference betwen the spec of the bulb and the spec of the light itself.

The PDF file of the 8AA you can download specs the bulb at 4.8V and 650 mA and 60 lumens in contrast to the WA bulbs spec of 5.5V, 700ma and 80 lumens - also the pic of the bulb looks different to the WA bulb too (looks like a small plastic base to me too)

This complements the comments of one WA guy who was posting on CPF that "when" they supplied bulbs to Energizer it where the xxx types - seems that the 8AA did change the bulb somewhen through its life cycle.

Klaus

 

[Alan]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by snake:

beside CR123 is not cheap in Hong Kong except Sanyo ($12->USD1.5)& Panasonic($15->$1.9)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Snake, I've never paid more than $1.28 (HK$10) for panasonic in Hong Kong. Did you check Ap Chiu Street?

Alan