Mag-Lite Dcell and Ni-Mh ?

[exrty]

Hello,

I've read on a resaler paper that it is not advised to used rechargeable with this range of flashlights ?
Sure we lost some voltage but ?

Regards

JF

 

[SilverFox]

Hello Exrty,

Welcome to CPF.

I believe the lower voltage will cause the lamp to burn dimmer. This may cause the lamp to fail earlier than if it was run at the proper voltage. I don't use my D cell Mag Lites very much and have not tried it.

If you modify the light to run with LED's, there will be no problems.

Tom

 

[3rd_shift]

I have used nothing but rechargeable nimh batteries in my magglites, and with good success for the last several months at work and at home.

One time use batteries quickly drop and settle to about 1.2 volts per cell and slowly falling as the batteries give up thier lives for you.
Nimhs usually stay at around 1.35-1.25 volts per cell and stay there for thier whole discharge.
I would recommend exploring some of the many led adaptors for the magglite to get around that problem of short lived incandescant bulbs. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[exrty]

I'm gonna keep this 3D in my bedroom as much as a emergency flashlight in case of intrusino than as a club. I've read an article about everled but maybe it's quite expensive for the purpose i intend to. I wonder if a 3D optical with leds could be as bright as the next lambda's minipro minimag i plan to get too (this one for general use).

By the way i think that using lower voltage should rather raise the bulb lifetime /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

Regards

 

[RussH]

Lower voltage will help the lifetime for krypton bulbs. I figure alkalines average 1.3v, but that's partly because I don't normally run them all of the way down in incandescent lights.

It's mainly HIDs where you have to watch that the voltage doesn't get too low. With a Xenon bulb, the bulbs are pretty well optimized for the application - in other words, you need to get the one (voltage) for the kind of batteries you use.

You might try that 3D with 4 C NiMH in a PVC or other homemade adapter. A little searching in this forum will find a couple of examples...

 

[greenLED]

I've used rechargeables for ages in my Mags, no probs. The reduction in bulb life is overrated, IMO. With nightly use for 4 years, I never had to change a bulb in my 4D.

 

[BatteryCharger]

If anything, the bulb will last LONGER. I would suggest you go to the next lowest voltage bulb...IE, 2 cell mag bulb in a 3 cell mag. I've got a 3 cell mag bulb in a flashlight that uses 4 NiMh AAs. The bulb so far has lasted through several sets of batteries without burning out...

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

I really like my 3D M*g with 1" PVC pipe and 4C NimH driving the 3cell Whitestar. I have an Acrylite diffusing lense on it, and it is my most used "big" light.

It has a really nice soft edged spot with great spill light.

And it can still "wack-a-mole" if required!

 

[exrty]

Do you know if it's possible to put 6 AA Ni-MH into a xD Mag light using a 5cell bulb ?

 

[3rd_shift]

It should work.
The 5 cell should work.
You still may want to keep a pr20 bulb in the tailcap to get by with, for when the 5 cell bulb finally quits.
I have one in the tailcap of my soon to be Lux5'ed 6d mag.