Doug -
Thank's for the info on the NIMH N's - I didn't realize N's popularity had grown sufficiently that NIMH was made.
How much did the brightness change going from a 1.5V alkaline to a 1.2V (actually
more like 1.32) NIMH?
I had thought about this - but it was low on my priorities list, since duracell N's are under $1 ea, which makes filling the flashlight for 12 hours light only $3 - or a quarter per hour to operate.
I just wish they made N lithium - I'd like to have an arctic cold solution for the batonlight as well - the materials they used (aluminum and lexan [tm/ GE corp]) can certainly take the frigid temps - but battery performance of anything non-lithium down there is going to be sad.
(And, yes, I've **BEEN** to the arctic circle - it's a whole different philosophy when there is no sun, and the high for the "day" is -80 if you igore the windchill factor, which you best not! - and you need a working flashlight to check on the fire that melts the snow so you have running water in your shelter in Barrow, AK.
I've tested several flashlights in environmental test chambers that can simulate those conditions - that's what separates the men from the boys. Filaments don't run as hot, so the bulbs blacken faster - batteries don't have nearly as high of a voltage - and the cheap flashlights shatter (not just the bulb/reflector - the
whole flashlight - take a K-mart $1.99 special down to -80 and you're left with a bunch of shards of plastic)
Then there's the thermal shock test- when you take that flashlight that's at -80 from being outside inside your shelter, which is hopefully at least +60F - it's going to change 140 degrees F temperature in just a few minutes - Also has a tendency to destroy inferior products.
Anyways - cat's outa the bag now - I'm a reliability engineer/scientist - so my purchases are based on quality more than anything else!
