Rechargeable AA's, MN01 or R30?

[oldgrandpajack]

Rechargeable AA\'s, MN01 or R30?

I'm considering trying the UBH with NIMH batteries and either the MN01 or R30 Lamp Assemblies. The MN01 would be a lot easier but I suspect that the R30 would perform better.

Question #1: Has anyone compared the output of both the MN01 and the R30?

Question #2: Will the MN01 work with rechargeable batteries? Concerned about possible shortened life of LA.

Question #3: I assume that the R30 is compatible with rechargeables because of the "R". Am I right about that?

Question #4: Is the KL1 as good as either of these, AT A DISTANCE? Wouldn't be any point in trying this if the KL1 matches or exceeds their performance, at a distance.

Question #5: In a pinch, would either of these bulbs work with Alkalines, like the KL1?

The only parts I don't have, at the moment, are the MN01 and KL1. I would appreciate any and all comments and suggestions.

Thank you,
oldgrandpajack

 

[FalconFX]

Re: Rechargeable AA\'s, MN01 or R30?

The UBH/II run perfectly fine with the MN01 and Alkalines or NiMHs... I'm not sure about the R30, as I don't have it to test out...

The KL1 provides as much lumens as the MN01, if not more so. And in a UBH, I prefer to run the KL1 as opposed to the MN01, unless you want a little more throw, in which case the MNO1 will outthrow the KL1 (due to its reflector)...

 

[lemlux]

Re: Rechargeable AA\'s, MN01 or R30?

I turned my MN01 into a flashbulb with a pair of Energizer L91 lithium AA's.

The 1.1 A R30 is much brighter to my eyes than the 0.7 A MN01. It will run with NiMH's but not well with alkalines. While I still had my R30's, I sometimes ran them in a D3 body with a pair of 2700 mAh Sanyo A NiMHs for a 2 1/2 hour run time.

I see no reason to use an MN01 if you have a KL1. An R30 is brighter. On the other hand, the R30 is still wimpy enough that I traded both of the R30's that came with my 3P's for an equally old pair of seldom used R60's.

The final straw for trading the R30's was when I discovered that a PT20 with a pair of lithium AA's drove a cheap and readily available Rayovac 2.0 V 1.2 A KPR bulb with a beam that was almost identical to the R30 beam.