Regulated incandescents and battery life

Stingray

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 21, 2002
Messages
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Location
Chicago
How far do you drain your 123's before changing them in your Surefire's. I am trying to figure out how to get the most life out of mine without risking blowing the bulb from draining them too far. What do you use the semi drained 123's for, if you don't have an LED lithium light.

And most importantly, before I buy an E2o, will the regulated A2 allow us to drain the 123's all the way without blowing the lamp, vs half to 2/3rds of the way with the E2o?
 
Blowing the bulb from draining them too far?
I change batteries when I notice the beams have lost their intensity/yellowed/dimmed. I never run batteries flat to death.

One would expect the A2 to extract useful juice from used batteries. Main beam output runtime would decrease quite a bit depending on the used condition of the batteries. One would expect that the switch in main beam output to the "battery low indication light level" would come sooner as a result of using used batteries - especially if you're using the A2 constant-on. The LEDs would continue to light for a long time after that I expect regardless of whether you are powering the A2 with used batteries or fresh.

For example, having used a pair of SF123As in a P61 running SureFire for about 20 minutes, one may expect about 20 minutes of constant-on output from the A2. Perhaps much more (another 10 minutes or so) when using the A2 momentary-on.

To be honest, I suggest the best way of getting the most out of used batteries is in the E1e+KL1, and if you have several "HOLA" running SureFires, the E1e+KL1 is a very good investment so that you can get in effect, free light from your used SF123As.

Al
 
I was told that if you run the batteries down too far it negatively impacts the bulb and then when you put in fresh batteries, the bulb often blows. This happened to me several times when I got my first SF, a 6P, a long time ago. Something about the tungsten not redepositing back on the filament if the bulb doesn't stay at full intensity. I called customer service and Steve told me not to run the batteries all the way down.

This came up in a recent thread also.

I wasn't planning to put used batteries in the A2, I was just wondering if you could run new batteries all the way down in the A2 without negatively impacting the bulb, since the regulation should step up the power once the batteries were getting worn down, thus not causing the bulb to lose its tungsten.

I was hoping for something like 40 minutes of full on brightness in the A2 without risk of blowing the lamp vs the current 6P/9P situation of 10 minutes of full brightness, 20 minutes of medium brightness, and 20 minutes of diminishing yellowish light with a risk of popping the lamp.

For now, I have a SF hurricane battery pack lamp to use my worn out 123's in, but there haven't been any power outages or hurricanes lately.
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I may have it all wrong....if so please correct me
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Steve
 
The A2 has a low voltage cutoff and the incandescent lamp is protected by this feature. The A2 that PK showed me had some depleted cells in it and the incan would not fire at all. The LED's still worked fine. Newer batteries were installed and the incan again worked. I have no idea of how much capacity is left in the batteries when the circuit shuts down the incan due to low voltage. It may well be that this low voltage shut off may be friendly to rechargable cells. Instead of the Opalec red low voltage warning light, the A2 lets you know by only allowing the LED's to light up. I think moon mode will be rather obvious......

- Don

EDIT: Upon further recollection, there is a second stage to the incandecent where it is obvious that the batteries are getting low. I didn't see this phase but I recall that PK said you would have a reasonable period of time where the incan would obviously be dimmer and signaling need for new batteries. It is beyond this point where the circuit shuts off the incan completely and only the LED's will light.
 
Oohhh...I thought one of the purposes of the regulation was to step up the voltage of the batteries as they weaken, thus allowing you to have full brightness on not so full batteries, albeit at the expense of total battery life, kinda like how an ARC AAA steps up the power.


I was thinking something like 40 minutes of full new battery level brightness, via the step up, then toss the batteries into the used bin, or use the LED's.

I didn't realize it was a low power cutoff type regulation. Is there no step up feature as well? If not, there should be
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It would be great to squeeze every last drop possible out of the 123's and still have bright white light before tossing them in the used bin.

I'm totally new to flashlight regulation theory and practice, so I really don't know anything about it other than what I've surmised from my reading here on CPF.
 
Stingray,

Let me try to pass on what I recall and of course depending on batteries, your mileage may vary.

With the A2, in incandescent mode (high beam), you should get say 40 to 55 minutes of constant brightness as the circuit regulates the voltage to the incan as constant. After this first phase, the circuit will allow for the incan to run for say another 10 or 15 minutes on an ever decreasing and obvious yellower and lower level of illumination. At some point here, the circuit says, nope, that's it for these batteries and shuts off power to the incan. At this point, you still have plenty of time in which the LED's will still light.

I hope I have done a better job of explaining how this works this time around. The A2 is going to give the testers and data accumulators here on CPF a field day!

Incidentally, if I'm not mistaken, the reason for the incan eventual shutoff is more as a protection for rechargeable batteries than it is to protect the incan bulb.
- Don
 
McGizmo, you have done a good job explaining it, it is just that I am not saavy in flashlight regulation (yet).

Will the constant brightness we get for 40 to 55 minutes be the same level of brightness as a non regulated light of equal lumen rating, if so, then that's what I was hoping for.

Or...does it regulate it at a level somewhat less than "full blast" to conserve battery power and maximize runtime..which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing either?

And...you said the shutoff is to protect rechargable batteries, pardon my ignorance....but...WHAT rechargable batteries? I thought this was a lithium 123 light. Are we getting rechargable lithium 123's soon? That would be great.

I'm starting to think I should forget about buying an E2o at this point in time and just wait for the A2.
 
stingray,

The constant voltage level of brightness is to be at a similar level to what you get with a fresh set of batteries and a standard incandescent. In other words, a consistant and brighter light for a bit less time than unregulated. You are correct on the light currently taking 123 lithiums. None the less, it is my understanding that the circuit design is not limited to current technology and batteries but may well accomodate future offerings of rechargeable bateries, should this become an option.

As I have stated in some other posts, whether the A2 is the light for the job or not is a decision to be made by the individual. Regardless, the A2 is a light of a degree of sophistication that is entirely new to us! It is just the first of a whole new generation of illumination tools.

- Don
 
McGizmo, that sounds like what I thought it was going to be like, full brightness for as long as possible, as opposed to diminishing brightness from the start, with less runtime as a result. A very good tradeoff for my uses. I guess the whole digital line will be like that. All of my current lights are going to be obsolete soon.

Well, off to a party

Happy New Year Everyone
 
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