LEDmodMan
Flashaholic*
I have had an idea for awhile on how to easily run 4 AA's in parallel in place of a single D cell. It is still just an idea in my head and I haven't experimented with it as of yet, so I'm sure the idea is probably somewhat flawed and needs some refining, but the theory seems sound anyway.
What the idea is in my head is actually quite simple. First, you would need something to use as the first battery's "nipple" (like on the + side of the first D cell). Next drop in a piece of round metal. A standard dia. metal fender washer of the appropriate size would probably do quite nicely. Next, drop in your 4 AA's all facing in the same direction. Next, another round metal disk, then another set of batteries, etc. repeating for as many sets of batteries as necessary/wanted. The only thing I can think of as a problem is needing to make up some space for the length difference between the AA's and the D cell. Also, on sort of the same note, you need to make sure all the AA's are contacting metal on both sides, and if there is even a slight length difference in any of the 4 AA's, this would be a problem. So we need some kind of "spongey" metallic pad of the appropriate thickness. Two things come to mind right away. First aluminum foil wadded up and shaped into a thin disk, second would be steel wool. As long as the four AA batteries would fit side-by-side into the battery tube of the given light, this should work. The only other problem I can think of is somehow electrically insulating the edges of the "spongey" parts from the side of the flashlight.
This is all still theory, but anyone who wants to try it for refinement is more than welcome to.
Also, you wouldn't necessarily have to put the spacers in between each set of batteries, which would end up giving you a series/parallel arrangement. If you can make sure the battery stacks stay lined up (ie four straight lines of batteries), you have a series parallel arrangement of 4 parallel sets of however many batteries you can stack up end-to-end. Then you only need to make the end caps.
So, what cha all think???
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twak.gif or /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
Doable???
What the idea is in my head is actually quite simple. First, you would need something to use as the first battery's "nipple" (like on the + side of the first D cell). Next drop in a piece of round metal. A standard dia. metal fender washer of the appropriate size would probably do quite nicely. Next, drop in your 4 AA's all facing in the same direction. Next, another round metal disk, then another set of batteries, etc. repeating for as many sets of batteries as necessary/wanted. The only thing I can think of as a problem is needing to make up some space for the length difference between the AA's and the D cell. Also, on sort of the same note, you need to make sure all the AA's are contacting metal on both sides, and if there is even a slight length difference in any of the 4 AA's, this would be a problem. So we need some kind of "spongey" metallic pad of the appropriate thickness. Two things come to mind right away. First aluminum foil wadded up and shaped into a thin disk, second would be steel wool. As long as the four AA batteries would fit side-by-side into the battery tube of the given light, this should work. The only other problem I can think of is somehow electrically insulating the edges of the "spongey" parts from the side of the flashlight.
This is all still theory, but anyone who wants to try it for refinement is more than welcome to.
Also, you wouldn't necessarily have to put the spacers in between each set of batteries, which would end up giving you a series/parallel arrangement. If you can make sure the battery stacks stay lined up (ie four straight lines of batteries), you have a series parallel arrangement of 4 parallel sets of however many batteries you can stack up end-to-end. Then you only need to make the end caps.
So, what cha all think???
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twak.gif or /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
Doable???
