What do we have here?

[ResFiatLuxAddict]

My brother has this cheapie looking flashlight.

It has nine LED's in the head (8 encircling a ninth in the center), and it uses this plastic insert thing that carries three AAA's to power it. It comes apart in three major pieces.

I'll post a pic later today, but I have other ?'s

1. What kind of battery is that use three AAA's in a plastic thing?
2. Can it use some type of single cell like a C, D or 123?

I'll get a pic up when my brother shows up with it, but an ideas for now about the cell it's using?

 

[Marduke]

My brother has this cheapie looking flashlight.

It has nine LED's in the head (8 encircling a ninth in the center), and it uses this plastic insert thing that carries three AAA's to power it. It comes apart in three major pieces.

I'll post a pic later today, but I have other ?'s

1. What kind of battery is that use three AAA's in a plastic thing?
2. Can it use some type of single cell like a C, D or 123?

I'll get a pic up when my brother shows up with it, but an ideas for now about the cell it's using?

Umm, don't you already know what cells it's using? You mention it several times, 3xAAA.

Some members often use a 18500 in place of 3xAAA, but on a 9-LED light, I would not recommend it. High power emitters can usually handle being even further overdriven, but the multi-die lights will most likely burn out LED's in short order.

 

[45/70]

My brother has this cheapie looking flashlight.

Wellcome to CPF ResFiatLuxAddict! :thumbsup:

Not meaning to be the bearer of bad news or anything, but you appear to be a very astute observer! It is as you describe.

I'm not sure what your question about the batteries and carrier is? It takes three AAA alkalines. You can run rechargeable batteries, but in my experience, they will burn out the LED's faster due to their higher voltage maintenance. The other option is to roll up a trimmed mouse pad to line the inside of the flashlight body so a Li-Ion 18500 will fit in. I don't recommend this until you have a very good understanding of the use of Li-Ion batteries though. They can be very dangerous unless you understand their proper handling. Also, the use of a Li-Ion will burn up the LED's very fast.

No matter what you power this type of flashlight with, the LED's will come to an early death due to the "Cheapie" design, however alkalines will be easier on the LED's, as their voltage sags to an almost acceptable level fairly soon after they are installed.

Dave

 

[ResFiatLuxAddict]

Yeah, well I guess I thought that the carrier thing was a cheap wayu of avoiding putting in a Li-Ion on other type of cell.

I'm still learning about this stuff. I keep seeing eneloops, is that carrier thing an eneloop?

 

[Marduke]

Yeah, well I guess I thought that the carrier thing was a cheap wayu of avoiding putting in a Li-Ion on other type of cell.

I'm still learning about this stuff. I keep seeing eneloops, is that carrier thing an eneloop?

The carrier is a cheap way of avoiding using any sort of circuitry.

Eneloops are a type of NiMH cells which are low self discharge.

The carrier is just a carrier, and just uses three AAA cells.

 

[Mr Happy]

In case you are not getting the message, it is just a cheap flashlight that takes three AAA alkaline cells.

They are really cheap. If you look around you can find them for under $5. Maybe even for 99 cents in a dollar store. Sorry to disappoint.

 

[Marduke]

In case you are not getting the message, it is just a cheap flashlight that takes three AAA alkaline cells.

They are really cheap. If you look around you can find them for under $5. Maybe even for 99 cents in a dollar store. Sorry to disappoint.

I actually bought a 3-led one at Dollar Tree for $1. Heresy, I know...

I've had "better" ones in the past, but I wanted to see just how they could make a functional aluminum LED light and make a profit when sold for a whopping $1. There wasn't even a resistor or PCB of any kind like even the regular cheap junk ones have.

 

[Mjolnir]

On a somewhat related note, I have a brinkman "3 watt" (not sure if it is really running at 3 watts) LED light that I bought at Target a few years ago. It has a Lumiled emitter of some kind, and uses 3 AAA batteries. I had vaguely considered putting an 18500 in it for some respectable output/runtime, but it is direct driven. Any idea if the emitter will be damaged by using an 18500 instead of 3 AAA?

 

[TorchBoy]

Yes Mjolnir, it would probably be damaged, and if not immediately it probably wouldn't take long.

I bought a couple of the 3 piece 9 LED torches a while back. I modified one with a Cree, 8° optic and an AMC7135 driver, and ending up giving the other away.

ResFiatLuxAddict, do you understand the Li-ion cell numbers people have been throwing around?