Fenix L1P : best battery type to use.

Just ordered an Fenix L1P.

trying to figure out which battery type to use in it since it only contains one AA.

alkaline.

ni-mh.

lithium.

any help would be appriciated.

regards.

Another great thing about the Fenix. It runs fine on any of those. I use a lithium just for the long term life aspect. I have also run mine on alkaline and Sanyo 2500 mAh cells.

You can use whichever suits your situation at the moment.

I use alkalines because they are EVERYWHERE and EASILY available. If the battery dies I cant get a new one within SECONDS!!! :-D

do you know how many mah a Fenix L1P pulls from an AA.

I suppose which type of battery will depend a lot on that.

regards.

IMO the Fenix is best fed with NiMH rechargables. Sanyo 2500mAh comes to mind. You'll get about double the runtime with a lithium, but they're expensive--almost as much as a NiMH if you're buying them in a store. After a few battery changes, the NiMH pays for itself.

It depends on how you plan to use it though. If you use it daily for work or something (or just like to play with it like I do), NiMH is the best choice. If it's more a light for emergencies, like one to keep in the glove box, go with lithiums (or at least keep some handy). Lithiums don't self-discharge and aren't affected by cold.

Alkalines aren't really that good in the Fenix. They just can't pump the juice fast enough.

Check here at the bottom of the page for lots of runtime graphs.

Re: Fenix L1P : best battery type to use.lithium AA

I was just having a look at batterystation.com

they have 2900mah lithium AA for $1.00 each to cpf members if you buy 20.

that`s not bad.

regards.

I agree with the NiMH endorsement. It results in an output that looks regulated, even though it's not. I haven't calculated my runtime, but I know I've gotten better results than the Lighthound graph linked to above--closer to two hours with Engergizer 2500s.

Same results here using Eveready 2500mah NiMh AA. I get about 50% longer life from NiMh than regular Alkalines. Other than use in cold weather climates, I can't justify buying disposable lithium AA batteries.

NiMh pays for itself after a couple of recharges.

Re: Fenix L1P : best battery type to use.lithium AA

TinderBox (UK) said:

I was just having a look at batterystation.com

they have 2900mah lithium AA for $1.00 each to cpf members if you buy 20.

that`s not bad.

Click to expand...

They won't be quite as good as an Energizer, but it's still a good deal. For you though, being across the pond, ordering might be difficult (they don't accept foreign CC payments) and/or expensive.

I have already ordered 20 x cr123 from batterystation the other day and i did not have a problem, cost $20 for the battery`s and $8 for delivery.

regards.

I used to put 2000mah HiMH but switched to 1300mah NiCd for slower self-discharge rate. I only use it intermitently.


I think Nicd can take over-discharging abuse better than NiMH? LED typically can suck battery dry.

I run ni-mh on my L1P with good results, and I don't have to be concerned about spending the $$$ on replacement batteries.

If you will not use the light much or for long periods of time, I would suggest using lithium for their shelf life.

Lithium best performance. The lighter weight is noticeable.

NiMH best long term value.

Alkaline only in an emergency.

I have two Fenix L1Ps and a modded 1.7 watt MillerMods L1P and they all get fed NiMH cells. One Fenix L1P is mounted to a friends helmet as is used as cycling lighting. The MillerMods L1P is mounted on my helmet as is used as awesome cycling lighting.

The stock one runs on NiMH and is used on the weekends as a small light for general use. It will be heading to Eric to get the MillerMods L1P treatment with a 5 ohm two-stage switch. It will be my weekend EDC so NiMH works great for me.

Another thing you must remember about the NiMH self-discharge rates... they are in the range of 30% in a month. That is about to change with the Sanyo Eneloop 2000mAH cells. Their discharge rate is 10% in 6 months or 15% in a year. Even if you use the light for 10 minutes once a week, after a few months the light would still work well without a recharge.

Lithium for long-term storage, Alkalines in a pinch and Sanyo Eneloops for everything else.

Hmm, I read some article about NiMH discharge is about 3-5% a day & ~100% discharge in a month/
Is this old information?


Thats the reason I switch to NiCd

I prefer lithiums. I found that I use my light enough that alkalines get dim quicker than I'd like, but I don't use it enough to fuss with rechargables.

For the amount I use my Fenix, I really don't find the cost of lithiums prohibitive.

Re: Fenix L1P : best battery type to use.lithium AA

TinderBox (UK) said:

I was just having a look at batterystation.com

they have 2900mah lithium AA for $1.00 each to cpf members if you buy 20.

that`s not bad.

regards.

Click to expand...

Tinderbox, like you I just ordered the L1P and I also ordered the box of 20 lithium batteries you are referring to. For me it will be an EDC light but that doesn't mean it will get heavy use. I want it to be ready and bright when I need it and not lose a charge over time. I think the lithiums being lighter weight will be nice too.

All three have there own merits,

nimh: cheapest in the longrun

Lithium: slightly brighter and less weight

alkaline: only if you have no other option

ledled said:

NiMH discharge is about ~100% discharge in a month/
Is this old information?

Click to expand...

no that´s not a old informations that´s not correct. benthead is right

Not 100% in 30 days.
if this happens than they are dead. unfortunately i got nimh that have a ugly high selfdischagrerate after i abused them. (timer charged & over discharge)


if you want to store rechargabeles than switch to li ionen (best out there) or the new low selfdischarge NiMH rechargeabeles from titanium sanyo or panasonic.
Further information check out batterie section.

Sanyo 2500 is very well!