Good Idea? Yay or Nay?

I was considering what flashlights to give one of my favorite uncles who's not a flashaholic. I don't want batteries to be an issue for him so 123A lithium powered lights are out. So I narrowed my choices to single cell alkaline lights. Most likely; the Arc AAA-P, the Fenix L1T, and a PAL/Pak light. So that covers AAA, AA, and 9V batteries. But as I thought about other lights to get my uncle, I couldn't seem to find any single cell lights that use 1 C or D battery.

So my questions are:
Would it be a good idea to have a flashlight powered by 1 C or D cell?

Is there some practical/logistical reason why there are no single cell C or D lights?


If I happen to be wrong and there are some decent single cell powered C or D flashlights please send me some links, I'd be pretty interested in seeing them. Thanks.

I do not think that a single C or D light would be worth much because you are
only dealing with 1.5 volts. www.ledcorp.com has a light that is one D cell size
but uses 4 aa's in a holder and its 70 bucks now. Does your uncle live in a dark
rural area? If he does I would recommend the Streamlight 4aa luxeon nice
flat regulation and has a spot surrounded by a bright corona. There is plenty
of info on it on CPF. www.fox-intl.com has the best price on the web. As to other lights I really like the Pal Survival with its always on and optic enhanced beam. I have two super brights and they do not have the optic they are purely flood.

Dave

My only single D light is not a flashlight, but it's still kinda neat. It's the Energizer Accent Lantern. Sort of a portable nightlight or yardlight. They don't make them anymore, but I have seen a clone at Dollar General for 3/$6.

Geoff

If they can have single AA lights, I don't see why not single C or D, other than the size. I don't think the 1.5 volts is the main reason.

Current single AA lights can provide good light for around 2 hours already, and looks like they rather make it 2AA to make it 4 hours instead of making it C or D size. I guess its ergonomics??

I think it's an issue with diameter. Once you built a light wide enough to fit a D cell inside, it's much too fat to fit comfortably in your pocket. If it's not going in your pocket, you may as well not worry about keeping the length short. So, it ends up being a 2 cell or 3 cell or longer.

It may also be related to design priorities. I think the most important advantage of D cells over AA cells is that they have a higher capacity, and will give you longer runtimes. If you are designing a light for long runtimes, and you determine that D cells are needed to achieve your runtime goal, why would you reduce your runtime by only going with a single cell?

Finally, for some users a single D cell light might feel oddly unbalanced in the hand. I think people are comfortable holding a 2 D light (feels like a flashlight!) but a single D is kinda stubby. I know there are lights the size of a single D cell (Dorcy Boss, Turtlelight and clones, etc.) but they pack four AA cells in a carrier. They do stand nicely on end, though.

I'll agree it would be cool to see something like the Fenix L1P, but with a huge diameter reflector and a body big enough to hold one D cell. I just don't think it would be one of their best sellers. It ought to run for a heck of a long time, shouldn't it?

Objectively I know there are MUCH better lights made, including the 4AA Propolymer Luxeon. But every time I wrap my hand around the 3C Twintask my brain goes "Ahhh, that is what a flashlight should feel like!". Not too large for rear pocket carry, fits most glove boxes, and has an uber-long run time using the led's while maintaining the option of higher power with the Xenon lamp.

If Streamlight would put a regulated 3 watt Luxeon in that body with two or three light levels I might not buy another light as long as I live. That is if they find a cure for flashoholism.

That said, I recently bought 4 of the Propolymer Luxs from Fox-Intl. so I could keep a pair (wife takes my light unless I get her one!) for emergency kits. One is going to Dad on the SC coast (remember Hugo? he was 8 days w/o power!) and the last to Mom in VA so she won't become a "dingo snack" (has a back yard Fox pack, observes them daily).

Paladin

Shooter08 is right - it is difficult to get very much "work" out of 1.5 volts (1.2v in the case of NiCds).

We also have the complexity of "upping" it to the 3+ volts necesssary to make LEDs work. Too much voltage, you can use a resistor to waste the excess voltage. Too LITTLE voltage, you need boost circuits and regulators.

There is a property that LEDs have, you've seen it referred to as Forward voltage-drop or Vf - a sort of voltage barrier below which it does nothing at all. Unlike hot-wire lights, LEDs can work only after getting past this point. This Vf exists for ALL semiconductors: for transistors, it is around 0.6v, which means that only about half of the power in the battery is available for use - half the voltage; double the current, half the life...

But, in case you think it can't be "cool" to have a D-cell light, check THIS out:

Good light next to a 2C Mag - of course it's called the "Bud Light"!

Thanks for all the replies so far. I kinda figured that ergonomics, and possibly voltage were the main reasons as to why there are no single C or D cell flashlights.

Builder: That's awesome. I might be interested in a six-pack of bud Lights. HAhaha.

FrogsInWinter said:

...I couldn't seem to find any single cell lights that use 1 C or D battery.

So my questions are:
Would it be a good idea to have a flashlight powered by 1 C or D cell?

Is there some practical/logistical reason why there are no single cell C or D lights?

Click to expand...

It's a form-factor thing. For some reason, we want 1 cell-based light to be small. I do think it's a great idea that isn't explored enough. Using a C or D cell would give such looooong runtime that it's great for emergencies, etc.

You could build your own!

Build my own light? That's a great idea. I'd need lots of help though. I'm still pretty new to being a flashaholic. I've never built any light on my own and the most complicated modding I've ever done are the drop in LED mods for mini-maglites. But then again, one of my good friends designs and builds medical illumination deivces, so this could work. Thanks greenLED.

Yeah, you can do simple stuff. For example, get a cheapy 2D light at Goodwill and stuff a 5mm LED and a resistor into a PR bulb base. Minimum soldering required, fun for you, most appreciated by your uncle (because you made it for him). There's several sites on line that'll show you how to do that mod. Good luck and have fun.

If the Blaster 1R is still on sale it would be a great 2D light..

greenLED said:

It's a form-factor thing. For some reason, we want 1 cell-based light to be small. I do think it's a great idea that isn't explored enough. Using a C or D cell would give such looooong runtime that it's great for emergencies, etc.

Click to expand...

I have a one-D-cell emergency flasher. It's mainly meant to be set down rather than held in the hand, though.

Bill D.