New Fenix L2P. Battery question.

I just received my new L2P, and I'm hooked on it. At the moment, I'm using Duracell Procells, 1.5v AA batteries used in hospitals (don't ask me how I got em... ). Anyway, I'm planning on getting some rechargable batteries this weekend in Paducah, KY. There isn't really too much there, aside from the usual Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Circuit City, and Best Buy, as well as office supply stores. I tried to do a search, but I couldn't find any topics that answer this question.

Anyway, I'm going to be going there, and I'm wondering what kind of batteries to buy. I know that they should be Ni-MH, but does the brand matter? Also, I've noticed that the pair of Ni-MH batteries I have in my digital camera (a Sony Cybershot DSC-W1) say 1.2V. Do 1.5V Ni-MH batteries exist? If so, what would be the cheapest battery/charger combo available? I tried checking on the Circuit City website, but they don't list what the voltage is.

Unfortunately, due to the fact that only slow 28.8 phone lines for dial-up are in this area, browsing all over the net to try to find these answers manually just isn't an option, as it would take hours with no guarentee of success.

To sum it all up... what should I buy from one of those four places?

EDIT: On the topic of the new light, I'm absolutely hooked. It's already bumped my Inova X5T out of my EDC.

EDIT 2: I found this on the Best Buy website, but I see no voltage. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=5700057&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat28800050006&id=1066095853260 It's price is nice (no lame rhyme intended), but is it good for the L2P? I just don't wanna mess this light up.

Also, additional question, when the switch eventually wears out, how hard is it to obtain a new one, and how is this done? Just trying to get ready to cover all bases.

All NiMH AAs are 1.2v. Don't worry about the lower voltage though, because the L2P will still run at full brightness on them (it has a fantastic regulator). Even on lights with lesser regulators (like the L1P), a NiMH will be better. An alkaline might have the slightest bit more initial brightness, but it'll dim much quicker than a NiMH (or lithium) will, while the NiMH will hold close to its nominal voltage longer.

With the kind of stores around you, it's probably best to look for Duracell 2500mAh cells, which are actually Sanyo cells (if there's a "HR" stamp on the bottom of the cell, Sanyo made it). You can get these lots of places; I got mine at Walgreens. I don't know who makes Energizer's 2500mAh NiMH cells.

As for chargers, I'm no expert. I do know that the really fast chargers (1 hour chargers, 30 minute chargers, etc) aren't good for the batteries.

So, since all are 1.2v, is it ok to use this AA set that came with my digital camera? It's a Sony battery. If so, I can save a lot of money due to already having a charger, and all. By the way, thanks for the quick reply. Heh, I love these forums, everybody's so nice and helpful. Nobody gets POed at me for my newbish questions.

EDIT: Well, I tried the batteries from the camera, and they work great, so I'll be able to save some money by just buying a spare set.

All that remains is concerning the switch, how hard (or easy) is it to get a replacement.

NiMH batteries usually outperform alkalines in high drain devices like flashlights and cameras. The lower voltage of a NiMH rarely (if ever) matters becaus alkalines 1.5v drops fairly quickly anyway and devices are designed to work with this.

Yeah, I've noticed that with this camera. It specifically says that though it'll work with alkalines, it will have poor performance with them. I'm really glad that these Sony batteries work good, though. It'll save me money just having to buy spares. Now, I just gotta wait for a power outage, hehe. I'll have a field day when that happens, especially if it's after I get these batteries, and they're all fully charged. What can I say, when it comes to flashlights, I'm like a little kid.

:lolsign:
These are the ones I'm gonna get: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony-AA-NiMH-Batteries-NH-AA-2DB-/sem/rpsm/oid/145318/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

From what I've read here, 2500 Energizers are rebranded Sanyo's as well....