Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary LED Lights

I've standardized on six AA lights for regular daily use. I have two lights in each of three categories that I think of as Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary.

Primary lights: Underwater Kinetics 4AA eLED Zoom and Streamlight PP 4AA Lux. These get brand new AA cells. Used nightly for walks and weekends for hikes or camping. When their sets of 4AA cells can no longer power these regulated lights at full brightness, they get swapped out and set aside for Secondary lights.

Secondary lights: Underwater Kinetics 4AA Unilite eLED and Streamlight 2AA TaskLight. The UK 4AA eLED will run at full brightness and flat regulation for hours on depleted cells. The SL 2AA TL will run on high level for hours and far longer on low level. These are my 'grab and go' lights for tasks around the house and out in the yard. The UK 4AA eLED also sees regular use as an area light outside on the deck and inside in ceiling bounce mode. When the Secondary lights get dim, their cells get swapped out and set aside for Tertiary lights.

Tertiary lights: Streamlight 1AA TaskLight and MiniMag 2AA with NiteIze 3LED dropin. These lights are reserved for late night navigation around the house and similar tasks where I want a low level of light. I've always liked both these little lights, but I like them even better with depleted cells. Loading with well-depleted cells cuts the Streamlight down to a high level of maybe 2 or 3 lumens and a low of 0.5 lumen or so. The MiniMag is slightly brighter and floodier, with an output of maybe 4 or 5 lumens. Both these lights will run quite a long time on depleted cells, with outputs that just tail off gradually. When finally removed from the Tertiary lights, the cells have been well and truly depleted.

I've discovered that it's not worth the hassle for me to mess with rechargables for these daily use lights. Grab a 16-pack of AA alkies on sale and I'm set for a couple of months. Primary lights are used daily as needed. Secondary and Tertiary lights are running on what amounts to free cells, so they get a used a whole lot.

Anyone else regularly run LED lights on "recycled" cells? Any favorite LED lights that are "good to the last drop" of energy in a cell?


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I do this too with both AA cells and cr123s.
Two SL PP 4AA Lux, one with fresh one with partially used. Two UK 4AA eLed lights, one with partially used and one with depleted. One note, as soon as your UK 4AA gets really dim, check the cells. I usually find one to be very drained and change it. I neglected to do that once and it leaked.

Inova X-1 is fantastic with depleted cells, it still runs for hours. It had been my edc [with fresh cell], but once I got a Jetbeam C-LE, it went to cell draining duty. It is fantasitc for that.

I have an old 'Pilot' 3 led [three AA, three 5mm leds] that I got from Glow-Bug when leds were first comming out and it too runs for hours on old cells.

For draining cr123 cells, the Dorcy Super 1 Watt is great. I have three, one has a fresh cell and is in a car. One I modded [my first mod!] with a Cree and it is unbelieveable at draining old cr123s. The un-modded Dorcy is a good drainer.

LED_Thrift said:

One note, as soon as your UK 4AA gets really dim, check the cells. I usually find one to be very drained and change it. I neglected to do that once and it leaked.

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Thanks for the warning LED_Thrift. Once my UK 4AA eLED drops out of regulation, I immediately swap out the cells for 'fresh' depleted cells.

Swapping the UK 4AA cells into various 1AA lights, I've noticed that often one cell out of the four will be nearly completely dead, while the other three will still have plenty of juice left to run a 1AA for hours.

LED_Thrift said:

Inova X-1 is fantastic with depleted cells, it still runs for hours. It had been my edc [with fresh cell], but once I got a Jetbeam C-LE, it went to cell draining duty. It is fantasitc for that.

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I agree that the Inova X1 is good for extracting that last drop of juice from an AA cell - the X1 must have some very efficient electronics. An X1 with depleted cell always rides along in my rucksack as a backup, along with a fresh AA cell for just in case.

Another excellent cell drainer and reliable backup is the Gerber 1AA Infinity.

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Originally Posted by ringzero: I've discovered that it's not worth the hassle for me to mess with rechargables for these daily use lights.

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That's really too bad. With all the publicity about global warming and climate shift, one would hope that carbon footprint consciousness would be part of using rechargeables rather than just convenience.

HarveyRich said:

That's really too bad. With all the publicity about global warming and climate shift, one would hope that carbon footprint consciousness would be part of using rechargeables rather than just convenience.

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'Global Warming'/'Climate Shift'/'Carbon Footprint Consciousness' is a typical left-wing bait and switch scam.

As such, it certainly won't influence the type of cells I choose for my lights.

If you're interested in the topic, there's a thread over in the Cafe on Global Warming.


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Whoa. Guess some 1000 scientists, all with the same opinions and virtually no scientific opposition are wrong as are two recent United Nations reports. End of story. Didn't realize I was dealing with an ideologue.

HarveyRich said:

Whoa. Guess some 1000 scientists, all with the same opinions and virtually no scientific opposition are wrong as are two recent United Nations reports. End of story. Didn't realize I was dealing with an ideologue.

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Please don't pollute this thread with your left-wing politics. Take it to the Cafe or the Underground.


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I no longer try to use alkaline cells when their voltage drops below 1.3 volts or so because I don't want to risk the battery leaking.

Please don't pollute this thread with your left-wing politics. Take it to the Cafe or the Underground.

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Agreed about politics on this thread. No more from me. Just wish YOU wouldn't keep calling me names, e.g. "your left-wing politics." You may now have the last word if you wish!

ringzero said:

'Global Warming'/'Climate Shift'/'Carbon Footprint Consciousness' is a typical left-wing bait and switch scam.

As such, it certainly won't influence the type of cells I choose for my lights.

If you're interested in the topic, there's a thread over in the Cafe on Global Warming.


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wheres that thread? couldn't find it. ringzero you made it about politics, harvey was talking about science.

parnass said:

I no longer try to use alkaline cells when their voltage drops below 1.3 volts or so because I don't want to risk the battery leaking.

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Perhaps this is a sensible precaution, parnass.

I haven't had any alkaline leaks in my lights since I stopped using Energizer alkalines. Don't mean to criticize Eveready unjustly as I have no statistics or test results to back this up - just my own experience.

I've had brand new Energizer cells leak within days after being installed in a light, and others leak within weeks. None of these cells were anywhere near depleted.

I've had very good luck in the past several years with Duracell alkies - no leaks even with badly depleted Duracells.

Is there a rationale behind the 1.3 volt cutoff?

Mabye it's a common rule of thumb for alkaline cells that I'm unaware of?

Not trying to be sarcastic here - just curious about the 1.3 volt cutoff.


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HarveyRich said:

Agreed about politics on this thread. No more from me. Just wish YOU wouldn't keep calling me names, e.g. "your left-wing politics." You may now have the last word if you wish!

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Don't believe that I've been "calling you names" - looked back along the thread and can't see where I've done that.

I was irritated at having my choice of cells criticized on the basis of politics, and by being called an "ideologue."

Perhaps my responses could have been phrased more politely.

But, I still can't see the reason for bringing politics into a discussion of flashlights and batteries.

"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" -- Matthew 7:3

"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." -- Proverbs 15:1

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moon lander said:

wheres that thread? couldn't find it. ringzero you made it about politics, harvey was talking about science.

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Criticizing my choice of cells - to be used in my own flashlights - on the basis of a controversial doomsday scenario is science? Since when?

The use of primary cells in flashlights is frequently discussed on CPF. Many people prefer primary cells.

Are you going to start criticizing everyone who chooses to use primary cells in their lights?

Then claim that your criticism is based on science?


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on the basis of a controversial doomsday scenario is science? Since when?

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OK, I think you've pulled me back in, temporarily. I'm really sorry that you don't think the discussion within the scientific community on global warming and the human component is science. There has been a meta-analysis of virtually all the scientific papers on the subject over the past approximately a dozen years and the results are that everyone of them agrees that the earth has been warming over the past century and the process has accelerated. All the authors of papers that have touched on the causes believe that the human contribution in the 20th century is dominant. There have been NO papers taking an opposite position. All the "controvery" is in the media and with talk show hosts. There is no controversy within the scientific community. It would be easy to point anyone who is interested in the direction of these results.

As to whether or not individuals should be aware of their own behavior in contributing toward the sum of carbon outputs, sure I believe that. Everyone has to make his/her own decision though. I thought I was just pointing out for others that rechargeables are environmentally friendly in this regard. As to calling you an ideologue, well let's just say that in the world of dialog a statement you made about global warming in an immediately previous post was that it was a "typical left-wing bait and switch scam" and that isn't exactly a rational discussion of the content of the argument for a choice of words.

HarveyRich said:

You may now have the last word if you wish!

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What happened to letting me have the last word? Evidently, you just can't leave it alone.

I don't want the last word. I don't want to exchange any words with you about politics. Nor do I want to exchange words about science, unless it is science pertaining specifically to flashlights and batteries. I don't want to spend time in rebuttal of your fallacious assertions about Global Warming.

Please stop injecting this stuff into a thread where it is obviously completely off topic. If you have an irrestible urge to discuss Global Warming, do it elsewhere, not on this thread.


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ringzero said:

Perhaps this is a sensible precaution, parnass.

I haven't had any alkaline leaks in my lights since I stopped using Energizer alkalines. ...
I've had very good luck in the past several years with Duracell alkies - no leaks even with badly depleted Duracells.

Is there a rationale behind the 1.3 volt cutoff? ...

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During several years of servicing electronics equipment, I have seen leakage from virtually all brands of alkaline batteries and even had a couple of my own flashlights ruined due to leakage. This includes Energizer, Rayovac, Duracell, and others. As a matter of fact, I saw leakage from a Duracell AAA alkaline battery in a UK LED penlight last week.

The 1.3 volt limit is my own rule of thumb.

parnass said:

During several years of servicing electronics equipment...saw leakage from a Duracell AAA alkaline battery in a UK LED penlight last week....The 1.3 volt limit is my own rule of thumb.

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It may be a very good rule of thumb if the cost of cells is of little importance.

I usually want to extract every usable erg of energy from alkaline cells to "get my money's worth." Of course, this could be "penny wise and pound foolish" if doing so causes the cells to leak and ruin my lights.

Probably the only way to completely avoid this issue is to avoid using alkalines entirely. I try to avoid keeping alkaline cells in any light that doesn't see regular use. By regular use I mean daily use, or at least weekly use. I almost always remember to take the alkaline cells out of lights that I'm storing away.

Over the years I too have seen leakage in just about every brand of alkaline cell. I've had by far the worst leakage problems with Energizer cells, but that could be just bad luck. Other people on CPF have reported brand new - or nearly new - Engergizers leaking in their flashlights.

I haven't personally observed it, but I've heard of leakage in Lithium primary, NiMH, and even NiCd cells. Leakage in these other cell types seems pretty rare compared to alkaline.


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reading the very 1st posts, I liked to give my impression as the lights mentionned are for sure not good for hiking or anything else typed, but those answers dont deserve help ...


PS: read about the Cree Fenix models, beat all Your lights in any respect especially for hiking

yellow said:

reading the very 1st posts, I liked to give my impression as the lights mentionned are for sure not good for hiking or anything else typed, but those answers dont deserve help ...read about the Cree Fenix models, beat all Your lights in any respect especially for hiking

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Thanks for your opinion, yellow.

I frequently use a UK 4AA eLED Zoom for hiking, with a SL PP 4AA Lux carried along for spotting purposes. Oddly enough, I've never noticed these lights are "sure not good for hiking." I've been pretty pleased with them while hiking.

Not sure about the "or anything else typed" part. Guess you just plain don't like my lights, or maybe you have something against Underwater Kinetics and Streamlight in general.

I'm well aware of the Fenix Cree lights - they've probably had more coverage on CPF than any others. They don't appeal to me personally, but I'm not suggesting they aren't good lights. I have a couple of the Fenix 1AAA lights and have nothing against Fenix.


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imho the UKs and SLs are great diving secondary/emergency lights, but too large/heavy for backpacking and no 2 level output at least,
but obviously these can suck batts dry very good, as You use them for that. Fenix and Magled will just stop working.

the Magled, as I have typed a hundred times in here, is on my "totally useless lights"-list, among the 1st three:
no good output, way too long for the number of batteries used, too expensive (at least around here), no 2 levels (at least), is not able to suck batts dry, regulation(?) .

While hiking I tend to wear my lights at the body (+ the spares in the pack). Thus slim and short always wins. Also (imho of course) the actual Cree/SSC leds are this bright, that a lower output of the light is a must and greatly improves the ability to use them.

You are right about that "any respect", that was not enough explanation.
With regard to hiking/backpacking: size, weight, output, versatility, finish, price, batts used (they are all AA, so not much of a difference)
Alos You are right about me not really liking the form factor. 4 AAs is two 2 AA lights, one to lend around and somehow I prefer an aluminium body for a high output Led light.

The "dive" lights will stand the most abuse, thats for sure, very good choice