LED Lenser Hokus Focus - Extended battery tube?

mitchell300

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 9, 2007
Messages
52
Location
Perth, Australia
Hi Guys,

I have recently bought the Hokus Focus flash light from LED lenser and its quite impressive for a 3xAAA Light, but runtime is a little low.

Does any one make an extended battery tube that will allow me to fit a larger capacity lion battery.

Would be great if there is someone who has already done this

Thanks
 

FlashCrazy

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 7, 2007
Messages
1,234
Location
Northern CA
I don't think anyone has done this. Making an extender tube would be the easy part...making the light function with the stock switch would be more difficult. The switch on the Focusing Lenser completes the ground path on the battery carrier itself (at the back of the carrier)...not through the flashlight body like typical lights. A gold plated strap on the carrier carries this ground up to the front of the carrier and to the three perimeter spring-loaded pins. The center spring-loaded pin on the carrier is the positive contact, and it always has voltage present. The perimeter ground pins only have continuity to battery negative when the switch is installed and in the on position. Designing a setup to use an 18650 would have to work around Coast's design. It can be done...sure...but not as easily as just making an extender.

I do like the idea of using an 18650 Li-Ion though! Maybe I (or someone else here) will come up with something. By the way, are you using NiMH batteries? If not, you should! You'll get way better performance, about an hour of near constant brightness. Alkalines pretty much fall flat on their face in this light.
 
Last edited:

mitchell300

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 9, 2007
Messages
52
Location
Perth, Australia
I am yet to buy some new NIMH batteries,

Just wondering what is the best brand, I normally go for energizer but they are only 850mAh comparing that to the Sanyo batteries at 1000mAh there is a substantial difference.

What about Energizer lithium AAA's at 1250mAh I would think that they should give the best runtime?
 

FlashCrazy

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 7, 2007
Messages
1,234
Location
Northern CA
There's an idea, Torchboy!

mitchell, the Sanyo cells are great, but the Energizers should be fine too. The Engergizer lithiums work great, and should offer the longest runtime. Not cheap though. The rechargeable NiMH batteries work great, and it's so nice to not worry about using the light too much. When I had the Engergizer lithiums in mine, I didn't want to use it much because the batteries cost so much!

Don't get too hung up on brand and capacity on the NiMH AAA's, most of them on the market are very similar in capacity (among the top brands anyway), despite the different ratings. I've used and tested quite a few, and even the cheapest of the cheapest perform pretty well. This advice goes for the AAA's only....once you get into the AA's, there are big differences.
 
Top