Considering a Build

Five of these powering one of these in a 5D mag with AW's switch and any old reflector of the day.

Not the brightest light but here is my reasoning:

I already have a 5d mag and , yes, I do want a club. :thumbsup:

The 64440 only draws 5 amps when the 5D's settle down to 18 volts (predicted lumens 3776) nominal, so the runtime with a 4 ampHish battery should be 45 minutes or so on high and over 2 hours on low (predicted lumens 1132).

Bulb life is predicted at 31 hours at 18 volts, so instaflash should not be an issue with soft start.

So what I see is a very bright, usable patrol light on 30% setting that will last the whole shift while still having the ability to crank things up to over 3000 lumens when throw or shock and awe are called for.

Downside: Non-protected cells and battery charging will take forever:ironic:

Okay, with that said, feel free to crush my dreams and point out the flaws in my thinking and plans.:shakehead

That looks like a good setup. I don't see a reason why it wouldn't work, but maybe some of the Incan Veterans will chime in here.

jufam44 said:

That looks like a good setup. I don't see a reason why it wouldn't work, but maybe some of the Incan Veterans will chime in here.

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Thanks for the input.

The only component that has me on the fence is the battery choice. I was considering Emoli or A123's, but was looking for as much runtime as possible. I read where there actual capacity of the D cell Li-Ions mentioned in the first post was 4.1 aH, which is far better than either the Emoli or A123's.

I really like the idea of being able to charge A123's at 10 amps though . . . a fifteen minute charge time would be awesome, and with a charging jack set up like Northern Lights uses, it would be easy to top off the light on a shift. So, do I sacrifice a little runtime for charging convenience?

Another issue with A123 is the positive ground . . . I don't know that is complatible with AW's switch.:thinking:

So many issues, so little time and cash.:ironic:

TKO said:

Thanks for the input.

The only component that has me on the fence is the battery choice. I was considering Emoli or A123's, but was looking for as much runtime as possible. I read where there actual capacity of the D cell Li-Ions mentioned in the first post was 4.1 aH, which is far better than either the Emoli or A123's.

I really like the idea of being able to charge A123's at 10 amps though . . . a fifteen minute charge time would be awesome, and with a charging jack set up like Northern Lights uses, it would be easy to top off the light on a shift. So, do I sacrifice a little runtime for charging convenience?

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I'd go with the jack charging and the A123s. I'd buy a DeWalt 10-cell pack, and tear out all the loose cells, then make two 5-cell "sticks" of A123 cells, so you could rotate the two packs.

2xTrinity said:

I'd go with the jack charging and the A123s. I'd buy a DeWalt 10-cell pack, and tear out all the loose cells, then make two 5-cell "sticks" of A123 cells, so you could rotate the two packs.

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Thanks for the response.

The A123 charging option is very tempting, but I get hung up on the 2.3 aH of the 123's cutting my run time by 40+% across the board compared to the Li-Ion D's. Although, with a fifteen minute recharge and two other lights on me while working it might not be a problem. Five A123's, I believe, would also not fit in a 5D Maglite and would force me into a 6D configuration> Hmmm.>. now that would be a club.:devil:

TKO said:

Thanks for the response.

The A123 charging option is very tempting, but I get hung up on the 2.3 aH of the 123's cutting my run time by 40+% across the board compared to the Li-Ion D's. Although, with a fifteen minute recharge and two other lights on me while working it might not be a problem. Five A123's, I believe, would also not fit in a 5D Maglite and would force me into a 6D configuration> Hmmm.>. now that would be a club.:devil:

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The only problem with the LiIon D's at this point, at least if you're considering Kaidomain, is that you will need to add your own protection circuit, either one to each cell. If you add a 5-series "pack" protection circuit, you'll need to find a 5-cell high-current LiIon charger. I have used these and while I think they're great for one and two-cell applications, particuarly low-draw, long runtime LED "quads" (4 3W LED lights), I wouldn't use 5 in series to drive a high current flashlight.

A123 will give you "flatter" output (lower internal resistance), and they are much safer and more tolerant to abusive charging - many RC guys simply use a bench supply with a current limiter to fill them up. With two packs, you could charge one while the other is in use. Also, since your light is nearly 100W, heat buildup will be more of a limiting factor on runtime on continuous runtime than batteries, anyway.

2xTrinity said:

The only problem with the LiIon D's at this point, at least if you're considering Kaidomain, is that you will need to add your own protection circuit, either one to each cell. If you add a 5-series "pack" protection circuit, you'll need to find a 5-cell high-current LiIon charger. I have used these and while I think they're great for one and two-cell applications, particuarly low-draw, long runtime LED "quads" (4 3W LED lights), I wouldn't use 5 in series to drive a high current flashlight.

A123 will give you "flatter" output (lower internal resistance), and they are much safer and more tolerant to abusive charging - many RC guys simply use a bench supply with a current limiter to fill them up. With two packs, you could charge one while the other is in use. Also, since your light is nearly 100W, heat buildup will be more of a limiting factor on runtime on continuous runtime than batteries, anyway.

Click to expand...

I understand your concern with heat limiting continuos runtime, but I rarely have my light on for long periods of times on shift . . . more like many short bursts.

These cells would eliminate the protection circuit issue. I understand that the A123's have about the flatest discharge rate going, but will that offset the difference in MaH between the two batteries?

So much to ponder.