Home Depot 1AA $2.49 Flashlight RUNTIME

Yukon_Jack

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Mar 25, 2004
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Like I mentioned before, I have 12 of the Home Deport 1AA .5 watt (?) little clicky. I took one to work this morning and showed office folks. They really liked the little light - just don't know any better. From a casual look, it appears very similar to $50 lights.

Anyway, I turned one on at 9 a.m. this morning and put it around my neck. It is now 14 hours later and the light is still burning. Enough to read and enough to manuver cautiously.

It burned for about 6 hours with good light. After 6 hours it sort of went into moon mode but was plenty bright enough to go into a totally dark bathroom and do ones business. Has gradually dimmed to where it is now. I would say that at this stage it would certainly be better than nothing if stuck in an elevator and plenty bright enough to read.

I'm actually thinking this little cheap light is much more practical to have for emergencies than I originally expected. I would not have expected 14 hours of usable light. Of course, in a normal situation I would have replaced the battery after 6 hours.

Been playing all evening with all 12 lights and have had zero malfunctions (remember that I return two right away that were faulty).

Bottom Line - I'm glad I spent a little less than $30 for 12 of these lights. They use the outstanding 1AA and rechargables and the only thing I've ever seen at this price are the little dollar button cell 3mm lights. I'd much much prefer to have one of these 1AA as a gift than a button cell light. Actually, my intention at this time is to keep several of them for myself and to put them in my survival kits as a backup to my 4AA UK lights. Thanks for listening.
 

sol-leks

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Yeah a nice little cheapo light is a great thing to have. I love my $4 CJ 1W. Also uses 1AA
Approx how many lumens would you say your home depot gives off?
 

Mr Happy

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Nov 21, 2007
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Yes, these lights have quite a low current draw. They are not fully consistent between samples though. Of a sample of six, I found most drawing about 180 mA, but one was drawing 200 mA and another was only 130 mA. There was no visual difference in brightness between the 200 mA and the 130 mA sample.

Using a NiMH cell, the 130 mA light could be expected to run for 15 hours at full brightness.

My rough estimation of the brightness is 20 lumens, give or take.
 

Yukon_Jack

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Alaska
I was using a Kirkland brand Alky. I'm going to try the same test with a recharagable. I'd be surprised to see it run 15 without greatly diminishing brightness - but I'll give it a try. I've got an Everready 2500 amp charging at this moment.

UPDATE: I've loaded the freshly charge battery and she is running. When I get up in the morning, I'll test it against another with a fresh battery - about 9 hours. I sure doubt it will be as bright :) Time will tell.
 
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Mr Happy

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I suspect you will get over 10 hours. Whether you get 15 hours or not depends on whether your particular test light is drawing 130 mA or 200 mA. Most of mine are nearer 200 with only one at 130.
 

Yukon_Jack

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Heh - if I get 10 hours of good brightness, I'll be a happy camper. Since I got 12 of them, I'll do a thorough test this weekend. I'll run all 12 on fresh ALKies then I'll run all 12 on freshly charged Everready rechargables. If I was really serious I'd do the same with lithiums - but they cost as much apiece as the flashlights :)
 

sol-leks

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Nice, this may be a good back up light until one day when fenix releases a AA version of the E01
 
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