Silly...but a case for lights useing even numbers

This is silly but you know what annoys me...If I have an item that uses and odd number of batteries (exception being those that use one).Buying batteries for a 3 cell item and batteries only come in even numbers, hmmm. It would be nice to buy a package of batteries and have none left over after filling the item. I wish all flashlights used: 1, 2, 4, 6, or 8. Batteries. Not 3 or 5. I might be silly...but it drives me nuts...LOL

Batt packs usually come in 2,4,8,12,16,20,40,etc... Usually, if you buy in bulk from a warehouse (Costco, Sams Club, online, etc), you wouldn't have much problems mixing up odd number lights...

Usually buying lights with odd numbered batteries can be a problem if you're trying to recharge odd numbered recharbeable batts and you don't have an independant channel capable charger...

or you can just buy double the number of batteries the light needs, so you don't have to go out and buy a new set of batteries when the first set runs down /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Kinda reminds me of the 10 pack hotdog/8 pack hotdog bun dilemma ... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

True Flashaholics would use the odd cell dilemma as a compelling reason to buy a another odd cell flashlight.

Most torches using InGaN have to be 3-celled devices due to the LED voltage. My EMPOWERTORCH BT series are all 4 celled torches, but in these cases I have to resistor away more volts to make the LED's run cool.

The best answer to the question concerning odd celled torches?

...Buy 2 torches!

It drives me nuts too! It is _extremely_ difficult to get me to buy _anything_ that uses AA or AAA batteries in odd numbers because I like to use rechargeables. Even without rechargeables, an odd battery sitting in a drawer or on a shelf is usually presumed dead by someone within a month or so and tossed. It's the reason why I haven't bought a streamlight trident - it uses 3 batteries.

Re: Silly...but a case for lights useing even numb

12 packs of batteries are divisible by 3...

-- Jeff

Re: Silly...but a case for lights useing even numb

Buying alkalines in multiples of 3 is no big prob. Procells are cheap enough in bulk. My main gripe is with rechargables. I use rechargables as much as possible except for 'emergency' lights in the car, caving, the usual. It's a bit difficult to buy let alone charge 3 AA's. I'm looking for a 'real' C or D cell light and a set of NiMH's. The odd cell issue is keeping me from buying the Streamlight 3C poly, the most lux/bux i can find. Of course this issue doesn't hold water when it comes to the odd AAA. You know where you can put those.

~ned

Re: Silly...but a case for lights useing even numb

HA great minds think alike! its a friday. just re-read SteveD's almost identical post. So Steve, are you looking to go 2 cell or 4 cell? What have you found beyond *.mart? I converted my petzl arctic headlamp to 6v.

~ned

Re: Silly...but a case for lights useing even numb

i only have lithium lights and have never worried about it. especially since the sf price decrease on cells.

Re: Silly...but a case for lights useing even numb

Emitter:

I haven't decided, I've got a surefire so I've gotten past k-mart, but I'm not really looking for much, just:

Must be reliable, and durable
Must be bright enough to read by in any light,
Must have long life, and a nice even beam,
It must use an even number of easy to find batteries (for travel),
and, as a bonus, it should take rechargeables with no serious penalty.

I haven't figured out which one, but lately I've been a bit preoccupied (future mother in law is in town) so I haven't been able to do the proper research.

Re: Silly...but a case for lights useing even numb

If you have a 3 cell light, and rechargeable batteries for it, you can easily recharge the batteries in a charger that only charges even numbers of cells. This is what you do. Get 4 rechargeable batteries, and charge them all. Then put three in the light, and when they are run down, recharge 2 of them. Then you can put three in the light (the two you just charged, and the one you didn't use after the first charging), the fourth cell will still be uncharged for now. After you run down the three cells, you can recharge all four again, and you are back at the beginning.