384 Volts in a Maglite 5D?

Is it safe to have 96-384 Volts in a 5D Maglite? Also what bulbs could I use? I'm looking at using either 96, 192, or 384 volts.

Also I'm looking at using these batteries.

http://www.wisebread.com/files/frug.../files/fruganomics/blog-images/batterya23.jpg

thats the same as using a 18AA-6D adapter and 14500s...impressive voltage, useless capacity:ironic:

What is the most powerful high capacity batteries I could use in a 5D or 6D?

hmm...

NiMH based then you have this option unless you decide to have it bored out
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/203785

there are D sized Li-ions available from KaiDomain...but I'm not sure about its performance so I can't really recommend it...plus they are unprotected

american lockpicker said:

Is it safe to have 96-384 Volts in a 5D Maglite? Also what bulbs could I use? I'm looking at using either 96, 192, or 384 volts.

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What is the idea with such high voltage?

Getting a high light output is about power and energy, not voltage.

You can get really power with IMR cells, but that will give a short runtime (Less than 10 minutes, if your want to use full power).

For maximum energy, LiIon is probably the best chemistry and 18650 might be the best cell size.

Max. power and the right emitter gives the highest light output.

Max. energy and the right emitter gives the longest runtime for a given light output.

"What is the idea with such high voltage?" My thinking was if a Surefire P60 is impressive with 6 volts what could I do with 384 volts.

american lockpicker said:

"What is the idea with such high voltage?" My thinking was if a Surefire P60 is impressive with 6 volts what could I do with 384 volts.

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You have to match the bulb with the batteries, getting that high voltage would waste to much space on isolation/packing. Remember each cell is somewhere between 1.2 and 4 volt, depending on chemistry, to isolate each cell would require a lot of stuff. I do not talk about isolation for 384 volts, but just the stuff wrapped around each cell, that would probably be more than 50%. A 12 volt battery is build from a number of cells and will have lower energy contents than a single cell of the same size, due to the isolation between the cells.

A much lower voltage and a high ampere/wattage bulb would be much better.

american lockpicker said:

"What is the idea with such high voltage?" My thinking was if a Surefire P60 is impressive with 6 volts what could I do with 384 volts.

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Its an interesting idea, but I don't see a way that it can be considered practical...
you only recognized 6V, not the other half: Amps!
a P60 works at 6V because it draws 1.13 amps off of 2 CR123As, which is almost perfect for this sort of load, and the voltage under load doesn't sag because of the li-ion chemistry

32 a23s will give you 384 volts open circuit, but expect to lose about 1/3 under load
A23s IIRC have a nominal capacity of about 55mah at 6Vs...who means
23 A23s = [138V x (55/1000) = 7.59 watt hours], not bad...but you have to consider that different chemistries work different ways and aside from possibly carbon arcs no lamp in existence would hope to have a design voltage that high

Even if you parallel all 23 of them it still won't factor with the price cost

A23 battery is actually made up with a stack of coin cells I think, it's the type you use in car remote.

Illum_the_nation said:

A23s IIRC have a nominal capacity of about 55mah at 6Vs...who means
23 A23s = [138V x (55/1000) = 7.59 watt hours

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and a _single_ Lithium Ion C cell has ~12 watt hours for comparison. It probably can deliver greater power as well?

edited

You seem to be thinking that the power of a light is expressed by its voltage. Voltage is a measure of electrical potential, not power. Watts is a measurement of power, and is equal to volts x amperes. That is why higher wattage lights are brighter. A higher voltage light will only be brighter if the amperage stays the same or increases.

Illum_the_nation said:

your thinking of batteries like L1325, where if you peeled it open you'd get 4xLR44s

the A23 is actually a miniature alkaline...manganese dioxide paste under the covers.

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The A23 has 8 alkaline button cells inside. LR932's I believe.

hmm...odd, I remember I cut one open not too long ago:shrug:
Maybe it isn't an A23 and was an N cell :thinking:

A23 or A123(aka CR123's)...you have me throughly confused becuase I know for sure that the 123s arent alkalines stacked ontop of one another! alkies dont go boom like li do =D

Youfoundnemo said:

A23 or A123(aka CR123's)...you have me throughly confused becuase I know for sure that the 123s arent alkalines stacked ontop of one another! alkies dont go boom like li do =D

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A23's are miniature 12 V alkaline batteries often used in remote controls.

Illum_the_nation said:

aside from possibly carbon arcs no lamp in existence would hope to have a design voltage that high

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There are lots of 240 V bulbs sold in Britain, but not usually for use in flashlights of course. I have seen a 240 V 1000 W projector bulb, but I don't think it would have any chance of running off a stack of A23 batteries...

As you know from reading already, volts is only half the story, amps matter too.

Have you seen this thread?

Look at the mods section and see what you like.

I'd suggest getting 5 Li-ion D cells(make sure you know how to use them), modding the switch to handle the potential current, get a metal reflector, a bi-pin adaptor, a metal reflector, and a metal pedestal. Then look at this thread for a bulb that can take 21v.

Volts? Sure. Amps? Yup. Now how about Watts? What's your switch rated at?