Some total noob questions

Hi.

A couple of quick questions from a total beginner to LED flashlights.

1 x 3.0v battery is 3v.
2 x 3.0v = 6.0 volts correct ?

A bulb with a range of voltages eg...
3.7-18V
Will it be brighter running more volts up to the max of 18 (assuming 6 x 3.0v = 18v)

If not brighter than what is the advantage / disadvantage to running high volts, or is it just to give a wider range of battery combinations ?

100~200 Lumens

When a range of lumens is given for a 1 mode LED (and i understand the Lumens figure is often overstated) does that mean approx 100 lumens at 3.7v upto 200 lumens at 18 volt ?


What happens if a 3.0v battery is placed in a flashlight with a 3.7v minimum rateing, bulbs runs dimmer and longer ?

and if i put a bulb with an upper limit of say 4 volt in a torch with 2 x 3.0 lithiums = 6.0volt Ill fry it ?

thanks in advance for any answers comments

mikefish said:

1 x 3.0v battery is 3v.
2 x 3.0v = 6.0 volts correct ?

Click to expand...

Discounting a bit of internal resistance and load sag, yes, it'll be near 6v

mikefish said:

A bulb with a range of voltages eg...
3.7-18V
Will it be brighter running more volts up to the max of 18 (assuming 6 x 3.0v = 18v)

Click to expand...

A bare incandescent bulb or unregulated LED, yes. If it is regulated (meaning electronics control battery draw), no.

mikefish said:

When a range of lumens is given for a 1 mode LED (and i understand the Lumens figure is often overstated) does that mean approx 100 lumens at 3.7v upto 200 lumens at 18 volt ?

Click to expand...

If unregulated, yes. Regulated, no.

mikefish said:

What happens if a 3.0v battery is placed in a flashlight with a 3.7v minimum rateing, bulbs runs dimmer and longer ?

Click to expand...

If unregulated, the bulb will be dim. If regulated (or most LEDs), it will not light.

mikefish said:

and if i put a bulb with an upper limit of say 4 volt in a torch with 2 x 3.0 lithiums = 6.0volt Ill fry it ?

Click to expand...

You'll be overdriving the bulb, so it will be brighter, but with much shorter life (if it doesn't pop instantly)

mikefish said:

Hi.

A couple of quick questions from a total beginner to LED flashlights.

1 x 3.0v battery is 3v.
2 x 3.0v = 6.0 volts correct ?

Click to expand...

Yes, if they are wired in series. The voltage will be doubled and the current capacity will be the same as one battery.

If they are wired in parallel the voltage would be 3.0 V and the current capacity would be doubled.

A bulb with a range of voltages eg...
3.7-18V
Will it be brighter running more volts up to the max of 18 (assuming 6 x 3.0v = 18v)

If not brighter than what is the advantage / disadvantage to running high volts, or is it just to give a wider range of battery combinations ?

Click to expand...

It depends on what you are referring to. If you are looking at specs on a led flashlight and it mentions 3.7-18V it's talking about the driver and what kind of input voltage it can handle.

This would just indicate the various kinds of batteries you could use to power that light. I can't answer for anything other than led's but an led isn't going to have that kind of range for the led itself...it would burn the led up.

100~200 Lumens

Click to expand...

When a range of lumens is given for a 1 mode LED (and i understand the Lumens figure is often overstated) does that mean approx 100 lumens at 3.7v upto 200 lumens at 18 volt ?

Click to expand...

No. As mentioned an led isn't going to have that kind of voltage range. The driver circuit may have that kind of range and that would only have to do with which batteries can be used.

If you see a range like that it either means it's just an estimation or it means it is dependent on what battery source you are using.

What happens if a 3.0v battery is placed in a flashlight with a 3.7v minimum rateing, bulbs runs dimmer and longer ?

and if i put a bulb with an upper limit of say 4 volt in a torch with 2 x 3.0 lithiums = 6.0volt Ill fry it ?

thanks in advance for any answers comments

Click to expand...

I can only answer for leds. The led probably wouldn't come on and in the case of 6V, yes it would fry it unless the driver was a constant current driver in which case the led would only see whatever the constant current rating of the driver is.