AA Alkaline In LED Lights

I'm a great fan of Fenix flashlights, and my everyday carry is the discontinued 2-AA light (the L2D). Anyway, I use rechargeable batteries and I love it. I recently got an LD15 and it's a great bedside light. The issues are that lithiums and rechargeable AAs are the only recommended batteries. Alkalines are not recommended, yet they're widely available. Bottom line, for a bugout bag it makes these lights almost worthless. I also use CR123 lights that use batteries with a 10-year shelf life. Still, I wonder if any LED lights out there are biased for alkalines.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a light that will use alkalines? I suppose they'll drive my LD15 in "Moonlight" mode, but not in high mode.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Are you sure that alkaline batteries are not recommended for Fenix LD15?

Cheers,

Tam

This Google search may interest you.
Alkaline batteries are considered by most members here only suitable for use when all other options have been exhausted, they are always prone to leaking and destroying your light.
Norm

Aside from leaking acid and corroding your equipment, alkalines aren't suited for high-drain devices, like flashlights. Lithiums provide much more stable current until very near depletion, allowing flashlight to provide nearly consistent brightness until the very end of battery life. Alkalines, on the other hand, will have its current output drop as soon as it is used and continue to steadily drop until end of life, which means that your flashlight will be getting dimmer by the second.

I can think only one benefit; they are a bit lighter than Eneloops...

I use them only in my 1$ AA lights, which are "forgotten" to strategic places.

+1 for Norm's comment concerning the reliability of alkaline cells. If you must use them, check them DAILY for the first sign of leakage (assuming you wish to avoid corrosion inside your lights).

True story: I purchased a time-lapse camera recently for monitoring a construction project. The manufacturer helpfully included a fresh pack of name brand 4xAA cells...two of which started to leak within ten days of receipt. If I had used these cells in the camera, it would have corroded the circuits before the images were even recorded.

Not all alkaline cells leak; but the collective wisdom is that it's better to avoid damaging a good light by trusting too much in the quality controls used in the manufacture of alkaline cells. You can use 'em, but you need to be aware that you're enetering a battery lottery, and may be gambling the health of a good quality light. With less expensive lights, it may not matter too much to you. With a favorite, or an expensive tool, you'll kick yourself if you're caught.

Use alkaline cells if you must, but know that it's at your own risk.

I use Energizer Lithiums in my LD15 and they work fine. They are more expensive than Alkalines, but have a ten year shelf life. These are the non-rechargable type and can be found in Wal-Mart.
I think Fenix says alkaline or NiMh because they don't want to mention lithium because people would get confused with the Li-Ion rechargables which you shouldn't use in the LD15.

Alkalines will be fine in the light... But do not, I repeat do NOT store the light with them in it. It's not worth the risk of ruining a light. Buy a 4pack of energizer lithiums, put two in the light with a piece of rubber on top of the upper batteries positive contact (which will prevent a parasitic drain, and allow you to store the light long term with no worries about needing it and having dead or partially depleted batteries), and put the other two in your med kit/spares kit.

Lithium AA's have a 20 year shelf life, IIRC, not 10, as they are a different chemistry than CR123's (which do have a 10 year shelf life, the "shelf life" being ~10 years to 80% original capacity. Another interesting thing about Lithium primary chemistry... I recall reading a thread a year or so ago where another member attempted to use an ~10 year old CR123 battery in a single cell light. At first it appeared that the battery was entirely depleted, but, when subjected to a high current drain for a few minutes, it behaved as a new cell would, in regards to capacity and runtime/output. Basically, Li's will begin to "hibernate" after a period of non use, but a large current draw for a few consecutive minutes, such as turning a light to a high output and letting it sit, appears to "shock" it out of this "hibernation". At least, that was what was theorized in the thread, IIRC.)

I don't think twistys like the LD15 have parasitic drain, lights using electronic switches are the only ones that have potential parasitic drain issues (I know mechanical clickies don't have parasitic drain).

Energizer L91s have a 15 year shelf life - is there a lithium AA with 20 year shelf life?

- Jas.

JA(me)S said:

Energizer L91s have a 15 year shelf life - is there a lithium AA with 20 year shelf life?

- Jas.

Click to expand...

I would say that if lithium batteries can last 15 years then 20 only means that much less capacity but still usable. I have had alkaline batteries 15 years old measure over 1.5v and still have over 90% capacity (that I can tell) left in them and alkalines are rated for something like 7 years shelf life. If you go by that I think it is quite possible that 30 years later you could still have some well made lithium primaries (energizer L91s) that would be usable perhaps even may have 80%+ capacity.

Good to know - thanks Lynx Arc!

- Jas.

Confederate said:

[...]Still, I wonder if any LED lights out there are biased for alkalines.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a light that will use alkalines?[...]

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Check out selfbuilt's LD20 review, especially the last chart "2xAA Max Comparison: Duracell Alkaline".

Confederate said:

I'm a great fan of Fenix flashlights, and my everyday carry is the discontinued 2-AA light (the L2D). Anyway, I use rechargeable batteries and I love it. I recently got an LD15 and it's a great bedside light. The issues are that lithiums and rechargeable AAs are the only recommended batteries. Alkalines are not recommended, yet they're widely available. Bottom line, for a bugout bag it makes these lights almost worthless. I also use CR123 lights that use batteries with a 10-year shelf life. Still, I wonder if any LED lights out there are biased for alkalines.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a light that will use alkalines? I suppose they'll drive my LD15 in "Moonlight" mode, but not in high mode.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Click to expand...

You can "use" alkys in the light. If thats all you could get your hands on in an emergency situation, by all means, "grab 'em and go!" Some of the better manufacturers simply stopped recommending them because of the "much better" and more reliable chemistries out there. Some models have their circuits even "optimized" for the rechargeable, although lower voltage NiMH cells, like Sanyo Eneloops, which are by far the best available at the moment. While they don't tout the shelf life of the lithiums, the LSD cells will still last a long time in storage and perform much better in temp extremes than the old alkys. Get the light and enjoy it. Just don't leave alkaline batteries in it when your not using it. edit: I reread and realized you already have the LD15. Trust the fact, it's not "worthless" as you think at all. But it "could be" if you leave alkalines in it during storage.

Confederate said:

Does anyone have any recommendations for a light that will use alkalines?

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getting back to OP's original question, maybe a low tech, low drain, multi cell flashlight like the Princeton Tec Attitude might be a better option for a bugout bag. it's not that bright (30 lumens), but it's enough for a lot of things, and it runs for a long time. i had three of them for about five years, ran them on alkalines, and never had a battery leak in any of them. even if a cell did leak, i would think that if any light could survive a leaking battery, it would be something simple like the Attitude.

Ahhh don't let every one scare you. All Mag-lites come packaged with Alkalines if they come with batteries. There not the best and not good in super high drain devices but its not like there guna fry your light. Maybe if you left and LD20 on turbo till it died then left the batteries in there till they leak. The only time I have ever had batteries leak is if they have been in the device over a year so don't store them in there.

The LD15 will perform poorly on high with alkalines. Works just fine on low with alkalines.
You will probably get 30 minutes of regulated output, then diminishing returns for maybe another 1/2 hour.
L91 will work way better on high (90 minutes of regulated), even EA91 will still work way better (should be 60 minutes of regulation)

The problem isn't the light, it's your bug out bag - replace the problem-prone alkalines in your bag with Energizer Lithiums, which will last more than twice as long in storage, will not leak, and won't be as affected by temperature.

Thanks for the replies. The bottom line is that I'm better off with 123As. The lithium AAs are very expensive and claim to last 8x what alkalines last. The Enloops don't impress me much and I've found better runtimes with other rechargeables.

Just remember that once there is an emergency situation, more 123 cells may be very hard to come by. Be sure to stock up if that's the route you're going.