Best LSD NiMH D cell and charger?

Chrontius

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 11, 2007
Messages
2,150
Location
Orlando, FL
Looking to get something big, beefy, and powerful - but because it eats D cells, that means putting up with alkaline discharge characteristics, or buying some NiMH cells. Not willing to have it dead when I go to use it, so that means LSD.

Then I find out that Eneloop isn't selling their D cells in America. :banghead:

So now what? I need a smart charger (not pairs, it's a 3D light) and some good cells. What's good?
 

Wrend

Enlightened
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Messages
646
Location
United States, IL
Wait, so are they selling Eneloop D sells anywhere? (I don't mean the D sized cases/shells to put AAs in.)

I have a charger that will run off of D cells. I'd be very interested in Eneloop ones and would be willing to pay for their shipping from just about anywhere.

Sadly, I've just been using Duracells.
 
Last edited:

samgab

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 23, 2010
Messages
1,259
Location
Auckland, New Zealand
Looking to get something big, beefy, and powerful - but because it eats D cells, that means putting up with alkaline discharge characteristics, or buying some NiMH cells. Not willing to have it dead when I go to use it, so that means LSD.

Then I find out that Eneloop isn't selling their D cells in America. :banghead:

So now what? I need a smart charger (not pairs, it's a 3D light) and some good cells. What's good?

I strongly recommend the Maha (PowerEx) MH-C808M
I have one, and it is fantastic for AAA, AA, C, and D cells. It has 8 completely independent channels, that can each charge at up to 2 Amps, all at the same time. It also has a good gentle cycle for AAA or AA cells, and has a recondition (deep cycle charge/discharge/charge cycling) mode.
More Info
and a helpful review

As for LSD D cells, I am going to get some of these Imedion 9500mAh D cells, that I've heard are good, but at the moment I have some non-LSD traditional 9500mAh D cells. Which are good, but lose charge rather too quickly for my liking.
 
Last edited:

radellaf

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 10, 2002
Messages
1,098
Location
Raleigh, NC
The Vanson BC-1HU would also do the job, at 800mA instead of 2A, $30 instead of $90. Personally, I'd either do them one at a time in my old RS pulse charger (2A, up to 4 in parallel), or one at a time or all three in series on the BC6DXii hobby charger. I have a pair of LSD NiMH for a MagLED that's the "family light". Easy to find, one mode, and obviously looks like a flashlight.
 

ToyTank

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 12, 2011
Messages
306
Location
Your Momma's house...
I think one li-ion 3D sized cell is best for 3D applications. Voltage is right and AWESOME capacity. 32XXX size? sorry I forget but I know they are out there.
 

Techjunkie

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 16, 2007
Messages
943
Location
in the brightly lit suburbs of NYC (Long Island)
AccuPower Evolution LSD NiMH cells. I'm a BIG fan of the c-cell size. They hold their charge as promised and more importantly are capable of super high discharge rates with little sag. I hear the D's are all that and more, and 10AH capacity too. I charge my NiMH cells in an Energizer CHCF Family Charger, which charges up to 4 D cells individually (will do 8 AAs in pairs, but I recommend only doing 4x1, not 4x2). After shopping the price, I get my C's from Battery Specialists. I've never shopped the D's so I can't say if they are also the best deal on those or not.
 

Chrontius

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 11, 2007
Messages
2,150
Location
Orlando, FL
I think one li-ion 3D sized cell is best for 3D applications. Voltage is right and AWESOME capacity. 32XXX size? sorry I forget but I know they are out there.

If they make 3D sized li-ion sticks, I've yet to see them. Kaidomain had their single-D li-ions, but they sucked. I was an early adopter, and they ran my ROP successfully for all of ten minutes. Ever. They stopped lighting it on the first click, then on the second, then on the hundredth. Also, they'd never let that battery through airport security, I'm afraid. :D


The capacity would be far to low for Chrontius application

Norm

25 watts out of 3 Eneloops is pushing it. I know they're good, but that's twice the current being pulled by a ROP build, so somewhere around eight amps, counting for voltage sag?

Techjunkie, I'd love to love that Energizer charger, but it'd be limited to 550 mA charging current; fine on their AA-in-a-can batteries, but it'd take around 20 hours to juice up a set of ten amp-hour D cells.
 
Last edited:

alpg88

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 19, 2005
Messages
5,339
you can put 4 paralell eneloops in mag in place of 1D, with no holder and\or borring out of the tube, 4 cells fit, all you need is contact discs, basicly a metall disc with insulated edge, i used double sided copperclad, discs, that i cut with wholesaw, and than took about 1mm of copper off on each side off the edges, than soldered a smal piece of wire in the middle to connect top and bottom.
i've done it few times, works well with almost any AA cell, if it doesn't fit easy just try turing cells around, they are not 100% round, wrapper has a seam that sticks out a bit, in some cells less, others more, just make sure seam is in the center.
 

Chrontius

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 11, 2007
Messages
2,150
Location
Orlando, FL
I'm arranging to purchase an Elektrolumens Blaster NG. I don't know if the four battery trick will work, and I suspect my current will suffer. It's worth investigating, but not as "Plan A". 12 Eneloops is going to be expensive​, too.
 
Top