Multiple smaller batteries ?

Since being "inactive" for a few years, I have noticed some interesting developments that were uncommon back in the day. There was not much like the rechargeable batteries now marketed...just the MagCharger battery pack, iirc.

During my search of stores' flashlight stocks, I came across a Duracell light that looked really great; it used 6 AAs, and I noticed many lights using 3 AAAs. In fact, my wife, knowing my addiction, gave me a pair of cute little 3 AAA lights for my birthday. They're kind of nice!

The things wouldn't be so common if there wasn't a real market, and, as someone once pointed out, flashaholics are not a large percentageof the world population.

So, school me, please...what are the advantages of using multiple AAA or AA battteries, instead of, say, two or three AA, C, 123 or D batts? It seems replacement of a potful of even the smaller batteries on a regular basis would get expen$ive in a hurry. (Thank heavens for Costco's great prices on batteries!)

It all boils down to personal preference IMO. I do have a couple 3 AAA & two 4AA lights & when I got a Romisen RV235 it just blows these lights of mine out of the water. It uses just 2 AA or one CR123. I don't use the others much anymore.

Read through some of the posts in the "Flashlight Electronics - Batteries Included" section for some info on different battery chemistries and sizes. Also a search will give you more posts.

There are a lot of threads on whether or not folks prefer 3xAAA's for a power source so you'll find a lot of "grist for the mill" by searching on that. A lot of the discussions are centered around run time for lights that use those. Some threads got pretty polarized about that. In a nutshell smaller physical size of cells like AAA's can mean less run time and lower capacity so the lights are limited in what they can do a bit more than those that use other cells. However chemistry plays a big roll in that arguement since some (but not all) lights that use AAA or AA cells can use lithium batteries in those sizes as well as alkalines.

Marketing plays a lot in what battery sizes are used but that doesn't mean the lights were necessarily engineered for those cells specifically.

So, all you have to do is balance size and weight with capacity, run time, and shelf life. Well, then there is the matter of the cost of each battery. And whether or not you want rechargeables (better environmentally and economically vs. having to buy a charger that's meant for those cells and having the charger handy when you need it). But then you get the arguement-mix about rechargeables vs. primary cells and add a dash of lithium vs. alkaline vs. NiMH and so on.

And of course you don't want to mix lithium batteries in various states of discharge or rechargeables and primaries 'cause they could vent with a bit of exothermic reaction and/or just plain old go "boom."

See, I told you it would be easy. :sick2:

All kidding aside, search on the types of batteries you are interested in and do some research. There's lots of good info on this site and it really isn't all that mind bending.

When you get around to looking for a new light I find it's better to pick out the tasks you want the light to be capable of performing and then look at what sort of lights that fit your budget will do the job. There is a "flashlight Recommendation Checklist" that could help a lot.

sniper said:

So, school me, please...what are the advantages of using multiple AAA or AA battteries, instead of, say, two or three AA, C, 123 or D batts? It seems replacement of a potful of even the smaller batteries on a regular basis would get expen$ive in a hurry

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For the cheaper, less sophisticated flashlights typically found in department stores and supermarkets, using multiple cells is an easy way for manufacturers to generate enough voltage to drive LEDs to a usable level of output, using practically no electronics (probably just a single resistor). Better flashlights can make do with fewer cells and inherently lower voltage because their electronics can compensate for this. Multiple cells then allows better flashlights to use more power to achieve even higher levels of output and/or greater runtime.

Of course Duracell makes a flashlight that takes 6 batteries...the batteries go dead, you go out and buy 6 more batteries...Duracells hopefully...

angelofwar said:

Of course Duracell makes a flashlight that takes 6 batteries...the batteries go dead, you go out and buy 6 more batteries...Duracells hopefully...

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Well said! If you are like me and prefer things "dumbed down" a little, I agree it is just a way of making an inexpensive light (little to no electronics as most LEDs need the 4.5 volts before current sag) that you can get batteries for anywhere. Like a kitchen drawer light for the masses. If you put in some good NiMh batteries, it kinda makes a self regulated light anyway and they actually work pretty good for household use with safe battery chemistry. Good for kid lights too, as the batteries and chargers (if you use them) are safe.

I think it's easy to get confused with voltages and mAh levels. I know I had to do some reading on it.

But in simple terms a D cell simply contains more capacity (higher mAH) than an AA. They are both the same voltage of 1.5v (primaries). Modern electronics can utilise capacity to generate brighter lights these days. Hence single AA lights can produce 140 lumens. That said pure voltage still counts such as the Maglite XL200, I've seen many claim it should have been single AA. But I've not seen a single AA light that can produce 172 lumens.

Chicken Drumstick said:

But I've not seen a single AA light that can produce 172 lumens.

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Well, there's the ZebraLight SC51:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?291124-Zebralight-SC51-(XP-G-R4)-amp-SC50w-(XP-E-Neutral)-1xAA-Reviews-RUNTIMES-BEAMSHOTS

According to this test, this example of the older XP-G R4 version running on a single AA eneloop outputs 218 lumens to start with and winds up at 173 lumens by the end of its regulated runtime.

sniper said:

Since being "inactive" for a few years, I have noticed some interesting developments that were uncommon back in the day...

...During my search of stores' flashlight stocks, I came across a Duracell light that looked really great; it used 6 AAs, and I noticed many lights using 3 AAAs. In fact, my wife, knowing my addiction, gave me a pair of cute little 3 AAA lights for my birthday...

Click to expand...

I'm more of a rechargeable battery fan than I am a flashlight fan (see my Sig Line ) - IIRC, it was in the 80's when I bought my first GE 'Black & White' NiCds. I only bought my first LED flashlights a little over a year ago when Big Lots! had various types on sale - I bought a mix of 1-LED and 9-LEDs, 2 AA and 3 AAA, mostly Dorcy. I also got several of the Harbor Freight *FREE* 9-LED 3 AAA lights and 1 Meritline 1-LED 1 AA light.

IMO, AA is better than AAA because of the capacity:

• 1 AA @ 2000mAh is 1.2VDC w/2000mAh
• 2 AA @ 2000mAh is 2.4VDC w/2000mAh
• 1 AAA @ 800mAh is 1.2VDC w/800mAh
• 2 AAA @ 800mAh is 2.4VDC w/800mAh
• 3 AAA @ 800mAh is 3.6VDC w/800mAh

You can easily see the difference in Capacity, which is independent of the number of cells, which then translates into Run-time.

Another problem with multiple cell flashlights is that some wives don't understand when to give it back to be recharged and they continue using it, although very DIM, *REVERSE* charging, and DAMAGING, a cell. She had a nice Dorcy 9-LED 3 AAA but now she has a Rayovac 1-LED 1 AAA.

If you need a QUALITY LED Flashlight for your job, by all means spend the $40-100+ and get a good light. If you want to 'Experiment', look at the selection at Big Lots!, DealExtreme, Harbor Freight and Meritline to inexpensively 'Get-Your-Feet-Wet'.

Have fun!

Unfortunately, the reason for using 3 AAA batteries is manufacturer convenience. It makes the light much cheaper to design that way than using other battery combinations. The downside is that AAA batteries have a much smaller capacity than AA batteries and so they need to be replaced more frequently. Personally I would much prefer a light that takes 2 AA cells instead, but they are not commonly found because they are more expensive to make.