Anyone know how much voltage a MagLite 2D LED will tolerate?

UserName

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I've got a couple Maglite 2D LED flashlights. They're prior to the current generation, these have the Rebel LED in them. I've been wanting to use eneloops in it, but I want more than two, for more than 2000 mAh.

I've seen plenty of adapters that put two AA in parallel in a D size shell, but that's still only two in place of each D. Ideally, I'd like to get 6 batteries in there, a 2S3P arrangement (2.4V nominal). No one makes an adapter that puts 3xAA in one D, in parallel, at a viable price point.

I have a couple carriers from some old rayovac ubercheapie plastic LED lights that hold 6xAA in a 3S2P arrangement (3.6V nominal). This gets a full 6 cells in the light, but with the higher than standard voltage. Is this going to fry the LED?

If it doesn't fry something, will it be brighter at this higher voltage, or will the driver reduce current, and it will instead have more runtime?
 

monkeyboy

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2D mag will almost certainly use a boost driver (as opposed to a boost/buck). So yes, 6s will fry the driver and/or the LED and 3s probably will too. Best just go for the 2s3p option.

But why not just get LSD D cells? Ansmann maxe and maha imedion are good.
 

UserName

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None of the adapters I'm talking about using are 6S. I would not expect it to survive that. I just thought 3s might be doable. It's putting 3.6V where a pair of alkalines would have 3.0.

I've thought about it, but $30 for a pair of batteries, That's $60 if I want to do two lights, and another $30 to have a spare set to be charged, ready to go...then I still need to get another charger for D's, or make an adapter to hook to my C9000 to charge them.

I think I will sooner use two adapters that put 2xAA in 1xD body, and settle for the reduced runtime.

I may just have to try it out and see what happens. I can afford to lose one. I got carried away one year on black friday, and have a couple of these in unopened packages from already two years ago.
 

pepekraft

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No one makes an adapter that puts 3xAA in one D, in parallel, at a viable price point.

battery junction has what look like nice titaniam innovations adapters for $14.95. they have 3AA1D adapters in both series and parallel. I guess it depends on what you consider viable -- 4 of those does get pricey I guess.
 

UserName

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4xAA does not fit. The tube needs bored for that. It is possible to shove the cells in, with great force, but long-term, I don't think pushing cells in so tight they scrape off the plastic jacket is going to be a good thing.

The 3S2P adapter I'm talking about is the one that came with this light: http://www.homedepot.com/buy/rayovac-brilliant-solutions-gel-grip-3-led-flashlight-brsgel6aa-b.html

I decided to try it out. The light worked fine on 6 eneloops in that configuration (3.6V). I ran it for hours, until the batteries began to run down. I tried again, with hot of the charger cells, still didn't fry anything. I tried a third time, filling the holder with NiZn cells (rated 1.6v, 1.81v when hot off charger) hot of the charger, for 5.4v. The light did not seem to care.

I would have liked to run each test through my meter to measure amps, but the fuse is blown on my meter, and I can't find my box of spares. I am curious how the current is responding to changes in voltage supplied.
 
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