Help this noob understand a few things....

icharry · Jan 5, 2013

Ok - I got a bit flashaholic a few years ago - ended up with a Fenix and a Foursevens and was able to fight off the urge to spend more... till now.

I like the small size & ease of a 1 X AA - but lust for the power of something more. After reading (wasting?) hours reading these boards I am more
confused than ever. I seem to be drawn to the Nitecore MH1A http://nitecore.com/productDetail.aspx?id=66 because it uses a fancy battery
but in a pinch you can throw an enerloop in it.

What I don't understand is how it throws 550 lumens with a single AA battery - or is it only with the 14500? How many lumen with the AA?
Would the low end be less than the 7 lumen listed if I used the AA?

About charging the 14500 - if I do NOT keep it plugged into the USB charger will it hold a charge for a long time - like a few months? ie does it
work like my current 1 X AA... just keep them sitting there for months, turn it on and it works?

I'm sure your answers will beget more questions !!!

gianetics · Jan 5, 2013

it will only get to the 550 lumens with a 14500. on an aa it will probably do more like 140-200 but someone with more knowledge can chime in. i dont know if nitecore uses emitter lumens or actual out the front lumens. i have eagletac 14500's and they do hold there charge for quite awhile, but i use my lights to much to know what the self discharge rate is. if you want to shelf it/put it in the glove box i would stick an eneloop in it.

TEEJ · Jan 5, 2013

My lithium ion rechargeables have been able to hold a full charge for a long time...I was up to maybe 8-9 months on some I was saving...but Hurricane Sandy interrupted that.

If you use the light so infrequently that you need it to go more than a few months unused, for an edc at least, you probably don't need the light?

For a glovebox light, etc, sure...but I'd say close to a year would even make it for a good cell.

You get so much MORE light from the 10440 over the AAA its no contest...night and day, literally.

I put an enloop in set and forget lights out of habit, or, a primary lithium ion cell, which can sit ~ 10 YEARS, etc.

You could grab a 10440 if you are going to go get the light, and think you need the added lumens.

GordoJones88 · Jan 5, 2013

Selfbuilt did a review on the Nitecore MH1C which obviously has some similarities with the MH1A.

icharry · Jan 10, 2013

I ended up buying the MH1A. It just arrived and so far it is pretty impressive. Easily lights up the tree in the across the street neighbors backyard !!! I swapped out the battery and put a AA in it and it is MUCH dimmer - but at least I know I can always find a battery. 14500 battery is back in place.

BUT there are a few bad things I've already noticed. It is VERY easy (in fact it is easier) to turn the tail cap rather than the head. This means that is it easier to disengage the battery than it is to enter the user select mode. I hope I get used to it.
Also the clip fits well to hold the light lens side down, but when I put it on lens side up (aka for attaching to baseball cap) it makes the above problem even worse AND it makes unlocking the micro USB slot harder. In pulling the clip back off I've already bent it and scratched the housing. I don't mind the scratches, but it is a bummer that the clip has lost some spring. Will have to bend it back into place.

Last thing is that although it does tail-stand... it is just barely. If Nitecore had put a small 3rd nub it would be MUCH more stable and still allow easy access to the on/off switch - even with gloves.

I hope this light does not re-kindle my flashaholic gene...

roadkill1109 · Jan 10, 2013

icharry said:
Ok - I got a bit flashaholic a few years ago - ended up with a Fenix and a Foursevens and was able to fight off the urge to spend more... till now.

I like the small size & ease of a 1 X AA - but lust for the power of something more. After reading (wasting?) hours reading these boards I am more
confused than ever. I seem to be drawn to the Nitecore MH1A http://nitecore.com/productDetail.aspx?id=66 because it uses a fancy battery
but in a pinch you can throw an enerloop in it.

What I don't understand is how it throws 550 lumens with a single AA battery - or is it only with the 14500? How many lumen with the AA?
Would the low end be less than the 7 lumen listed if I used the AA?

About charging the 14500 - if I do NOT keep it plugged into the USB charger will it hold a charge for a long time - like a few months? ie does it
work like my current 1 X AA... just keep them sitting there for months, turn it on and it works?

I'm sure your answers will beget more questions !!!

First off, dont worry about asking questions! A lot of people here are more than willing to help you out and "school" you in a good way!

As for your questions, the record-breaking maximum output on a single AA (eneloop) cell is held by Zebralight's SC52 which currently stands at 280 lumens.

The 550 lumen output is indeed using the 14500 cell, which is basically an AA-sized cell that has a maximum voltage of 4.2 volts. The maximum record-breaking output I have seen on a single 14500 light is held by the Jetbeam PA10, which stands at 650 lumens.

Since it is a regulated light, the only differences you will see when using various cell types are usually in the high/max and turbo settings, the medium and low should relatively be the same. (I believe)

The Lithium 14500 cell that comes with the light has a very long self-discharge. You can keep it sitting for months without use, but it would be a good practice to check it from time to time because it may drop a few .00 volts after a few months. For emergency purposes, keep along with the light some lithium primaries (like the energizer lithium) which can keep charges for about 7 to 10 years.

Bring on the questions!

roadkill1109 · Jan 10, 2013

icharry said:
I ended up buying the MH1A. It just arrived and so far it is pretty impressive. Easily lights up the tree in the across the street neighbors backyard !!! I swapped out the battery and put a AA in it and it is MUCH dimmer - but at least I know I can always find a battery. 14500 battery is back in place.

BUT there are a few bad things I've already noticed. It is VERY easy (in fact it is easier) to turn the tail cap rather than the head. This means that is it easier to disengage the battery than it is to enter the user select mode. I hope I get used to it.
Also the clip fits well to hold the light lens side down, but when I put it on lens side up (aka for attaching to baseball cap) it makes the above problem even worse AND it makes unlocking the micro USB slot harder. In pulling the clip back off I've already bent it and scratched the housing. I don't mind the scratches, but it is a bummer that the clip has lost some spring. Will have to bend it back into place.

Last thing is that although it does tail-stand... it is just barely. If Nitecore had put a small 3rd nub it would be MUCH more stable and still allow easy access to the on/off switch - even with gloves.

I hope this light does not re-kindle my flashaholic gene...

Sorry to hear about the concerns with your light. That's why when i get mine, the clip comes off right out of the box. I use other stuff to hold the light where i need to face, like lanyards, vice grips, twist-tie, pull-tie, etc....

Well, there are a lot of new and exciting lights that are coming out this year, some say will even beat the number of offerings that came out last year! Good luck about not re-kindling the flashaholic gene!

i'm already on 2 dozen lights and still counting!

Help this noob understand a few things....

icharry

Newly Enlightened

gianetics

Enlightened

TEEJ

Flashaholic

GordoJones88

Flashlight Enthusiast

icharry

Newly Enlightened

roadkill1109

Flashlight Enthusiast

roadkill1109

Flashlight Enthusiast

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