Help with Maglite AA to D Adapter? Confused

Hey all,

I have an LED maglite triple D flashlight that I want to put and leave in my car permanently. Since I've been reading that lithium batteries are safer in large temperature changes, I want to use those. I also read something about using adapters in D cell maglites so that you can use AA lithium batteries instead. This is where I became confused. So if I'm correct, I can use a AA to D adapter, which uses 2 AA batteries for my maglite. So that means I would have a total of 6 AA lithium batteries in 3 adapters for my 3D maglite. I just wanted to make sure that I am correct and you guys have been so helpful in the past. I appreciate your help. Thanks in advance!

This is what I use. I think it's what most use.
They are typically sold in pairs. These Edison Bright type can use rechargeable or store bought.

Eneloop has twin packs as well and are actually pretty nice.
It sends the same voltage as D cells when used in series, and really lightens the weight of the light.

There are some side by side adapters as well, but I'm not familiar with those.

Financiers said:

So if I'm correct, I can use a AA to D adapter, which uses 2 AA batteries for my maglite. So that means I would have a total of 6 AA lithium batteries in 3 adapters for my 3D maglite.

Click to expand...

If the adapters are serial, you will blow your bulb/destroy your LED driver; do not attempt this configuration without parallel adapters.

StarHalo said:

If the adapters are serial, you will blow your bulb/destroy your LED driver; do not attempt this configuration without parallel adapters.

Click to expand...

I remember long ago someone actually bought 2 2AA plastic battery holder with leads and incorporated it into a flashlight like this to give a 2D light 6v to the LED array in it. You could just use one 2AA battery holder in this case and pad the rest of the light to keep it from rattling.

Lynx_Arc said:

I remember long ago someone actually bought 2 2AA plastic battery holder with leads and incorporated it into a flashlight like this to give a 2D light 6v to the LED array in it. You could just use one 2AA battery holder in this case and pad the rest of the light to keep it from rattling.

Click to expand...

Dummy cells/dowel-and-washers, forgot about that..

Financiers said:

Hey all,

I have an LED maglite triple D flashlight that I want to put and leave in my car permanently. Since I've been reading that lithium batteries are safer in large temperature changes, I want to use those.

Click to expand...

Lithium isn't safer exactly. Alkaline are perfectly safe, but are prone to leaking and they don't like the cold.

A key thing to note here is, don't mix up Lithium primaries with Li-ion rechargeable. An AA Lithium primary like an Energiser Lithium has 1.5v while Li-ion is 4.2v

Lithium primaries have a long shelf life and don't leak. They also don't mind the cold and generally perform better than alkaline batteries of the same size.

Financiers said:

I also read something about using adapters in D cell maglites so that you can use AA lithium batteries instead. This is where I became confused. So if I'm correct, I can use a AA to D adapter, which uses 2 AA batteries for my maglite. So that means I would have a total of 6 AA lithium batteries in 3 adapters for my 3D maglite. I just wanted to make sure that I am correct and you guys have been so helpful in the past. I appreciate your help. Thanks in advance!

Click to expand...

A regular D cell has somewhere in the region of 15,000mAh capacity, but they are only 1.5v

You can use a single AA instead of a D cell as they are also 1.5v, however much lower capacity. So runtimes will be shorter.

An alkaline Duracell will have around 1200mAh @ 1amp draw rate and a AA Engergiser Lithium around 3000mAh. You can see reviews here:
http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA UK.html
http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Duracell Ultra Power AA UK.html


Both significantly less than a D cell.


An AA is shorter and narrower than a D cell, so in order to fit an AA you'll need an adapter. There are lots of different adapters available or your could make your own.

Most are either 1AA -> D or 2AA -> D.

There are some 3AA -> D, but these might not fit in a Maglite tube (you'd have to try).


The next thing to consider is, if you are using holders for multiple AA's, then you want parallel holders not series.

A parallel holder with 2AA's will still give you 1.5v but will double the mAh. A series holder will double the voltage to 3.0v but keep the mAh for a single AA battery.


You need to match the voltage of the D cells.

3 x D cell = 4.5v

Whatever AA configuration you go for, the total voltage should be 4.5v (or slightly less if you opt for NiMh, as they are only 1.2v each).

Financiers said:

Hey all,

I have an LED maglite triple D flashlight that I want to put and leave in my car permanently. Since I've been reading that lithium batteries are safer in large temperature changes, I want to use those. I also read something about using adapters in D cell maglites so that you can use AA lithium batteries instead. This is where I became confused. So if I'm correct, I can use a AA to D adapter, which uses 2 AA batteries for my maglite. So that means I would have a total of 6 AA lithium batteries in 3 adapters for my 3D maglite. I just wanted to make sure that I am correct and you guys have been so helpful in the past. I appreciate your help. Thanks in advance!

Click to expand...

You are most likely correct!

Provided that the lithium batteries you are referring to are the NOT Rechargeable kind. Such as the Energizers HERE. Fresh out of the pack they come in at about 1.6 volts.
Confusion may come in because there are lithium rechargeables in the AA size, commonly referred to as 14500 LiIon batteries that will charge to 4.12 volts.

Also... while AA to D adapters are typically wired internally to put multiple AA batteries in parallel (IE positive to positive, negative to negative) that doesn't increase the voltage. They can be wired differently (usually not). So... if you are referring to the more common adapter then again, you are correct.

StarHalo said:

If the adapters are serial, you will blow your bulb/destroy your LED driver; do not attempt this configuration without parallel adapters.

Click to expand...

Basically the aa to d adapter in series with one cell in each provides the same voltage application as a d cell, just in a much smaller fuel tank.

AA, C and D alkalines provide approx 1.2 to 1.5 volts thereabouts per cell with storage of fuel growing as the cell size increases. The 3D light likes 4.5 volts. 3 AA in a series will provide that.

So if op uses one cell per adapter pretty much the same voltage reaches the emitter at pretty much the same rate.

It's those side by side adapters that when used in series is what will kill the emitter.
Say 3 in series 2x adapters will be an issue. He'd end up with 2x the juice hitting the emitter.
So if using a multiple cell adapter, say a 3x where 3 aa's are in the same adapter, that one adapter would have potential for all 4.5 volts to be applied at one fell swoop using dummy cells between the emitter and the tail cap.
I did not comment on those as said earlier due to not being familiar.

I am familiar with 1 cell per adapter type and have several lights using them without issue.
The pictured light in my previous post is a converted light using a 2 cell LED emitter that is fueled by 2 aa cells in a series.

I also have a 3C light using same configuration without issue.

bykfixer said:

It's those side by side adapters that when used in series is what will kill the emitter.

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No you need to be very specific here. Both Poppy and myself have already mentioned this above.


a SERIES adapter will increase the voltage.
a PARALLEL adapter will not.

It is perfectly safe to use the latter. And run say 6AA's in 3S2P


______________________________________
| - [______} + - [______} + - [______} + = 4.5v
| - [______} + - [______} + - [______} +


______________________________________
| - [______} + - [______} + - [______} + = 9.0v
| +{______] - + {______] - + {______] -

Chicken Drumstick said:

No you need to be very specific here. Both Poppy and myself have already mentioned this above.


a SERIES adapter will increase the voltage.
a PARALLEL adapter will not.

It is perfectly safe to use the latter. And run say 6AA's in 3S2P


______________________________________
| - [______} + - [______} + - [______} + = 4.5v
| - [______} + - [______} + - [______} +


______________________________________
| - [______} + - [______} + - [______} + = 9.0v
| +{______] - + {______] - + {______] -

Click to expand...

Well said!

bykfixer said:

So if op uses one cell per adapter pretty much the same voltage reaches the emitter at pretty much the same rate.

It's those side by side adapters that when used in series is what will kill the emitter.
Say 3 in series 2x adapters will be an issue. He'd end up with 2x the juice hitting the emitter.
So if using a multiple cell adapter, say a 3x where 3 aa's are in the same adapter, that one adapter would have potential for all 4.5 volts to be applied at one fell swoop using dummy cells between the emitter and the tail cap.
I did not comment on those as said earlier due to not being familiar.

Click to expand...

Actually the amount of current that "hits" the emitter is related to the resistance of both batteries AND the emitter and whatever else is in the circuit. If the resistance of everything aside from the battery has current flowing at 1A when a voltage of 4.5 is applied to the circuit then applying 4.5v or LESS than 4.5v will not achieve more than 1A. It is when a circuit depends on the battery itself as a resistor in the circuit and/or has batteries that go above the expected voltage of the circuit and the circuit itself has no regulation to reduce voltage and/or current to the emitter that an emitter can see more current flowing through it that desired. These dirt cheap 3AAA 5mm LED lights some have no circuitry whatsoever in them and they come with cheap heavy duty batteries that have high internal resistance that basically throttle current to the LEDs to keep them from frying. If you put alkalines in them the lights my fry LEDs because alkalines have less resistance in the batteries and if you use rechargeables or lithium primaries (energizer L92) in them they will fry the LEDs. There are some 3AAA lights that have a circuit in them called a linear regulator that you can use basically all batteries in the range of 1.5v safely, even lithium primaries. The Mag 2 cell light has a boost circuit that has a heat regulator in it that throttles back when it gets too hot, I think the 3-4 cell LED module in older maglights has a buck circuit and also heat throttling.

To put it shortly it depends on the circuitry as to what battery types can be safely used or not. You could put a 4.5v one million amp power source on a 4.5v flashlight and no damage would happen if the 4.5v was true.

I keep it simple and just use (2) 1AA>1D adapter for my Maglite with Amaloops.

Thanx for the diagram sir drumstick.

These are the one I have been using lately:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K86RXQU/?tag=cpf0b6-20

They will work with 1, 2 or 3 cells each.....of course you need to use the same number of AA cells in each of the 3 adapters for your Maglite.