New Member With A Few ?'s

jfhrtn

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Aug 11, 2016
Messages
82
What's going on everyone? My name is James and I found this forum thanks to a local gunsmith here in my hometown. All I can say is wow. Never knew a place like this was here with such vast knowledge. Seems like a great community from all the posts I have read.

A little bit about my past with lights and what I have. I came from a long past of mag lights along with a few beater LED's from Lowe's. My first real light was a Streamlight Light Box like lineman use. I got tired of not having good light that would last the work day while doing irrigation work. Working year round on those short winter days here in NC I figured a good light would never hurt. Ventured from the Light Box to a Stinger. From the stinger I downsized to a Fenix PD35 960lum version. After a little bit with the PD35 I was very impressed with the build quality so I just recently a LD02 to replace a very old Nebo pocket light. Such a great improvement from a light the size of a roll of quarters to one smaller than a tube of Chapstick all the while packing up to 3-4 times the brightness.

As far as batteries I have been using Sony VTC4's for the PD35 and just Energizer/Duracell rechargeable AAA's. For the charger I'm using an Efest Luc V4 for the lithiums and a Duracell charger for the NiMH's.

For the couple of questions I have,

Been looking to upgrade my AAA's to eneloops. Would anyone have a link to a reputable site to order these?

Also this Duracell charger will only charge 2 or 4 at a time. Want a good charger for NiMH's that will charge one cell at a time along with being a well built charger. Would anyone have a link to a good place to purchase a charger and maybe some suggestions?

Maybe a link to a site where I can purchase the AAA's and a charger at one time? Maybe along with some heat shrink to rewrap some VTC's with?

Any help from the experts would greatly be appreciated,

-James

EDC:

cf7c585538a1a733ea29f4b929469b58.jpg
 

bykfixer

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 9, 2015
Messages
20,351
Location
Dust in the Wind
Welcome aboard.

I get my eneloops from Amazon.
A Nitecore D4 charger (about $35) will do 1-4 of many types up to C size and down to triple a.
It is a smart charger that can do different chemestries.
I got mine from Amazon also. If I recall correctly Battery Junction was the seller.
 
Joined
Sep 26, 2014
Messages
737
Check out Darksucks.com he has GP Battery ReCyko+AA or AAA & USB Charger for $15 and $10 respectively. They r NiMH... Welcome aboard!
 

jfhrtn

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Aug 11, 2016
Messages
82
Thank y'all for the warm welcome. Glad to be part of the community. I appreciate the info on the advice of where to maybe buy. I don't think the LUC V4 will do anything but lithium. Correct me of I'm wrong. I believe I read in a post that it was lithium specific. If it won't do anything but lithium I may be investing in a Nitecore D4. I will go check out darksucks now though and see what they have to offer
 

bykfixer

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 9, 2015
Messages
20,351
Location
Dust in the Wind
The eneloops hold a charge a good long time so say you charge up a batch of 4, by the time you go to swap out cells the next one will still have the vast majority of a charge left months down the road.

If you use the light(s) in short term bursts of say 10-20 minutes regular eneloops (the white ones) will be fine. But if you need light for 30 minutes or more at a time the eneloop pro (black ones) are worth the extra coins.

I use those in my high draw unregulated lights that begin to dim noticeably in a few minutes and find they can hold a steady current much longer than alkalines or the regular eneloop.
 

Poppy

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 20, 2012
Messages
8,359
Location
Northern New Jersey
As far as batteries I have been using Sony VTC4's for the PD35 and just Energizer/Duracell rechargeable AAA's. For the charger I'm using an Efest Luc V4 for the lithiums and a Duracell charger for the NiMH's.

For the couple of questions I have,

Been looking to upgrade my AAA's to eneloops. Would anyone have a link to a reputable site to order these?

Also this Duracell charger will only charge 2 or 4 at a time. Want a good charger for NiMH's that will charge one cell at a time along with being a well built charger. Would anyone have a link to a good place to purchase a charger and maybe some suggestions?

Maybe a link to a site where I can purchase the AAA's and a charger at one time? Maybe along with some heat shrink to rewrap some VTC's with?

Any help from the experts would greatly be appreciated,

-James

EDC:

I am sorry that I can't point you to a particular charger, but I can point you to the expert!
http://www.lygte-info.dk/info/indexBatteriesAndChargers UK.html

I have the Nitecore IV intellicharger, and although it does not require one to charge two AA or AAA cells at a time; HKJ recommends (when charging AAA cells) to do two at a time, and using slots in pairs of 1 and 3, or 2 and 4. IIRC, it is to reduce the amperage going to a single cell.
 

parametrek

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 3, 2013
Messages
578
I really like the La Crosse chargers for NiMH. Four channels and tracks capacity for each cell. Downside is they only do NiMH. The interface is a little clunky too, lots of button taps to program the charge/discharge rates.
 

glockboy

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 27, 2003
Messages
2,345
Location
houston, tx
Get the Opus BT-C3100 V2.2 Li-ion Digital NiCd NiMH Battery Charger.
And when you upgrade you light to Li-ion, you can charge it in this charger too.
 

jfhrtn

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Aug 11, 2016
Messages
82
@bykfixer I appreciate the info on the eneloops. Haven't been able to find any at local stores. Seems they are illusive in our brick and mortar stores. Found some powerex but haven't pulled the trigger on them yet. Might have to resort to Amazon for them and a charger bundle.

@poppy thank you for the link. That article was very helpful for answering some a couple questions I had floating around. Didn't know you should use different channels and charge in pairs.

@parametrek I have been looking at La Crosse chargers. Are the extra features really worth it in the long run?

@glockboy haven't heard of the opus chargers but I will go take a look at it real quick though.

Thank y'all for all the help so far
 

ven

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 17, 2013
Messages
22,533
Location
Manchester UK
Get the Opus BT-C3100 V2.2 Li-ion Digital NiCd NiMH Battery Charger.
And when you upgrade you light to Li-ion, you can charge it in this charger too.


+1

Will help your vtc4's feel happy too, I will guess your a vaper!

:welcome:
 

bykfixer

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 9, 2015
Messages
20,351
Location
Dust in the Wind
@bykfixer I appreciate the info on the eneloops. Haven't been able to find any at local stores. Seems they are illusive in our brick and mortar stores. Found some powerex but haven't pulled the trigger on them yet. Might have to resort to Amazon for them and a charger bundle.

@poppy thank you for the link. That article was very helpful for answering some a couple questions I had floating around. Didn't know you should use different channels and charge in pairs.

@parametrek I have been looking at La Crosse chargers. Are the extra features really worth it in the long run?

@glockboy haven't heard of the opus chargers but I will go take a look at it real quick though.

Thank y'all for all the help so far

Does your local Best Buy carry Eneloops?
Powerex are good too.
 

KeepingItLight

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
May 25, 2015
Messages
1,823
Location
California
Eneloop was the first "low self-discharge (LSD)" NiMH battery. For most applications, it is a vast improvement over non-LSD NiMH batteries. There is a trade-off, however, between capacity and low self-discharge. Non-LSD batteries have higher capacities, but lose a significant part of their stored charge in a matter of days.

There are still uses for non-LSD batteries. If you are professional photographer, for instance, who powers your flash units on NiMH, you probably need to recharge every day. In that case, you may prefer the extra capacity that non-LSD batteries provide.

If I recall correctly, the Powerex NiMH battery is somewhere in the middle. It is an LSD battery that has more capacity than an Eneloop Pro, but which also loses charge faster.
 
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parametrek

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 3, 2013
Messages
578
parametrek I have been looking at La Crosse chargers. Are the extra features really worth it in the long run?

For me, yes. But I love numbers and the capacity measurement feature is great. I can pair off cells into matched sets. Track how much I've use a light in a night. Do various dumb things to cheap cells and see what degrades capacity.

Selectable current is nice too. If I have time I can charge gently.

The reconditioning mode is a little bit of a joke. Anything that needs it will still be half crippled after reconditioning. But it is fun to try to get a little more use out some 15 year old pre-eneloop cells.
 

bykfixer

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 9, 2015
Messages
20,351
Location
Dust in the Wind
Eneloop was the first "low self-discharge (LSD)" NiMH battery. For most applications, it is a vast improvement over non-LSD NiMH batteries. There is a trade-off, however, between capacity and low self-discharge. Non-LSD batteries have higher capacities, but lose a significant part of their stored charge in a matter of days.

There are still uses for non-LSD batteries. If you are professional photographer, for instance, who powers your flash units on NiMH, you probably need to recharge every day. In that case, you may prefer the extra capacity that non-LSD batteries provide.

If I recall correctly, the Powerex NiMH battery is somewhere in the middle. It is an LSD battery that has more capacity than an Eneloop Pro, but which also loses charge faster.

I just tried a C sized light sitting since March with Powerex cells and it lit nice n bright. Probably should top 'em up though as it's one of the 'just in case' lights sitting around the house.
 

Poppy

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 20, 2012
Messages
8,359
Location
Northern New Jersey
Yeah, I don't find eneloops around here either. But Duracell rechargeables are just as good, and I use them.

The Amazon Basics (I think that is what they call them are also supposedly, just as good). You can check that link I gave you, HKJ has many batteries that he tested listed, and you can compare them. Unfortunately I don't think he did and studies regarding how long each holds its charge over time.

Although Chris Garret, and others have.
 

KeepingItLight

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
May 25, 2015
Messages
1,823
Location
California
I just tried a C sized light sitting since March with Powerex cells and it lit nice n bright. Probably should top 'em up though as it's one of the 'just in case' lights sitting around the house.

I do not know much about the Powerex NiMH C cell.

I forgot to say, but I was really speaking about what I have read about the Powerex AA cell. As I do not own any Powerex batteries, I cannot say anything based on anecdotal experience.

When it comes to C and D cells, I know the options are limited. Besides Powerex, Tenergy is the only other brand I read a lot about on CPF.


I really like the La Crosse chargers for NiMH.

I have read good things about La Crosse and also the Powerex Maha MH-C9000 charger/analyzers. I have the Opus BT-C700. It was well-reviewed by HKJ, and costs only about $20 USD these days.

These are NiMH chargers only; they cannot handle Li-ion rechargeables.
 
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jfhrtn

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Aug 11, 2016
Messages
82
@ven thank you for the welcome. I am indeed a vaper haha. Good guess there. I got a good childhood friend that owns a vape shop about 35min south of me in Wilson. I have some LG HG2's that have been sitting for quite a while. Just put one on my Luc charger and it was 3.4v I will throw all 4 on there and top those off to have some extras. I don't vape that much and got more 18650's then I'll ever use so I may as well use them for my light :)

@bykfixer the best buy in Wilson was out of stock on the eneloops. The powerexs were at a store called "batteries + bulbs" that is also down in Wilson. Didnt pull the trigger on them though.

@parametrak I also do love numbers. The La Crosse charger I do believe is the charger for me. I got some really old energizer cells from my mag lite days. Been hesitant to put them on this Duracell charger.


A small update on what I have pulled trigger on so far. I have ordered a Opus BT-C3100 v2.2 along with a pack of 4 regular Eneloops and some 18650 battery wraps to rewrap some of these older batteries. Im looking forward to this new charger so it can replace my Efest LUC V4
 

jfhrtn

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Aug 11, 2016
Messages
82
Wow thank you @keepingitlight I didn't get a notification for that. I never expected to win I was posting to wish them a happy anniversary and to say they have produced the best products I've used so far. It's honor to have had them pick me. It will get put to good use and will probably even replace my ld02 for EDC. I have done a lot of reading from the post with the link to lygte's reviews and they seemed to be the best overall choices. The review on the La Crosse wasn't terribly great so I switched over to the Opus charger
 
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