Are 4 X AA NiMh =, <, or > than a single D-Cell NiMh

lightseeker2009

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Which are better for run times, max power etc? 4 X AA's or a single D-Cell? I've seen D-Cells being sold with as low as only 2200mah...
 

MikeSalt

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You'll probably find that the D cells with such low capacity are actually an AA cell in a D sized wrapper, which explains the low capacity.

The highest capacity D-cells I've seen are 10,000 mAh. Since it is trivial to find AA cells over 2,500 mAh, I suspect that 4 x AA cells may be the way to go. There just hasn't been as much development money spent on C and D cells because they are not as popular as AAA and AA.
 

iamlucky13

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The only single D-cell light I've seen recently is a $5 Everready light rated at 7 lumens.

10,000 mAh for a D-cell sounds about right based on volume, but I don't know if they actually achieve their advertised rating and how they perform under load, because I haven't looked for independent testing on them.

With well-tested brands like Eneloops for the AA options, we know the performance under load is good to 3 Amps or more, and there's several lights available from decent quality manufacturers like Fenix, Thrunite, Nitecore, and Manker in the 4 x AA form factor.
 

fivemega

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Which are better for run times, max power etc? 4 X AA's or a single D-Cell? I've seen D-Cells being sold with as low as only 2200mah...

4AA in 1D M*g will be 4.8V, 2500mAh (12 Wh)
Single D in 1D M*g will be 1.2V, 10000mAh (12 Wh)
Single 26650 in 1.2 M*g 3.7V, 5800mAh (21.46 Wh)
2P 18650 in
Double Parallel 18650 1.25 M*g 3.7V, 7000mAh (25.9Wh)
 

lightseeker2009

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4AA in 1D M*g will be 4.8V, 2500mAh (12 Wh)
Single D in 1D M*g will be 1.2V, 10000mAh (12 Wh)
Single 26650 in 1.2 M*g 3.7V, 5800mAh (21.46 Wh)
2P 18650 in
Double Parallel 18650 1.25 M*g 3.7V, 7000mAh (25.9Wh)

Thank you.
This puts it nicely in perspective.
So if you own a 4AA light, you are basically owning a 1D cell light:twothumbs

From from what I see also above. 4AA is almost the same as a single 18650?
 

WalkIntoTheLight

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Thank you.
So if you own a 4AA light, you are basically owning a 1D cell light:twothumbs

From from what I see also above. 4AA is almost the same as a single 18650?

Roughly, yes, as far as energy storage goes.

4xAA gives you the option of higher voltage than 1xD (and correspondingly less capacity) if you want it. This can be very useful for high-output lights, and for designing lights that don't need boost drivers.
 
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