Arc LS graphs from Chris, Craig and Brock

Chris, I see from your graphs that all three of the 123 batteries provide brighter light then the two AA alkalines, although not as long lasting. I hope you do end up doing a test with two AA lithiums.

Craig, on your chart you have seven battery setups but only six plots. My eyes are not so good at deciphering amongst the different shades of violet/blue colors. It looks like the missing chart is the Duracell 2AA setup. Is this true? At any rate, you have the 2AA lithium battery set as having the brightest level as well as the longest runtime. Did you ever do a test with two alkaline AA's?

Brock, I cannot find your ARC LS chart. I know it's in one of these articles but I've searched and haven't yet been able to find it. Could you please post a link to it? As I recall, you had the 2AA setups, either or both lithiums and alkalines providing brighter levels then a 123 battery setup?

It seems as if the three of you don't have exactly correlating data when running similar battery configurations. I wonder why this is so.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by geepondy:

Craig, on your chart you have seven battery setups but only six plots. My eyes are not so good at deciphering amongst the different shades of violet/blue colors. It looks like the missing chart is the Duracell 2AA setup. Is this true? At any rate, you have the 2AA lithium battery set as having the brightest level as well as the longest runtime. Did you ever do a test with two alkaline AA's?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You are right - the 2-AA test with Alkaline cells has yet to be done, and the 1-AA test with Lithium has to be re-done.

The instruments used for that test are tied up with another (they have been for a couple of weeks now!!) otherwise I'd have finished by now.
I have the batteries; all I need now is for the instruments to become available.
The 2-AA alklane test will come in a color other than violet, so you'll definitely be able to tell them apart when I'm done.

I didn't make a chart, but do have the results in excel format. I never figured out how to make charts in there. Here are some of my results
http://www.uwgb.edu/nevermab/battery.htm

And please make the path lines thicker or wider to easily distinguish different colors as they bunch closer to each other.

- verge -

I should add that I really like the way Chris did his testing. My results are much more finicky. I took the light and shot it at my light meter from 1 foot and then just took readings every 15 min. The meter I use is an analogue GE camera light meter, so I had to try to eyeball the level each time. I think I did a pretty good job, but I would believe Chris's results by how he got them, no human intervention.

The result I think is odd, is that Chris found 2 AAA alkaline cells were dimmer then the 123 once running. On my test they were brighter. I would guess it was because I had newer AA cells?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Chris M.:
Yes that is odd, I was sure they were brand new though there`s so many half-eaten batteries piled up round here that perhaps an older one got in by mistake<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Your after-test voltage readings raised a big-*** flapping day-glow red flag to me. One cell was 1.12 volts OC, while the other was at 0.47 volts OC?

Sounds like a nasty battery got in there by mistake. I'd retry the test with two new alkalines fresh out of the pack.

Sounds like a nasty battery got in there by mistake. I'd retry the test with two new alkalines fresh out of the pack.



Yep, the more I think, the more likely that sounds. I`m all out of new batteries for the moment, only reconditioned ones out of the Battery Manager (no good for tests) so a couple of brand new Duracells (so I don`t mix them up with the dead and dying Energizers lying around here) will be sacrificed to Science this weekend. Maybe even tomorrow if I can find time to go get some.

Chris I will get 2 Sanyo 123's on their way over to you. What else did you say you couldn't get? I know you have Duracell, Energizer, and Surefire 123's. And you have some lithium AA on the way also. I thought there was something else I should send over hummm....

If anyone wonders why my testing & graphing might seem to falter in the next week or so, perhaps this will help put your mind at ease.


It's not like I'll actually ever get to use this, but if somehow I stumble across any tickets, please watch the games on TV and look for this banner.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Stingmon:
One cell was 1.12 volts OC, while the other was at 0.47 volts OC?

Sounds like a nasty battery got in there by mistake<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

When you empty the cells with more or less constant current, the open circuit volatge afterwards will not tell too much. Actually these two voltages are both for empty cells, maybe leaving a couple of mAh left in the higher one. For me it looks like a normal tolerance in capacity.

Of course it's always a good idea to repeat a test to get more significant data.

I hope you do end up doing a test with two AA lithiums.

Yes, I am. Nice mr Verge has sent me four of them, they should be here next week. The test apparatus is still together and I`ll keep it safe so it won`t be disturbed until those tests are over. I`ll do both 2AA and 1AA Lithiums, plus my cheapy Panasonic CR123 if it ever returns to this dimention


I didn't make a chart, but do have the results in excel format. I never figured out how to make charts in there

If I don`t drink too many beers tonight, I`ll take a look at your results and see if I can graph them. Could you e-mail me the raw .XLS file and I`ll see what happens- any preferred colour schemes?


The result I think is odd, is that Chris found 2 AAA alkaline cells were dimmer then the 123 once running. On my test they were brighter. I would guess it was because I had newer AA cells?

Yes that is odd, I was sure they were brand new though there`s so many half-eaten batteries piled up round here that perhaps an older one got in by mistake? I`ll get some more AAs on the weekend, maybe Duracells this time, and re-run that test.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Stingmon:
It's not like I'll actually ever get to use this, but if somehow I stumble across any tickets, please watch the games on TV and look for this banner.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

From a long suffering Red Sox fan, I will root heavily for Seattle. Gotta feel for Oakland but at least the Yankees have some real competition this year. (sorry off topic)

I will get 2 Sanyo 123's on their way over to you. What else did you say you couldn't get? I know you have Duracell, Energizer, and Surefire 123's. And you have some lithium AA on the way also. I thought there was something else I should send over hummm....

Hey thanks, that`s great.

The only thing I`m still in need of is Panasonic Power Lithium CR123As...

<center></center>

...my only remaining unused one seems to have been swallowed up in a Quantum Singularity of some kind. The place I get these from is located in Guernsey (right next to France but still part of the UK!) and they take about 2 weeks to deliver plus are reguarly out of stock. Well they are the cheapest 123s I know- just under £7 (~$10) for a 6 pack last time I got some.

If not then please don`t worry, I havn`t had chance to look much more for that remaining good one so it could still show.