When do you change the batt in your Arc4?

Hi,

just curious at what point you change the Arc4-battery.
Do you change it when it can't support the highest intensity
or somewhere in the middle? Or do you even suck the last
bit out of the batt in the dimmest level?

I can't decide when the right time is. On one hand the batts
can power my primary setting (around 7) for a really long
time /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif - OTOH I like the *WOW* effect of going to full power /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/huh.gif.

What shall I do? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif

Do what I did. I purchased 16 ARC4's and locked each flashlight on a particular level. Flashlight #1 on level 1, flashlight #2 on level #2, flashlight #3 on level #3, etc. Now I have the best of ALL worlds! The battery in flashlight #16 lasts a L-O-N-G time!!

I change it when does not support the level 1, only if I have a spare battery with me, if not,I can use the level 7 for few more hours.

My Arc4 is set to level4 and level7. When it can't support level 4 any longer, I change the cell. Since the Arc4 is my primary EDC and I don't carry spares cells on my person, I want to have as much juice as possible, without be wastefull.

I use mine for inspection mainly, where I need level 1.

It's efficiency is low at this level, and I go through *lots* of 123s.

After that, they go into a home made switcher that sucks them dry to about 0.5V. Unfortunately, I have quite a pile of these now.

I recharge them about once a week......

(and have secondary on level 1) [/list]

I change it if it kicks down more than 2 levels from highest
batteries are free where Im at, so its not a big deal. a good thing though, sense the L4 eats 2 of them in an hour
PAUL

i recharge mine once a week or so, but since mine is using a pila 150s battery, that's probably irrelevant! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
(i still haven't done any tests on how long one of those 150s's will run it in level1 mode either, so that's even less helpful /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif )

I have been using my wife's camera discards. They usually start out maxing at level 2. I find I can use them about a week before I'm down to level 4 or 5. Then I change.
Jim

For EDC, if the battery can no longer support Level-1 then I change it.

If I'm playing - eh, using, the light for a use at home where I don't need Level-1, then I try to remember to grab one of the depleted batteries and use that.

I've got primary at 4, so when it can't make 4, it goes into an X5T or XM-2. It is nice to have 1 when you want, tho, ain't it?

daloosh

I usually change mine on a weekly basis, or every time that I go out at night and know for sure I'm going to use my light for a while, and you can always find an excuse for using it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif.
If I've used it more frequently than usual, then after 3 days the battery is changed.
The last case is when I use Level 1 for a considerable amount of time (15 mins or more). In this case, whatever the remaining charge in the battery is, I toss it.

Richard

I tend to swap mine every week whether it needs it or not. 123s are cheap and I would rather have a new batt in there in case every thing gets FUBAR. I wont say when it needs feeding because it's a bit of an odd ball.