Duracell debate

**PCfanatic** · 27-06-2020, 10:11

Originally Posted by atunguyd

Is that an LED flashlight?

I am have a hard time believing that the problem is that alkaline batteries can't supply the current as they are easily capable of pushing 1-2A.
If your torch is drawing more than that then yes NIMH is a better option but even then you sure not going to get much better than an hours use out of the torch which makes it a pretty inefficient torch in my books.

Maybe the alkaline have to much voltage and the torch is not allowing this turbo mode because of that?

Then again you maybe right and the torch is just inefficient......

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Its an LED yes.
You are right about just an hours use. But then. It does have 4 other modes. On low it lasts many many hours, if not days. I never use it at this high level, 900 lumens, but its cool to know its there

Fenix does make 1.5V rechargebles that are apparently working perfectly in this flashlight. It comes bundled with this flashlight so higher voltage is not the problem. I just did not buy it as a bundle so do not have those batteries.
I emailed Fenix about the fact that alkalines does not work on turbo mode. They came back with the explanation that not even all the brands of NIMH batteries can sustain the current drawn. They gave a few brands that will work. Duracell and Eneloops were in that list for sure.
I stopped using alkalines as they can leak, and if left for long in a device will ruin it.
I have a laser distance meter, not a rangefinder but the kind a builder can use indoors to take measurements with. I do not use it much, the other day I wanted to. It was dead. When wanting to replace the batteries they leaked. I had a big issue getting them out. New batteries did not make it work. It was dead. The leaking batteries killed the meter.
Just like you said, NIMH's have much lower internal resistance. That explains why they can deliver more current.

I have other lights that runs just fine on Alkalines,but I will never store a flashlight with them.

**atunguyd** · 27-06-2020, 11:23

You can fix that laser distance finder.

Open it up so you can get food access to the battery terminals and clean them with vinegar. Once clean then neutralises the left over vinegar on them with a baking soda solution.
This should revive your range finder. If the contacts still look corroded where they touch the battery you can clean then up with a bit of emery cloth

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**PCfanatic** · 27-06-2020, 12:14

Originally Posted by atunguyd

You can fix that laser distance finder.

Open it up so you can get food access to the battery terminals and clean them with vinegar. Once clean then neutralises the left over vinegar on them with a baking soda solution.
This should revive your range finder. If the contacts still look corroded where they touch the battery you can clean then up with a bit of emery cloth

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I can try that. Thanks

**PCfanatic** · 27-06-2020, 15:26

Originally Posted by atunguyd

Is that an LED flashlight?

I am have a hard time believing that the problem is that alkaline batteries can't supply the current as they are easily capable of pushing 1-2A.
If your torch is drawing more than that then yes NIMH is a better option but even then you sure not going to get much better than an hours use out of the torch which makes it a pretty inefficient torch in my books.

Maybe the alkaline have to much voltage and the torch is not allowing this turbo mode because of that?

Then again you maybe right and the torch is just inefficient......

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Just for the sake of interest. Here is the 1.5V rechargeable batteries from Fenix I talked about. As I do not like the way they charge, and I must charge 4 at a time, I did not buy it together with my flashlight.
https://www.amazon.com/Fenix-ARB-L14.../dp/B07PVKVY1R

**SoldierMan** · 27-06-2020, 16:09

Originally Posted by PCfanatic

Just for the sake of interest. Here is the 1.5V rechargeable batteries from Fenix I talked about. As I do not like the way they charge, and I must charge 4 at a time, I did not buy it together with my flashlight.
https://www.amazon.com/Fenix-ARB-L14.../dp/B07PVKVY1R

Buy the right charger and you can charge one at a time if you like.

**shark_za** · 30-06-2020, 16:03

Originally Posted by atunguyd

So a torch will be a bit duller with rechargeable batteries.

A shit torch will be duller with rechargeable batteries. Correction.
Go eneloops/duraloops as they never leak and destroy your kit.

**atunguyd** · 30-06-2020, 16:52

Originally Posted by shark_za

A shit torch will be duller with rechargeable batteries. Correction.
Go eneloops/duraloops as they never leak and destroy your kit.

Never heard of that brand of torch....
But the laws of electricity do not change when you put a brand in the side even if that brand is "Shit"

Maybe if the torch has a done sort of DC to DC boost circuit in it, but I can't say I have ever seen such a torch.

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**HadEnuf** · 30-06-2020, 17:20

Originally Posted by atunguyd

Maybe if the torch has a done sort of DC to DC boost circuit in it, but I can't say I have ever seen such a torch.

I've recently bought two flashlights from Olight. One uses a 21700 cell and the other an 18650. Unfortunately, both batteries are "customised" by Olight and cannot be replaced with some random brand of rechargeable 21700 or 18650 cells. The customisation is for that particular model flashlight, so not even a different Olight cell of the correct size will do the trick.

Perhaps this is the sort of "boost circuit" to which you refer ?

**PCfanatic** · 30-06-2020, 18:11

Originally Posted by atunguyd

Never heard of that brand of torch....
But the laws of electricity do not change when you put a brand in the side even if that brand is "Shit"

Maybe if the torch has a done sort of DC to DC boost circuit in it, but I can't say I have ever seen such a torch.

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It depends on how much you spend on a torch. The latest modern flashlights are just brilliant. They are fully regulated. That means they keep the same brightness with cells that are 100% or 80% charged.

**atunguyd** · 01-07-2020, 08:29

Originally Posted by PCfanatic

It depends on how much you spend on a torch. The latest modern flashlights are just brilliant. They are fully regulated. That means they keep the same brightness with cells that are 100% or 80% charged.

In most cases in electronics when they refer to regulated it is referring to clipping the voltage. An example would be you have a power source (battery) that ranges from 1.6v to 1.4v over its usable lifespan. So you design your circuit to run off 1.4v and your input circuit regulate the input voltage to 1.4 so that whether you the power source is new or old the circuit runs the same.

So fully regulated really just means you are only using a percentage of the batteries voltage so that the brightness is constant over time.

Boosting voltage can also be done but you don't get that benefit because let's say you are boosting it to 3V (doubling the voltage) . Now when you're battery gets to 1.4v you need to boost it by more, but doing so puts more drain on the battery in the form of a higher current drain. This extra drain results in more voltage loss across the batteries internal resistance which means the boost circuit needs to boost voltage more, which means more current drain and further voltage loss......

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