I am intrigued by super long run time lights, probably because I am a bit of a cheap skate. I was reading another "thread":https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/35362 recently that discussed getting a week or run time on a Manker Boney modified by changing a inductor. Having a electrical engineering background, I would love to understand how the inductor value change produced this effect. I have some ideas, but I digress . .
Anyway prior to reading the thread above I happened across a thread on the CPF regarding longest running AAA lights, so I decided to start a simple test of my own. I have two AAA (manker e01 and fenix ld01) lights which I am testing, along with my petzl e+lite (two cr2032 button cells). The E01 advertised 100 hours on low, and the e+lite advertises 75 hours on low. We will see who wins. The first run is on eneloops in the e01 and ld01, which I don't expect to last as long as the manufacturers claims. Then will come the alkaline tests. Of course the e+lite takes lithium coins, so I will only do one run here. I am comparing the output to my thrunite archer v3 as a reference, which boasts 17 days on low, but runs on an AA cell. Would love to hear about other's run test on AAA lights as well.
Summary
LD01 on eneloop 32 hrs still at full output, 36 hrs it was off. Not sure when in between it went out.
Fenix LD01 on alkaline, a few year old one starting at 1.53V 8hrs 1.37V 21hrs 1.28V 33hrs 1.17V. Lasted 38.5 hours on low, with 4 times turning it off to measure the battery, then back on to medium, than switch quickly to low again. Not bad compared to 27 hours advertised by Fenix.
Manker E01 on eneloop 56hrs 1.28V 78 hrs 1.27V 91 hrs 1.27V 103 hrs 1.27V 116 hrs, 1.26V 142 hrs 1.25V 166 hours 1.23V - thinking this is getting near the end . . . 190 hours 1.21V 200 hours 1.16V, test over. light was still usable in the middle of the night. I don't want to keep discharging the eneloop, and also want to start investigating the current vs voltage profile. I put a new alkaline in it today and found that it is as bright as the AA Archer which also claims 1 lumen on moonlight. The eneloop was never that bright, so it seems that the output is not regulated on moonlight is the E01.
Petzl e+lite just illumination qualitative estimates 24 - 56 hours dimmer than new, but much brighter than EO1 spot on wall. e+lite is much more a flood light with no reflector between 56 and 70 hours dropped off to just brighter than E01, still that bright at 78hrs. 91 hrs now dimmer than E1, but still can read by it. 103 hrs, pretty much the same. e+lite still barely producing light at 142 hours, not terribly usable, but light none the less.
Thorefire PF03 with 750mAh eneloop, between 26 and 27 hrs
Lumintop tool The aluminum XP-G2 version has expired between 23-26hrs
Lumintop tool copper Nichia 219b lasted between 28-29.5 hrs until dead
Lumintop brass worm 31 hours on eneloop. A bit surprised it was shorter than the LD01, and the advertised time is longer. Worm lasted 34.5 hours on 4 year old alkaline battery, same vintage and starting voltage as used on the Fenix LD01 test above. Fenix wins.