Thanks for the links timbo114
Some of them have quite expensive shipping fees (half the price of the light…) but I will see if them!
Interesting data sbslider! If I may ask, you just left it to run during those days without stopping the test to take some voltage measurements?
I wanna do a test with some of my AA lights, with alkaline batteries inside to see how long they last. The AAA lights I will probably test are Skilhunt M150, Tool AA V2.0, Sofirn SP10A, Manker E11, Wuben E05, and the AAA Sofirn C01.
The C01 in warmer tint is probably my favourite High-CRI light I have! Despite I like the 5600K too!
Having a AA light like that would be the best solution for me in what concerns this quest (durable in host and runtime, single mode, …put it in somewhere and it will last… )
I am comfortable when using a light below 0.5 lumens (I have no way to measure how low in lumens I can go, sorry), so to light something nearby it would not raise many questions. In a night scenario, the RRT01 in its loooow modes is enough for me.
I will have to let the C01 almost drain the battery it has inside for months to see how low I can go before it is not useful anymmore!
I just want a light that could eat the almost depleted batteries and still give some useful amount of light
This
But this
Good questions! Also, how low in voltage can an alkaline go before stopping the light from functioning? 0V? Higher?
Thank you very much for the details! Didn’t have the tailcap measurement in my mind!
I will put the data in an Excel sheet and note down all the aspects I can remember, including these!
Thanks again!
I’ve been using my Enogear AA (Stainless Steel) to drain spent alkaleaks (with <1.2 volts) cells from my home electronics (home security alarm panel) and from workplace battery recycle tub.
With a white thread tube the Enogear AA is used as nightstand/night light for my toddler boys. Occasionally I would use the Thrunite T10 Aluminum as a battery vampire (joule thief) also.
With the Enogear on lowest mode, the light will cut out when alkaline AA is about 0.7-0.8 volts (per my Nitecore D4 charger).
Likely the voltage it cuts out as is even lower. I’ve seen that the voltage out of the cell will go up, sometimes a fair amount at voltages that low, when the load is removed. Would not surprise me if the lights cut out around 0.5V, and by the time the cell is measured its up in the range mentioned.
Yeh, I got a weird AAA alkaleak in an UltraTac. It’ll light up okay, in a few minutes dim and dim and dim some more ’til it just cuts out. Turn it off and let it “rest” a while, and it’ll come back on later and repeat the sequence.
Normally, just switch it on a few seconds, and “blink” it off via the switch, and it won’t have enough oomf to start up again.
i have a nebo 1aa similar to to the csi edge.
a 5mm .5w with no heatsinking.
was a piece of dim blue junk till i installed a nichia 219c.just the led on a cheap mcpcb.
it does not even get warm on a li primary.
hey its not a waste when you have a full reel of them.
anyway i tested some alkaleaks in the c9000 and afterward i wanted to know how much usable energy they had esp after a low rate test.
well cells that were run out at 100 ma ran this for about 6 hours of useful light.
useful as in visible on the bench it was laying on under a bunch of double driven fluorescents.
i let it go overnight and shut it down.
the cell recovered to about .9v and the thing lit and ran 2 more hours till it went to a dim glow.
i have seen several nonames with the guts in a plastic slug like this one.
1 is a “police” from autozone.
its getting a 219c soon as it also seems to be a good battery vampire.
People have had success with LED swaps in the infinity ultra? I’ll have to see if there are any pics or write ups. With all the warm/neutral and higher cri 5mm options out there that would be pretty sweet!
Which I’m NOT going to do. Can’t stand the thought I make this one go poof.
It was a gift from my youngest brother, and even Canadian dollars don’t grow on trees.
I use that that Archer for my kids’ night light. I figure it has at least 7,000 hours run time so far. I actually gave it to my son for his birthday 2 years ago and it’s held up to all the drops and bangs. Impressive.
I also have the TH20 and didn’t realize it will over-discharge batteries. I also love that light. Thrunite hits a certain price/quality sweet spot with the right implementation.
There’s a write up on swapping leds over at the other forum. Just look up ” Gerber Infinity mod step-by-step”. Its been several years since I modded mine, The head was really tough to get unscrewed but I didn’t add any heat to try to help loosen the loctite. If you get the head off the mod is really easy. Polishing the reflector hole helps too, while you have it apart.
These would make a pretty sweat swap in a infinity [1900k edition is in!] WTS: 1900k-5800k 5mm LED 95+ CRI
I EDC a Thorfire TG06S as a pocket utility light that I use otherwise-spent alkaleak cells in. Unlike my "gentlemens' dress pocket light" Acebeam M10, which always starts on L, the TG06S starts on H, which is what I want for general utility convenience.
Ive noticed the TG06S will commence starting on M as the cell weakens, eventually starting on L when the cell is mostly shot. If I use the low cell long enough the TG06S will eventually fail to start at all even on low. The light gives plenty of warning that it's about out of juice. I've not tested a cell that's dropped that low, so I can't vouch for how depleted it is. Next time I wring one out that low I'll post the resulting voltage of the spent cell.
got a few free baby c8 $1.99 aa lights.
these drivers make useful light down to about .5v
and will restart at .7v
add a n219c on a cheap star and a dime.
and a energizer lithium.
stash in emergency kit.
not bad for something that can be considered by most to be disposable.
battery dead and tossed in the recycling ewaste box.
i get this places recycling stuff and have found all sorts of nice stuff.
lots of laptops.tons of battery packs.power tools.
a few weeks back i got a new looking magcharger.
it worked fine once i replaced the bad wallwart.
Not exactly a cheap option, but the Peak LED Solutions El Capitan would be an excellent cockroach/vampire light if you had it configured as a low output, no QTC light.
It doesn’t get much tougher than Peak’s lights and as far as being a battery scavenger, my Eiger AAA configured at level 1 beat even the mighty Fenix E01 on operating on seemingly dead cells, I’d imagine the AA El Capitan at a similar drive level would be no different.
The TG06S finally ate the last few useful electrons from it's ancient (2/2005) Kodak Photolife alkaleak. It's been starting on L for about six weeks or so. The past week L has dimmed & begun flickering after about two minutes run time, eventually becoming nearly useless unless in a completely dark space. Last night it shut down completely. The cell tested 0.807v on a DMM immediately upon removal.
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