How often do you charge your EDC light?

There’s your problem. The D4V2 isn’t as efficient as the Zebralight, but it’s not a whole lot worse. Once you move up the ramp you’re moving into multiples of the Zebralight’s output and 15+ amp draws, so it follows that you go through the battery quickly. Pulling 15-20 amps out of a 3 Ah battery moves your runtime into the minutes rather than the hours range. Try running it at or just above the first “blink” in the ramp and you will see the battery last much longer, I probably top mine off every few weeks. I use it mostly as a dog walking light at lower output and it rarely dips much below the high 3s in that time if I resist the temptation to stay away from wow.

Everything you say makes sense. I’m amazed that you walk the dog with your D4V2 though. What would you estimate your lumen level is that you walk with? What emitters does yours have?

I’ve got two of them, one has SST20 4000K, the other has W2s. I’d bet they’re in the 100-500 lumen range at the first blink, it’s hard to judge though because the D4V2 with W2s is both brighter and more focused at all levels (I generally run the W2 light lower than the SST20 version, the first blink is a good level with the SST20 while it’s brighter than I want with the W2 version). It’s also pretty dark where I live, so even those levels are more than I need most of the time.

Used like that the batteries last me a long time between charges. It’s really hard not to double click to turbo for a few seconds each time out for fun though, and for me at least that’s probably a bigger factor in battery life than driver efficiency.

I know charging a battery more often reduces its life, but if this is the cost of having an EDC ready to go at maximum capacity, its worth it.

Batteries are $4, what’s the difference if they last 5 years vs 6 years?

Ohhh that W2 configuration for the D4*S*V2 is calling my name and you’re not helping! :smiley:

Yea the turbo is addicting. I guess I was mostly surprised the battery died so fast even though I never tried to sustain that output. I don’t even wait for thermal management to kick in. But I guess I have to realize that FET is like taking the cap off of a squirt bottle and tipping it. Even a quick “tip” is still a ton of runtime lost.

Yea I have a lot of light pollution and I walk at weird hours so I like to be able to see people coming from a distance. Sounds like your walks are more rural so fewer lumens go further. Plus, if I had a dog I wouldn’t want to blast him with 3000 lumens anyway lol

That’s why I generally don’t stress about consumables like batteries. They’ll fizzle out slowly, but by the time I’d hit 500 cycles the lights they’re in would likely be obsolete and new cell sizes would likely replace the 18650s and 26650s and 21700s I got now.

And I’d rather have a light on me that has near full capacity, vs letting it run down to 50% or less and have it fizzle out if I need longer runtime, and can’t recharge nor have a spare cell.

So a nightstand light is one thing. If it starts getting dim and is obviously in need of a recharge, great, I got like 8 other lights to replace it. On me, if I only got 1 light and maybe an “emergency backup”, I want full capacity.

No cop would go out on duty with only a half-filled mag, so why go out with a half-dead cell?

Dude, right on target. Perfectly said.

I charge it when it gets low. I only use my flashlight for short periods at a time so even a 14500 can take a while to drain. If my flashlight dies during use, I have a backup. And if the backup dies I use my phone. If that dies, I use my other phone. So far I’ve only had to switch to my backup light once. If I ever have plans where I know I will heavily use my flashlight then I’ll charge them regardless of their current charge.

Yesterday I took my FWAA on a hike to a hotsprings, the battery was fully charged. I stayed after dark and used the lowest mode in camp.

Then on the way home I used between 150 and 400 lumens to see the trail. It was a 0.7 mile walk

When I got home, the battery was at 3.7v… since Im not planning to use the light the same way tonight, Im not recharging yet.

I know my lights well enough to know when a battery needs recharging.

And if i feel like it i throw my AAA from the keychain light onto the charger whenever even if its not going to take much since NiMH doesn’t mind being kept fully charged.

To me if its EDC it has to be ready to work at any time, so I charge mine whenever Anduril reads 3.9v and if I know I might use it, I top it off just to be on the safe side.

I currently use a Lumintop HL3A, very small and I like the convenience of a right angle light because I can clip it to my shirt and angle it for hands free use or use the clip as a support stand to angle the light to where I need it, also has a nice magnetic tailcap. I only wish it had a USB-C charging port and other led options.

For sure, a floody light like a d4v2 will consume more if you play with it. I charge my most used 18650 d4v2 battery once every 7 to 14 days, and other batteries maybe once every 14 to 28 days.

I carry the SC700d in the car and I only need to charge the 50E once or twice per year.

My actual EDC would be the rovyvon A5X and it’s been 2 weeks of casual use and the battery hasn’t depleted, 300mAh goes a long way

At the beginning, about 2010, like EDC I had a light, I don’t remember the name, but used a 16340, with time I went to 14500 and then, considering greater autonomy in emergency, at 18650.
Now, from many years, I have a Nitenumen Ne01 to the belt, the first version; I modified by adding the Solarforce clip and a spring section inside the cap that serves for electrical contact since the clip holds the separate cap 1mm. from the tube body.
I check it every week, I recharge by taking the battery out because I have the opportunity for a more thorough check; I rarely reload with its internal charger.
Perhaps more than my EDC flashlight, it’s my backup, since a flashlight I only keep at home; two when I’m in town and three when I’m out of town.

Charging frequently doesn’t hurt the life cycles of the battery as long as you’re not taking it all the way to full. Anduril. On the primary 18650 typically 3.8 or 3.9 or lower if that’s where it is at the end of the day and take it back up to somewhere less than 4.1v. I always use a USB meter and typically stop charging when the amps get down to 0.2 or 0.25a. I don’t always catch it but I’m always within sight of charging batteries if they are outside of a light and pretty much if they in a light. The secondary edc doesn’t have anduril but does have a battery light indicator that can be used to tell me when it gets to somewhere around 3.8 or 3.9 if it won’t stay green when on full turbo.

My main “EDC” light (work), Malkoff MDC HA runs on 1xCR123A primary, so no recharge necessary. :smiley: I have to change out cells when they drop below 2.5V or I lose med/hi, about 3 times a year, and have enough stock to last beyond my retirement. My “after hours” EDC can vary, but for the last 10 months or so it’s primarily been one of two SC31PRO’s. I’ve “recharged” (or replenished) the 18650 (30q) twice, and ditto the 18350 shorty (Keeppower 1100 mAh). Summers longer days/reduced usage I run the shorty. Fall and winter I drag out the big gun. Neither sees a whole lot of run time. I recharge when cells drop to 3.5A –3.6A, and take them right to the top (4.2+ on my Opus BTC3100).

Anyone finding some of their cells “bounce back?”

On Friday night I was walking around for a little over an hour, playing around with several of my lights simultaneously (comparing throw & spill). By the time I was done a couple of my lights had dipped from 4.1v to 3.9v. Next morning, both back up to 4.1v.

A little voltage sag at higher outputs is normal. So if you take a reading immediately after high modes you may get slightly less than a “resting” reading. I’m going to take a wild guess
that you’re using Anduril to test this. It may not be as much of a jump as you think. On my fw1a the battery never reads 4.0 exactly. It always skips 4.0 on the way down. That might explain the apparent large jump. I’m pretty sure my fw3a skip’s 4.0 also but I’m not positive. I’ve never seen anybody mention this but the problem pages for the fw3a when it was new go on forever and ever so it could be in there. If that’s not your issue, what batteries are these and in what lights? Edit, a lot of voltage sag is normal with some lights and some batteries in higher modes

I generally keep all my lights and spare cells topped off. At the end of each day, I check my EDC and any other light I used that day and if it’s below 4V I will top it off or swap the cell. I like to have as much capacity available as possible since you never know when you might need it.

I think that partially charging a cell to maintain maximum theoretical capacity is self defeating since you are never using the full capability of the cell in the first place. A five year old cell that has been consistently charged fully and cared for properly will probably still have more capacity when fully charged than a brand new cell charged to 3.9 or 4V.

I have Li-ion cells that are years old that have always been kept at full capacity and still measure at their rated capacity. If they ever do start to degrade, I’ll just replace them.

Ni-MH are more difficult to judge since you can’t really read capacity by measuring voltage. I have a load tester but even that is hit or miss. Generally if I used a light with a Ni-MH cell for more than a few minutes throughout the day, I’ll drain and fully recharge the cell. Some of my AA Eneloops are almost 10 years old and still measure over 2000mAh.

I don’t really fret about batteries too much. I just keep them fully charged in case they are needed. Ultimately, they are consumable items and are intended to be used.

I charge my flashlight batteries when the flashlight output begins to get low.