So, my quest(ion) is about long lasting AA flashlights!
The ones that we put 1 or 2 alkalines inside and it will drain it until there’s no juice left.
Not more than 1-2 modes, the ones we should have at home for when the power is out and there’s no new about when it will return!
Something like the Sofirn C01 - maybe? - but with AA batteries!
What flashlights do we have in this category?
Thanks in advance :+1:
I don’t know what’s available now, but I did build several on some EOSLamp drivers I got from Intl-Outdoors a few years back. They’ll run on 1xAA or 2 NimH, but they over-amp on 2 alkalines and the modes misbehave.
These are low-mid-high, always start on low. When the battery is nearing empty, they have the odd quality of ‘fluttering’ like a candle in the wind. If you drop to medium, they smooth out for another half hour or so, then begin to ‘flutter’ again until you drop to low, where they’ll take every last electron.
I like them because they give you plenty of warning to change the cell instead of suddenly going off. I’ve been keeps my my eyes open for some more, but I think they’re no longer available. EOSLamp also produces (or did produce) complete lights however, so perhaps their complete lights behave the same way.
I’ve been looking for one since Fenix E01 came out. I hope Sofirn would do a run like the C01.
Inland R22 from Microcenter, ’though that’s a local(ish) chain-store.
That’s my bobofett light that wrings out the last bits of juice and pulp from alkaleaks, that you really have to inspect the cell nightly to make sure it isn’t starting to leak.
3bux: Inland R22 1W LED Flashlight - Micro Center
8bux: https://www.amazon.com/Inland-LED-Flashlight-Watt-Black/dp/B01G0M6TUG
(c&p the amazon link as it looks “broken” on display)
Oh yeah, also fits 20mm TIR lenses nicely.
Thanks for your reply 
I was searching for those lights but it seems they are really discontinued! Do you know how much would they “last” if when they are in the lowest setting? And also, if there was any “severe” drop even on low when they are almost empty?
That is my hope too, to get an AA flashlight in the style of C01. It may be a little thicker but the AA will surely give more juice to the flashlight, even at the same or little higher output level. I am not sure if Sofirn will be willing to do that, though :zipper_mouth_face:
Well, having to inspect it every night would be troublesome, but I het your point
Still, I guess I would prefer a “tube” light, twisty more or less like the C01. Also, I’m afraid I can’t get those Inland lights even from amazon, so I will probably need to find widely available flashlights (aka China lights).
Thanks for the answers so far and I’ll be looking for more suggestions
How about something like the maratac aa? Mine just arrived so maybe after I get my fill of fiddling with it I’ll pop a fresh lsd nimh cell in and do a low mode runtime test
Looking forward to your report
Thank you buck91! In case you can do it, I’ll be glad to hear your results! The Maratac is not as cheap as other lights mentioned but in case it proves to be a “vampire” light, I may check on that
Thanks again!
No sweat, looking forward to finding out myself. I feel like low is t very low with a fresh cell but maybe it tapers nicely.
When going on a holiday my wife puts a lot of stuff like E-toothbrush etc. in her suitcase.
As well as an alarm clock and an emergency radio that we never use at home.
But in stead of taking with her some spare batteries, she puts fresh batteries in all these devices.
So I have a box full of used AA batteries, ranging from almost depleted to almost full.
And the only device in our house that runs on AA batteries is the kitchen clock.
I’m looking for a light like this myself to burn away the energy that’s still left in those batteries.
The alternative is bringing useful expensive energy to the recycling.
PS. circuits/drivers like the ones we are looking for are also called: Joule Thief.
Besides the importance of having a light like this for whenever it is needed, that was precisely one of my intentions too, to drain the almost depleted cells I have laying around! I have a bag full of batteries to put to recycle. I’d prefer to drain them before doing that.
And thanks for the info about the driver’s “name” ! Makes sense it is a “thief”
That’s what I use my bobofett light for (the Inland). If I go to the can at night, I’ll tailstand it so that with its faint glow from an otherwise dead alkaleak, I’ll have juuuust enough light to navigate my way back.
Do gotta watch ’em, as once the alkaleak does what they do best, you gotta scrub the light’s innards to undo the mess.
When mum uses those crappy triple-AAA lights, I end up with a pile of ’em at 1.1V or so. So I’ll wrap the ass end of the cell with Al foil as a drip-tray, toss a small ball of Al-foil to make up the difference in height, and use that ’til it won’t light up anymore, making sure to keep the light shiny-side-up.
And again, I can’t stress this enough… when the cells get that dead, is when they’re most prone to leak their caustic bile all over your light’s innards.
I cut got a length of PVC tube which’d fit AAs and AAAs, where I was planning to stack 3-4 cells, and run ’em down DDing an LED star. Brighter light, who cares if they leak if I give ’em a foil-wrap anyway, and use bare wire as contacts (corroded? snip! problem solved…).
Whichever cell’s weakest and/or leaking, pop it out and replace with another. Rinse, repeat.
It’s a play on words, viz, “jewel thief”, only “joule” as in energy vs “jewel” as in gems.
Starting Maratac AA titanium Nichia 219B Rev 2 test now. Amaloop 1900mah on Low mode (maratac rates this at 5 lumens for 75 hours).
Thanks
Let’s see when it ends
I got some 3AA plastic holders with the 9v type connectors attached from Radio Shack and built some of these to drain my weak batteries:
Motion Sensitive Piss Light
Using amber LEDs, good for not interrupting sleep, and demanding lower voltage I think than white LEDs.
Kills those alkaline cells dead, dead, dead.
Also works fine on depleted 9v cells down to three or four volts.
I always wanted to get something like a cup or ring, use Al foil as the floor for the negative ends, more Al foil with something squishy behind it to make contact with an assload of parallelled alkaleaks, just to get the lowest resistance to fire up a JT circuit right down to a fractional-volt. Maybe a bypass cap to act as a stiffener. Then, let the whole damned pile leak over themselves and each other, and toss the whole bunch after.
That would make a pretty good nightlight. One cell at 0.8V would sag pretty badly under even that miniscule load, but 10-15 cells in parallel? 
Burn off a whole bunch overnight, lighting up a walkway, a “don’t block the driveway, hoser!” sign, whatever.
Gerber Infinity Ultra is a guaranteed vampire - I have several as proof, and a few still in sealed pkgs.
Features
Ultra-bright white LED has 30-foot range.
Patented circuitry boosts battery time and brightness.
100-hr burn time, 25-hr peak brightness.
5mm LED delivers 100,000-hr operating life.
crush-proof aluminum body with anodized finish.
Water-proof to 30 feet and completely weather resistant.
Rotary tailcap twist switch. Rear lanyard hole in tail cap cone…
Weighs 2.2 ounces with battery. 3.215 inches long.
metal detachable pocket clip.
Lifetime limited warranty from Gerber Legendary Blades.
The type M series are rugged military-grade versions.
M series lights have a military-grade hard-anodize finish.
Double o-rings and sealed circuit board ignore wetness.
I have a Nitecore MT22A. I like it a lot. It gets lots of use. 3 modes, 1 lumen, 45 lumen, and 260 lument, 180 hours on low, 18 hours on mid, and 2 hours and 15 minutes on high. AA only, no 14500 for this light. Gave on to the neighbor kid. He uses it in his pool all the time. Thing just keeps on working. He has had it through the washer and dryer. It’s still working.