Johnny, is this light moddable, or is it built exactly like the 500-lumen twin-pack lights? Because if I can change the driver out I’mma definitely get one.
By the time you get to 1000 Lumens with C size alkaline batteries the time they can support full power operation has to be pretty minimal even using four cells. They just do not have the current delivery capability. Not surprised to read the report of multiple output step downs one owner reported. A real boost for alkaline C cell sales unless owners are smart enough to spend the money for NiMH batteries and a charger but that raises the total investment to about $55 minimum. $18 for four C size Centuras and $16 for the cheapest Tenergy four C or D battery capable charger on Amazon which is NOT a smart charger. A smart C & D NiMH battery charger starts at close to $30 raising the total to closer to $70 for a $20 flashlight! You have to look at overall cost to feed any high power flashlight as if used much they can go through alkaline batteries at a horrendous rate. It is not the initial cost but the feeding that can bankrupt you.
I don’t/wouldn’t know. I don’t mod any lights. But with Costco, you should have an indefinite return period w/ this product…
This does seem to me to be a similar trap that HD fell into with the 1000-lumen 3D triple XP-G2, trying to use weasel-engineering to offer a stupendous output. Certainly with NiMH cells its fantastic, and I’m sure that given the size of the head its zoom mode is more efficient than the 500-lumen model.
I used four Tenergy NiMH C cells and it instantly destroyed this light.
Apparently there is no current limiting circuit and they depend on the high internal resistance of the alkaline batteries to limit the current.
With two alkaline and two NiMH cells there is sufficient current limiting. With one alkaline and three NiMH the flashlight is destroyed instantly.
Two of these already went back to Coscto.
Very nice light in other regards, but apparently designed to sell Duracell disposable batteries.
That is a surprise. Also an excellent reason to NOT buy the light. I had no idea that it, or any other flashlight, could be destroyed by using low internal resistance batteries such as NiMH C cells. I presume that it means that the control circuitry is minimal to non-existent. I guess not too surprising for the price. I take it no warning on the packaging? My 500 Lumens Duracell lights still have the original alkaline batteries in them and it sounds like they might go the same way with my C size Tenergy Centuras if I try them.
Seems like an excellent reason to buy the new third generation Maglite lights in 2 or 3 D battery configuration. Not near as cheap but they do not do a blow job with NiMH batteries. Of course I also have the Fenix TK 50 and TK 60, designed for NiMH batteries. With new alkalines the voltage on the TK50 is too high so it loses it’s lowest mode. Never tried alkalines in the TK60.
So the light blows-up on NiMH’s, can it be disassembled for an upgraded driver? It still looks like an inexpensive big-head zoomie.
No warning to not use rechargeables. I have the same concern about the Duracell 500. But an older Life Gear from Costco works fine with NiMH.
Depending on the internal resistance of batteries to limit current is a very lame design.
Try 3 NIMH and a spacer?
4C is 6+ volts to the emitter.
I can confirm inserting 4 Tenergy NiMH C cells does indeed instantly destroy the light. Back to Costco it goes.
Replaced it with a Walmart OT-250L. Quite a step down, and nowhere near as powerful as the Duracell light I just blew up, but overall not a bad little (4xAA) light. Hopefully this one can handle NIMH batteries. Just ordered a Coast HP1 as well.
Repurposed the 4 Tenergy C cells by picking up a Rayovac Indestructible. Haven’t yet tried them yet though.
It’s not the voltage, it’s that there’s no current limiting in the flashlight. So of course NiMH cells, which can provide very high current, will destroy the LED or the driver circuit. Any spacer would need to include a current limiting resistor.
I used 4 AA Eneloop with AA to C converters and that instantly destroyed this flashlight too.
During the 3 minutes I used it with the Duracell C batteries, it worked great. Very bright.
I didn’t know that rechargeable batteries could damage something. Well, now I know. Good thing Costco has a great return policy.
Is that adapter in series or parallel?
The 4 AA batteries were still in series. I just replaced the 4 C batteries with 4 AA batteries. The adapter just increases the diameter of the AA batteries.
Here’s a picture of something that is functionally equivalent
I have never seen an AA to C adapter that could hold more than one battery. There are AAA to C holders which can hold multiple batteries and they can be in series or in parallel. I have several 4 AAA to 1 C adapters with the batteries in parallel. Also two AA to D adapters are made with the batteries in parallel and 3AA to D adapters are made with the batteries in series or parallel.
So, the Costco Thanksgiving Weekend Savings (Black Friday) book came out. Where I live (at least) the Duracell 1000 Lumens LED Flashlight 922241 and the Panasonic Eneloop Rechargeable Batteries 906576 are next to each other on the same page. ROFL!
If you just put these two together and are wondering why the flashlight “isn’t that bright,” then I hope you still have your Costco receipt because ya just broke your flashlight.
now that is funny!
I bought two - one never worked (its not the cap or the batteries, have 2 non-duracell flashlights where their caps are what’s making them not work), other works fine on NIMH
Using PowerX Imedion low self-discharge NIMH 5000mah C batteries.
Glad to hear the Powerex NIMH batteries are working for you. My Tenergy’s destroyed my light, but Costco happy accepted it back. Tried tossing the Duracell alkaline’s back in, but only got a very faint glow from the LED (course that’s also what I got with the NIMH after an initial burst of light). So in my case it wasn’t a fitment or contact problem, but rather an excessive current problem. It reacted like it was a lithium battery or something.
I forgot to tell about it here. Everyone remember the 500-lumen 3C dual-pack? Well to save money they used the same objective aspheric lens for the 1000-lumen flashlight, so while the head is bigger, there’s a spacer ring that holds the small lens under the protective outer lens. Its throw is no better than the 500-lumen one. As soon as I realized this the light went back into the packaging and back to Costco.