I'm reading several flashlight reviews and for those with electronic switches, sometimes the parasitic drain value is mentioned, like 22µA or 0.7mA etc. What I don't know is how much a given micro or milliamp value effects the drain on the batteries. I often read that it is "negligible", but that word means different things to people. To me negligible is 5+ years, but for others it could be less than a year.
So that we don't have to do the math each time, can anyone give us a calculation chart of common batteries and µA values so we know how long is long? Maybe a spreadsheet where you can plug in the values and cross reference against battery types to actually know how much drain a given flashlight has?
I'm not that person to do it!...only to suggest it. Even among the experts, I've seen people mistake their math. Perhaps we can get a consensus.
I think what would be more useful is lights with a abnormally high parasitic drain. If the drain takes more than a few years to drain a cell is that really a problem for some people? I don’t think I have ever left a cell in a light that long. I guess some people might but that seems highly unlikely with this group on BLF.
I know there are some lights that can kill a cell in a few months. Now that is good information to have. I don’t keep flashlights with those kind of drain rates. I don’t care how nice it is, it serves no useful purpose to me if it kills itself every other month.
Dunno about anyone else, but if I know I’m not going to be regularly using a light, even with a tail-clicky, I do a TCLO to keep it from being accidentally turned on.
Well I use BLF not just to buy lights for me, but to research lights as gifts for F&F. That being said, even as somebody in the know, I try to avoid any flashlights with substantial standby drain. I'm also not a fan of lights with complicated UI's. It's easier for me to use the same lights I recommend to others.
On a personal note, I think it's completely silly that flashlights need 6 modes with 8 steps and various blinky options. Not once in my life, ever, have I come remotely to needing an SOS flashlight. And if I put myself into that situation, I'd have a light dedicated to do that. I don't need my EDC to do that.
Most BLF lights have extremely low standby drain, and BLF lights can be set to have very simple UIs, like a simple 4 mode with moonlight and hidden blinkies when needed.
That is the important part—parasitic drain in quality lights is less than the self discharge rate of quality cells. It’s practically a non issue today.
aargh, fixed, thank you
I suck at power of 10 math nomenclature… LOL
so, does the RRT-01 have a “reasonable” or even, “trivial” parasitic drain if it pulls 50uA of those power of ten units you were talking about, out of a 16340, full of 700mAh of those other little power of 10 units you were talking about?
and
I would like to buy a few decimal places please… lol