Question for owners of the Smart 1/2 Watt rear light

Jamey

How long do the batteries typically last in flashing mode?

cougie

Ages. But they will start to dim.

Personally I use rechargeables and re charge when it stops to be as bright as it once was.

Jamey

Yeah, I'm using rechargeables too and planning to do the same, just wondered how long to expect (in real-world numbers) before I need to do it.

mark_oakden

I use them on the continuous setting rather than flashing, and get at least 15 hours out of a set of alkalines in them before they dim too much (I have two of the lights on the back for redundancy, and replace the batteries in them at different times, to ensure at least one of them is operating near it's peak brightness at any one time). The specs reckon that the flashing mode would last twice as long as the continuous mode.

I had thought about using rechargeables (NiMH) in there, but wasn't sure if the lower voltage would have any noticeable effect on the brightness.

cougie, do you use ordinary NiMH's or the eneloop/hybrio hybrid type NiMH's (which are meant to hold charge for longer when not in use) or somehting else entirely?

BoardinBob

I had thought about using rechargeables (NiMH) in there, but wasn't sure if the lower voltage would have any noticeable effect on the brightness.

The 1.2v quoted on rechargeable batteries is a measure of average voltage over the discharge cycle. Peak voltage on a fully charged battery will be around 1.6v - 1.7v

The 1.5v quoted on a regular alkaline battery is a measure of the peak voltage available from the battery. Over it's discharge cycle the average voltage will be 1.2v, just the same as a rechargeable one.

spen666

mark_oakden wrote:

.... (I have two of the lights on the back for redundancy, and replace the batteries in them at different times, to ensure at least one of them is operating near it's peak brightness at any one time). ....

For redundancy?
How does this work?

mark_oakden

If either light fails, then I still have one working light. i.e. it would take a double failure before my rear lighting fails altogether.

(i.e. "redundancy" in sense number 6 here)

alfablue

You will get better performance from NiMH in an led, the alkalines output diminishes continually over time, whilst the nimh will output near to its peak for 90% of the time. I use NiMH hybrid batteries and swap them with freshly charged ones every week or two, depending on how many rides I have done, well before any signs of dimming.

redddraggon

On the packet of the Smart 1/2 Watt it says to use ONLY Alkaline batteries.

I was hoping to use some rechargeables, will rechargeables actually be fine?

alfablue

That's strange. I have only ever used NiMH and they (I have 3) have been stonking! No issues whatsoever other than long lasting, brilliant cheapness!