AAA rechargeable batteries for Cree Torch

marabou

I was just wondering if anybody had any recommendations as to which rechargeable batteries to use with my Cree torch (AAA).

Thanks.

Neal_

Sanyo Eneloop AAA (HR-4UTGA) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sanyo-Eneloop-P ... 180&sr=8-2

If you fancy splashing out on a very good charger then the Maha C9000 is about as good as you can get http://www.tantronics.co.uk/acatalog/Po ... ah_2dc9000

Pudseyp

I got four high out put 2100 Mah Niam off ebay inc charger for a tenner

Neal_

Pudseyp wrote:

I got four high out put 2100 Mah Niam off ebay inc charger for a tenner

Have you really got 2100mAh AAA's and not AA's? High capacity Ni-Mh batteries almost always fall well short of their advertised capacity. The best Ni-Mh batteries are low self discharge (LSD) and of all of those the best are Sanyo Eneloop although any manufactured in Japan will be good, they may have a lower rated capacity than standard Ni-Mh's but they maintain a higher voltage throughout their discharge and therefore last longer before the low voltage cut-off turns off the device.

As far as chargers go you really need a Negative Delta V (-dV) Intelligent charger, see list here for ideas > http://www.tantronics.co.uk/acatalog/In ... rgers.html

Pudseyp

You can get higher
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-4-x-2600M ... 1c1fe61ace

The mah rating is how much storage capacity the battery has the higher the number the more capacity and therefore it will last longer.
The ones I have easily last a four hour night ride.

diy

not quite...

Its the capacity at a given current in amp hours. As we have seen with 18650s Not all 2600mAh cells perform the same.

However these are good:

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product ... _id=108442

Most of the cree torches that take a 3 cell AA holder can also take an 18650 with a tube. That will be better than any AAA.. e.g.

1.2 x 3 = 3.6 * 1.1 = 4W
4.2 x 2.6 = 11W
18650s can go up to 13W

Neal_

As DIY has said manufacturer rated capacity is often at a very low discharge rate which will be greatly reduced at higher discharge capacities.

Have a look at this and you'll see how abitious some rated capacities can be http://www.atomicmods.com/Categories/Ar ... -Data.aspx



but Eneloop's are pretty close to their rated capacity even at high discharge rates http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/sho ... arge-study

diy

my advice for longer run time is to remove the 3* AAA tube and replace with a single 18650 wrapped in inner tube if you don't have a spacer tube.

the 0.5A and 1A load tests are probably about right as most of the AAA lights run at about 750mA

Pudseyp

Neal_ wrote:

As DIY has said manufacturer rated capacity is often at a very low discharge rate which will be greatly reduced at higher discharge capacities.

So to me then a higher rating will last longer....the cree led should be a fairly low discharge anyway.

The Rookie

My Cree XPG torch with 3xAAA running 800mah batteries (Energiser, not the best I know but what I have) drops from high power to low power after about 75 minutes running, annoyingly it will then run for about 12 hours on low power.
If I use lead acid it will go nearly 90 minutes on high power.
I fully intend to go 18650 at some point, but as I have a stack of spare AAA right now I just bung one set on charge when I load another!

Simon

diy

Pudseyp wrote:

So to me then a higher rating will last longer....the cree led should be a fairly low discharge anyway.

its unlikely that a 2600mAh cell rated at 100mA discharge will outperform an 1100mAh cell rated at 1A.
absolutely no way of knowing what CREE LED, but given that they run from 100mA to 3A, its reasonable to guess something around 500mA to 1.5A. that isn't fairly low. A radio or Mp3 player would be a fairly low discharge a torch wouldn't be.

sorry but unless you have tested the cells you just can't trust the mah rating.