Batteries

[Planterz]

Hmm. I bought 14 bucks worth of 4 aaa 2011 energizer NiMH 850 mah rechargables, charged them completly, and poped the 1.2 volt energy canister in the the flashlight and i swear its visibly brighter.

The NiMH might be only 1.2V to alkaline's 1.5V (charged/fresh), but in a light like your Fenix, which has circuitry that regulates the output, the initial voltage really doesn't matter. What matters is the amount of current (amps) that it can pump out continuously and consistently, and alkalines are horrible in high-drain devices like your flashlight. If you've ever used a regular old Maglite, you'll know what I'm talking about. Bright as hell at first, but dims quickly. Even in an unregulated device, NiMHs will operate at its optimum or close-to-it voltage for longer before "dumping", while an alkaline will be a constant decline.

Alkalines still have their place (TV remotes, fire detectors), but for anything high-drain (or even moderate drain) that gets regular use, there's no reason to mess around with alkalines.

 

[NaturalMystic]

I've switched all my hi capacity rechargeables (Energizers, Ansmann 2500mAh Low Discharge NiMh AAs) over to Eneloops also. The low discharge rate is great. I use them primarily in my Nikon speedlites (AAs) and my AAAs in my iTP EOS A3 Upgraded light. Also spend the money and get a good charger. I got two MAHA MH-C801D AA - AAA 8 Cell Deluxe Battery Chargers which have the option of being able to condition your batteries from Thompson Distributing. Those cheaper 15 min or 30 min chargers kill your batteries but the Maha was able to bring some of them back.

 

[hung-solo]

The NiMH might be only 1.2V to alkaline's 1.5V (charged/fresh), but in a light like your Fenix, which has circuitry that regulates the output, the initial voltage really doesn't matter. What matters is the amount of current (amps) that it can pump out continuously and consistently, and alkalines are horrible in high-drain devices like your flashlight. If you've ever used a regular old Maglite, you'll know what I'm talking about. Bright as hell at first, but dims quickly. Even in an unregulated device, NiMHs will operate at its optimum or close-to-it voltage for longer before "dumping", while an alkaline will be a constant decline.

Alkalines still have their place (TV remotes, fire detectors), but for anything high-drain (or even moderate drain) that gets regular use, there's no reason to mess around with alkalines.

well put

 

[shunsui]

I use NiMH AA's in my Fenix lights but keep a four pack of lithium AA's in the car and I've got a little two battery case of lithium AA's I carry sometimes in my coat pocket.

If you ever have to use alkalines in a bind, shift your flashlight into the low mode and you'll get some decent runtime out of them.