Living in earthquake country, we have several emergency lanterns that run on D cell batteries. I wanted to be able to keep one "ready to go", so I came up with this solution. If you search for "Titanium Innovations Battery Adapter PARALLEL" you'll find a "D" size adapter that you can put 3 L-Ion AA's into. This gives you 9000 mAh per adapted cell, and that's not much less than the average D cell (8900 mAh - 12000 mAh) battery. The L-Ion won't leak and will work in the cold. Just make sure you buy the PARALLEL battery adapter that outputs 1.5V, they make a series adapter too that outputs 4.5V.
Good luck!
AA Lithium Ions? Is that what you
really meant (rechargeable, ~14500 size), or did you mean primary Lithium cells (non-rechargeable)? Just want to be clear here, as there are not many 1.5v Li-Ion batteries out there, and the 3,000mAh you state makes me think you meant primary Lithium cells (like the Energizer Lithiums).
Good call on the 3xAA's to D cell adapters though! I use 3xEneloops with those, and they work great!
Many moons ago on CPF, I actually came up with an adapter for a 3D mag light that held 12 AA's in a series-parallel configuration for a regulated Luxeon 5 Watt LED conversion (2 sets of 6 batteries in series). There was *just* enough room inside of the light body to fit 4 AA's in place of one D cell, with a rod running down the middle and one on the outside between each battery. The adapter was quickly dubbed "the paint roller".
This is def what I'm going to do as I have premium enloops in my 3D maglite now and they've work great since enloop used to be sanyo. I'm get um...wow 3x6=18 more and the adapters for them. the 3D eats the single AA to D adapted ones up but I hardly use it. With as much as I use my 6D it will need the extra amphours that the tri adapters use.
I think you'll be amazed how well the Eneloops work in the 3xAA to D cell adapters. They still work well in the cold (unlike Li-Ion), they don't leak, and they self-discharge very little, which makes them perfect for long-term storage like a vehicle flashlight. Overall, the Eneloops are hard to beat. About the only place where I prefer Li-Ion is in very high-drain applications, where the NiMh chemistry can't keep up with the current demand. Not too many places where that's the case, however.
quick rundown- Lithium non-rechargable, great for long term storeage, but expensive
Lithium chargables, expensive, gotta get quality ones, and have some interesting foibles, do your research so you know what you are getting.
NiMh- come in two main types, and it all depends on how fast they self discharge, the higher mAh rated ones tend to self discharge faster. Great for lights that get used some, and you can cycle the batteries through a charger every six months or so (which you kinda should check your gear at least that often right?)
A few items I'd ADD to your summary:
- Primary Lithium cells are the best choice for cold-weather use, and tend to have the best shelf life.
- Li-Ion is good for general use where they can be charged as needed, and is good for high-drain applications (motors, high-current flashlights, etc), but does not work well in the cold.
- Low self-discharge (LSD) NiMh are good for long-term storage because they don't lose energy, they don't leak, have decent power capacity, and decent current capability.
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With all of that out of the way, I typically use
all three of the aforementioned chemistries. All three have much better discharge curves, where the output remains relatively flat over the life of the battery discharge cycle, versus akaline where the discharge is always dropping off as they discharge.
I don't use primary Lithium much anymore, except for one headlamp that takes CR123's that I use for ice fishing in the winter. Best option when it's really cold. I use either SureFire 123's, or the Battery Junction house brand 123's. I'd only use Surefire, but the BJ ones seem to be just about as good, and can usually be had for a good bit cheaper. Last time I purchased, both brands were still USA-made.
My other main headlamp and the Titanium Olight S10 I carry daily both use Li-Ion batteries (18650 and RCR123, respectively). That's because Li-Ion has the highest energy density, and I can recharge the battery whenever needed and/or carry spares.
Lastly, I use a LOT of Eneloop LSD NiMh batteries in my home! And all our emergency gear / flashlights are run on these batteries as well. Charged at least annually, they have been completely reliable for us. We usually buy them at Costco, where the price is usually in the neighborhood of $2/battery or less, where you get 8xAA, 4xAAA, and usually you get a 4-bay charger too for around $22 when there's a coupon. They've recently started carrying just the packs of just 12xAA batteries too.
I bet we easily have over 100 of the AA's and probably around 40-50 of the AAA's in our house, and have been using them since they were first introduced. Cameras, portable electronics (GPS, FRS radios, remote controls, etc.), headlamps, flashlights, kids toys, clocks, so much. Over the years, we've saved a TON of money on alkaline batteries by using Eneloops instead.
Finally,
MyLegsAreOk
, I hope that 6D maglight you're using has a LED conversion in it. If not, you'd get a lot more light and battery life out of it if you made the switch.
Sorry for the wall of text, but hope it helps! CandlePowerForums has a CRAPLOAD of good battery info if you want to learn more (I'm LEDmodMan there, since 2001).
