How do you store....

Your lights and batteries? I need some ideas on organizing lights batteries charged vs needing to be charged,Ive seen some battery packs,any other creative ideas????Pics if possible ,


Thanks,

I use the "in a big pile on the floor" method.

I have lights scattered about, but my batteries are lined up ready to load on the shelf..

All of our charged batteries go in a small bin. All uncharged batteris immediately go into the charger (and get put into the charged bin when completed). This way, I don't have uncharged batteries laying around.

Just about anywhere I can find space

Lying around the place so that they are within reach when i need them. I dont have that many lights i guess. Some people have put them into pelican cases for really valuable lights or built shelves for them. If they are really precious lights i guess glass cabinets? but none of my lights are that preciousl, just two Pr-Ts and a KL4 so they get used fairly often though

Lights go into a Kennedy Tool Chest, and the batteries are kept in Surefire Spares Carrier, or Pelican Cases.

Chuck

Batteries in 4 cell plastic holder, with date of charge on a label

Torches, spread around from where they were used in last power out.

Torches for outside, near keys...Luxeon, 49'er, small keychain.

I have a plastic case with divided sections, different sizes and chemistries in every section. Batteries waiting to be charged sit in a stone dish next to the charger.

My lights, I have too many to store in one location, but the ones I use most often travel in a Maxpedition Proteus waistpack, along with 4 SF spares carriers.

I have a Surefire 8NX I use for work, and 5 B90 batteries. I keep one in the light, 2 in a pouch in the pocket of my work outfit, and another 2 in the Proteus bag. I use the orange caps provided to tell charged from discharged (cap goes over the positive end when charged, and replaced on the negative end when they are dead.

Lithium cells are generally on a shelf near my computer. I don't have that many rechargeable cells (apart from AA size I use in my camera gear), so it's not such a big issue keeping new from old.

I use Pelican and Otter cases that are prepunched for primary CR123 cells. I also have some SF spares carriers I keep in my truck or gear bag while camping. My spent primaries I keep in a case called a Viewtainer until I can take them to Batteries Plus for recycling.


I keep my smaller flashlight accessories and 1 and 2 cell lights in Plano clear cases that I got from local hardware stores. My bigger lights stand alone in my computer cabinet.

BatteryCharger said:

I use the "in a big pile on the floor" method.

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Me to :rock:

There were pictures of individuals storing their batteries in them Pelicans just as Nirad posted.

I just keep the 123s in them SureFire boxes, and the AAs in them plastic/rubber AA battery storage that can be had for cheap from Fry's Electronics.

nirad said:

I use Pelican and Otter cases that are prepunched for primary CR123 cells. I also have some SF spares carriers I keep in my truck or gear bag while camping. My spent primaries I keep in a case called a Viewtainer until I can take them to Batteries Plus for recycling.

I keep my smaller flashlight accessories and 1 and 2 cell lights in Plano clear cases that I got from local hardware stores. My bigger lights stand alone in my computer cabinet.

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Very, very nice.......I am so jealous. Lookin good for sure.

I like the pre-punched battery foam. I have a couple Pelican cases, where do you get the foam already cut out for the 123s? Thanks

I found some plastic cases at Walgreens that are really cheap ($2) and just the right size for my rechargeable Ds and Cs. I get 12 Ds in one and they can't rattle or short. I just got a bunch of Cs and Ds from Amondo so I'll be making another 12 D box and a C box hopefully today. I haven't figured out how many C holes it will work out to but anything over 12 will be great.

I cut foam to fit each box. I looked around checking this and that kind of pipe to use as a die cutter that would cut holes just the right size for each cell. Once you have the right sized diameter 6-8" lengths of pipe you just sharpen it a bit by putting a bevel on the end you want to cut with. For different sized cells I used:

• For D sized holes: Chromed 1 1/4" bathroom sink drop-tube (drain)
• For C sized holes: 3/4" ID type M copper
• For AA sized holes: 1/2" ID type M copper
• For AAA I used a slightly denser foam and a high speed drill.

Just cut the holes with a twisting motion. If you can't make it work your foam may be too soft. If you have trouble only at the bottom of the cut try putting a piece of rubber gasket material under the foam to cut into at the end. Cardboard will also work but you'll have to sharpen more often. Once you get the hang of it you'll be able to make a perfect, clean hole every time.

Once the holes are cut you may cut pieces off the foam plugs you just cut out and stick one in each hole so the cell never bottoms out.

Not everyone wants to go the hands on route but once you are confident that you can cut the right sized holes to protect your cells -- you can use any kind of container you like. I've used the same technique with Rubbermaid and Tupperware boxes with watertight lids, for example.

Thanks Sub Umbra, I thought about doing something similar using a piece of plywood drilled with the right spacing as a guide and then compressing the foam between it and another solid piece, then tapping the pipe with a hammer to cut the foam. I had not tried it yet and wondered if it would work. Sounds like it will.

nirad said:

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Man, someone's got it bad. (The addiction, that is.) Top marks for organisation.

It's funny; I was just looking around for some racks for some AA NiMH's that I finally got around to buying. I was hoping to find something similar to the plastic battery holder that everybody sells, but just for AA and AAA size. The wall-mount gravity feed design looks great, but nobody makes one without the C and D size, which we don't use.

FWIW the Container Store has some plastic boxes sized for the different battery sizes, but they're more for drawer use.

These storage bins and chargers are prime examples of the growing field of anti-ergonomics.

Dawg said:

Very, very nice.......I am so jealous. Lookin good for sure.

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CoOl!