Random ramblings regarding D-cells, random thoughts in return appreciated. :-D

Hello,

thinking out loud here, please comment at will.

My son recently picked a used big honking lantern, taking no less than 8 D-Cells. He got it cheap, my mother bought it for him, but neither of them considered the pricing of D-Cells, no surprise there.

More often than not, when browsing the forums, no statistics there, but still, people seem to suggest AA -> D adapters instead of proper D-Cells.
I'm in at least two minds about this.

A single A-D adapter seems pointless, it would provide next to no run time. There are 3AA-D adapters and those seem like the way to go, but then I would need to allocate 24 AA cells to keep his lantern going. 3 AA cells would not give equal power to a dedicated D-Cell either, and at the same time, having more AA-cells is good, and they could be used elsewhere.

Either way I would need to get a new charger, I currently don't use D-cells, aside from the old 3D-Maglite which I just use alkalines in, and they last forever with my usage.

My gut feeling tells me to get 8 powerex D-Cells and a Maha MH-C808M, getting 8 new bays for other sizes as well. Maha for the single reason that their products have always served me well, and I trust them, It's either that, or a bunch of new AAs and a new cheaper 8 bay charger, otherwise I'd never be able to use my c9000 again, it would be in constant use catering to his lantern, with the 24 AA-cells.

No rights or wrongs here, but what would you do? Pros and cons I haven't thought of?

/Dennis

Random thought...I think I know why battery manufactures give away or sell very cheap lights!

That battery money could buy a giga thrower, three D4's, a M43, or an HDS battery tube... down payment. If I were really in love with the lantern, I'd convert it to 18650 or 18350, or a plug-in lamp.

If you end up getting all those d cells, pick up one of those 80s boom boxes, and post some pics!

I just got that exact charger a couple of weeks ago. So far I like it well. I charges fast, and the "condition" mode does well for older batteries. It's also one of the few chargers that does D cells. The only downside is it doesn't do Li-ion, so I end up using a separate charger for those, which is fine.

Tenergy makes some good NiMH cells but you have to select the right ones. They have different cells for different purposes. I believe the LSD Low Self Discharge are best for lights.

I use a lot of D and C cells, so it was a no brainer for me. Buy 8 alk D cells a few times and do the math. I don't think I'd go through all of that just for one lantern. I like propane lanterns & stoves for camping, but if you use a lot of NiMH cells, its a great charger.

JT

Consider modifying the lantern so it can be powered by a lower voltage.

I avoid devices which use D cells. D cells are heavy, expensive, and not easily replaced by NiMH batteries.

I use four 'Powerex' D NiMh's in my TK70. I don't know if I could afford to keep it in alkalines. The Powerex are 9000mAh and I charge them on a good r/c style charger that is capable of up to 5000mAh charge, although I only use it at 2000mAh for the Powerex cells. Its the only light I have ( apart from my old 5D Mag ) that runs on D cells. Just me, but I reckon there are far more efficient and easier to use power sources available for lighting, at least, than the 'D's.

My way around it as on my maglite thread is convert to 18650 and then you can recharge it.
Paul.

The Tenergy D NiMH cells are well received.
All good comments above.

I guess it depends upon how quickly, and how often your son runs his batteries down.

IF it is an LED lantern, and IF he runs it at about 100 lumens output, 3 alkaline D cells (when wired 3 x in series) have about the same capacity as 3 x 3400mah 18650's. The alkalines won't do as well if he runs the lantern at 300 lumens or more.

I have a couple of 4 cell lanterns that I soldered a USB cable to the battery box so that I could run the lantern from a LiIon power bank @ 5 volts.

martinaee did a nice review of the Streamlight Siege lantern with run times of various NiMH combinations.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...Review-Now-in-neutral-white!-(September-2014)

I imagine that the lantern will run on four cells, OR 8 cells. Perhaps 4 NiMH D cells, and a charger will be a consideration. Again depending upon the lantern's usage.

If you are into modding..... buy a circuit board made for 3x18650 and either use 3 or 6 of them instead of D cells. The voltage will be lower but if the lantern is LED depending on the design it should just be a little dimmer or you may be able to hack the driver and adjust it for a slightly lower voltage.

Sounds cool and interesting but wouldn't know where to start with modding. I came here long ago when looking into charging and cells, never been a torch guy despite looking at youtube reviews, but I Have learnt a heck of a lot about cells since then.

Lynx_Arc said:

buy a circuit board made for 3x18650 and either use 3 or 6 of them instead of D cells.

Click to expand...

Or even 3x26650 in series.
Less capacity but much lighter in weight.

Lynx_Arc said:

The voltage will be lower

Click to expand...

In fact the voltage might be higher under load.

fivemega said:

Or even 3x26650 in series.
Less capacity but much lighter in weight.

Click to expand...

Or even step it up to a 32650 for even more capacity. I got a couple of those with the intent to run them in a maglight with a spacer, you could do the same with your lantern. A D cell diameter is 34.2mm BTW but only 61.5mm long, so ii guess the fitting would depend on your spring slop. Each 32650 cell is around $10 to $15 or so.

You are probably better off getting some NiMH batteries over at battery junction. They have a 4 pack for ~$32.

I bought a Maha charger for my D cells, but if i had it all over to do, i'd get a multi charger that could charge the larger diameter to consolidate chargers. Now that i have one of those, i hardly use the Maha charger.

Above all else, have fun!