Lithium Primaries AA & AAA

sceva

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Are there application where a Lithium Primary AA or AAA cell (Energizers) would not be a good choice over alkaline cells?

Places I use AA's or AAA's are Flashlights, Remotes, programmable thermostat, toys.
 

bmengineer

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In many cases NiMH would be better than either of these, but I can't think of why you would use alkalines unless the cost or certification required it.
 

ChrisGarrett

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Are there application where a Lithium Primary AA or AAA cell (Energizers) would not be a good choice over alkaline cells?

Places I use AA's or AAA's are Flashlights, Remotes, programmable thermostat, toys.

Alkaleaks are good for smaller drains, like remotes, wall clocks and digital thermostats.

It's just a cost factor. Lithiums are better at the temperature extremes, they are lighter than alkaleaks and they pack a lot of current at moderate/higher drains than alkaleaks, which drop like a rock say over 500mA.

Here in America, the price of Energizer Lithium Ultimates has been cleaved in half. 5 years back, I'd see them for $10 per quad for AAs, then my supermarket dropped them down to $8. Now I go into Target and they have 12 packs of AAs for $15.

Still more than alkaleaks, but there you go...more beer money for you. And their shelf life has been up-rated. I bought some AA/AAAs for my sister while at home in October and the expiry dates were 2037. The ones I bought ~5 years back are 2026.

Chris
 

alpg88

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Are there application where a Lithium Primary AA or AAA cell (Energizers) would not be a good choice over alkaline cells?

Places I use AA's or AAA's are Flashlights, Remotes, programmable thermostat, toys.

i honestly can't think of any.
 

WalkIntoTheLight

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Are there application where a Lithium Primary AA or AAA cell (Energizers) would not be a good choice over alkaline cells?

Places I use AA's or AAA's are Flashlights, Remotes, programmable thermostat, toys.

Maybe crap flashlights, that depend on the internal resistance of alkaleaks to limit current. Maglites often had this issue in the past (maybe still?), and they specifically didn't even allow cells like NiMH. I presume lithium primaries, with their higher voltage, would be even worse.

Anyway, you might risk burning out the LED of cheap lights. Those 3xAAA lights are probably the worst. Lithium primaries are 1.7v when fresh, so 5.1v at the emitter might fry it without sufficient resistance.
 

HKJ

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Are there application where a Lithium Primary AA or AAA cell (Energizers) would not be a good choice over alkaline cells?

Yes, devices that depends on the internal resistance in the batteries and some voltage drop. One possibility is 3 cell flashlights, some of them would be overdriven with lithium cells.
 

xxo

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Maybe crap flashlights, that depend on the internal resistance of alkaleaks to limit current. Maglites often had this issue in the past (maybe still?), and they specifically didn't even allow cells like NiMH. I presume lithium primaries, with their higher voltage, would be even worse.

Anyway, you might risk burning out the LED of cheap lights. Those 3xAAA lights are probably the worst. Lithium primaries are 1.7v when fresh, so 5.1v at the emitter might fry it without sufficient resistance.

None of the LED Mags are direct drive - all are regulated and run fine on Energizer lithiums.


Many cheap 3 AAA LEDs are direct drive as are some of the Duracell LEDs and the "free" multi-LED lights from harbor freight; these are likely to be over driven and over heat with lithiums of NiMH's.
 
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alpg88

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i used lithium cells, in led maglites, aa and aaa, both function well, maybe inc. models would not like lithium, did not try in incandescent aa and aaa, but i did try using them in 2aa to d adapter, in 3,4,6 cell lights, all worked just fine, no instaflashes, as far as cheap AAA lights, their holders have so much resistance, a bit higher voltage on lithium is not an issue, thou they vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but in general they all have resistance issues, not to mention, there is always a resistor there, if leds are wired in parallel. i would say in most cases 3 lithium aaa will cost more than crappy 3aaa light.
 
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xxo

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I think Mag's recommendation not to use rechargeable batteries goes back to the incan lights, because they were concerned that the bulbs might not last as long as they should. I have been using L91's and L92's in Mini Mags since these cells came on the market along with Eneloops and other rechageables going back to the NiCad days - never had a problem, if the bulb life was shortened some, I did not notice it. And I still use Energizer lithiums, Eneloops and othe NiMH's in both incan and LED Mags and even some Lithium Ion cells in adapters with no issues.

I have burned out some of the LEDs on the harbor freight freebees running Eneloops, but these things have no heat sink and no resister. I also remember Streamlight had a problem with their old 4 AA pro polymer lights back in the day and had to add a resister to the LED module to keep the LEDs from over heating and burning out.
 

Mark Anthony

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I live in Alaska and I use Lithium 'AA' primaries for my game cameras that are constantly in the cold, and sometimes for flashlights that live in a vehicle over the winter.
 

mattheww50

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As I recall there were some Canon Film SLR cameras that depended upon the internal resistance of the Alkaline cells to operate correctly. The way the camera sensed that the roll of film had come to an end was that the drive motor stalled attempting to advance the film. That caused the camera to then automatically rewind the film back into the film cartridge. The owners manual contained an explicit warning about using NiCd or NiMh cells. The issue was that the internal resistance of these cells is so low that instead of the drive motor stalling, there was sufficient power available to to actually allow the drive motor to rip the film off the end of the spool it was attached to (or tear up the sprocket holes in the film) inside the 35mm film cartridge. Suffices to say that ripping the film off the spool on the supply end meant there was no way to rewind the film back into the cartridge.
 

alpg88

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. Suffices to say that ripping the film off the spool on the supply end meant there was no way to rewind the film back into the cartridge.

not at all, it is not the end of the world, you go into a dark room, and rewind it manually by feel. i used to do that with every film, had to take it off the spool and wind it on a reel, in a pitch black room, put that reel into a tank, only then turn on the lights., and pour chemicals into the tank.
i always keep a camera in my car, and i always pick one that uses aa cells. i always use lithium, since it can sit in a glove box for years. heat and cold. also flash charges a lot faster with lithium cells, not one camera had any issues. thou i do think some may have, i just have not owned one that did.
 
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