# Tutorial: How to fit 4 Energizer 2500 cells across in a D-Mag without boring!



## Spacemarine (Feb 15, 2006)

I've read on CPF that the new Energizer 2500mAh and also the Sanyo 2300 and 2500mAh won't fit into most D-Mags because the cells are slightly thicker than normal AA cells.

When I recieved my bunch of Energizer 2500 I noticed that they really don't fit, unless you use a special trick:

The cells are isolated by a thin plastic layer on the outside, and at one side of the cell this layer wraps around, making the cell a little thicker:







If you turn it into the right position, the cell appears a little smaller:






Here comes the trick: When you insert the cells into the Mag, make sure that the cells are correctly aligned, so they don't touch neither each other nor the wall with their thick side!






Here is the proof that they really fit inside now:






They are fitting a little tight, but you can insert them all the way by nearly no force:






I haven't seen this trick on CPF before. Without it, it's really impossible to insert them into my Mag

Notice: My Mag was custom HA-III black anodized, but I don't think that changed the size of it.


----------



## winny (Feb 15, 2006)

Very useful! Thanks!


----------



## DaMeatMan (Feb 15, 2006)

That really is a usefull discovery indeed! Do you think it's safe to pull the plastic right off the battery all together, or does it serve any real purpose in holding anything in place?


----------



## Kryosphinx (Feb 15, 2006)

That's a nice trick, but can it fit with the correct holder?


----------



## Mike Painter (Feb 15, 2006)

Kryosphinx said:


> That's a nice trick, but can it fit with the correct holder?



Looking at the picture made me think that a "holder" is not really needed and this might lead to a much cheaper design.
A top plate with four guides (even wooden dowels might work well) and a bottom plate that slipped on to the dowels and was held in place by the tail would seem to work.

(I also noticed how the interior seems square where the batteries are.)


----------



## Starlight (Feb 15, 2006)

The "holder" is necessary, because it puts the cells in series, rather than parallel.


----------



## Mike Painter (Feb 16, 2006)

Starlight said:


> The "holder" is necessary, because it puts the cells in series, rather than parallel.


Remembering which way to load the batteries is the only difference that would make. I have quite a few items including flashlight and a camera where batteries are stuck into essentially a rectangular, rather than circular areas and series, parallel or both are decided by the end plates.
In fact I realize I have so many of them that I probably got "my" idea from those devices.


----------



## lexina (Feb 16, 2006)

This may explain why sometimes I can get my 7 Sanyo 2500s to fit into my unbored 2D (in a 8AA-2D MM adapter) relatively easily and other times they seem to jam. I had assumed that certain cells were slimmer and had marked the bottom 4 cells. Looks like I now may have to also mark their orientation.


----------



## davidefromitaly (Feb 16, 2006)

please somebody can try this trick with the cbp 1650?


----------



## ddaadd (Feb 16, 2006)

My CPB 1650's are max 0.558" min 0.556" OD....

ID of my 3D Mag is 1.341"

It is 65F, or apx 18C at my bench,

Orientated properly they barely started, but would not go past halfway in

without undue force. If the batteries were to heat up more than the 

housing it would tend to "form fit" the batteries, or the housing, 

hmmmm....

Update: I am pulling the switch out of my Mag to get them out now...

 

:lolsign:


----------



## wquiles (Feb 16, 2006)

Nice trick - thanks for sharing 

Will


----------



## ddaadd (Feb 16, 2006)

DaMeatMan said:


> Do you think it's safe to pull the plastic right off the battery all together, or does it serve any real purpose in holding anything in place?



You really don't want to do that, 

the exposed side would then be your negative contact.


----------



## bjn70 (Feb 16, 2006)

> My CPB 1650's are max 0.558" min 0.556" OD....
> 
> ID of my 3D Mag is 1.341"



Apparently mags vary some. My 0.556" batteries would NOT fit in my mag. I bought some that measured 0.550" and they fit fine. IIRC Alkaline AA's measure 0.550" also.


----------



## MoonRise (Feb 16, 2006)

pst, the IEC/ANSI spec for AA cells is 

diameter = 13.5 to 14.5 mm (0.5315 to 0.5709 inch)

length = 49.2 to 50.5 mm (1.9370 to 1.9881 inch)

So the cells involved here aren't even as big as a AA cell is 'allowed' to be!

BTW, good observation Spacemarine about the double layer wrap area being a bit thicker and how to orient that 'bump' to maybe get the cells to fit.


----------



## DaMeatMan (Feb 16, 2006)

ddaadd said:


> You really don't want to do that,
> 
> the exposed side would then be your negative contact.



You know what.. i don't even know why i didn't think of that first before asking the question. It's a really good thing you mentioned that though!


----------



## zelda (Feb 16, 2006)

This 8aa batteryholder fits in every D-size mag.


----------



## winny (Feb 16, 2006)

zelda said:


> This 8aa batteryholder fits in every D-size mag.



...unless the batteries are too thick.

Where did you get that battey holder?


----------



## zelda (Feb 16, 2006)

The 1900mAh batteries fits easy in an original mag and have about 0.5mm play.
The holder is self-made with some circuit boards.


----------



## CLHC (Feb 16, 2006)

Hey! Great information here. Way to go!

I don't have problem fitting eight (8) DURACELL & Energizer 2500mAhs with Modamag's 8AA to 2D battery adapter into mine. I've posted this in another thread, and they simply slide in "without" force, and slide back out. It has no "play" once in my un-bored 2D Maglite tube. Then again, Your Maglite May Vary.

Enjoy!


----------



## Phaserburn (Feb 16, 2006)

Very clever finding, Spacemarine! Thanks for the tip.


----------



## lexina (Feb 17, 2006)

Wow, I tried this trick and it really works! Managed to get 8 Sanyo 2500mAh in a MM 8AA-2D adapter into my unbored black Mag2D for the first time! It helps to rotate the cells slightly as you guide the adapter in to get just the right orientation. Thanks for the tip, Spacemarine! This thread deserves to be a sticky!


----------



## bfg9000 (Feb 17, 2006)

Ha! I have always done exactly the opposite and oriented my Energizer 2500's so that the overlapping parts of the label face outward, when inserting into my bored MagHID. The boring left a rough finish that chews up the wrappers, and I figured arranging them thickest side out would extend their life before they wore through.

They drop right into my older unbored black mags this way too, but those are smooth inside from the anodizing so it's not necessary.

You can gain a little extra space by cutting the sliding plastic insulators off the center post of the MM 8AA to 2D adaptor.


----------



## missionaryman (Feb 17, 2006)

wow great find - I can't believe how stupid almost everyone on the CPF including me, has been all this time.


----------



## Turbo_E (Feb 17, 2006)

^^^ ditto. i'm ordering a 8 AA adapter from Modamag now!

EDIT ordered and just found out that Sanyo 2300 mAh AA's from Costco will ft no problem (with proper orientation) 6AAs and 2 AAA for $16+tax CAD.

BTW i'm in Vancouver, Canada


----------



## bjn70 (Feb 18, 2006)

I opened up my light and took some measurements.

I bought Eveready 1800's to actually use in the light. They measure 0.550" and fit pretty well. My mag seems to be about 1.34" I.D. Previously I had bought some Panasonic 1950's that I thought would work but they didn't fit. They measured 0.556". Strangely they had several spots that seemed like overlapping seams, so it could be that with careful setting of the orientation they might fit. I didn't try that at the time.


----------



## Spacemarine (Feb 19, 2006)

Glad to hear the tip worked for you and you liked it!


----------



## Nabors (Feb 21, 2006)

I think that CBP has changed the 1650. I just bought some last week and they are measuring from .550-.552 and will fit in my both of my maglites just fine no matter how they are arranged. Where my energizer 2500 that measure ~.556 will only fit if I line up the labels.


----------



## PlayboyJoeShmoe (Feb 22, 2006)

It sounds like a worthy idea to be sticky!

If I didn't need to be in bed about a half hour ago I'd try it now.

As it is, Good Night!


----------



## VWTim (Feb 22, 2006)

FWIW it just tried this with 4 Sanyo 2500's in a purple 3D, no luck. Sounds like the variance in anodizing thicknesses that have been experienced when installing hotlips.


----------



## BentHeadTX (Feb 22, 2006)

Tried 8 Powerex 2500's--no dice,
I will try others to see how they fit, hopefully Sanyo Eneloops fit the unbored Mag.


----------



## aosty (Mar 20, 2006)

BentHeadTX said:


> hopefully Sanyo Eneloops fit the unbored Mag.



I just tried this... 4x Eneloops works in my unbored Mag with a Modamag holder.


----------



## LEDcandle (Mar 21, 2006)

Dang, and I spent days boring my mag... hahah...
But anyhow, my Supreme Power AAs 2300 seem thicker than the Sanyo 2500s even when stripped and rewrapped! So I doubt that would have worked.

But the Sanyo trick looks good... If only I had a unbored mag to try it


----------



## 91101 (Mar 31, 2006)

BentHeadTX said:


> Tried 8 Powerex 2500's--no dice,
> I will try others to see how they fit, hopefully Sanyo Eneloops fit the unbored Mag.



I've got 8 Powerex 2500's to fit (very tight) in a couple of my Mags. I'm going to buy one of these to open the lights up a little.
http://www.mytoolstore.com/kd/kdbrak08.html


----------



## Kal El in SLO (Apr 10, 2006)

i got some 2500mAh energizers to fit. it's pretty snug.....but i think ill just attach a tab to the bottom of my modamag holder to help me yank the batteries out of the tube.

an after thought..........is it safe to have batteries in the tube with no room for expansion? typically, how much do batteries expand when the heat up?

UPDATE: the batteries fit snug when i put them in the body by themselves(using the little trick)....but when i actually put them into the modamag 8AA holder, they didnt fit. i could force them in...but then they wouldnt come out. 
I had to cut the insulation off and re-wrap the batteries with thinner insulation. now they work great.


----------



## flash (Jun 24, 2006)

Has anyone tried this with rayovac ic3's? Would it make a diiference if it were a colored maglite?


----------



## beefy6969 (Jul 3, 2006)

Anyone tried this with batteryjunction's AA "Ternergy" 2600mAh?


----------



## dan_ (Jul 22, 2006)

Good stuff! In the first attempt my Sanyo 2500 wouldn´t fit, I even thought I´ld try to rip of the plastic layer from the batteries but thought I´ld better not. I posted my idea of taking of the plastic in the german cpf mailinglist and spacemarine gave me the link to this thread. 
'Tried it out - works great! Sweeeeet! 
:goodjob: spacemarine! thanks!

now I´ve got to get a 2d->8aa adapter... :naughty:


----------



## milkyspit (Apr 25, 2007)

It works! It works! 

Bump for a worthwhile thread.


----------



## TheInvader (Nov 25, 2009)

2.5 year bump for an AWESOME THREAD!

This trick needs to stay heard, you don't need to bore.

Duracell precharged black tops didn't fit, white tops (eneloop cousins) didn't fit either.
Energizer 2450's slid in about 2/3rds, then stopped and had to beat the mag on my floor to get them out.

I would say if you found a way to re-sleeve the batteries, you could do this with any kind.


----------

