# Question concerning Maglite 2AA



## bucky beaver (Aug 27, 2012)

I have a Maglite 2AA LED flashlight and had a question. I have done a search here and found multiple answers. In my paperwork for the Maglite it says not to use rechargeable batteries. There seems to be some variable opinions on here though. I had found some people saying they were able to use rechargeables. I would prefer to be able to use Eneloops or something rechargeable like that for the convenience of recharging, and also due to having less chance of an alkaline battery leaking and ruining the flashlight. If anyone has any experience and has done this before, help would be appreciated. Also, if you do use rechargeables, does that change the output at all?


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## Chicken Drumstick (Aug 27, 2012)

NiMh rechargeables will be fine in it. They are slightly lower voltage, but it won't hurt anything. An alternative would be lithium primaries, more costly but longer run times and very good shelf life if its a backup light.


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## Swedpat (Aug 27, 2012)

Chicken Drumstick said:


> NiMh rechargeables will be fine in it. They are slightly lower voltage, but it won't hurt anything. An alternative would be lithium primaries, more costly but longer run times and very good shelf life if its a backup light.



And if I am not wrong that's only in the very beginning of the runtime. After a quite short while alkalines will drop to 1,2V and less, while NiMh stay longer time at 1,2V.


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## yellow (Aug 27, 2012)

bucky beaver said:


> some people saying they were able to use rechargeables.


You are mixing something up ...

_Of course _they will run with rechargeables and of course some ppl might have been able to use them ...
... but the maker does _not allow _it.
So if anything fails, there will be no guarantee


PS: alkis are not able to deliver good current, while rechargeables can. They can and will kill lights (when electronics are "bad" enought).
PPS: if I d use those jokey lights, I would also cram rechargeables in them. But I want more light output, multilevel, less unnecessary lenght, a clicky switch and way more power in the cell ... thats why I do recommend an 18650 Li-Ion light ...


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## bucky beaver (Aug 27, 2012)

Thanks for the help guys. Much appreciated. :thumbsup:


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## Swedpat (Aug 27, 2012)

bucky beaver said:


> Thanks for the help guys. Much appreciated. :thumbsup:



At first I didn't notice you are new here. :welcome:


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## LowLumen (Aug 27, 2012)

Looking at the current/voltage curve on the 'pictures' at Amazon, it's clear the Mag 2AA is not regulated. (at least not the one tested there....) So based on that data, I would say you are better off running it with something like Eneloop. You will have a much flatter light output for duration of the charge. Output from Alkaline will drop like a rock. Ff anything could possibly be a problem, I would think the higher voltage from AA lithium might be. If Mag says it's ok for lithium AA, Eneloops should not be a problem at all.


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## lwknight (Aug 27, 2012)

Hmmm, I would have thought that by " don't use rechargeables " they meant don't try using 14500s
Mine that I just tested is the older single speed model and with eneloops did not burn any differently with than with lithium primaries or alkies.
I will try it on my 2 speed Minimag and if its worth reporting I will post it.


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## bucky beaver (Aug 27, 2012)

lwknight said:


> Hmmm, I would have thought that by " don't use rechargeables " they meant don't try using 14500s
> Mine that I just tested is the older single speed model and with eneloops did not burn any differently with than with lithium primaries or alkies.
> I will try it on my 2 speed Minimag and if its worth reporting I will post it.



Thanks. My model is the 4 speed model with high, low, blink, and SOS. I just got out the pamphlet again that the light came with to make sure I was not wrong with what I posted. It actually has 2 warnings. They are:
Use only alkaline batteries from a reputable manufacturer.
Do not use rechargeable or reuseable alkaline batteries.

As a flashlight newbie, I guess I was just more worried about doing something wrong that would cause some damage to the light. I had assumed the first warning meant to only use alkalines, and the second warning for them not to be rechargeable.


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## LowLumen (Aug 27, 2012)

Mag lite has so many revs and versions of this light, it's hard to know what is where, but if you have the "Mag lite 2AA SP2201H" than look this up on Amazon and look at the pictures "NLee the engineer" has posted there. This will answer the question as to why they do not recommend Ni-MH batteries: The light is not regulated and output drops rapidly as battery voltage drops below 2.6 volts. This will not even drain the most out of Alkaline cells. If you use 1.25 volt rechargables, the light will be very dim. WoW!


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## Mr Floppy (Aug 27, 2012)

bucky beaver said:


> Do not use rechargeable or reuseable alkaline batteries.



When I first read that, it read to me that you shouldn't use rechargeable alkaline batteries, such as the rechargeable alkaline manganese ones. For a start, the internal resistance of those things are awful and they'll leak when you try and drain them too much or pop when you put them back in the charger.


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## Chicken Drumstick (Aug 28, 2012)

LowLumen said:


> Looking at the current/voltage curve on the 'pictures' at Amazon, it's clear the Mag 2AA is not regulated. (at least not the one tested there....) So based on that data, I would say you are better off running it with something like Eneloop. You will have a much flatter light output for duration of the charge. Output from Alkaline will drop like a rock. Ff anything could possibly be a problem, I would think the higher voltage from AA lithium might be. If Mag says it's ok for lithium AA, Eneloops should not be a problem at all.



I'm not so sure about the older LED Mini Mags, but the current Pro and Pro+ are regulated, but for maximum runtime vs performance on alkalines rather than flat regulation.


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## rambo180 (Aug 28, 2012)

yellow said:


> if I d use those jokey lights, I would also cram rechargeables in them. QUOTE]
> 
> dammit mate thats a pretty massive call. I'm pretty sure most people on this forum own/have owned Maglites, they were the biggest flashlight manufacturer in the world and they're still going strong. They're less than half the price of many of YOUR manufacturers and almost as high quality.


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## edpmis02 (Aug 28, 2012)

I have two rebel based minimags, and performance is very spotty with NiMh (eneloops). They start to flicker (change modes) when I turn them on so I put the batteries back in the charger and they only take 300mAh. If they are charged and then turned on and just let them run.. they are fine.. I tried everything and cleaned them multiple times.. I now use alkalines in them!


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## peterkin101 (Aug 28, 2012)

I can't speak for the Maglite AA LED torches as I've never used them in that.

However, I've used Sanyo LSD 2500mAh XX Eneloops in my modded Maglite 2 x AA torch.

They work PERFECTLY!


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## yellow (Aug 29, 2012)

rambo180 said:


> they were
> 
> They're less than half the price of many


correct on _were_


"less than half the price" :thinking: ... maybe the original Minimags, but not with the led models.
They cost the same than the typical Fenix here
(and I think one can bet on them being much more costy at Yours in AU, as there the prices for lights seem to be even higher than here in Europe)


PS: compare any 2*AA led model with something like f.e. a Fenix 2*AA.
Is there anything it can make better?
There simply is _nothing_, not in size, not in output, not in material/finishing(s), not in what cells are allowed to be used, not in switching action (reliability/safety from accidential switching on), ...

And - not to be forgotten and my personal main point - _there have been statements for a led model the time Fenix entered and stomped the market_. The real lights came years later and were made like the crappy led-lights that have been produced as first-time-tries from garage shops ...
... not what from such a longtime and reputable maker should have been offered! I expected much better


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## rambo180 (Aug 29, 2012)

yellow said:


> correct on _were_
> 
> 
> "less than half the price" :thinking: ... maybe the original Minimags, but not with the led models.
> ...



Guess the price varies a lot per country. Fenix dual AA lights here would be 50-60, AA mags can be picked up for a little over 20.

*MAGLITES HAVE FOCUS!!! there is DEFINATLEY something that differentiates them from FENIX. You're absolutley incorrect!!!*

So to me they're much cheaper and have focus and I love AAs and the size is very comparible as well. Many of your comments are more subjective opinion rather than fact.

Yes Fenix may well be finished better and not accidentally switch on (whatever that means - don't get it since you would never accidentally TWIST ON the head of a maglite pro, but whatevs). Watch your mouth!


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## tickled (Aug 31, 2012)

rambo180 said:


> Guess the price varies a lot per country. Fenix dual AA lights here would be 50-60, AA mags can be picked up for a little over 20. *MAGLITES HAVE FOCUS!!! there is DEFINATLEY something that differentiates them from FENIX. You're absolutley incorrect!!!* So to me they're much cheaper and have focus and I love AAs and the size is very comparible as well. Many of your comments are more subjective opinion rather than fact. Yes Fenix may well be finished better and not accidentally switch on (whatever that means - don't get it since you would never accidentally TWIST ON the head of a maglite pro, but whatevs). Watch your mouth!


 I wouldn't say my MiniMAG AA LED has focusability (?). It kind of just goes from horribly artifact laced beam to slightly less horribly artifact laced beam. I don't consider it a selling point or even useful. If it were me I'd probably compare it to cheap single AA Fenix lights like the E11 which has a higher high and low setting without the flashing modes and very reasonably price.


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## lwknight (Aug 31, 2012)

I have one of the 4 speed minimags. The teeny tiny focused hot spot can match the candela of most 400-500 lumen lights.
So if batteries are very very difficult to obtain and you need a bit of throw , the mini mag can do that while being a battery miser at the same time.
Other than that I have a 2XAAA penlight that beats the minimag in every way except battery life and that little hot spot that can throw a few more feet.


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## rambo180 (Sep 3, 2012)

lwknight said:


> I have one of the 4 speed minimags. The teeny tiny focused hot spot can match the candela of most 400-500 lumen lights.
> So if batteries are very very difficult to obtain and you need a bit of throw , the mini mag can do that while being a battery miser at the same time.
> Other than that I have a 2XAAA penlight that beats the minimag in every way except battery life and that little hot spot that can throw a few more feet.



Interesting. Thankyou ticklet and lwknight.


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## ToyTank (Sep 3, 2012)

If the light is direct drive alkaline or lithium will be brighter. WIth NIMH though you get real long runtimes at lower output.

I have modded incan minimags with HRCI 5mm LEDS vf 3.0-3.6V and they are very bright for almost the whole life of a lithium battery and about half the life of an alkaline then you get the long taper.

With NIMH it is bright with about 50ma draw until it hits about 1.35 per cell then output and draw drops to about 3-5 ma. After 1.25 draw is 1ma but output is still usable and should run for about 1000 hours as voltage drops current drops. Not sure I think about 1.15v per cell it may stop I'm actually 4 days into a runtime test.


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## Obsessed (Sep 5, 2012)

tickled said:


> I wouldn't say my MiniMAG AA LED has focusability (?). It kind of just goes from horribly artifact laced beam to slightly less horribly artifact laced beam. I don't consider it a selling point or even useful. If it were me I'd probably compare it to cheap single AA Fenix lights like the E11 which has a higher high and low setting without the flashing modes and very reasonably price.



Truer words have never been spoken. 

The only thing I use my Mags for is to show how dim they are next to my Flashaholic Lights. :devil:


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## bladesmith3 (Sep 6, 2012)

Obsessed said:


> Truer words have never been spoken.
> 
> The only thing I use my Mags for is to show how dim they are next to my Flashaholic Lights. :devil:





sad thing is........ that is also my only use for my mini mags. lol


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## rambo180 (Sep 9, 2012)

bladesmith3 said:


> sad thing is........ that is also my only use for my mini mags. lol



OK are we talking similar price and batteries/size range mags to your flashaholic torches.. or are we compring a Thrunite TN11s to a maglite mini. Apples and oranges guys! apples and oranges.

(I am not sure I want to know the answer, i'm afraid to hear the mags are in the same battery category and get blown away! haha)


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## ericjohn (Sep 18, 2012)

Back in late 2005 and early 2006, I had my first to be several of Mini Maglites. At the time I had no income and only so much in the bank. Ergo, instead of buying alkaline AA's constantly, I used some NiMH AA's. Talk about overdrive. Running the Krypton bi-pin on those batteries produced a more potent light than running their current Xenon bi-pins on alkalines, iirc. I had used that light everyday, several times a day. The bulb lasted from December to May. I wouldn't advise doing this with a Xenon lamp. I had a S&W 2AA Xenon flashlight, it was designed to run on two Energizer Max (alkalines.) I thought it would be cool to run it on Energizer Ultimate Lithium. Insta-flash. Luckily I had a spare bulb. Xenon bulbs are more sensitive to higher voltages, so that is why I wouldn't advise using NiMH or Lithium on Mini Maglites with Xenon bulbs. If you can find the Krypton bi-pins, they will make a VERY strong light when overdriven. 

Here's something interesting I have observed:
I had a couple of batteries (AA Energizer Ultimate Lithiums.) At the time, I my cell phone charger went out, so I went to the Home Depot and purchased an Energizer phone charger that was powered on AA batteries. I had charged my phone (a Motorola Buzz) and used up those batteries, or so I thought. For the hell of it, I tried them in one of my flashlights and it was still as bright as if the batteries were fresh out the package. Some months later, I tried them in my aforementioned Mini Maglite (yes that is the story I just told about the overdriven Krypton bi-pin.) I decided to hook one of them up to my electrical multi tester. After all that use, I still had a reading of 1.7 Volts! Do the math, there had to be some kind of voltage drop from using those batteries and they were still putting out more power than a fresh Alkaline battery. I am guessing they must have a fresh voltage of 1.8x but I am not sure. 

Works wonderfully with a Krypton bulb, but would instantly kill a Xenon bulb.

Enough of that.

The point I am trying to get across is; it is allright to use NiMH or Lithium on a Mini Maglite equipped with a Krypton bulb, but don't you dare try it with a Xenon. If you do you will have wasted at least $0.98. If you are still interested in using NiMH, buy some White Star bi-pins in bulk. Given the right (slightly excessive) amount of power this bulb can be really something else.


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## thospress (Aug 5, 2015)

bucky beaver said:


> I have a Maglite 2AA LED flashlight and had a question. I have done a search here and found multiple answers. In my paperwork for the Maglite it says not to use rechargeable batteries. There seems to be some variable opinions on here though. I had found some people saying they were able to use rechargeables. I would prefer to be able to use Eneloops or something rechargeable like that for the convenience of recharging, and also due to having less chance of an alkaline battery leaking and ruining the flashlight. If anyone has any experience and has done this before, help would be appreciated. Also, if you do use rechargeables, does that change the output at all?



I emailed Maglite Customer Service to ask that question and their response was that all rechargeables will shorten the life of Mag leds. Their rationale is that rechargeables maintain a constant voltage while the alkalines (which their lights are designed to use) do not. Does this make sense to anyone out there and if so, would it apply to other lights that warn against using rechargeables (like Inova)?


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## WarRaven (Aug 5, 2015)

Hmm, through a voltage drop under load?
Natural though most want to drive a led to keep light output up, not let it dwindle down for self preservation of the light over the users preservation.
A NiMH gives what you need, alkaleaks give what the oem needs.

Kind of like torque management in new trucks, you simply can't have all the power, you might use it and cost oem a warranty claim.


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Aug 5, 2015)

Any light designed to require the internal resistance of alkaline batteries to work properly, is crap. And Maglites fall into this category.

Yes, I have noticed that Maglites tend to run brighter on NiMH batteries, compared to alkalines. Since Maglites are so poorly heatsinked, perhaps this does cause the LED to wear out prematurely. If it does, well, it's time to buy a better light. Get a light that is output-regulated, and designed to work with NiMH batteries.


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## leon2245 (Aug 5, 2015)

Mini maglites work great on eneloops! No ill effects with mine, and even if NiMH did suddenly start destroying them for some reason after all this time, I would simply walk into any big box store (Walmart, target, Home Depot, lowes, sears etc.) & just swap them out for new ones. And even if I didn't have that option, if/when mine fail they're so inexpensive I wouldn't hesitate for a second to rebuy. Best all round lights I've ever owned at any price, for my purposes; the only downside is how mad the Internet will get at you for liking them so much!


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## KeepingItLight (Aug 5, 2015)

Gotta say, a discussion between Maglite fans and Maglite detractors can be more contentious than a debate about NW vs. CW!

It should be easy, however, for all to agree on one thing. If Maglite is making a 2x AA flashlight for which it expressly states that rechargeable NiMH batteries should not be used, that is a model we cannot recommend. Period.


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## leon2245 (Aug 5, 2015)

KeepingItLight said:


> It should be easy, however, for all to agree on one thing.






The Internet would shut down, if that ever happens on any topic.


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Aug 5, 2015)

KeepingItLight said:


> It should be easy, however, for all to agree on one thing. If Maglite is making a 2x AA flashlight for which it expressly states that rechargeable NiMH batteries should not be used, that is a model we cannot recommend. Period.



IIRC, they state that for all their lights, not just the 2xAA format. I have no idea if it really harms them if you use NiMH or not. NiMH seem to work fine, but perhaps it's doing long-term damage. Or, I'm sure we could come up with a number of conspiracy theories about why Maglite states to only use alkalines.


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## KeepingItLight (Aug 5, 2015)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> *IIRC, they state that for all their lights, not just the 2xAA format.* I have no idea if it really harms them if you use NiMH or not. NiMH seem to work fine, but perhaps it's doing long-term damage. Or, I'm sure we could come up with a number of conspiracy theories about why Maglite states to only use alkalines.




Wow. That sounds like a bad marketing move. 

To me, the reason is not important. If a flashlight taking AA batteries is not rated by its manufacturer for use with all three common types of AA battery, then it's a no-go for me. Same thing for AAA.


NiMH rechargeable 
Lithium primary 
Alkaline primary 
If any of these formats is missing from the specs, then I don't buy. Period. 

Perhaps the flashlight in question has been designed for all three battery types, but the maker is withholding that fact for some reason. That does not matter to me. I don't have the patience to try to find out what might work or not. Besides that, using a battery type that is not recommended could invalidate a warranty.

Rechargeable 3.7v Li-ion 14500s are different. Sometimes I like an AA flashlight to take those in addition to the three formats listed above, but not always.

I am more tolerant for flashlights using C- and D-size batteries. Lithium primary and NiMH rechargeable batteries are a little harder to find in those sizes.

Any Maglite experts know about this? How many Mags have specs that say, "Do not use rechargeable batteries" or "Only for use with alkaline batteries?" Most? All?


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## KeepingItLight (Aug 5, 2015)

KeepingItLight said:


> It should be easy, however, for all to agree on one thing...





leon2245 said:


> The Internet would shut down, if that ever happens on any topic.



Well, I did hedge a little bit when I said "should!" :laughing:


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## more_vampires (Aug 5, 2015)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> IIRC, they state that for all their lights, not just the 2xAA format. I have no idea if it really harms them if you use NiMH or not. NiMH seem to work fine, but perhaps it's doing long-term damage. Or, I'm sure we could come up with a number of conspiracy theories about why Maglite states to only use alkalines.


Magcharger, sir. Maglite sells NiMH packs for their Magchargers and don't want you to buy anyone else's. They made the pack a funky length to "stop" (lol) you from using aftermarket batteries.

Curse you, Maglite! You've foiled us from modifying!


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Aug 5, 2015)

more_vampires said:


> Magcharger, sir. Maglite sells NiMH packs for their Magchargers and don't want you to buy anyone else's. They made the pack a funky length to "stop" (lol) you from using aftermarket batteries.



Heh, maybe they designed their proprietary battery to have the same crappy performance as alkalines!


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## WarRaven (Aug 5, 2015)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> Heh, maybe they designed their proprietary battery to have the same crappy performance as alkalines!


I really didn't want to say that but, um possible.☺


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## more_vampires (Aug 5, 2015)

Well it takes forever and a day to charge from dry, 16hrs IIRC. That's one strike on it.


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## WarRaven (Aug 5, 2015)

Everyone I knew back then with magchargers, would always be so proud about that light, it'd go like... Let me go get my light and show you fellas...
We'd all be gone.
It's only good if it's on you ☺

Just kidding.


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## KeepingItLight (Aug 5, 2015)

KeepingItLight said:


> Any Maglite experts know about this? How many Mags have specs that say, "Do not use rechargeable batteries" or "Only for use with alkaline batteries?" Most? All?



Gee. Can't I even get a sheepish, "Well, there are a few!"


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## leon2245 (Aug 5, 2015)

KeepingItLight said:


> Well, I did hedge a little bit when I said "should!" :laughing:






lol I know, sometimes I feel like everyone "should" agree with _me_, yet they insist on maintaining their own opinions & experiences (the nerve)!

:whoopin:

Sooo frustrating!


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## xxo (Aug 6, 2015)

thospress said:


> I emailed Maglite Customer Service to ask that question and their response was that all rechargeables will shorten the life of Mag leds. Their rationale is that rechargeables maintain a constant voltage while the alkalines (which their lights are designed to use) do not. Does this make sense to anyone out there and if so, would it apply to other lights that warn against using rechargeables (like Inova)?



I think that advice is a hold over from the incandescent and early direct drive LEDs. Maglite's newer LEDs are fully regulated and work fine with NiMH's. I have never used anything other than Eneloops in my Mini Mag Pro and they work great. 

The ML125 uses the same LED as the Pro/Pro+ Mini Mags and it is intended to run on both its own 6 V NiMH battery pack or alkaline C cells. The Magcharger LED uses the same LED as the ML300 and runs on a NiHM battery. If there is any reduction in the life of the LED, I'm sure it is minimal and not something I would worry about. I'm guessing NiMH's in LED Mags are less harmful to LED's than many of the overdriven lights that are popular here.


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## Minimoog (Feb 3, 2016)

I have one of the early AA LED lights - with SOS and STROBE modes and another slightly later one without the SOS, but was wondering if it is possible to use NiZn in these or will it overdrive the LED?


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## bykfixer (Feb 3, 2016)

xxo said:


> I think that advice is a hold over from the incandescent and early direct drive LEDs. Maglite's newer LEDs are fully regulated and work fine with NiMH's. I have never used anything other than Eneloops in my Mini Mag Pro and they work great.
> 
> The ML125 uses the same LED as the Pro/Pro+ Mini Mags and it is intended to run on both its own 6 V NiMH battery pack or alkaline C cells. The Magcharger LED uses the same LED as the ML300 and runs on a NiHM battery. If there is any reduction in the life of the LED, I'm sure it is minimal and not something I would worry about. I'm guessing NiMH's in LED Mags are less harmful to LED's than many of the overdriven lights that are popular here.



I just did some reading at the Mag site and yeah it looks like hold over advice. Maybe due to the potential dangers of certain chemistries being used by the same folks who sue a fast food joint for serving hot coffee after burning them selves, or sued a bicycle maker when their kid dressed in all black got hit by a car after dark...

Or perhaps the big 3 battery companies pay Mag to place their batteries in the blister packs?

I've been using eneloops with zero issues in mini mag incans, LEDs and Nite-Ize'd.


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## MikeSalt (Feb 4, 2016)

For me, there's only two possible reasons:

1) Not wanting to cannabilise sales from the Magcharger
2) Tie-in deals with major battery manufacturers. Heck, I could see Duracell giving them the cells for the blister packs for free to carry the 'Do not use rechargeable batteries' notice on them.


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## KeepingItLight (Feb 4, 2016)

I had some fun with this in a post I wrote last year entitled Why does Maglite say, "Alkaline only?" 

Here is what I wrote:

Why do you suppose Maglite says to use alkaline batteries only in some of its flashlights?

(This could be a poll.)

1. Do you think there is a conspiracy? Maglite engineers have designed a flashlight that works fine on NiMH rechargeables and lithium primaries, but the company does not want you to know about this?

2. Maglite engineers have recommended alkaline only.

There is a precedent for the latter. Some flashlight designs rely on the high internal resistance of alkaline batteries to limit current. When you use a battery that has lower internal resistance, such as NiMH or lithium, those designs will pull more current than they are intended for. Most flashlight experts agree that these are inferior designs.

Designs which use a direct-drive-like regulation would fall into this category more often than those with other types of regulation. Judging by the runtime charts posted above, Maglite certainly qualifies in that regard. Those charts exhibit direct-drive-like behavior.

I am not much for conspiracy theories. When Maglite requires alkaline only, I am inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt. My guess is that there is no conspiracy. Maglite engineers told the company, "Alkaline only."

The thread I linked above contains several interesting responses.


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## CelticCross74 (Feb 13, 2016)

I have a dozen mini mags. Throughout trial and error, switching this bulb for that etc I finally discovered Energizer Ultimate Lithiums. These Energizer crank all my mini mags to the max and they last forever. I have yet to blow a LED or bulb. Somehow I ended up with the latest mini Pro pluses. True, the variable focus feature on these lights are useless but damn do they crank with the Energizers more so than any other cell Ive tried in them. Ive got so many different LED upgrades in them all I cannot remember what they are but all of them are MUCH brighter on the Energizers.


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## junkman (Dec 19, 2019)

Sorry to bump an old thread but this is a good thread. 

I have a newish 332lumen Mini maglite pro 2AA light. SP2p01H with a build date of 4/17. The reason I got it was to replace my trusty old incon minimag that the batteries leaked in and ruined. I keep this in my jeep and try to keep them fresh but I think its the temp changes that cause problems. Here in new england we get temps from 0F (-17c) to 95F. 
I have been reading here that lithiums are safer when it comes to leaks but I worry about damaging my LED maglite. I found some threads that say the early LED mags where not current controlled so they needed alkaline to limit the current. I can't find much about using lithiums in the newer LED lamps. My plan was to use energizer ultimate lithiums and replace every year regardless of charge to avoid leaks. 

Thanks.


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## bykfixer (Dec 19, 2019)

Good bump. 

Ultimate lithiums are fine to use. Same voltage as an alkaline starting out, they just don't sag as much as alkalines while in use. 

Welcome to the site by the way. (Sandford&Son theme song plays in background)


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## junkman (Dec 20, 2019)

Thank you for the welcome. 

So I picked up a set of the enegizer lithiums and they are nice and fresh made in 8/19. They sit at a no load voltage of 1.8volts. 
It didn't blow up but am a little concerned about the current. 
With the alkalines the flashlites spikes to 500ma then drops down to 200-250ma. 
With the lithiums it spikes to something something over 1amp then settles down to a steady 500ma. 
The torch also seems to get warm kinda quick but doesn't seem to be running away. It stays steady. 
:thinking:


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## xxo (Dec 20, 2019)

No worries with ultimate lithiums in Mini Mag's, as soon as they are under load Voltage drops to below 1.5 Volts. Ultimate lithiums, Eneleloops/rebranded Eneloops and Tenavolts are all I use in my LED Mini Mags and they all work great. Take a look at Robin Wang's Maglite reviews over at led-resource.com, he tested the Mini Mag LEDs with ultimate lithiums and eneloops.


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## junkman (Dec 20, 2019)

Great link. Mr Wang's site VERY informative. 
With your and bykfixers reassurance I am going to stick with the lithiums and not worry about it.
Thanks.


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