What did you use your flashlight for today?

[aznsx]

Will stop at about the 4 hour marker to swap the cell position, as cells in series tend to drain the first or the last cell quicker than the other, but I don't remember which.

Some 'light reading' for you DC;-)

(...but as always, don't believe everything you read;-)

Seems likely to me that operating temp and DCIR are factors which come into play in the process, but I've not done the testing myself.

Thread 'Uneven battery drain'

Jul 16, 2004

I ran down a pair of cells in my SF 6P the other day, the light turned orange, ran for a couple of seconds, then didn't light up so I changed the cells. (yeah I know it's not advisable to run them truly 'dead'. Leave that to the Lux..)

Just out of curiosity, I put both cells on my DMM, measuring both voltage and flash amps. One cell clocks in at 2.33V, with 0.5A flash amps and dropping fast. The other cell surprisingly measures 2.6V with 2+ flash amps, drops but not as rapidly. To double check my readings, I put the cells in my E1e+KL1 (one cell at a time, of course). The 0.5A cell starts...

• KevinL
• Replies: 18
• Forum: Flashlight Electronics - Batteries Included

 

[TPA]

I'm sad to say.. other than reading menus... nothing. I have a clip-on no-name booklight I use at night before bed, but... nada.

 

[Monocrom]

There's always tomorrow.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

I haven't used any lights for a couple of days, but last week I used my PD36R to check my soldering work while replacing a SMT component on a motherboard.

 

[dc38]

Some 'light reading' for you DC;-)

(...but as always, don't believe everything you read;-)

Seems likely to me that operating temp and DCIR are factors which come into play in the process, but I've not done the testing myself.

Thread 'Uneven battery drain'

Jul 16, 2004

I ran down a pair of cells in my SF 6P the other day, the light turned orange, ran for a couple of seconds, then didn't light up so I changed the cells. (yeah I know it's not advisable to run them truly 'dead'. Leave that to the Lux..)

Just out of curiosity, I put both cells on my DMM, measuring both voltage and flash amps. One cell clocks in at 2.33V, with 0.5A flash amps and dropping fast. The other cell surprisingly measures 2.6V with 2+ flash amps, drops but not as rapidly. To double check my readings, I put the cells in my E1e+KL1 (one cell at a time, of course). The 0.5A cell starts...

• KevinL
• Replies: 18
• Forum: Flashlight Electronics - Batteries Included

I think you're correct.

For this particular 2AA light, the cell closest to the head seems to consistently discharge more quickly. I'm 3 sets of disposables deep, and 4 recharges on the NiMH. After swapping the cells back and forth, the voltages consistently flip flopped, with strong indictors that the head cell is draining more quickly while in use.

 

[aznsx]

I think you're correct.

For this particular 2AA light, the cell closest to the head seems to consistently discharge more quickly. I'm 3 sets of disposables deep, and 4 recharges on the NiMH. After swapping the cells back and forth, the voltages consistently flip flopped, with strong indictors that the head cell is draining more quickly while in use.

All this leads me to wonder. We're told by reliable sources that cell imbalance in series multi-cell lights can lead to serious issues / consequences with most any chemistry, including alkaline. It seems we're also informed that merely operating such a light can lead to / create such cell imbalance. I don't know what to say about that;-).

 

[TPA]

My fiancée was putting in extra hours at work, so I went for an hour long walk tonight. Wurkkos FC11C Nichia 519A 4,000K.

The light was surprisingly good for the task despite being a single-LED flashlight. The rosy warmth of the Nichia was much appreciated and felt rather calming. I was running the light close to max power for most of the walk. I would have liked something brighter, but it was more than enough.

First time I've gone walking at night in ages... since she got sick. I'm hoping to get my walking partner back soon.

 

[dc38]

All this leads me to wonder. We're told by reliable sources that cell imbalance in series multi-cell lights can lead to serious issues / consequences with most any chemistry, including alkaline. It seems we're also informed that merely operating such a light can lead to / create such cell imbalance. I don't know what to say about that;-).

I suppose that might be one of the reasons that disposable cells might be more desireable in certain highly abusive or hostile environments, because there is less of a concern for maintenance and continued regulation of such power sources..."when in doubt, throw it out!"

I'm sure we've both seen instances where cells (or even batteries) in series apparently draw more heavily from one cell than the other, and from my more mechanically biased mind, it makes sense...sipping through a straw creates a vacuum, and if you put a membrane between 2 straws to simulate 2 cells in series, the membrane (resistance?) causes a higher vacuum to form in the section closest to the sipper, while the second portion only experiences whatever maximum "suckage" the membrane allows. Maybe that's a bad analogy, I dunno..

 

[Jean-Luc Descarte]

Used my S2+ tan to check my shoesole. Turns out I'd stepped on a piece of poo and didn't even realize it, only my mother could smell it.

Wiped it off all with a dried stick, especially inside the grooves. Good as new.

 

[ven]

3 big acebeam hitters , lowering the power packs V, then top back up to cycle the cells
Which one is the vn54 neutral?

 

[ven]

X75,r40vn 5000k,x65vn 5000k,x25

 

[ven]

Have you been extra busy lately, ven? I don't recall hearing from you much in the last weeks.
Anyhow -- good to have you back.
I suspect that rust is caused by ... oxidation.

To be honest , just tied up with life. I run several G shock groups and it’s nothing for a week then I’m on fire a little. Change jobs, different hour/pattern, kids GCSE exams and university , spinning plates my friend at times! Now and then will chill and post a few pics . Sometimes work, sometimes home. Hope well

 

[aznsx]

Change jobs

That'll usually toss the cat amongst the pigeons for a while!;-)

I hope it is an improvement for you after things settle down!

 

[Monocrom]

So, night before last, I got a Home Depot box delivered before heading to work. Four items inside. Two of them were a Ryobi universal chainsaw carrier bag. And, a Ryobi USB lithium battery flashlight. The other two was an extra Ryobi USB battery, and a Ryobi compact Area Light that takes the same battery. Unboxed the chainsaw bag. Couldn't see all the way to the bottom of the box. So, used my brand new Ryobi USB battery flashlight on high mode (600 rated lumens) to see if there was anything in the bottom of the box. (Yeah, nothing else of value down there.)

 

[Monocrom]

Bit of backstory.... Foot doctor in our neighborhood. Only works in this location after 3pm. Elderly mother needs his help. Usually goes to him once a month, sometimes once every two months. As she's gotten older, she can't walk the less than handful of blocks to his office. Uses Uber as the car-service to get there and back. Last visit there was an incident. Normally she goes and comes back on her own. Well, last time the Uber driver did nothing to help her into the van. The ones designated to be used for elderly, crippled, handicapped individuals. Turns out, those vans lack foot-stools. Something that should be a required item. She fell, onto one knee; onto the hard metal surface of the van. Started bleeding.

Somehow, when she got home, most of the blood was absorbed into her shoe. (Thankfully I was able to get it clean, and salvage her shoe.) Several weeks of bandaging up her knee until the wound finally closed up. I bought a folding step-stool at the local hardware store. But it was a bit too high, and a bit too narrow for her to use. Went on eBay, found a wooden step-stool with plenty of rubberized spots on it. Looked ideal. Wide, but narrow height. Bought it. Perfect for her. We are not having another bloody knee incident!

Also, now I accompany her to that particular medical appointment. Yesterday was one of them. (I carry the foot-stool in a very durable, thick material shopping bag.) Needed to use the restroom. I walk in. It is ridiculously tiny. I don't close the door immediately. Look around for the light-switch. Not there! Pull out my Nebo Newton Torchy 300. Close and lock the door. Searching for that light-switch. Nope! There is none. I do my business with one hand on the light. The other holding my Manhood. Finish up. Crack the door open to get some light, and wash my hands. Step out, the light-switch is just off to my left, outside the restroom. Same color as the wall, and barely visible. Thankfully on that visit, that was the only drama that took place.

 

[Kitchen Panda]

Doing a little wiring project in the garage (installing a couple of X10 modules so I can turn the lights off from the house instead of going to the garage when I see I've left the lights on...should have done this a decade ago) and reached a natural pause in the project (aka hardware store visit required to purchase those NMW staples I swore I had in the bottom of the toolbox).

Rain starts, She Who Must Be Obeyed recommends I close the doors to garage...head out, move wheelbarrow that was holding the door open and manage to knock over a little glass bottle of random hardware (wood screws, machine screws, brad nails, and bits like that) that I was going to put away as part of the garage clean-up. Glass jar shatters, gather up all the hardware for later sortation, and collect ...almost...all the glass fragments.

I head a skittering sound as I was cleaning up as I kicked *something* under the car. Should I look for it?

Pull out the Rovyvon A3 and shine it under the car...sure enough, there's a big piece of the bottom of the bottle sitting *directly* in front of my almost *brand new tire* installed just a couple of weeks ago. And the piece has a nice projecting bit of the side of the bottle attached, as if was purpose -made to pop a tire.

A rare case of me doing the responsible thing instead of shrugging it off, which paid off well. I drive over enough broken glass that I don't know about...why increase the odds of a puncture when 15 seconds of illumination will spot the problem and allow an immediate solution?

 

[TPA]

Doing a little wiring project in the garage (installing a couple of X10 modules so I can turn the lights off from the house instead of going to the garage when I see I've left the lights on

I had no idea X-10 was still around or that any of it would still be working. I started with that stuff in the 1980s and used it up until the mid 00s when Insteon came out and was a huge improvement.

I'm currently debating which technology to go with next. In this place, some of the Insteon keypads and switches have given up. At my beach place, the dodgy power during & numerous temporary rigs afterwards did a number on those. I want something which has local control, multi-button keypads. I see Insteon is still around but the prices are obnoxious.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

This morning I flipped on the light switch in the bathroom. I saw a brief flash behind the switch cover plate and then... nothing. The breaker had popped. So I unscrewed the LED bulbs in the fixture, reset the breaker, threw the switch again. and... nothing. The breaker tripped again.

Out came the PD36R. We pulled the switch out of the wall and looked around, when we spotted scorch marks on the inside of the metal electrical box that matched up with an unused terminal screw on the switch which had never been tightened down and was protruding just enough to arc to the box. Tightening the screw and then wrapping the whole thing in electrical tape fixed the issue. This was caused by a careless installer.

 

[Fuzzywuzzies]

This was caused by a careless installer.

Story of my life; fixing other installer's laziness and ineptitude!

 

[Monocrom]

Unboxed a pruning chainsaw two nights ago. Didn't come with much inside. Just the tool, and a wrench, plus instructions. I thought that it was supposed to come with a small bottle of oil. But hadn't seen it in the box. Already threw away the internal packaging of cardboard. Went to check the large bin. Used my 2AAA Powertac Saber LED penlight on the highest setting to look inside. Found the cardboard panel. Pulled it out, no oil bottle. Checked a bit further in the bin, nope! Guess it didn't come with one.