- Joined
- Oct 7, 1998
- Messages
- 1,838
Brock; I believe that the Brinkmann lamp mentioned above is the brightest option for the 2 AA/AAA class of battery. This lamp is certainly the brightest one I have found for these applications.
There is a price to pay for using rechargeable batteries with lamps designed for alkaline cells. It reduces the lamp life somewhat, from about 40 hours to 25 hours in the common D cell lamps. I assume there is some similar diminution in the AA/AAA size.
This is caused because alkaline cells lose their voltage linearly over time, while rechargeables, despite starting at a lower voltage, maintain this voltage until near total discharge. Thus, the lamp is kept at a higher AVERAGE voltage with rechargeables, despite the initial voltage being lower than alkalines (roughly 1.5V vs. 1.2V).
This is probably not a significant factor, since the increased brightness, and the easy availability of a spare lamp in the tail cap more than make up for shortened lamp life in my opinion.
Walt
There is a price to pay for using rechargeable batteries with lamps designed for alkaline cells. It reduces the lamp life somewhat, from about 40 hours to 25 hours in the common D cell lamps. I assume there is some similar diminution in the AA/AAA size.
This is caused because alkaline cells lose their voltage linearly over time, while rechargeables, despite starting at a lower voltage, maintain this voltage until near total discharge. Thus, the lamp is kept at a higher AVERAGE voltage with rechargeables, despite the initial voltage being lower than alkalines (roughly 1.5V vs. 1.2V).
This is probably not a significant factor, since the increased brightness, and the easy availability of a spare lamp in the tail cap more than make up for shortened lamp life in my opinion.
Walt