#301514 - 03/10/23 07:21 AM
Best C and D batteries for car flashlights
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Journeyman
Registered: 11/20/19
Posts: 69
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We keep 4 cell , C and/ or D battery Mag-Lite flashlights, upgraded with LED build modules ,in out family cars as utility an emergency , nearly indestructible, flashlights. They are kept in the passenger cabin. But they r still subject to both high heat in summer and freezing cold in winter. So my question is, what in ur opinions , are the best batteries to use to survive the temperature swings, not burst their cases from corrosive battery failure and provide long life power to the LED bulb. Modules?
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#301517 - 03/11/23 02:17 PM
Re: Best C and D batteries for car flashlights
[Re: Acropolis50]
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Addict
Registered: 11/05/07
Posts: 538
Loc: Wales, UK
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As others have said battery size limits the options to regular alkaline or Nimh rechargeables.
4 C/D cells generate about 6 volts and guess that is what your LED module is rated for, so theoretically possible to power them off 2 CR123a primary batteries in series, but would need spacers to make electrical contact at both ends and stop side to side rattling.
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#301520 - 03/11/23 03:07 PM
Re: Best C and D batteries for car flashlights
[Re: chaosmagnet]
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Enthusiast
Registered: 03/01/11
Posts: 309
Loc: north central west TX
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I've divested of everything C and D cell powered for CR123A, AA and (for a few things) AAA. For this reason. zactly!
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#301521 - 03/11/23 03:19 PM
Re: Best C and D batteries for car flashlights
[Re: wileycoyote]
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 12/26/02
Posts: 2997
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while NIMH rechargeables are great for daily use, they loose to much energy over time, so might not be the best for longterm storage.
Modern NiMH like Eneloops have a lower self discharge and work well. That being said no matter what battery I use you should pull it out and check and/or replace a couple times a year, end of winter, end of summer for example. There are adapters that will hold 2-3 AA's in parallel in a C/D sized container, so you get one of those for each battery and fill them.
Edited by Eugene (03/11/23 03:20 PM)
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#301522 - 03/11/23 06:02 PM
Re: Best C and D batteries for car flashlights
[Re: Acropolis50]
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Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3234
Loc: Alberta, Canada
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I have also gone full LSD NiMH AA/AAA for everything and will never go back to equipment-destroying alkalines.
However, I haven't noticed "heavy duty" batteries causing damage like alkalines do. True, they have less energy stored, but the LED modules help to make up for that. Perhaps H/D in the lights, and alkalines stored externally as backup?
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#301524 - 03/12/23 12:20 AM
Re: Best C and D batteries for car flashlights
[Re: Acropolis50]
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 12/26/02
Posts: 2997
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If they are "genuine" "heavy duty" they will have carbon instead of alkaline. Different chemical makeup, less power but less prone to leak.
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#301529 - 03/12/23 08:17 AM
Re: Best C and D batteries for car flashlights
[Re: Acropolis50]
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Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3160
Loc: Big Sky Country
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Obviously YMMV and this is just me but I don't mess around with C- or D-Cells if I can help it. Bad enough that some things require a 9v! I have standardized around CR123a, AA & AAA although I'll admit that I've been moving slowly to 18650s where I can. The new breed of uber-weaponlights mostly run on the high powered rechargeables so I'm moving in that direction as much as I can.
IMO most "serious lights" run on either CR123a or 18540 batteries.
_________________________
“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman
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