Big Freakin' Batteries

[Onli-Won Kanomi]

So the C-sized ones in your second link would fit ok in most MHS parts but that same link says they are 3.7v nominal...I can see that working out fine for the dark side Lux IIIs that run 2.95v and the Cree which is rated at 3.7V but what about the light side Lux IIIs and K2s that are specified for 3.8 or higher according to the resistor chart here? Would they still work with the 3.7v C-cized cells and would it make a difference whether you were using resistors or drivers???

[xwingband]

You'd have to direct drive or make a 7.2V pack with them.

Obviously these aren't just "slap 'em in" batteries. You'd have to be thoughtful on their use and space.

[Novastar]

So the C-sized ones in your second link would fit ok in most MHS parts but that same link says they are 3.7v nominal...I can see that working out fine for the dark side Lux IIIs that run 2.95v and the Cree which is rated at 3.7V but what about the light side Lux IIIs and K2s that are specified for 3.8 or higher according to the resistor chart here? Would they still work with the 3.7v C-cized cells and would it make a difference whether you were using resistors or drivers???

Funny you mention this... the short answer is YES, you can indeed power an LED that is rated at 3.8 or 3.9 volts forward... with a "3.6/3.7v" rated Li-Ion.

The long answer with the reasoning is:

* 3.6 or 3.7v "rated"... amounts to 4.2v REALTIME on a full charge
* from there, the voltage will slowly fall as the drain occurs
* you can do this "direct drive"--NO RESISTOR--with an LED that is "looking" for 3.7 to 3.9v.
* in the beginning, you will technically be slightly over-driving... but as minutes pass... normal/nominal... and as much time passes--less than nominal.

Using a resistor for a 3.7v Li-Ion batt to an LED wanting 3.8 or 3.9v... is just ridiculous and doesn't help--it actually HINDERS.

Finally--I have a Red-O Lux III with an FX board in a particular saber... and it runs SOLELY off of ONE single Li-Ion 3.6v 18650 cell. It looks just fine... in fact--I think it's one of the best Lux III red-Os I gots!! heheh... but... it *IS* being under-driven. So what though... it's pretty tough for me to tell visually. Honestly.

[Malaki Skywalker]

Speaking of BIG battery packs, I may have a question, if i make an 8AAA 9.6V NiMH pack, with 1800mAh, how long can I pull out the right current for a Lux V driven by a CF?

I saw the saber that Xwing done for Roys Blues and like the idea of a small pack powering a lux V, also seeing as space is a problem for my Infurious saber this will help, cheers

[Obi-Dar Ke-Gnomie]

Thanks for posting this. These would be great in my Enigma saber. The way I designed it, I could use two of the c-sized ones and still fit a CF and speaker.

[Lord Maul]

Malaki, you'll be looking at around 2 hours of run time.

[Malaki Skywalker]

Malaki, you'll be looking at around 2 hours of run time.

Swheeeet! Cheers LM

[xwingband]

Malaki, you'll be looking at around 2 hours of run time.

Yeah, probably a bit more. I don't believe there are 1800 mAh AAA's though. I've only seen 1000mAh as the max.

If I had the loving time I'd make an Excel sheet and do a graph of the current with the LED vs the battery discharge and make an exact prediction. At 9.6V that was 3V over the forward voltage on the V I used in Roys Blues' saber. The CF won't need 700mA in that config.

[Malaki Skywalker]

Yeah, probably a bit more. I don't believe there are 1800 mAh AAA's though. I've only seen 1000mAh as the max.

If I had the loving time I'd make an Excel sheet and do a graph of the current with the LED vs the battery discharge and make an exact prediction. At 9.6V that was 3V over the forward voltage on the V I used in Roys Blues' saber. The CF won't need 700mA in that config.

Here ya go X

http://cgi.ebay.com/8-x-AAA-Recharge...QQcmdZViewItem

[xwingband]

Since Maliki asked it and these so far are raw batteries I'll post it...

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN PACKS!

Now for li-ions ONLY do this with protected cells or account for the PCB protection! NiMH's are fine though.

NOTE: If you have the option buy tabbed batteries and you can basically forget what I'm about to post.

First when I get the batteries I sand the tops lightly. You do this so solder will adhere better.

Then I lay them out in config I want. Now to solder them you can buy battery bars, but screw it! I just cut some solid copper wiring.

It really helps to have a jig of some sorts to straighten and hold them while soldering. I put a bit of flux on it and solder away.

NOW: If it takes you more than a few seconds to flow on the battery you're doing something wrong. Maybe you're putting too much solder or maybe your iron is too cold. When it's not working this situation is BAD! The batteries will suck away the heat and this is REALLY bad for li-ions!

Other notes: Then I heat shrink or tape it up. Don't do anything too stupid like having exposed wires running down the side... if you know the make up of a battery only the top is positive, the other sides are all negative and exposed wires can cause shorts even with the protective sleeves they come with.