Green Lux V Utrasound 2.0 Battery Setup Question

[scout malikim]

I am looking to order parts to build a Green Lux V US 2.0 lightsaber but I had some general questions that I cannot find the answers to in other threads.

Current
I want to run my lux V on the lux III overdrive setting. I read in other threads that 7x NiMH AAA's of capacity 1000mAh can be used which would give 8.4V to the US 2.0. If space in your hilt isn't an issue, would you get a brighter blade by using 7x NiMH AA batteries instead. Seven of these would also give 8.4V but at a capacity of ~2600mAh. How does the US 2.0 regulate current to the LED? Would a 2600mAh battery setup overload the lux V?

Battery
I thought about using 3x 3.7V Li-Ion Ultrafire Blue XSL 18650 2400mah BUTTON TOP Lithium Batteries. Would these fit into a AA battery holder? Is the 11.1V way too much for a Lux V which has a forward voltage of 6.84. If the voltage is too much could I connect an accent LED (with resistor) in series with my Lux V so the accent LED would take away some of the voltage to the LED.

Thanks in advance.

[Logan Cade]

Scout,

The 18650”s are huge! 2.5”x ¾” and they definitely won’t fit in a AA holder…I know, I made that mistake already. The 14500’s are more the AA size but they’re only an advertised 900 mAh. The only way I can see using the 18650’s are in a sink tube hilt (they fit side by side in that) or stacking them on top of one another and creating a custom battery pack.

The mAh rating (milliamps per hour) is just a measurement of electric charge....more won't make the saber brighter....just last longer before the batteries go dead.

[Goodman]

Regarding current, using 8.4V 2600mah pack won't hurt the USv2 at all. The Overdrive setting at 1200ma is brighter to my eye, but some people say 1000ma is just as bright with longer battery life. Of course, at 2600mah, battery life really isn't an issue anymore

Using 8.4V will give you a brighter blade than 7.2V, because you'll be giving the LuxV all the voltage it needs (as you already said, 7.2V is the bare minimum for a LuxV --8.4V really makes it happy)

Regarding voltage, Ultra showed a video of him using three of the UltraFire 3.7V Li-ion cells on the USv2 board, and it worked just fine even with the initial surge above 11.1V. However, it should be noted that he used the gray, unprotected cells. When I tried the same thing with the blue, protected cells (TrustFire 3.7V Li-ion), the board had trouble booting. Overall, Ultra's sense was that the board was able to handle the initial surge above 11.1V, so take that for what it's worth. That being said, I personally couldn't justify risking the board burning up, so I went back to 7.2/8.4/9.6V packs. The LuxV stays happy, and the board stays happy, and I have plenty of room for indicator LEDs.

[scout malikim]

I think i'm going with 8 x NiMH AAA batteries inside of the pack that is offered from TCSS. Thanks for the responses