Fenix 1.5V USB Rechargeable 1600mAH AA

[matt kirk]

Fenix 1.5V USB Rechargeable 1600mAH AA

[matt kirk]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Sorry, first time trying to post from mobile and screwed up the title :(</p>
Asking if anyone has experience with this battery in single AA lights. I have a zebra light h51 and want to ween off of single use lithium. I know eneloops are the highly recommended brand but I like the built in USB port on the Fenix battery negating need to carry separate charger from phone charger on extended trips. Also, the Fenix is Li Ion vs NiMH. Advantages? Sorry again for bad formatting.

[Bob Shuff]

I heard about these and was curious too. One reviewer on Fenix’s site said they were lighter than alk or NiMH.

https://www.fenixlighting.com/product/arb-l14-1600u-built-in-usb-rechargeable-battery/

[matt kirk]

The battery’s lower weight is a plus. Its ability to piggy back on a phone charger is another big win in weight/bulk savings. I’m still curious how it performs compared to an eneloop and/or a single-use lithium. The h51 is a bit of a hog and can burn thru an energizer ultimate lithium AA on high (200 lm) in ~4 hours. In the 7 years I’ve had this light, I’ve learned to stretch batt life by only using the high when absolutely necessary and can go many days on one battery. If this fenix’s performance is good, it’s sobering to think about the ~$100 I could have saved by getting it years ago had the batt technology been available.

[John K]

I’ve been using one in my Zebralight for about a year now. It works well for me. That being said, it will not provide enough current to run the H52W in high mode. The battery self protect circuit kicks in and it turns “off” until it cools down. I never use that mode, so it does not impact me. I’ve not done a side by side on run time. I did a video on mine last year:

[matt kirk]

John, great info and video. Thanks! Can you run the light in high for a bit before battery “trips” or is it pretty immediate? Can you power back on immediately after it shuts itself off? I have to cycle from high to low every time I turn on my H51, so that’s part of why I ask. Also, it would be good to know if I could use the high for short periods while night hiking or on pulse f(my bike as front light). Last question: do you have a ballpark burn time estimate between charges?

[John K]

Ther are 2 sublevels in high mode. The lower of the two runs ok, the higher of the two runs for 5-8 seconds before cutting out. When it cuts out, the light may immediately be turned back on to any mode, including passing through any of the high settings. Pulse mode works fine. I’ve never actually run it to zero, so I don’t have an estimate. I’ve used it at night around the campsite, cooking, eating, privy, reading for roughly 4 nights a month (weekend use). I charge it maybe every other month.

[Sam Farrington]

When I purchased 14500 batteries sometime ago, they would not replace AA batteries because they were a different size, and would not fit devices sized for AA.
This one (thanks for the link) is represented: “This will work in all of the models that utilize the standard AA battery.” (per the website.)
Hope so, because would like to use my single AA headlamps again, but will not go back to single use lithium batteries, even if they have higher capacity.
Note: MAH is usually a good measure of battery capacity (burn time at a given load).
Thank you for the report.

[Matthew / BPL]

How do these batteries perform in the cold?

[Barry P]

Most zebralights operate on 0-2.5V. This battery can put out 4.2V; outside of zebralight specs. So I wouldn’t trust them in zebralights. There are several single AA flashlights that can handle 4.2V. What I have noticed is the NiMh battery way outlasts the lithium rechargeable AAs; like 15 minutes vs 2 hours. I like the lithium AA (14500) for when i need a BRIGHT flashlight for a few minutes.

-Barry

May everyone find the light.

[matt kirk]

Hey Barry, thanks for the heads up. Where are you reading that this battery can put out 4.2V? I checked the link above and read:

<h4> The 1600U is not a 3.6 or 3.7 volt battery. It is a 1.5 volt. </h4>

That’s interesting your observed difference in performance on NiMH Li-ion rechargeables. May ask the make/model of the batteries and the light you tested them in?

[John K]

This battery puts out 1.5V (1.493 volts, as measured by a DVM), not any more than that. I’ve used it below zero and it worked fine.

[Barry P]

“ It is a 1.5 volt.”

So sorry. When I saw “14500 Li-ion rechargeable battery ”, 4.2V just went to my head as that’s the peak charge voltage of a single lithium ion cell. It’s interesting this is a 1.5V battery. When you measure it, can you get an AC meter reading? I’m suspecting it’s using a switching step down converter to preserve power and thus should have ripple noise on it. I’m predicting they’re knocking down the voltage of a 3.7V 750mAhr cell; i.e. 2.775Whr. So 2.775Whr/1.5V = 1.8AHr. But they’re advertising 1.6Ahr so there must be a little inefficiency.

“May ask the make/model of the batteries and the light you tested them in?” Again, sorry for the mixup. The two 14500 batteries I’ve experimented with are (definitely 4.2V peak):

1. Nitecore NL1475R (built in USB charger)
2. Ultraife UF 14500.

Flashlights I’ve used these batteries in that became MUCH brighter but also a MUCH shorter run life are:

1. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=B01C2D7SRA (red)
2. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=B01JG99F9W (blue)
3. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=B00S4CFB4G (UV)
4. LumaPower LM31. They advertise 55 minutes (@ high) with a 14500. But I only got 10 minutes.
5. Fenix LD10 (or LD12; I can’t remember since I’m not at my house). On this flashlight I could NOT see a brightness difference but the 14500 ran down much quicker than a AA dry cell lithium or NiMH.

It’s interesting on these lights— one charge of a NiMH lasted longer than an alkaline.

As a recap, note Fenix battery is 1.5V @ 1.6Ahr so that is 2.4Whr.

Note a NiMh battery is 1.2V @ 2.6AHr (Tenergy brand) so that is 3.12WHr. So the NiMh battery will last longer in a flashlight. But it’s also heavier. Out on the trail, I just use a AA Lithium Energizer battery; a nice ‘light’ option with a long runtime (I use a zebra headlamp).

-Barry

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