Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - mars 4.0 way to short runtime.

I got one of these very bright little suckers a month ago and loaded it with Li ion aaa cells. I am lucky if I got 20 hours of flashing out of it. just found it almost dead tonight when I got home. it is supposed to do 50 hours steady and 150 flashing.
my cateye l1000 I use now as backup on steady with regular batteries is still going strong and I put new batteries in right before I got the mars. I am wondering if the cells were bum or do I have a bum light?

What kind of batteries? Lithium Ion don't come in AAA or AA size.

I'm guessing he meant the Energizer lithiums. I've had problems with those as well. Run times are not as advertised with lower draw items like blinkies. Try putting standard alkalines in and see how they do.

I have had pretty good luck on my other blinkies with them. but I will try regular cells and see.

I'd use NiMH rechargables, and just slap a freshly-charged set in there every week or two.

I'd use NiMH rechargables, and just slap a freshly-charged set in there every week or two.

I want the brightest light possible thats why I use li ion's but even standard batteries are a higher voltage then rechargeable batteries. Plus I usually only need to replace the batteries once or at most twice a year who wants to do it every week?

I want the brightest light possible thats why I use li ion's but even standard batteries are a higher voltage then rechargeable batteries. Plus I usually only need to replace the batteries once or at most twice a year who wants to do it every week?

Just FYI, if you were using Lithium-Ion cells in your Mars 4.0, it would go up in smoke, because that would be about 7.4 volts in a 3-volt light. Lithium primaries are not Li-ion. As for the main issue, why not do a comparison test and see how much brightness you actually lose, if any? The light might be regulated.

Yea, a lithium ion cell besides not being in AA or AAA size is about twice the voltage.
Usually a light will load an alkaline voltage down to where its close enough to NiMH that the output is the same.
Get a decent NiMH (eneloop for example) and try it and see.

I am talking the energizer lithium aaa's. http://www.energizer.com/products/hightech-batteries/lithium/Pages/lithium-batteries.aspx

Ok, that makes more sense. Lithium is not the same as lithium ion. The spec sheet says they are 1250mAh, NiMH rechargeables are between 800-1000nAh so the lithium are not that much better. I see alkalines that are 1000-1200mAh so it appreas the lithiumns are not that much better so their advantage will be low weight and long term sotrage.

they tend to keep a higher voltage till they are about dead. I guess that would depend on what light they are used in it may or may not make a difference.
but I still don't like rechargeable's as they will need swapped out too often. I mean 150 hours on a set of batteries means only 2 to 4 batteries a year.

Primary batteries (alkaline or lithium) have a different internal resistance than rechargeables which makes anything but a very small load drop the working voltage down to about the same, they are only 1.5V under no load. Thats why NiMH even though a lower unloaded voltage will take more pictures in a camera or run a gps longer. With a good quality NiMH (eneloop) Our digital camera takes as many picutres as it does with Lithiums for example. When I got rid of the high capacity 15 minute charge crap I was able to stop buying lithium for the cameras then because the eneloops worked as well.

but these blinkies are only pulling a very small load.

it really depends though on the working resistance (impedance) of them matching that of the battery.

Also note that Energizer now has two grades of lithium primaries: Ultimate (the real McCoy, with their highest capacities) and "Advanced" (lower capacities for less money).

but these blinkies are only pulling a very small load.

The Mars 4.0 is pulling about 350mA from the batteries, which is too much for Alkaline, but perfectly provided by good Nimh (Eneloop) batteries.

The Mars 4.0 is pulling about 350mA from the batteries, which is too much for Alkaline, but perfectly provided by good Nimh (Eneloop) batteries.

That would be a 3 hr runtime from AAAs. Maybe 35mA?

The Mars 4.0 claims to use a 1 watt emitter. Assuming a 3V input voltage from a pair of alkalines or 2.4v from a pair of Nimh batteries, 350mA should be pretty close.

It uses a 1W emitter. It doesn't drive it at 1W.

50hr runtime. AAAs typically around 1000mAh = 20mA for 50hrs.

If you were using AA's I tell you to go buy a set of eneloops and try them and if they didn't work I'd buy them from you. I don't have much AAA stuff as I've tried to standardize on AA.

If you were using AA's I tell you to go buy a set of eneloops and try them and if they didn't work I'd buy them from you. I don't have much AAA stuff as I've tried to standardize on AA.

I'm using AAA Eneloops in mine. I just charged mine today and they were still half full after using the light 40 minutes a day for a month. I suspect the OP has bad batteries.

i wonder if the lithiums came from walmart, there is a thread about them on another forum.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=214794
Walmart is known for having special packages made that are usually not quite up to the same standard as sold in decent stores.

i wonder if the lithiums came from walmart, there is a thread about them on another forum.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=214794
Walmart is known for having special packages made that are usually not quite up to the same standard as sold in decent stores.

these might have been. I have found them cheaper at other stores. but I think I needed them and just grabbed them from wally world. I like the idea of the Eneloops but I can't afford the investment girth now.

It uses a 1W emitter. It doesn't drive it at 1W.

50hr runtime. AAAs typically around 1000mAh = 20mA for 50hrs.
plus I was only using flash mode so an even less draw.

If you were using AA's I tell you to go buy a set of eneloops and try them and if they didn't work I'd buy them from you. I don't have much AAA stuff as I've tried to standardize on AA.

I had not known about them I will get some as soon as my wallet has some money in it.

Eneloops are not really that much of an investment. Thomas Distributing has them on sale for $9.97 for a 4 pack. I've also seen them in stores once in a while. If you look for the Duracell Precharged and they are white on top and say made in japan on the back those are eneloops as well.
A small charger like a MAHA c401fs will work fine, I used it before getting the c9000 and still use it as my travel charger. I wasted a lot more $ than that over the years buying disposable batteries and crappy chargers, would have saved myself a lot more from the start if I had just bought the decent ones.
Remember you can use these with more than just lights so you can get a better return on investment on the charger. I have a two way radio, scanner, gps, three cameras, etc that all run from AA's so that one charger is all I need to support all those.
My older nimh batteries as they test out at 80% go into the kids toys so I get more use out of them that way so I'm saving a lot of $ there.

of course they recommend their charger but I wonder if it would make a difference?

of course they recommend their charger but I wonder if it would make a difference?

Any decent charger will work. Costco has them too, bundled with a charger.

The eneloop charger is an ok charger but not a great one. I've even seen people recommend a break in cycle for brand new eneloops so I did that for a set that I bought for my wife's new camera. The c9000 does the break in and refresh.

The eneloop charger is an ok charger but not a great one. I've even seen people recommend a break in cycle for brand new eneloops so I did that for a set that I bought for my wife's new camera. The c9000 does the break in and refresh.

I think the OP is on a bit of a budget, and a $60 charger (I have one and think it's great) might just be too expensive for him. Basic chargers do work just fine.

thats why I suggested a c401fs to start with
its still a better charger but not as $ as a 9000

thats why I suggested a c401fs to start with
its still a better charger but not as $ as a 9000

It's still $40. This kind of talk (you need a $40 charger!) scares budget minded people off of moving to rechargeable batteries. I used a low-end charger for years with no problems, and the OP can too if that's all he can afford.

$40 is a bit expensive just for the charger. I bought the c204f ($20 by itself) version with the powerex batteries included and I've loved it. Works great and thomasdistributing backs everything up, even dead/under performing batteries months down the road.
http://thomasdistributing.com/shop/-maha-mhc204fdc-aaaaa-smart-battery-chargerbrincludes-four-maha-powerex-2700-aa-nimh-batteries-12v-dc-cord-storage-bag-and-battery-tester-p-912.html?SP_id=&osCsid=f2rjm1r45p4secn10n6egko4u1
For $30 you get charger, both adapters, storage bag, and 4 really nice batteries. Add on some eneloops for $10, a few battery holders for $4 (you will want some and takes $3 off shipping) and you can get a really nice charger and plenty of batteries all under $50. That site has freebies or specials if you order in the wee hours of the morning and spend over a certain amount.

If you're needing/wanting AAA, I'd avoid nexcell brand. I actually have better luck with the kodak AAA 700mAh vs nexcell 800mAh in my little mp3 player. 10-12 hours vs 1-3. I got a new set of 4 nexcells as replacements, but they aren't really performing any better than the first set.

the 204 is an old charger which only charges batteries in pairs.
You can spend $40 up front or do like I did and go through about 6 $20 chargers until you finally buy the $40.
Remember too that $40 can be divided between several devices, bike lights,digital camera, gps, radios, etc. I was able to get away from the rats nest of chargers for everything by switching to AA powered. Fully thing is I get better battery life out of everything as well when cmpared to the lithium in versions.