Lithium Batteries are Awesome!

[Fortyfive]

Well I hope thats not the case. I used to use the old e2 lithium batts in both my CNI 120mW, and my black chrome 150mW. Other then the CNI mode hopping, which more then likely wasn't because of the batteries, I havnt had any problems. I bought packs of 4x in both the new ultimate and advanced energizers. I just got my opto 150mW and Im currently using the advanced lithiums with good results. I can only hope I dont fry it lol. I used to use the old e2 titanium's in my pulsar which were alkaline batts with titanium. They dont make those anymore so I bought the advanced which replaced em. BTW both the adv and ult say 1.5v on the package.

-Greg

 

[Emc2]

Well I hope thats not the case. I used to use the old e2 lithium batts in both my CNI 120mW, and my black chrome 150mW. Other then the CNI mode hopping, which more then likely wasn't because of the batteries, I havnt had any problems. I bought packs of 4x in both the new ultimate and advanced energizers. I just got my opto 150mW and Im currently using the advanced lithiums with good results. I can only hope I dont fry it lol. I used to use the old e2 titanium's in my pulsar which were alkaline batts with titanium. They dont make those anymore so I bought the advanced which replaced em. BTW both the adv and ult say 1.5v on the package.

-Greg

yeah the package does say 1.5v but actually show 1.8v on a volt meter.

-T

 

[Fortyfive]

Are you using a volt meter that the batts actually clip into, or are you using the standard volt meter with the pos and neg pins on wires? I tried my dads, it had a switch to change between 1.5v and 9v, but never the less it wouldnt work on the lithiums. I believe his is more for use on residential electrical.. I have seen the ones online where you put the batts in it to test it, but havnt seen one locally. What one are you using T, because id like to buy one to be safe..?

 

[Emc2]

Are you using a volt meter that the batts actually clip into, or are you using the standard volt meter with the pos and neg pins on wires? I tried my dads, it had a switch to change between 1.5v and 9v, but never the less it wouldnt work on the lithiums. I believe his is more for use on residential electrical.. I have seen the ones online where you put the batts in it to test it, but havnt seen one locally. What one are you using T, because id like to buy one to be safe..?

Hey dude, this is the meter I use:
Ideal 400 AAC CLAMP METER W/ NCV TRMS - 131-61-736 - 131-61-736 at Wares Direct

I set the votage to DC and get a reading by touching the leads to the +/- of the battery. It just has a AC/DC setting.

-Todd

 

[93shad]

i sent an email to jack @ optotronics last night about using the Ultimate Lithiums (blue and silver) and he said that they work well and to enjoy my laser

 

[jwc]

What kinds of drivers do these lasers have? It's as though they don't have proper current controlling drivers...

I have a bunch of cheap pen pointers that I got here and there. They do not have boost drivers in them and I know this for the following reasons:
- When I use NiMH cells, there is very minimal lasing. NiMH cells have a nominal voltage of 1.2V, so that's 2.4V total across the driver.
- Using alkaline batteries yields a relatively short runtime. Alkalines suffer from voltage sagging toward the end of their lives.

The problem is that if the drivers are just standard linear voltage regulators, they need an input voltage of whatever the nominal lasing voltage of the diode is plus the voltage drop of the driver chip. So, 2.4V, in the case of NiMH cells, is not quite enough.

A decent constant-current driver will not alter the output current based on the input voltage. So, when I decided to use a single 3.6V 10440 (with a diode in the spacer, see the here for how I did it), I anticipated that the "extra voltage" for lack of a briefer term, would not be dangerous to the diode, but rather to the driver. That is, the extra power coming into the driver would not be passed along to the diode, but rather be dissipated as heat.

I used an external voltage supply with a green pen and a ammeter to test this and found that at NiMH-voltages (2.4V), the driver was drawing a maximum of about 400mA (IIRC, it's been a while... ), but after 3.0V, it starts drawing 600mA and never any more than that. I went up to a max of about 4.2V before I got too scared to go any further. So, I stuck a lithium cell in there, and my lasers have been lasing well ever since.

What I don't understand here is why your drivers do not have a max current draw set to prevent overcurrent to the diode. Because if they did, the diode wouldn't die, but the driver could from excess heat.

 

[khz]

So.. just to make sure..

If you have a 150mw optotronics pen as seen here:
Optotronics Product Details

You can safely put a(2x) Duracell Ultra in it... which runs at 1.5v-1.6v out of the package.
Duracell Ultra Batteries AAA 4 pack: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

BUT.. if you want a lithium battery.. the package reads 1.5v but can actually output at 1.8v..??? (that seems rather high to me, as potentially that can harm other devices as well)...
Energizer ULTIMATE LITHIUM 1.5V AAA x 2 Ultimate: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

So.. for that optotronics pen(listed above)...
what is the BEST solution that will NOT damage your pen..

 

[Emc2]

So.. just to make sure..

If you have a 150mw optotronics pen as seen here:
Optotronics Product Details

You can safely put a(2x) Duracell Ultra in it... which runs at 1.5v-1.6v out of the package.
Duracell Ultra Batteries AAA 4 pack: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

BUT.. if you want a lithium battery.. the package reads 1.5v but can actually output at 1.8v..??? (that seems rather high to me, as potentially that can harm other devices as well)...
Energizer ULTIMATE LITHIUM 1.5V AAA x 2 Ultimate: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

So.. for that optotronics pen(listed above)...
what is the BEST solution that will NOT damage your pen..

I have two of those laser pointer pens and Jack said the advanced lithiums are ok to use. He said "Put the lithium batteries in another device for about 30 seconds or longer to bring the voltage down to 1.7~1.6v and then they can be used in the laser." so there you go dude.

 

[Grix]

I use energizer lithiums in my ledshoppe 50, and I must say these make the beam brighter and lasts a very long time.

 

[Flaminpyro]

I like the energizer lithiums also, I have been using them since they hit the street and they last much longer in many things like digital cameras for one. I use one in my Proton light and it lasts for a couple months (your milege may vary) they are the bomb in AA's.

Peace All..

I use energizer lithiums in my ledshoppe 50, and I must say these make the beam brighter and lasts a very long time.

 

[Illuminum3415]

I have some Energizer batteries, Ultimate Lithiums, and they are being used in my >150mW green laser from Optotronics and I have been using this laser regularly and I just tested the voltage on the batts....they are still at 1.7v! Talk about capacity, wow. I thought about getting some eneloop or hybrid rechargeable batteries for their capacity but why since the lithiums are so good. I have been using lithiums for a long time but I have never tested the voltage after extended use. The laser is still lighting matches and smoking leather....photos of that coming soon.

-Todd

Lithium batteries have different chemistry than that of conventional Alkaline cells. While alkaline cell voltage drops in proportion with remaining capacity, lithium's are different. You'll need a ZTS or equivalent meter to test capacity, not voltage. The open circuit voltage of lithium batteries is independent of its capacity. It should test ~1.7V new and about ~1.6V completely dead