Your dive lights using Ni-MH or Li-ion batteries?

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XTAR

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Location
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# of dives
I'm a Fish!
Searching through the various dive lights in the market, some use Li-ion batteries, such as 18650, 26650, and a part of them use AA /AAA Ni-MH batteries. From different users’ choice, there appears to be different opinions in regards to what the best battery is on a dive light.

As we know, Li-ion battery has good power, low self-discharge, no memory effect, and can be stored for years, wildly used in dive lights now. As for Ni-MH battery, it has a good capacity, favorable price but relatively high self-discharge, with memory effect. Many divers agree Li-ion batteries have better performance on their dive lights. While, some prefer dive lights powered by Ni-MH batteries. They say the specific energy capacity is greater with several 18650, 26650, but the whole dive light is also heavier, bigger, which might negatively affect diving. If they want 2 hours runtime, lighter NiMH also has more than enough power capacity for that.

What do you guys power your dive lights on?
 
Water powered fusion reactor, basicly unlimited lifespan and I get helium as a free byproduct.:pirate:

Wasnt cheap, but new products seldom are.
Haven't had to buy helium since 2018.

Michael
 
Water powered fusion reactor, basicly unlimited lifespan and I get helium as a free byproduct.:pirate:

Wasnt cheap, but new products seldom are.
Haven't had to buy helium since 2018.

Michael
It’s really hard to get good trim with those but they make a great scooter is the pump exhaust is pointed just right.
 
Li-ion batteries, such as 18650, 26650
 
I vastly prefer power modules that will accept pretty much any chemistry. Several of my lights will accept 18650 li-ion, but also AAA Ni-MH or even AAA Alkaline. There are adapters which you can fit 3xAAA into the form of an 18650. Those are my favorites because I can decide on the fly what to put in my light. My diverite bk1 lights are an example, as are my cheap no-name green "1000 lumen" dive lights from ebay ($7). Another example of a device that accepts pretty much anything you can fit into the slot is a shearwater petrel.

If I had to choose a light that used only one chemistry, it would definitely be Lithium Ion. I vastly prefer that over Ni-MH for rechargeable cells. For disposable, I like lithium and then Alkaline as a last resort. I don't think I've deliberately purchased anything with NiMH in at least a decade. Maybe longer.

When shopping for dive lights, a light that doesn't have a user-replaceable battery is a deal breaker for me. I won't buy it, regardless of the pre-installed battery chemistry.

The light I "made" myself is a can light with a 50w LED and it's currently using a ~16v Li-Po but it will take any battery that outputs 4v-24v as it's got boost converter.
 
Lithium ion 26650 for primary. Nice to be given the plastic converter that allows 18650.
Lithium 18650 for back up

Never had an issue, but would be nice for it to accept alkaline chemistry if a battery went bad while on vacation.
 
I vastly prefer power modules that will accept pretty much any chemistry. Several of my lights will accept 18650 li-ion, but also AAA Ni-MH or even AAA Alkaline. There are adapters which you can fit 3xAAA into the form of an 18650. Those are my favorites because I can decide on the fly what to put in my light. My diverite bk1 lights are an example, as are my cheap no-name green "1000 lumen" dive lights from ebay ($7). Another example of a device that accepts pretty much anything you can fit into the slot is a shearwater petrel.

If I had to choose a light that used only one chemistry, it would definitely be Lithium Ion. I vastly prefer that over Ni-MH for rechargeable cells. For disposable, I like lithium and then Alkaline as a last resort. I don't think I've deliberately purchased anything with NiMH in at least a decade. Maybe longer.

When shopping for dive lights, a light that doesn't have a user-replaceable battery is a deal breaker for me. I won't buy it, regardless of the pre-installed battery chemistry.

The light I "made" myself is a can light with a 50w LED and it's currently using a ~16v Li-Po but it will take any battery that outputs 4v-24v as it's got boost converter.
Thanks for your kind sharing! When you choosing a dive light, will you prefer the light supporting more battery options? :cheers:
 
For a regular narrow beam dive light I'm happy with the XTAR D06 in an Oxycheq light sock--sort of a Goodman Handle for the left wrist. For video I use a BigBlue with the large 32650 Li-Ion cell, which can change from narrow beam to video light with press of button.

I only use a niMH AAA battery in a marker light that hangs from tank during night diving. Other than that the Li-Ion battery has more energy density and is more convenient as you have fewer cells to deal with.
 
Thanks for your kind sharing! When you choosing a dive light, will you prefer the light supporting more battery options? :cheers:

Yes. The more options, the more likely I can use the light in remote destinations.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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