Rechargeable NiMH v Alkaline

[RIHappyDiver]

I think I know the answer to this but want to verify. I have 2 different lights that use AA batteries, an OrcaTorch D560 and a TekTite flashing strobe. The D560 is my night dive light, so it runs anywhere from 45-90 minutes. The strobe is for emergency use, so will need to last as long as possible.
Which type of battery is going to give me the best performance in each situation, assuming the NiMH is freshly charged and the Alkaline is straight out of the box.

Greatly appreciated,
Erik

 

[Manatee Diver]

Are the Tektite's strobes setup for the higher voltage of lithium rechargeable batteries?

But the 14500 will give you a much brighter light with the 560, IIRC something like 600lumens vs like 200 lumens with the AA.

Power capacity they are about even, but because the AA is half the voltage it should stay lite up longer depending on how the light is regulated.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

Are the Tektite's strobes setup for the higher voltage of lithium rechargeable batteries?

But the 14500 will give you a much brighter light with the 560, IIRC something like 600lumens vs like 200 lumens with the AA.

Power capacity they are about even, but because the AA is half the voltage it should stay lite up longer depending on how the light is regulated.

Tekrtite shows this particular strobe as using an Alkaline AA, no lithium.

As for the 560, I prefer the lower lumens for night dives. Even at 600 lumens things swim away quickly, but not so much with the AAs. I’m just toying with using the NiMH rechargeables instead of Alkaline.

 

[Bloody Marvelous]

Tekrtite shows this particular strobe as using an Alkaline AA, no lithium.

As for the 560, I prefer the lower lumens for night dives. Even at 600 lumens things swim away quickly, but not so much with the AAs. I’m just toying with using the NiMH rechargeables instead of Alkaline.

My advice: Neither.
Get some Lithium AA cells. They last a lot longer than Alkaline and NiMH, and they won't leak. They also have a longer shelf life, so even if you don't use them for an extended period of time, they will work fine. Anything that will work on an Alkaline AA will work on a Lithium AA.

Li-ion rechargeable batteries can off-gas and permanently ruin your dive light if it doesn't have an OPV. Saft batteries have reliability issues in cold environments, and they're very expensive.

Best options:
1. Lithium -- Awesome
2. Li-ion rechargeable -- Great
3. Saft -- Very Good
4. Alkaline -- Poor
5. NiMH -- Poor
6. Zinc Carbon -- Godawful

 

[mr_v]

Lithium or SAFT that is how I roll.