The YT channel "Project Farm" does all sorts of comparison tests on a lot of stuff, and he did one video comparing different brands, some of which I'd never heard of. He arrived at the conclusion that lithium was the way to go, that they didn't leak, and offered better performance than any of the alkaline cells that were out there.

These days if you look at the battery rack in the front of a Wal-Mart near the registers, it's pretty much more Eveready than anything else.

They started out wet but the electrolyte was replaced with magnesium dioxide and they became 'dry.'

It appears to me that the alkaline batteries have gotten worse.? Presumably thinner shell to save money and increased performance.

There was a long series of letters to the editor in one of the magazines about how to improve charging.

One thing that appeared to have helped was to have about 10% reverse charge during the process.

They started out dry but the electrolyte was replaced with magnesium dioxide and they became 'dry.'

The "less likely to leak" has become a joke, all the major brands now leak long before their use by date.

Up until alkaline cells replaced the Leclanché, the Leclanché was the standard "D" "C" "AA" 9V.

The only place I've ever seen AAAA being used was in laser pointers. And you can get 'em by siassembling a 9V, cheaper than buying them as AAAA...

A funny story about flashlights.

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Kentucky might be called "the land of caves." There are caves all over the place.

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Mammoth Cave, and private nearby caves, are famous.

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Floyd Collins was trapped in a cave and the coast to coast radio coverage mesmerized the nation. [he was an idiot, there was a back way out.]

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While I was born in Eastern Kentucky I lived in Central Kentucky from the tender age of 3 months on.

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When I was 6 the older boys talked me into exploring a cave under a mansion that was being torn down. We came to a large room with many tunnels going off in every direction.

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They brought me because I had 3 flashlights.

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In college a classmate was fascinated by the Underground Railroad and had diaries that mentioned how runaway slaves would use the caves in Central Kentucky as part of the underground railroad.

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According to her diaries, you could go from Versailles road (Kenland Race track) to Russell's cave underground.

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And nope never had the chance to go the full route, but I did go on parts and have no doubts in 1850 it was possible for a dedicated person to make it all the way.

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I've been in over a dozen private caves.

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[It's OK everyone knew I didn't have a lot of common sense anyway.]

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My wife is claustrophobic in a way that makes my acrophobia look like a mild dislike. I was shocked when she decided we were going to Carter Caves.

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She girded her loins and we went through all the guided cave tours. There is another cave that is self tour. You have to check in at the ranger station and they insist everyone in your party must have a flashlight.

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The lady was nice and said "We really like for people to have a spare flashlight."

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So I started pulling out flashlights and told her to say "when enough is enough."

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I had 20.

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My wife only had 6. [the slacker]

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The lady sort of freaked "We've never had anyone with that many flashlights!"

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I didn't have the heart to tell her I had spare bulbs and batteries. I might well die in a cave but it probably won't be in the dark.

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Don't get me wrong, I am not afraid of the dark, it's just I'm not a bat that works with echolocation, in my view of reality, God gave me eyes to use.

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I mentioned in another post how I'd swipe my Dad's WWII flashlight and hide in closets. I was less then clear. Yep I liked making light in the dark, but I could sit in the dark for hours and not worry in the least.

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I wish the same could be said for my poor mother. She eventually accepted "The doors are locked, the windows latched, he's in here someplace. I could curl up in places you'd swear no human child could possible fit.

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I also still have some luminescent plastic toy soldiers from back then that glow in the dark. I could sit there for hours and watch the light decay, then blast them with the flashlight and instant bright glow.?

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But one of my favorite all time memories was the look of utter disbelief as I started laying flashlights on the check out counter. The ranger was shocked speechless.

[I've often had that effect on people]

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Of course I have been caught without a flashlight a time or two when I needed one, really needed one.

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You change the fuel pump by feel in a 1968 VW bug at 3:00AM in the Red River Gorge Nature Preserve, on a moonless night, with nothing but starlight. Those 2 13mm nuts and hose clamps are soo much fun words fail me.

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[My wife is reading over my shoulder and just had a severe attack of the giggles. The wench.]

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Starlight is actually brighter then you might suppose .... after your eyes adjust. Not bright mind you, but you can sort of almost make out your hand.

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One time I changed the fuel pump with the light from an HP-35 sat to display all 8s for "maximum light." It was so much better then starlight.

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One might think I'd either have had flashlight or added an under the hood light. Nope, not that wise.

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I now carry 3 LED flashlights, spare batteries, have a LED light bar under the hood and in the trunk.

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Of course the chances of me being in Red River Gorge at 3:00AM are rather remote now that I'm 73 and the Gorge is filled with drunken druggies. I don't know enough people with enough firepower to make a 3:00AM pit stop safe.

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And changing the fuel pump in a modern car is no casual undertaking.

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Such is life.

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I made an "el cheapo" night vision device.

I picked up a new in the box Android phone "virtual reality headset."

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Now I have about as much use for a gaming accessory as I do a hard hit upside the head.

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But, you can carefully drill a hole so your camera phone lens can see out. Illuminate the dark area with IR LEDs and viola instant sort of night vision device. Of course there is zero depth perception. But, as proof of concept is was sort of neat, all the more so because the VR headset cost me all of $5. [I'm cheap.]

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And I have IR illuminators, boy do I have IR illuminators. A 60 X 60 aray that draws 2 amps. It's deep IR so you can't see it with the naked eye but your smart phone would love it.

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I also have a slew of surplus 30 IR LEDs mounted on a ring to go around a closed circuit TV camera lens.

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So I can flood an area with IR.

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A friend wants a night vision headset with a crossbow equipped with an IR laser pointer. Robert always was a tad strange.

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