Hey guys! Something that I hear kicked around now and again is "how long do batteries last?" I think we usually interpret this to mean "How long does the saber last when turned on before the batteries die?" But as someone who has sabers that sit around a lot and get picked up a random times to swing around briefly for a quick "fix" this question means something entirely different: How long do the batteries last in the saber when its not being used?
I have three sabers that I want to compare side-by-side for some (I hope) illumination.
Saber 1: Aeon V4 with Obsidian V4 sound, Emerald Driver, Li-Ion battery set-up, non-illuminated AV switch. (center)
Saber 2: Dark Catalyst with Obsidian Lite, Tri-Cree AS filtered to SY, no FoC, lit AV switch.
Saber 3: Dark Catalyst stunt with Tri-Cree AS filtered to Hot Pink, latching non-illuminated AV switch. (no picture, sorry...)
So... What I have found:
Starting from a full charge, the Aeon will sit for about 2 weeks and still turn on and have a few minutes at least of play time. Any longer and it needs to be recharged. If I've been swinging it around periodically it is usually dead after less than 2 weeks.
The DkCat with ObsLite has standard AAA batteries installed. It goes anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks easy without being depleted, though it might be a bit dim when you turn it on. The current batteries are 7 weeks old and are still nice and bright.
The DkCat Stunt has had the same batteries installed for 5 months now, and it is still going strong though I think it is starting to dim just a bit.
The Cats both have about 45 minutes of 'play' time on them as well.
I can remember listing pros and cons for ObLite vs ObV4 more than once. Stand-by battery life has to be one of them. You get a more even power flow with the Li-Ion batteries and buck-puck but the Ob Lite with standard AAAs last a LOT longer on the shelf. :-)
Anyway, my .02c. Hope this helps someone out!