What’s the best battery replacement for my Magic Flight Launch Box?

Low self-discharge (LSD) nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) rechargable AA Batteries rated over 2000mAh (milliamp hour) are the best for use in the Magic Flight Launch Box.

Magic Flight ships with Maha Imedion AA 2400 mAh (as of Jan 2011). Previously it shipped with Sanyo Eneloop NiMH 2000mAh batteries.

Eneloops handle high current better than the Imedions, and perform better under heavy loads.

Magic Flight draws about 15 amps, which is a very heavy load and the quality of the batteries matters greatly. Making heat requires power!

Eneloop battery voltage is more stable (less load- and capacity-dependent). This means a steady supply of power until the battery runs low.

Eneloops hold their charge for much longer than ordinary rechargable batteries. This means you can throw them in a drawer for a year, and they will still have 85% their charge. All other rechargable batteries will probably be dead and need re-charging. In fact, Eneloops come pre-charged when you buy them.

A single fully charged battery can be expected to provide enough power for 4-5 minutes of drawable vapor.

You must remove the battery label and all glue (and do not use the peeled batteries in another device or appliance). Some people say you only need to rip the top 1/3-1/2 of the label off. This is true. The downside is you can’t store the battery in the device (ie. flip the battery around for travel and storage)

La Crosse BC-9009 Battery Charger for heavy use (2hr charge, battery reconditioning). You can set the rate of charge with this type of charger.

Charging Eneloop batteries in a "Quick Charger" can reduce the overall life of the battery, but this may be acceptable to you in return for a quicker charge up. Sanyo recommends charging eneloop batteries in a NiMh charger that is 2 hours or more. Certainly don’t use them with a super-quick 15-minute charger!

It is better to store the batteries charged rather than uncharged. This will avoid having to ‘cycle’ the batteries to reach their peak charge.

Most NiMh rechargeable battery chargers may be used to charge Eneloop, but Sanyo will only warranty Eneloop if used with their chargers. Eneloop has a limited warranty. Sanyo will replace the Eneloop battery or Eneloop charger free of charge if it proves to be defective within one year from the date of purchase, USA only.

Eneloop can be recharged about 1500 times, which is over 500 times more than other rechargables.

Eneloop Video:

Buy Eneloops from Amazon:

4 AA Sanyo Eneloop Batteries plus charger


4 AA Eneloop Batteries


8 AA Eneloop Batteries