OMG I feel like I’m back in science class! :lol:
I understand what you mean. It all depends on the voltage regulator. But the question is, does your AA generic Cateye have one?
No.
Yes.
How would we know?
You have the light, try it out with some rechargables. If it works, great. If it doesn’t, use the batteries in something else.
Don’t forget to post your findings, we’re on tenterhooks here man.
(You also make me laugh)
Well you’re the engineering nerd :evil:
How could a perfectly logical question be funny? 
I can vouch for the Ay-Up lights. They are fantastic. Use them for my commuting and for off road as well. Not cheap but each charge last a decent amount of time (about 5-6 hours) and are extremely bright and reliable. come with rechargeable battery pack that easily charge overnight
here are some decent ideas of what sort of throw you get
From my experience (not theory, because I’m an economist and not an engineer)… Yes
I’ve used NiMHs in all my lights, most of which are not brands of any merit, and never had a problem.
If you do buy NiMHs, check to see what the rated mAh is.
Another vote for ay-ups, def my pick.
Aussie made too, so go on, Kevin told you to treat yourself.
+1 for the AyUp lights!
Not cheap compared to Cateye (or equivalent) lights, but also in a totally different league. They are far cheaper than anything of comparable quality and brightness. Check out the photos of the lights working frozen in a solid block of ice if you want to know what I mean 
That photo is misleading because it is testing the IP (ingress protection) of the housing more than the temperature. In fact LEDs perform better the colder they get. You don’t see them putting the battery pack in an ice block either because the opposite is true for them.
But yeah, looks cool I want a set!
I’ve got a 4xAA cateye front light that works fine with rechargeables. Choice recently rated Varta li-ion batteries the best. I can attest that they work pretty well.
For being seen, you want lights that flash. The flashing is not only attracts the eye but it’s immediately obvious that the source of light is a push bike rather than a motorbike that is a long way down the road. I also recommend reflective tape. A little bit goes a long way and it’s pretty easy to cover your bike in it in such a way that it’s virtually invisible during the day. rims and cranks and the rear facing bit of your pedals are great places to put some since they’re almost always in motion.
I have heard great things about the Ay-Ups and their customer service though.
An inside tip is to seek out your local camera shop and ask them for any batteries they have. All of those disposable cameras use AA or AAA batteries that are almost fully charged when the camera shop gets them. They take them out and get rid of them (most go straight to landfill 
). A better alternative is for you to use them in your lights.
I heard about 6 months ago Ay-Up where testing a battery with a flash setting. I’m hoping it will out be before the start of Winter.
Another vote for these. Seriously awesome rear light, I have one permanently zip-tied to my bag. I can’t recommend them highly enough!
My rear set up this year is a Knog gekko on the seat post, the superflash on my bag and mini blinker on my helmet.
The Knog Gator series don’t really cut the mustard for mountain biking type stuff, but they’re an awesome unit for general road use. Hell slick.
Ay-Ups are great lights, but as a bike shop employee they do annoy me a little. They’re an Australian company doing great things, but they’re so cheap because they only sell direct to the public. That cuts us out of the picture completely, when lights are a big part of sales over the quiet winter period. I really dislike the mounting system as well. That said, they’re great units and the price is damn good.
NiteFlux are a good option if you’re on a budget too. Their Photon lights are super cheap compared to a lot of others at the moment.
+1
Superflash is awesome
Though, mine fell off mid-way through an alleycat and i left it behind.
It was the first time i actually felt sad for losing a light. Got mine when they were relatively inexpensive too, now they’re like $45 for one rear light?!
I’ve got Cateye HL-EL530 and TL-LD1100 which I picked up on eBay about a year ago for around $120 in total.
I recommend them both, they are darn bright. The front light doesn’t flash; ideally I’d have a flashing front light as well. I think the tail light is possible better than the superflash (10 leds compared to 2), although these are popular for a reason.
I use rechargable energizers on all my rear Cateye LED lights. Works fine. I use rechargable energizers on a generic blinking front LED as well. Also works fine. The only light I have that doesn’t work with the rechargable energizers is an old Cateye front light that uses a halogen bulb. It’s very bright for maybe two hours or so and then fades pretty quickly after that.
Des
I’ve dagged up a bike for wintery commuting with reflective tape as well.
I got mine from http://www.mattman.com.au/
Pack of 4 strips (2 x white, 2 x red)
250mm length = $12.00
SPECIAL: UNTIL 30 APRIL 2009
BUY TWO AND RECEIVE AN
ADDITIONAL SET FOR FREE!
great post. very informative.
with regards to the Ay-Up Lights:
Can someone please advise which would be the best light if i had the intention of switching it between the handle bars and the helmet. I see that they have three options: Narrow for helmet, intermediate for bars and medium for bars and trecking.
does anyone know’have an opinion about which is the most flexible. I only want one.
cheers in advance.
+1
Don’t buy AYUPS!!!
(buy my 5 year old Cygolites to help fund MY ayups :evil:)