Question about CR 123 batteries

[Marduke]

Marduke,
For someone looking for a super bright light that is super cheap and they are not concerned with a long run time, that light you linked to is
pretty awesome. 1200 lumens for just over $27 on one battery.

More like 600ish lumens, but yeah, it's a good general purpose light for lighting up domes and such.

[tncaver]

Marduke,
For someone looking for a super bright light that is super cheap and they are not concerned with a long run time, that light you linked to is
pretty awesome. 1200 lumens for just over $27 on one battery.

More like 600ish lumens, but yeah, it's a good general purpose light for lighting up domes and such.

The link claimed 1200 lumens, but if it only puts out 600 lumens, so what. For a Cree LED with five
output settings at a cost of only $27, that's pretty awesome by today's standards and is probably exactly what Cody was looking for. I would love to have one like that if it used four rechargeable AA batteries. Frankly, that would be great for spotting those glowing eyes in my back yard at night and it's compact size would be nifty for lighting up deep pits and domes long enough to see if the rope reached the bottom.

[Cody JW]

Do not be surprised if you see me post on marketplace a listing for a 300 Lumen and 600 Lumen handheld light CHEAP. I will even throw in shipping. If anyone can find any other false claims please post.

[Cody JW]

I wish I could find 600 plus Lumen lights that are designed to run off AAs. If you find any there TN. let me know. Like you I am not thrilled to have to buy 123s but it seems to me that if you want bright you will need 123s or some kind of rechargeable that is not as common as AAs.

[Marduke]

Fenix TK40 and TK41, Zebralight Q50 (Q50 isn't quite available yet), Sunwayman M40A T6, Olight S65 all come to mind

Runner up:
JetBeam PA40

However, I can get 18650's for cheap/free, know how to use them safely, and each one produces the equivalent of about 4xAA in a much smaller package.

[Cody JW]

Where do you get the 18650 ?? I see that Spark wants 10 bucks for the battery and 10 for the charger. Can the lights you listed use the 18650. I do not mind AA now that I have eneloop and the Lacrosse charger.

[tncaver]

Eneloop AA's and their generics are awesome.

[Marduke]

Lights are built for either AA's or 18650's, not both. They are vastly different cells. Quality cells are Panasonics, or AW brand. The best charger is a Pila IBC, but cheaper ones can be had (though less safe). I get free salvaged quality cells from old laptop battery packs. You can purchase cheaper cells from sites like Deal Extreme.
http://www.lighthound.com/Pila-IBC-Char ... _3680.html

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/trustfire- ... -gray-5776
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/trustfire- ... pack-19770
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/trustfire- ... rger-12594


Just make sure you read up on Li-Ion safety prior to going that route.

[Cody JW]

I did not think the shape was the same on the 18650 as the AA. I just like the idea of all the lights I normally take in the cave to run off the same battery. Also it is nice to have that same battery type being very common so in a pinch you can buy batteries that can work for those lights anywhere. If you are in the middle of no where and need batteries the online retailer for an obscure battery is no help.

[Chads93GT]

Jeff I use those $10 18650's and that charger. I wish I had ordered 6 of them instead of 2

[NSS8921]

Cody – I have some CR123’s from my Apex Pro days and my Spark 460NW blows through them. Once they’re gone, I will use 18650’s exclusively. I concur completely with those who recommend against CR123’s – unless you want to use an Apex Pro… If you go with 18650’s, make sure they have a PCB.

[Off Topic] Marduke – Have you had success with Dealextreme? I had a horrible experience – they were slow to deliver, required a lot of follow-up, then the products were trash. I would have lost completely if I had not used Paypal.

John

[jeffkruse]

The next light I want to get is the Zebralight SC600. There are almost 2000 posts in one thread about this light on candle power fourm.

[Marduke]

[Off Topic] Marduke – Have you had success with Dealextreme? I had a horrible experience – they were slow to deliver, required a lot of follow-up, then the products were trash. I would have lost completely if I had not used Paypal.

John

Shipping times are always 2-6 weeks, and you have to be very careful about what you buy, because there is a lot of junk. The key is to lower your expectations to match the price, and to do a fair bit of research before buying any electronics from there. Specifications are often incorrect (for various reasons).

But with some knowledge in hand, I have had good luck with them overall. They have always quickly replaced or refunded (they prefer to replace) any items which I have had arrive DOA without me having to resort to PP or CC reimbursement.

[Cody JW]

I will take TN cavers advice and stick with AA lights. I did not know there were bright AA lights out there. I get e-mails from Bright Guy and a few others and all I saw were 123 lights that were in the 500 plus lumen range. I use a Custom Duo or sometimes a Fennix HP-10 as a primary and like to stay with one battery type for all. Back when I bought my Fennix P3D handheld they also had a AA handheld that was similar but was 180 Lumen instead of 220. I will say that my P3D is easy on the 123 batteries. Thanks for the info Marduke , I will check those lights out.

[Chads93GT]

Lights are built for either AA's or 18650's, not both. They are vastly different cells. Quality cells are Panasonics, or AW brand. The best charger is a Pila IBC, but cheaper ones can be had (though less safe). I get free salvaged quality cells from old laptop battery packs. You can purchase cheaper cells from sites like Deal Extreme.
http://www.lighthound.com/Pila-IBC-Char ... _3680.html

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/trustfire- ... -gray-5776
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/trustfire- ... pack-19770
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/trustfire- ... rger-12594


Just make sure you read up on Li-Ion safety prior to going that route.

What do you think of the solar force 3.7v 2400mah protected rechargeables that spark sells with their lights? The charger is only $10 so I know it's not that great but ehh. It works. So far.