Are CR123 Primary Cells Dead?

[peter yetman]

Does anybody know where i can buy approx 10x CR123A cells in the UK (or shipped to the uk if delivery price is low), A good brand that holds it`s charge as these are for emergency use only, I am looking to pay around an £1 a cell, But i have no idea of the prices.

I only use low to medium drain flashlights.

Thanks

John.

John,
I've bought a lot of batteries off this seller on Ebay..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/jlsbatteries?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2754
I paid 12.99 for 10 Duracell 123a last year.
They are very reliable sellers.
P

 

[TKC]

Nope, they are not dead!! I have been using them for a long time, and plan on continuing to use them.

 

[TinderBox (UK)]

John,
I've bought a lot of batteries off this seller on Ebay..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/jlsbatteries?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2754
I paid 12.99 for 10 Duracell 123a last year.
They are very reliable sellers.
P

Prices have gone up, They sell 10x Panasonic CR123A for £19, Amazon sells the same for £12 i prefer Panasonic after reading a few CR123A reviews.

John.

 

[skillet]

Not here in the Berry household.. I'm keeping my light stocked with primaries.. I do have 18650's loaded in the M6 and 16650 in the M4 but about all my others are stocked with primaries with a suitable amount of backup cells. I sell some CR123's to people around me that just don't want to bother with it and make just enough to keep my self stocked with primaries. If push came to shove, I can pull cells from the lights not in rotation. I also have every vehicle light loaded with CR123's, including the C Maglite with Malkoff dropin running on 3-CR123's.

 

[staticx57]

I know... But what will I do with my supply of 123's? =O

I should switch and will but currently only my hds can take rechargeables, but my other lights cant. When I find a place to settle for a while I think I'll start to dabble. I guess I'm ok with CR123 for now, I don't feel the urge to change up what I have too much.

On a side note, can you point me in the direction of a good Appalachian trail hiking guide/packing list? It's a goal of mine to hike either that or pct and there's an overwhelming amount of stuff out there

Unfortunately I really can't. If you're planning to thrunhike your list will look vastly different than me with short 1 week or less section hikes. I would imagine you would skip both li-ion and CR123 and use AA. Beyond that you really want shelter, food and a means to cook, sleeping arrangements tent sleeping bag choice, shoes, lightweight pack and water filter.

 

[Woods Walker]

I know... But what will I do with my supply of 123's? =O

I should switch and will but currently only my hds can take rechargeables, but my other lights cant. When I find a place to settle for a while I think I'll start to dabble. I guess I'm ok with CR123 for now, I don't feel the urge to change up what I have too much.

On a side note, can you point me in the direction of a good Appalachian trail hiking guide/packing list? It's a goal of mine to hike either that or pct and there's an overwhelming amount of stuff out there

Kinda.

I never done a thru hike but have sectioned hiked the AT and hanged out with thru hikers. They most had cellphones and used powerbanks to charge them. Also the number one water purifier/filter on the AT is the Sawyer squeeze (the mini has been rebuked) and smart water bottle, beverage purchased but the bottle shape works well and threads compatible. Most had a headlamp however hiker's midnight comes fast as those 15-20 mile days make yea want to sleep. The Ridgerest and other closed cell pads were popular. Hiking poles are mandatory.

On a side note Primaries and preps are like peanut butter and jelly though for the last few storms found myself charging powerbanks and batteries before hand.

 

[subwoofer]

I can't see any type of common primary cell ever being redundant. There will always be a need for standby or backup cells which don't need checking (beyond reading the BB date).

Primary cells remove the need for chargers, cell matching, worrying about state of charge and cell ageing, have a longer shelf life than a charged cell, and are instantly ready to be used. They also can be abused and sucked completely dry without worrying about damaging the cell for recharging.

For heavy users, it is far cheaper to use rechargeable power options, as long as you can manage the cells and have spares and suitable charging time available. I use both, so when I want cheap and plentiful lumens it is li-ion power, but for EDC and backup/standby, it is primary cells as the first choice.

 

[markr6]

I don't like them, but there's really no alternative to using CR123s in my car light (excluding AA lights using an L91). It sits in temps ranging from -20 to 120°F and sees very little use throughout the year. But it's nice to know that flashlight will work when needed. I've had eneloops loose half their power in about 1 year just sitting in my car. Using 18650s would be my preference, but keeping them in those temperatures is really hard on them.

 

[bwalker]

Definitely not! My Fenix PD22UE runs on a single CR123. Although I use 18650 in my other lights, my bug out bag is loaded with CR123 primaries rather than 18650 rechargeable cells.

 

[ncgrass]

Cheers woodswalker, always appreciate info like that. And I always enjoy your threads - please keep em up=)

Static - Not sure how I'll do it since its a long term goal. But if you have anything handy for 1 week trips I'd take that too. Pm if it helps keep the thread in topic.

Thanks for your input!

 

[etc]

I have been travelling for the past two years and don't want to carry a charger with me. I stick to CR123 primary batteries as well. Kept in a pelican 1010 with spare o-rings and a switch it's a compact package that'll keep me going with a reliable source for days if need be. I do a lot of camping as well and there's no way I can carry a solar set up due to winter skies and the weight.

I'd love to get into the rechargeable game but right now it's more of a hassle than I want.

Big plus one.

If you travel, you really don't want to mess with rechargeables. A bunch of 18650 that adds critical weight if you are caving or climbing a mountain. Not only 123 lighter but they are not also not afraid of cold weather.

Primary 123s will never go away. Unless it's for a bigger primary cell, which is doubtful. Like 18mm.

 

[dudemar]

Rechargeables have a large segment of the market and at at a site like this get most of the attention.

But primaries dead? They're not even sick.

Rechargeables have gotten a lot better, but they are still far from the most reliable fuel method.

I agree. It seems dead on this forum because rechargeable are so prevalent. I remember in the past all the talk was about CR123s, and what brands were the best.

I tried selling my Rayovac CR123s but for the life of me can't sell them. I sold my Energizer Lithium L91s on here no problem, those things sold like hot cakes.

 

[MichaelW]

No, but 18650s could be dead by 2020.
If computer manufacturers no longer use them. If car manufacturers has no need for them. If rechargeable tools move to something else.

 

[bykfixer]

I agree. It seems dead on this forum because rechargeable are so prevalent. I remember in the past all the talk was about CR123s, and what brands were the best.

I tried selling my Rayovac CR123s but for the life of me can't sell them. I sold my Energizer Lithium L91s on here no problem, those things sold like hot cakes.

Rayovac batteries get a bad rap here too. But they are just as good those copper bunnies and their lithiums are made in the same assembly line as SureFires, Panasonic, and those others.

I'll pm you about 'em.

 

[dudemar]

Hi bykfixer,

PM Replied!

Thanks!

 

[RedLED]

They will be around for a long while, billions and billions of products owned by people run off them, they will be here long past 2020 - that's only three years.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

No, but 18650s could be dead by 2020.
If computer manufacturers no longer use them. If car manufacturers has no need for them. If rechargeable tools move to something else.

I don't think 18650s will be any more dead than RCR123s and 14500s and 10440s are as they pack more power for the size than those batteries do making them essentially the smallest more efficient battery size so unless they make a more powerful smaller battery nothing can compete with the 18650 in that category.

 

[dudemar]

Rayovac batteries get a bad rap here too. But they are just as good those copper bunnies and their lithiums are made in the same assembly line as SureFires, Panasonic, and those others.

I'll pm you about 'em.

Thank you so much, you made me one happy camper!!!

 

[Woods Walker]

They will be around for a long while, billions and billions of products owned by people run off them, they will be here long past 2020 - that's only three years.

The world was supposed to end on May 21, 2011 so we are on borrowed time. The end of 18650 will be on May 21, 2020. Mark this post!

 

[bykfixer]

Thank you so much, you made me one happy camper!!!

Same here bro. Same here. My stockpile had reached single digits so this is right on time.