Some Qs about Streamlights, please help a greenhorn!

Hi all,

I ordered a Streamlight Scorpion and read for 2 nights in this forum. There's still a couple of questions though. I don't have much money, so often blowing bulbs and buying 123a-cells is a no-no.

1) Will the Strion bulb (w/ 17670) be more reliable and last longer than the Scorpion bulb with 123a cells?

2) Will it be brighter than a vanilla Scorpion? I don't need it brighter...

3) I read somewhere here that the Strion bulb runs hotter and can damage the lens and reflector of the Scorpion. Any truth to this? Does anyone run this mod for a while without problems?

4) I read about batteries on lighthound.com. Do i understand it correctly that unprotected 17670 can give you 4.2V, but protected only give 3.7V?

That's it for now. I hope that some of the experts here can help me bring some light into the matter.

Thx,
jj

PS: Excuse my poor english, i'm not a native speaker and i've got the flu... :duh2:

Welcome to CPF! I don't know anything about Streamlight lights, but I might be able to help you a little.

Rechargeable batteries are 4.2V right after they come off the charger. They are designed to produce 3.7V while in use, or under a load. I do not reccommend using unprotected batteries. They can be very dangerous.

Hope this helps!:thumbsup:

I would never use unprotected batteries, i asked out of curiosity.
So you say protected batteries go over 3.7v too? Isn't it bad for the 3.7v xenon bulb?

That's one of the reasons i asked about the lifetime of the Strion bulb. Because the life of the Scorpion bulb is disappointing...

Thx,
jj

I wasn't trying to lecture you, just a friendly warning. And yes protected batteries will go over 3.7V. When the battery is freshly charged it will overdrive the bulb slightly, but after 5-10 minutes (approx.) the voltage evens out. This may shorten the life of the bulb slightly, but bulbs are usually able to handle it without any problems. I have a 2XRCR123 setup, the bulb is designed to run on 7.2V, but on freshly charged batteries (4.2V each) it is running at 8.4V. They designed the bulb with this in mind, and rated the bulb life accordingly.

the strion bulb is designed to be run on an 18650, so it will handle a 17670 just fine... My question would be.. why not just buy the strion to begin with?

mdocod said:

the strion bulb is designed to be run on an 18650, so it will handle a 17670 just fine... My question would be.. why not just buy the strion to begin with?

Click to expand...

Well, i didn't know that the Strion is available without the charger. The Scorpion was the most affordable @ eBay USA for 34$ (in Germany Scorpion cost from 98$ upwards for the xenon version :scowl. Now it's too late, even that i've found some US-shops that ship to Europe. And even if i had bought the Strion i still would have had to buy 2-3 rechargeables and a multi charger. I want to use it outdoors where i will have no power available for charging.

That said, maybe i should sell the Scorpion unopened and buy a Strion... But man, i really like that rubberized body of the Scorpion... :thinking::thinking::thinking:

jj

EDIT: I remember i thought it would be nice to have the option to switch back to 123a cells if necessary, including bulb change, but now that i know how dangerous the lithium primaries can be, there is NO WAY i'll put such a potential "detonator" into my photobag, next to all my precious equipment...

Moral of the story: don't rush, think long and hard about what do you need it for and make an educated choice... :sigh:

if you really like the scorpions body then just stick with it. I thought the scorpion was metal like the strion though ????

buy your protected 17670s and a charger from here:
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=173892
the WF-139 ultrafire charger isn't too bad... just make sure to remove the cells when it tuns "green" so it doesn't overcharge.

Re: Ultrafire Charger - thanks for the warning. I thought that it is protected against overcharging the batteries? At least i remember to have read it that way...

jj

It is supposed to be, but even after the light turns green it will continue to trickle charge the batteries. Lithium primaries are not really dangerous if you always put fresh cells in your light. They do become dangerous when you have two different cells that have been run for different amounts of time.

Never mind regarding the charger. I read mdocod's LiIon tutorial.

I'm afraid of Li-primaries because i could switch on the light unintentionally and not notice... AFAIR, this could lead to too...

jj

Has anyone an answer to this, please:
>> I read somewhere here that the Strion bulb runs hotter and can damage the lens and reflector of the Scorpion. Any truth to this? Does anyone run this mod for a while without problems?

jj

EDIT: OK, what about this. I tried to calculate the output power of the Strion and a Scorpion with the data i found here on the board.

Scorpion: 1.20A * 5,5V = 6,6W
Strion: 1.67A * 4,1V = 6,85W

What do you think? I'm not 100% sure about the voltage sag, but it should work IMHO.

Comments?

it's actually about 5Vx1.2A and 3.7Vx1.67A, give or take, but you are on the right track trying to figure in some sag. they are both so close to 6W I wouldn't worry about it.

Then i'm at ease, i think i'm staying w/ the Scorp. Now waiting for delivery.

Thanks at everyone for the help,
jj

PS: Can anyone recommend a dealer that is carrying the Strion replacement bulbs and is shipping overseas (Europe) for a good price? I still haven't heard back from DLS Enterprises...