Zebralight SC62/SC600/H600 on 2x123

I searched thru various threads since I'm sure it was talked about in some ZL thread, but there are just too many.

I'm just wondering what exactly happens when you run a 1x18650 Zebralight on 2x123 primary cells. Has anyone actually tried this? I'm talking about straight up 6V, NOT a spacer.

A few seconds of light then ?? Nothing? Works, but with a big decrease in LED life?

I would like to know this also!

If you have one you could do an experiment for all of us?

1jono said:

I would like to know this also!

If you have one you could do an experiment for all of us?

Click to expand...

I was real tempted to try it this morning on my SC62w! I'd hate to throw away $85, but the curiosity is killing me. Maybe I could then pay a little to get it repaired or sell cheap for someone (to attempt to) mod.

Seems like a bad idea...

What's the best case? Same lumens (due to regulation) and a very hot light?

Worst case: could one of the cells go kaboom?

Most likely: driver/LED gets fried immediately.

Bad Idea.

CR123s are for people that get them free at work.

If your light ONLY ran on primaries, I could see trying to get a 18650 to work, but the other way around??? - Doesn't make sense to me.

Be good and Take care,
-Chuck

Just a guess but since the operating voltage is listed to 4.2v I would imagine it would burn out the LED and/or circuit board very quickly. The light would likely be the same since its regulated.. I certainly would not try it unless you planning on buying a new one!

OK I think I'll resist the urge!

I always hated CR123s but started warming up to them as a backup lately, and for car lights.

But looking at it another way, good 18650s are $7 now, so even if it toasted them in a car and replaced them every summer...or every other. No big deal.

markr6 said:

OK I think I'll resist the urge!

I always hated CR123s but started warming up to them as a backup lately, and for car lights.

But looking at it another way, good 18650s are $7 now, so even if it toasted them in a car and replaced them every summer...or every other. No big deal.

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For less than the cost of a typical protected 18650 (or even the cost of a pair of CR123's at a drugstore), you can get an Xtar MC1 Plus to keep in your glovebox. When you can keep 18650s charged this easily in a car, why bother with CR123's?

StorminMatt said:

For less than the cost of a typical protected 18650 (or even the cost of a pair of CR123's at a drugstore), you can get an Xtar MC1 Plus to keep in your glovebox. When you can keep 18650s charged this easily in a car, why bother with CR123's?

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I will probably move my Xtar WP2 II in the car since I don't use that any longer. But I hardly use my car light at all (PD32UE) so recently switched to CR123 in that. Not really a matter of keeping something charged; more for long-term reliability. I'm not worried about ZL not using 2x123; I just think it would be a nice backup option.

Well, the curiosity was just burning a hole in my brain. I HAD to try this.

I just took two CR123a cells out of my PD32UE and put them in my Zebralight SC62w. IT WORKED! I started on low (3.4lm mode). Then I cycled up to medium (30 or 65lm, I don't remember), then H1 930lm. I left it there for about 5 seconds; that's all the nerve I had.

I'm not saying this thing won't fry on the 6th second, or even after 5, 10, or 200 minutes, though.

This was purely done to satisfy my curiosity. I never plan on using CR123 cells in anything, other than the PD32UE which just sits in my car with almost NO use whatsoever.

I have all of these 3 lights and I never attempted to use the primary batteries on it mainly for the reason that its operating voltage is only up to 4.2 VDC. Besides, using the recommended Li-ion battery will give everyone more capacity and runtime. Will not ever try the primaries for these lights.