An EDC that shows what a CR123A battery can do

[SuperTrouper]

I've recently felt the siren call of flashaholism and started making purchases.

I have replaced an LED MiniMaglite with a Fenix LD10 for EDC which I'm loving and thought that with this one light for EDC I'd be all set.

However it seems the addiction wants me to purchase a CR123A powered light with this in mind, just because they're something a bit different and exotic.

I've been looking at the specs for various single CR123A cell powered lights but I can't seem to find any of them that show significant advantages when compared to AA powered lights in terms of runtime.

From what I've read on these forums, the eye won't see much difference between a 120 lumen and 200 lumen light. I'm not sure if that's true or not but when they're around 100 lumens (claimed by the manufacturers) they all seem to be bright enough for my EDC needs. A brighter light isn't really something I'd see as an advantage on it's own.

Does anyone have any recommendations for an EDCable light that takes a single CR123A and offers a similar output to AA EDCs with longer runtime or any other significant advantages over an AA light? Is brightness what the CR123A cell brings to a light because of the higher voltage and am I setting out to fail in looking for one with a longer runtime?

My ideal light would be something with a clicky tailcap interface that turns on to low first, without any momentary on, so as to avoid accidental activation in the pocket, without having to mess around rotating the tailcap when I want to turn it on.

The light would have a fair amount of spill, I'm hoping the wider lights necessitated by the wider battery would mean they have more spill, is this a fair assumption?

So far I've been looking at the Fenix PD20, on paper it seems to offer slightly longer runtimes than the LD10 but nothing staggering. I have also been looking at the Nitecore EX10 and the LumaPower Incendio.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or recommendations.

 

[John_Galt]

Take a look at the Jetbeam RRT-0. It'll do 240 lumens (emitter, not out the front), but I'm not sure if that's with primary CR123's or RCR123/14500's. Otherwise, it'll do 180 lumens with Ni-MH, Li primary AA.

 

[Kgp]

RA clicky.. My best edc light I have owned. Nice beam, runtimes, and ui. Also is very durable.

 

[batmanacw]

I think the OP should look at the new regular Quark single 123. You will see a difference between 120 and 200 lumens easily. That is just a fact.

The run time difference between the Quark and the Fenix comes with the super low low setting on the Quark. It works very much the same as the Fenix but with a couple extra modes.

I had a quark and did not like the tactical switch so I will get the regular some day soon.

The nice part is you already know the UI.

 

[HKJ]

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or recommendations.

The JetBeam RRT-0 is a rather interesting light, it can run on CR123, 16340 (LiIon) and all types of AA (With optional extender). It is a thrower, i.e. it focus the light much better than most other light in its size class

 

[lrp]

IMO the RA Clicy rocks and keeps on rocking!!

 

[LED Cool]

if you are already familiar with the Fenix UI and may be would like more flexibility and versatility in the UI, have a look at the LiteFlux LF3XT. you can find more info in the CPF review section.

Brief summary of LF3XT.
twin UI - CUI & FUI.
ring free beam. hotspot gradually spread out to spill.
comes with user detachable clip.
built-in battery voltage meter.
built-in over discharge protection for rechargeable batteries (NIMH, Li-Ion).
choose 1 mode to 5 modes output - all modes fully programmable by the user.
choose between constant on, strobe, beacon or SOS.
optional 2AA battery tube with longer clip.

khoo

 

[carrot]

My thought is that since most American premium lights use 123 exclusively you should try a light that has no AA (IMO inferior) variant. So, try Ra Clicky, Novatac, or Surefire E1B, E1L.

 

[Justintoxicated]

I'd suggest something with a twisty for EDC, depending on you reed of course. There is less chance of turning on in your pocket, and it shrinks the szie down a bit which is utilizes the advantage of 123's.

In which case I would suggest a quark mini. Its over 200 emitter spec lumens, and 180 OF sure as poop will be brighter than 100. It's a really good price too!

Of course if size is not important to you then by all means buy a bigger light with a clicky, and for pocket carry just unscrew the head so it will not turn on in your pocket. (course then you may as well have a twisty)

 

[bluecrow76]

+1 to the Novatac! (I guess that would automatically include the Ra Clicky line, I just don't own any.)

I own Novatac lights and I have yet to find an interface I like more.

I tried the LF3XT, and found it to be feature rich, but the thing I like the most about the Novatac is what made me sell the LF3XT. The Novatac lets me single click, double click or triple click directly to the light settings I want, even with momentary enabled. That has completely and totally spoiled me when it comes to user interfaces. The LF3XT does have more configurable settings, but I can't get directly to the amount of light I want when I want it without clicking through multiple other levels.

You can compare the two user interfaces here:
Novatac Flowchart
LF3XT Flowchart

Being able to go from 120 lumens for 30+ minutes to 0.3 lumens for 240+ hours is impressive to me! I just wish they would make a larger flashlight similar to the DBS or MRV with the Novatac UI!!! I would sell most of my lights and just replace them with that.

 

[fyrstormer]

There's an important distinction that needs to be made here. What a CR123 can do is run next-to-forever at a couple hundred milliamps and maintain 3V almost all the way down to empty. What an RCR123 can do is dump thousands or even tens of thousands of milliamps (yes, I've tested this) for a half-hour or so, with a steady drop in voltage from about 4V down to 3V, but it can't sit around waiting forever to get used, because it will become useless in a few years whether you use it or not. Your choice of battery depends on whether you want a good dependable little flashlight that runs a long time, or a tiny sun that can blind people a block away.

Personally, I prefer the more expensive lights that can take either type of battery and have multiple modes, so it can run as a sidewalk-lighter or a cigarette-lighter depending on my needs, and also so I neither waste money on primaries when I have power nor end up sitting in the dark when I don't. My standard recommendation is the Nitecore EX10.

 

[divine]

The manufacturers claim that running a led light that needs to put greater than 3 volts to the led, with a 1.2 volt battery... wastes a lot of power just boosting 3 volts to power the led.

You might want to try out an AA sized light that also accepts a 14500 cell. That way you can run it from a 3.7 volt rechargeable lithium cell (which has a little bit more capacity than a RCR123) or you can run it from an AA cell, depending on which you end up liking better.

 

[jhc37013]

A PD20+ or Quark 123 should do you just fine and yes you will notice a big difference in 120lm and 200lm.

 

[Morelite]

What an RCR123 can do is dump thousands or even tens of thousands of milliamps (yes, I've tested this) for a half-hour or so, with a steady drop in voltage from about 4V down to 3V.

No way can a R123 supply 10+ amps for half an hour or more. The only R123 that can deliver that kind of current is an IMR cell and it can only do it for about 3 minutes then its dead.

 

[steamfish]

I'm becoming a big fan of iTP lights. Check out this one.

http://www.batteryjunction.com/itp-a1-flashlight.html

 

[grunscga]

The only R123 that can deliver that kind of current is an IMR cell and it can only do it for about 3 minutes then its dead.

But what an amazing 3 minutes it would be! oo:

Hmm...10A for 3 minutes you say? You could DD an SST-90...I wonder which would happen first: the battery dying or the solder melting off of the emitter? If the battery dies first, it could be marketed as "built-in thermal protection". :laughing:

Not that such a light would in any way reflect what the OP (or any sane person, really) was looking for.

 

[carrot]

The manufacturers claim that running a led light that needs to put greater than 3 volts to the led, with a 1.2 volt battery... wastes a lot of power just boosting 3 volts to power the led.

It's true. You have to draw more power to boost the voltage. Whereas 3.0V is right around the forward voltage of most LED's. Note that even though 2AA is marginally better, it's still less than the voltage of one 123. 3x123, on the other hand (which is the same length) will run for far, far, longer. Or be brighter for longer.

Buck circuits are always, for this reason, the most efficient, and boost are far less efficient.

 

[SFG2Lman]

+1 for the quark123 regular, a fantastic light and your description sounds like it was copied straight from their website, its my EDC

 

[SuperTrouper]

I'm becoming a big fan of iTP lights. Check out this one.

http://www.batteryjunction.com/itp-a1-flashlight.html

35 Lumens for 8 hours does sound very interesting!!

 

[SuperTrouper]

IMO the RA Clicy rocks and keeps on rocking!!

Maybe I'm missing something with these lights, they look nice physically but I didn't see anything stellar in their runtimes.