Any one else tired of CR123 LED lights?

[DHart]

I'm no longer a fan of primaries... they don't stay full charge for long and I don't like using them when they're partially run down. Don't like using them up and discarding them one after another either. But I do keep a supply of CR123 primaries (and L91, L92 lithium primaries) in sealed containers in the fridge for back-up/emergency use only.

These days, its rechargeable li-ions all the way for me, with 14500, 10440, and 18650 as my preferred sizes/formats. Since I got into single AA-size lights, my lights in the 16340 format aren't getting much use anymore and when I do it's with rechargeable 16340 li-ion.

Even in my AA lights, I run with rechargeable li-ion except for brief & only occasional use of Eneloop AAs while a li-ion is recharging. The only light I have now that requires CR123 (won't run on a rechargeable RCR123) is my E1B, which has been relegated to shelf queen mostly these days, in favor of the new multi-level/multi-mode AA-size lights.

I think a good AA size light (D10, Quark AA, Jet I Pro IBS v3) that can run on 14500 li-ion (and all the other AA size cel types, if need be) is truly THE sweet-spot/hot ticket in compact size lights today! Reason? 14500 matches 16430 output and beats it in runtime... plus lights that run on 14500 can be powered by L91 lithium, AA Eneloop, and the lowly alkaline. CR123 lights don't have that powering versatility.

 

[leon2245]

Any one else tired of CR123 LED lights?

yES, I'm tired of them. You can only find CR123's for good prices online, & then the ones I've bought online don't come in sealed (or even S.F. factory) packages. When I can pick up N.I.B. AA's for cheaper while I'm also buying groceries, it makes me even more tired of them. Unfortunately, it's too late for me. I bought into the S.F. hype & now have several empty tubes collecting dust on a shelf. Plus, I.D.K. how long I'll be able to ignore the new aviator, with you freaks counting down the days to its release right in my face!

:shakehead

Maybe if I ordered a huge enough quantity to last for years... how many S.F. CR123's do you have to order, and from where, to get them in some kind of sealed packaging? Or at what point in bulk are they about the same price directly from S.F.? It seems they are the best batteries, the best lights are made for them, & while it hasn't happened yet, I'm aware of the possibility of AA's leaking & corroding in my light. Though I've also read some real horror stories about CR123's here too, if you mix up two of them that have been drained to different enough levels.

 

[MWClint]

i keep a box of 20 cr123a surefire primaries for use when travelling or during a power outage. so far all year ive only burned thru ~4 primaries. 2 day power outage and 1 short vacation.

rcr123 for general daily use edc and at work.
AAA's nimh light for edc backup(keychain lights).
2AA nimh for general use at home.
2x18650/2x26500 + 3D/6D cell lights for extended outdoor use.

 

[Wiggle]

I'm a big Li-Ion fan and it seems like CR123 lights are alot more likely to be Li-Ion compatible than an AA/AAA light (though there are good number of those). I'm not crazy about primaries for normal use because I don't like having a battery that isn't at full capacity, but throwing away primaries once they hit 50-60% is a big waste and expensive.

 

[lrp]

I really enjoy all the benefits of using CR123 lights, I just use RCR123 batteries and have a primary as a back-up!

 

[dagored]

Maybe if I ordered a huge enough quantity to last for years... how many S.F. CR123's do you have to order, and from where, to get them in some kind of sealed packaging? Or at what point in bulk are they about the same price directly from S.F.? It seems they are the best batteries, the best lights are made for them, & while it hasn't happened yet, I'm aware of the possibility of AA's leaking & corroding in my light. Though I've also read some real horror stories about CR123's here too, if you mix up two of them that have been drained to different enough levels.

Go to the Market Place and look for them here:

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/forumdisplay.php?f=117

About $1.25 each. These are for Surefire. I just bought some a week ago.

 

[Blindasabat]

Not tired of CR123's at all. Great form factor. There are MANY lights, including SureFire that can use RCR123, 14500, 17500, 18500, 17670, and 18650 with either stock or custom bodies. I run SureFire L1, KL4, and KX2 heads with stock drivers on RCR123/IMR123 in stock E1 bodies. Great size and output. I also run them and others with custom drivers on Aleph 17500 (1.5x CR123 body), FiveMega 18500 (awesome!) body, and several 18650 bodies as well as 17650 in VitalGear FB1 & FB2 with RCR123 & 17670. And don't forget E2 bodies with 17670 (which I don't even have...:shrug🙂. And many 18650 can also use 2xCR123 (& sometimes 2xRCR123) as backup.

AA lights that take 14500 are nice but rare due to the wider voltage range that needs to be supported (down to 1V for NiMh). Most NiMH self discharge fast (eneloop are good, but lower A-hrs & some people still don't have them) while RCR don't self discharge fast. And there are no 3V primaries as backup! If 3V or even 1.7V primaries were available at close to $1 each like CR123's are (aren't they available in Canada at 4sevens.ca ???) then they would be far more useful. If Ra made a 20mm diameter 1AA/14500 clicky, I'd get one.

Alkalines stink. They Leak (I've lost two lights this way), they droop, and are inefficient at even medium & high draw, though I use low most, so this is sometimes OK. AA has the advantage of being able to use drugstore or cannibalized alkalines in an emergency, but I have never gone anywhere that I have used HALF the batteries I brought with me (typically just one spare CR123 per light at most). Many of my lights will run for weeks on low and low is what I use when camping (with a couple of minutes of play on high) or during extended blackouts (even then my $30 solar panel is very useful...). At work I can have several cells in chargers all day every day if I need to, though I know some do.

2AA are too long, while 2CR123 lights can be a great size: PD30, 4-7's Quark123-2, SureFire E2L, VG F2L, and many others.

 

[Blindasabat]

I'd like to know where you are finding 'good' Lith AA cheaper than CR123's. The only cheaper Lithium primary AA's I found as cheap as CR123's was on-line off brand with very inconsistant (lesser, not better)performance and less or same shelf life as CR123's.

Cheaper, and actually store more energy, and up to twice the shelf life.

Best of all, they will work in a lot more than just flashlights.

20 year shelf life??? Mine will be gone before five years anyway. Ten is fine.

 

[Blindasabat]

Do people claim that 14500 have higher capacity than RCR123 based on a test done on a sample of what... two cells done a couple of years ago that showed about 3% difference? That is not enough to claim "14500 last longer than RCR123." In my experience, they last the essentially the same.

Are there any other tests I haven't seen?

 

[mendhammarsh]

CR123 lights are my #1 choice based on size and performance. There is no need for a charger when traveling.

 

[Blindasabat]

Oh, and there are NO IMR14500! There can be no single AA-sized quad-die lights properly driven. I have an IMR123 driving a P7 KL4 at well over the safe drive level for a 14500.

RCR123/IMR123 in stock E1 bodies.

 

[Marduke]

I'd like to know where you are finding 'good' Lith AA cheaper than CR123's. The only cheaper Lithium primary AA's I found as cheap as CR123's was on-line off brand with very inconsistant (lesser, not better)performance and less or same shelf life as CR123's.


20 year shelf life??? Mine will be gone before five years anyway. Ten is fine.

In stores, CR123's are $2.50-$5 each. L91's are $1.67-$2.50 each. Online name brand CR123's are still $1.75 each, and only generic are as little as $1. Online L91's are $1-$2.50, and generic AA lithium primaries are below $1.

So on top of storing more energy and having a longer shelf life, yes, they are indeed cheaper.

 

[Marduke]

Oh, and there are NO IMR14500! There can be no single AA-sized quad-die lights properly driven. I have an IMR123 driving a P7 KL4 at well over the safe drive level for a 14500.

You can't fully drive a quad die in that size with any chemistry due to heatsinking issues anyhow, so that is a moot point.

 

[leon2245]

yES, I'm tired of them. You can only find CR123's for good prices online, & then the ones I've bought online don't come in sealed (or even S.F. factory) packages.

Maybe if I ordered a huge enough quantity to last for years... how many S.F. CR123's do you have to order, and from where, to get them in some kind of sealed packaging? Or at what point in bulk are they about the same price directly from S.F.? It seems they are the best batteries, the best lights are made for them, & while it hasn't happened yet, I'm aware of the possibility of AA's leaking & corroding in my light. Though I've also read some real horror stories about CR123's here too, if you mix up two of them that have been drained to different enough levels.

Go to the Market Place and look for them here:

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/forumdisplay.php?f=117

About $1.25 each. These are for Surefire. I just bought some a week ago.

Who is selling S.F.'s that way in the C.P.F.M. (I.E. if not sealed, then at least in S.F. packaging)? I'm just trying to avoid getting zip lock baggies full of loose S.F. batteries again. THanks for the link!

 

[KiwiMark]

Oh, and there are NO IMR14500! There can be no single AA-sized quad-die lights properly driven. I have an IMR123 driving a P7 KL4 at well over the safe drive level for a 14500.

How's your run time?

 

[Badbeams3]

Do people claim that 14500 have higher capacity than RCR123 based on a test done on a sample of what... two cells done a couple of years ago that showed about 3% difference? That is not enough to claim "14500 last longer than RCR123." In my experience, they last the essentially the same.

Are there any other tests I haven't seen?

One test done showed a Quark ran 30 min on a rechargable 123...it ran 46 min on 14500.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=234960

 

[Blindasabat]

Worked fine during the CPF S.E. Michigan meet scavenger hunt a few weeks ago. About 35 mins hunt with at least 20min use. The KL4 was putting out somewhere around 400 lumens compared to other lights at the meet, so FULLY driven no, but 400L is what a lot of the bigger P7's actually put out, & this from a 3.75" light was useful in an actual search situation and driven better than a AA cell of any type can.

You can't fully drive a quad die in that size with any chemistry due to heatsinking issues anyhow, so that is a moot point.

CR123's in B&M stores are a joke (I've seen $8 for one!), AA's have it all over CR's at down to $2ea (when on sale at Walgreens), but usually $3ea in 4-packs. But I don't buy my Lith AA's or CR's in B&M stores. I & most people here stock them from on line shops. I've been Bing Shopping and running TheFind.com this morning & the best Lith AA price I found is $1.50ea in quantity. Amazon is like "here's the teaser price, but oops! now let's get to the real price" :thumbsdow
In past searching and actually buying, the best I have found is CR123's for $1ea and Generic Lith AA for $1.30-ish.

The shelf life quoted on Lith AA's I'm finding are 10 years, the same as CR123's, not double. The best I see have 2019 dates on them.

I'm trying to give it a fair shake because I like & have asked for more quality 1AA lights over the years, but I'm not finding your numbers.

In stores, CR123's are $2.50-$5 each. L91's are $1.67-$2.50 each. Online name brand CR123's are still $1.75 each, and only generic are as little as $1. Online L91's are $1-$2.50, and generic AA lithium primaries are below $1.

So on top of storing more energy and having a longer shelf life, yes, they are indeed cheaper.

 

[Marduke]

Cr123's at $1 online are generic brands. Lowest I know of for name brand is $1.75 online. Ultimate lithium do have a 20 year shelf life to 80%.

L91's can be bought for $1.67 each at both Costco and Sam's, or $1 in bulk on eBay and similar.

So that means you can get L91's cheaper locally than you can get name brand CR123's online...

 

[dagored]

Cr123's at $1 online are generic brands. Lowest I know of for name brand is $1.75 online. Ultimate lithium do have a 20 year shelf life to 80%.

L91's can be bought for $1.67 each at both Costco and Sam's, or $1 in bulk on eBay and similar.

So that means you can get L91's cheaper locally than you can get name brand CR123's online...

Check here:
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=197054

 

[Marduke]

Check here:
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=197054

Great, a personal stash at a discount.

Now find that price availabe through retail...