Any one else tired of CR123 LED lights?

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the Lowes down the street from me have two-pack (sealed package) of surefire cr123s for $5. sometimes i'll pick up a pair when i'm there. i love my zebralight H30 and my rebel 100 P3D and i usually use tenergy rechargeables with primaries for backup.

i like the compact size and the power they put out, but i've found myself steering more towards single AA lights lately (quark AA, D10). i really like single cell lights (you don't have to worry about having multiple lights of same state/charge) and AAs are everywhere.

123s are still good batteries IMO.
 
Blindasabat said:
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?
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When you think about it... a 16340 has 16x34=544cu mm of cell volume and a 14500 has 14x50=700cu mm of cell volume... the 14500 has 29% greater cell volume. So even if the labeled capacity is similar, it stands to reason that a 14500 should have greater capacity than a 16340. And some 14500 cells are now labeled as having 900 mAh capacity, a 20% stated increase in capacity over a 750 mAh 16340 cell.

Interestingly, Selfbuilt has stated in this post

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showpost.php?p=2994976&postcount=62

"In my testing of various AW RCR and 14500s over the years, I find 14500 typically has 25-30% greater capacity even though they are rated the same. This is in testing the cells with the same head in lights have multiple battery tubes.

But of course, that is just an average. I've seen a fair amount of variability within each type. If you are familiar with standard deviation, I can tell you the typical SD is about 15% of the mean value for the 6-8 cells of each type I have tested. I try to use batteries as close to the mean as possible, but it's not exact.

So when you factor in the variance introduced by testing different sample Quarks in the above test (noticing also that the Q123 is producing slightly higher output than the QAA), the ~50% increase with 14500 is within expected variability."

=======

With the availability of the Quark AA, Nitecore D10, Jet I Pro IBS v3.0, ConneXion X2, even the AKOray K-106 (awesome $22 light!!!) and other multi-level/multi-mode single-cell AA lights that run on 14500 Li-Ion, L91 Lithium primaries, AA Eneloops, and the lowly AA alkaline... I have become much more a fan of such AA lights than lights designed to run on a single CR123. Not that I dislike the single CR123/RCR123 lights (I have a bunch of them! 🙂 )... I just see much greater utility and powering flexibility with the newer single AA lights that run on 14500 li-ion.
 
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Marduke said:
Great, a personal stash at a discount.
Now find that price availabe through retail...
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Marduke said:
Great, You beat the B&M L91 price for online CR123's. Now beat the online L91 price..
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This thread isn't about online shopping vs B&M shopping and which store sells x for $y and a for $b, please don't turn this thread into a pi$$ing match.
Check the thread title:

Any one else tired of CR123 LED lights?
 
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For me... the term "tired of" doesn't really apply... I'm not "tired of" them at all... and I still use them.... BUT, I am finding much greater utility/versatility and somewhat better runtime with the 14500/AA size lights. 😉
 
Jedi Knife said:
I was just wondering if anyone else is tired of the continual proliferation of LED lights using CR123 batteries? I really, really don't like these hard to find and expensive power cells and don't plan on buying any more lights powered by them (surefire included, and especially) unless they turn out to be something other than the darkly anodized generic fare that has saturated the market. Here's to hoping for more lights powered by alkaline or NiMh rechargables.
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I am. I love AA batteries. I don't mind them as much in rechargeable form, but much prefer the AA or AAA batteries, just incase I don't have a spare or a charger, I can buy one at the store and it won't cost me an arm and a leg lol
 
DHart said:
For me... the term "tired of" doesn't really apply... I'm not "tired of" them at all... and I still use them.... BUT, I am finding much greater utility/versatility and somewhat better runtime with the 14500/AA size lights. 😉
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Took the words right out of my mouth. +1
 
One thing I've observed from reading this thread is that user opinions of CR123's are very polarized. Granted, some of you are relatively indifferent and use either CR123's or 14500's/AA's without discretion; but from what I can tell many of us are either:

:twothumbsCR123 & :green:14500/AA
or
:twothumbs14500/AA & :green:CR123

What exactly this means for how lights will eventually evolve, at least within our small community, is yet to be determined. In the grand scheme of things CPF's voice is a small one. But I will be :popcorn: for some time to come.

User preference is completely arbitrary. For me, an EDC is something that is on my keychain. A 14500/AA light is IMHO too big for keychain carry although the Nitecore EZ AA is borderline acceptable. And I consider the ideal form-factor to be any of Surefire's E-series 2xCR123 bodies, namely the E2L/L4/E2DL. I definitely find the most functionally versatile form-factor though to be 3xCR123--2x17500--2xAA/14500. YMMV :grin2:
 
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I Like CR123 Led Lights For There RunTimes And Power.

I EDC CR123 Lights Most Of The Time But At Home I use My 1AA lIGHTS, There Inexpensive And Throw Enough Light For Being Inside. :candle:
 
Selfbuilt says Titanium Innovations CR123's test as well or better than name brands http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=235213 and are $1ea ($0.98 12pk, $0.96ea/50pk) at one of my preferred vendors: BatteryJunction (eBay is not preferred - I've been scr**ed there). Energizer are $1.43 individually at BattJunction ($1.29ea/50pk). Panasonic are $1.50 ($1.35ea/50pk).

<edit: sorry Kestrel, cost-benefit is part of the discussion>

I gotta buy a Sam's Club membership to pay more than BatteryJunction?

Energizer Ult. Lithium says 15yrs storage life on their product page. Good ... but I already consider 10 years to be more than I need. Moot point.

I'm interested or I wouldn't be spending the time looking into it. I want the best batteries for my Proton, L1Tv2, and possibly QuarkAA (&CR123 body) if I get one. But then in lights than can take both AA & 14500, the L91 will have lower output...:thinking: That has to be taken into account too.

Just read the later posts about 14500 performance v. RCR123. Interesting, I may be more likely to use 14500 for a bike light (the only place I have runtime concerns) where it is an option, but I just completed my collection of 17500 and 18500 cells & bodies just for that purpose.

It is still interesting to note that when Fenix, Quark, (& some others? - Jetbeam?) share heads for both batteries, the CR123 just makes a shorter light of the same diameter. Which is one thing I like.

The new 18350 cells (tested at 850mA-h IIRC) may leapfrog the 14500's - where they fit - like in FiveMega bodies.

Marduke said:
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...
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I get different volumes for cylinders:
Volume = cross-sectional area times height = Pi * D^2 /4 X L
16340 = 3.14*16^2*34/4 = 6836 mm^2
14500 = 3.14*14^2*50/4 = 7697 mm^2
For a ~12% volume difference - that does not account for thickness of the casing, which more of is required for a longer cell since the ideal cylinder for low surface-high volume is a short cylinder just like the 16340 - which I think is why they were made that shape to start with. The area-to-vol ratio is better for 16340 and even more so with some outer surface volume taken out for shell. Volume only accounts for 11-12% difference. I wonder if longer cells have an advantage in internal construction of anode-cathode arrangement?

But beside any of that, the runtime test results speak for themselves - as long as selfbuilt's RCR123 is not too old. :poke:
DHart said:
... a 16340 has 16x34=544cu mm of cell volume and a 14500 has 14x50=700cu mm of cell volume... the 14500 has 29% greater cell volume.
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P.S. I've seen 900mA labeled RCR123's too - but they were Tenergy 😛
 
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You might want to knock off about 10mm for the pcb. AW's unprotected 18500's are labeled 18690, for example.

Bill
 
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burntoshine said:
the Lowes down the street from me have two-pack (sealed package) of surefire cr123s for $5. sometimes i'll pick up a pair when i'm there. i love my zebralight H30 and my rebel 100 P3D and i usually use tenergy rechargeables with primaries for backup.

i like the compact size and the power they put out, but i've found myself steering more towards single AA lights lately (quark AA, D10). i really like single cell lights (you don't have to worry about having multiple lights of same state/charge) and AAs are everywhere.

123s are still good batteries IMO.
Click to expand...

I got some of the Surefire CR123's from Lowes the other day and they were $4.97 before tax and $5.37 after. 🙁

I can get several alkalines for that much but they have a much shorter shelf life and are prone to leak. :banghead:
 
Please remember that there are a number of multicell lights that are out there now.......they will take cr123's-rcr's and also work well with 14500 and AA type batts. I seem to get those lights like the ITP and also Olights T10 with T15 tube. This for me is the best of both worlds.
 
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alfreddajero said:
Please remember that there are a number of multicell lights that are out there now.......they will take cr123's-rcr's and also work well with 14500 and AA type batts. I seem to get those lights like the ITP and also Olights T10 with T15 tube. This for me is the best of both worlds.
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alfred... yes! I agree. When I bought my Quark AA I also bought the 123 tube with it so I could power it with an RCR123 if the desire for a smaller form factor kicked in. And with a stash of L91s, L92s, and Panasonic CR123s in the fridge for emergency use, if I ever need to power my Quark AA head with a CR123, it's just a tube swap away. In fact today I ordered a Quark 123x2 which I intend to power with a 17670... but if the need arose, I could pop a couple of my reserve Panasonic CR123s in there and be in business.

I don't think CR123 is dead... but for me it's just becoming a less often used alternative.
 
LightWalker said:
I got some of the Surefire CR123's from Lowes the other day and they were $4.97 before tax and $5.37 after. 🙁

I can get several alkalines for that much but they have a much shorter shelf life and are prone to leak. :banghead:
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oh yeah, that whole tax thing. forgot about that; my bad!


...i enjoy discussions on flashlights (i learn a lot in this forum), but there were a few posts earlier in this thread that seemed like people were looking down on others because of their preference. either i'm a "poor unfortunate soul" and someone's praying for me, or that was just a bad joke. i'll go ahead and assume it was a bad joke. i'd hate to think there're battery snobs amongst us.

i hope i don't see a sticker/decal of a 14500 peeing on a cr123.

peace brother
 
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