Any one else tired of CR123 LED lights?

[OCDGearhead]

In the edc light that i carry now (C9) is using a rcr and i have a primary in the glove compartment as well. I tend to go both ways since i still buy lights that use single AA and ones that use double A's. I also keep a stack of cr123's, cr2's, alkalines, and lithiums. The way i see it if the light you use and carry with you all the time why not go rechargeable, you can save the cells that you have. Im also a big fan of single celled lights as well. Just do what other members do here, stock up on them.

Signs of a hardcore addict.

This is a flashaholic's version of a junkie's medicine cabinet.

 

[Zatoichi]

Signs of a hardcore addict.

This is a flashaholic's version of a junkie's medicine cabinet.

Hey, wanna try a CR123? Go on you'll like it, the first one's free... :duh2:

 

[Jarl]

Hey, wanna try a CR123? Go on you'll like it, the first one's free... :duh2:

Second one will cost ya :sick2:

 

[zx7dave]

I really love CR 123 powered lights and they are the only ones I consider buying, except for very few others, like Photons.
Alkaline doesn't cut it, and rechargeable is a hassle and unacceptable for a multitude of reasons.
SO, I am the opposite of you 😀
bernie

+1

CR 123 Lights are by far the best..however it is easy for any CR123 light to be come a RCR123, 17670 etc...

 

[1996alnl]

I must admit that I'm a little bit tired of my L4, which burns 2 cells in an hour.

Do what i do.
Use a 17670 cell,same runtime and output and it's rechargable.
After a few cycles its paid for itself.
Guilt free lumens😀

 

[JBorneu]

20 x CR2
80 x 123
80 x L91
60 x AA Alkaline
400 x AA Carbon Zinc
50 x D
80 x C

that doesn't include the NiMH and the Li-Ion

Just asking, but why do you store 400 AA carbon-zinc cells? As far as I know carbon-zinc cells lose most of their power after two years in storage. Storing a couple alkalines, OK, if you're the kind of guy who will use 60 alkaline AA cells in 5 years, and it probably won't cost more to buy AA alkalines every five years than AA lithiums every ten years at the current prices. But 400 carbon-zinc cells? Do you have a use for those?

 

[Jedi Knife]

I'm glad I'm not alone in my rejection of CR123 batteries. Hopefully, when they become obsolete manufacturers will turn out more models that run on cheaper, more efficient battery types.

 

[Black Rose]

Considering that the main use for CR123A cells is not flashlights, it's going to be a long time before they become obsolete.

 

[etc]

Just asking, but why do you store 400 AA carbon-zinc cells? As far as I know carbon-zinc cells lose most of their power after two years in storage. Storing a couple alkalines, OK, if you're the kind of guy who will use 60 alkaline AA cells in 5 years, and it probably won't cost more to buy AA alkalines every five years than AA lithiums every ten years at the current prices. But 400 carbon-zinc cells? Do you have a use for those?

Because I thought I got 400 Alkalines (on your fav online auction) but they turned out to be 400 Carbon Zinc cells 'heavy duty' garbage. And they are right at the expiration date or past it.

I don't need them. They run a few things pretty well however but I doubt I will ever use them. So I have been giving them away basically, in Real Life that is. If I find a place that can use them, I will donate them.
Do you think Salvation Army is a good place to donate them to?

 

[Jedi Knife]

Considering that the main use for CR123A cells is not flashlights, it's going to be a long time before they become obsolete.

Ahh, good point Black Rose. What is the main use for CR123a cells? I've read about them used for cameras, but most of the cameras I see today use AA or proprietary lithium-ion packs.

 

[Jarl]

Larger cameras such as SLR's tend to run on CR123's.

 

[mbaha]

TSHTF stash, image you get no electric from now on till forever.

OK you take your stash of one use batteries and I'll take 1/10 the number of rechargeable batteries and a solar panel and we'll see who is last one with light....

 

[seery]

Not at all.

Stopped using rechargeable batteries when I sold my last 2 Surefire 9N's
a few years back.

Everything these days are either CR123 or CR2, with the exception of the
Li-ion handle on my Beast II (the primary handle requires (20) CR123's).

IMO rechargeable cells are too much hassle for the return on investment.

The investment being my time, which is far too precious to waste on the
extra luggage that comes with using rechargeable cells.

YMMV.

 

[Splunk_Au]

Are you sure CR123 provide more power than regular AA or NiMH cells? Not anymore they don't

Energizer CR123
Max Discharge rate: 1.5A (1C)
@ 3.0V = 4.5W

Sanyo Eneloop AA
Max Discharge rate: 8A (4C)
@ 1.2V = 9.6W

I don't see any reason why people say NiMH are a "hassle". Say you carry a certain number of primaries on you, you can just as well carry that same number of NiMH. Nobody says you should only have one set of NiMH's right?

After using up CR123 you throw them away, thereby wasting money and not being environmentally friendly.
NiMH are good for upwords of 500 cycles, so that speaks for itself.

The only pro of CR123 is that it's lighter than NiMH, but in relation to the weight of the flashlight and how you carry, is it really that noticeable?

So why are people saying CR123 better?

 

[Kiessling]

Splunk ... rechargeables are a hassle. You need extra time for recharging and maintenance of your cells, you need to watch them because recharging is dangerous, you need to drag along a charger when away AND you still go through the recharging hassle even when you don't have time for this, the batteries loose their charge so you never know how full they are ... untill you invest even more time to top them off ... etc. This is a significant effort investment that I am not willing to make, that I can't make. Don't have the time and free brain power, that is needed elsewhere.
A primary ... I can throw away when done and need not drag them home again. I don't need to pay attention not to discharge them too much in order to avoid damage, I can just suck them dry. I don't need to pay attention which cell needs which charger and is protected or not and what not else. I don't depend on a charger that can also fail, where I need a backup when really important.

Rechargeables are not KISS. Primaries are. I want my tool sto be KISS so that I can focus on the task at hand and not on the tool.

The CR123 cell itself has advantages, mot already mentioned:
- light weight
- high voltage and energy in a small form factor (3V on NiMH is not the same as 1x123)
- temperature won't affect them
- shelflife is cool ... you know the cell you grab is full
- they do not leak
- good current draw in a little package
- great smell 😀
- etc.

My primaries saved me a lot of money by not using up my resources in time and effort investment.

bernie

 

[Stereodude]

Larger cameras such as SLR's tend to run on CR123's.

What? I'm not aware of any. All DSLR's run on Li-Ion packs or battery grips that use Li-Ion or AA's. My old SLR runs on a 2CR5.

 

[Black Rose]

I only have 5 CR123A powered lights, 4 of them being single cell lights.

I like the small form factor combined with the relative brightness and runtime combined with the cold weather durability of the CR123A cells.
I only use CR123A primaries in these lights.

About 90% of my lights use AA cells and are powered by LSD NiMh cells for general use and Energizer L91 lithiums for cold weather usage.

 

[Splunk_Au]

Kiessling,

Why is charging NiMH dangerous, being a common consumer product and all which require passing various safety standards? Taking this issue of safety, I've seen more post of exploding CR123's with people getting hurt while in use than by recharging NiMH's anyway. Is the chance of cell exploding while you're holding the light more dangerous or NiMH melting in the charger? If charging NiMH is dangerous, I can't imagine what you think of charging li-ion's.

You whole first paragraph of contention basicallly is negating what I posted previously:

"I don't see any reason why people say NiMH are a "hassle". Say you carry a certain number of primaries on you, you can just as well carry that same number of NiMH. Nobody says you should only have one set of NiMH's right?"

 

[Black Rose]

Kiessling,

Why is charging NiMH dangerous, being a common consumer product and all which require passing various safety standards?

Remember that this thread is about CR123s. Kiessling was referring to charging RCR123/16340 Li-Ion cells.

 

[N/Apower]

Are you sure CR123 provide more power than regular AA or NiMH cells? Not anymore they don't

Energizer CR123
Max Discharge rate: 1.5A (1C)
@ 3.0V = 4.5W

Sanyo Eneloop AA
Max Discharge rate: 8A (4C)
@ 1.2V = 9.6W

I don't see any reason why people say NiMH are a "hassle". Say you carry a certain number of primaries on you, you can just as well carry that same number of NiMH. Nobody says you should only have one set of NiMH's right?

After using up CR123 you throw them away, thereby wasting money and not being environmentally friendly.
NiMH are good for upwords of 500 cycles, so that speaks for itself.

The only pro of CR123 is that it's lighter than NiMH, but in relation to the weight of the flashlight and how you carry, is it really that noticeable?

So why are people saying CR123 better?

First, AA batteries are longer than CR123's and this means that the flashlight mounted to my weapon would have to be longer. Also, if I store batteries on the weapon, the grip I store them in would not hold as many.

Are these rechargable NiMH's reliable when it comes to recoil, temperature extremes, ect? I am unfamiliar with a vast majority of "things flashlight".

Yes weight is a factor for me. If I run a 3-cell light on my AR, I would probably be carrying 6 batteries total. The weight adds up, plus the light would have to be larger to accomodate the larger battery, thus adding MORE weight, right near the muzzle, where it annoys me the most.