fenix HL23 - COULD I use a 14500??

[kevin2]

Just wondering if I could use a 14500 battery VS the AA in my HL23 OR would it burn the light up?

 

[Genzod]

Just wondering if I could use a 14500 battery VS the AA in my HL23 OR would it burn the light up?

It's been "banned" according to the product page table listing battery types. You'd have to ask a genius here as to why exactly.

 

[kevin2]

Thanks, that really helps.

It's been "banned" according to the product page table listing battery types. You'd have to ask a genius here as to why exactly.

 

[hiuintahs]

It's been "banned" according to the product page table listing battery types. You'd have to ask a genius here as to why exactly.

Genius reporting in . Well, the alkaline/NiMh batteries, voltage wise, are far below the forward voltage drop of the LED which is around 3.0 volts. Thus the driver is a boost circuit type. A 14500 battery is above the Vfwd and would require a different circuit driver. The HL23 simply isn't designed for the higher voltage. Some flashlights that accommodate both 1.5v and lithium ion then have buck-boost or boost/pwm type of drivers. There are some lights that accommodate 1.5v/14500 that I don't care for because of the switch to pwm (ie: Nitecore MT10A). Even though I have not seen pwm on the Fenix lights, I have found that their CR123A/16340 lights perform better than their AA/14500 lights, even though the 14500 has 100mAh more capacity than the 16340. Thus I am happy with the HL23 as it is, though I wish it had memory or at least started out in low.

 

[Woods Walker]

Alkaline 1.5 volts. NiMH 1.2.... 14500 3.7 nominal volts and 4.2 fresh off the charger. I don't see this ending well.... I think it would fry.

 

[Loverofthelight]

According to the battery specifications, it is banned to use 14500.

 

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The HL23 runs fine on 14500. I ran it on 14500 for about 3 hours straight on the high setting, and it does get warm, but not uncomfortable. It is much brighter on 14500 and each battery seems to last about 45 minutes on this mode.

 

[Labrador72]

14500 batteries are banned, or at least used to be, for most Fenix lights but it doesn't mean they won't work.
For example the good old LD10 works with a 14500 but it doesn't mean it will work well.
AFAIK or rather based on what I read on the forum in the early 2010s if the circuit isn't designed to handle the voltage and the generated heat properly, you may eventually damage or even outright fry your light.