Flashlight choices based on battery type????

[Brigadier]

Can you summarize in one or two sentences what you mean my "your way"?

Looking at the top choices, they are overwhelmingly CR123 based lights, so people do seem to buy the light they like and don't discount a light due to it not being powered by the AA or AAA battery.

 

[Marduke]

Looking at the top choices, they are overwhelmingly CR123 based lights, so people do seem to buy the light they like and don't discount a light due to it not being powered by the AA or AAA battery.

Or did they purchase the light BECAUSE it ran on CR123??

The bias goes both ways...

 

[Brigadier]

Or did they purchase the light BECAUSE it ran on CR123??

The bias goes both ways...

Not in the context of this thread. If you read this thread you will see a bias against the CR123, as you have pointed out before.

 

[Brownstone]

Looking at the top choices, they are overwhelmingly CR123 based lights, so people do seem to buy the light they like and don't discount a light due to it not being powered by the AA or AAA battery.

That thread is regarding the following contrived scenario:

• Four to six week "adventure".
• Must carry entire battery inventory at outset (no resupplies).
• No external power source, hence no recharging.
• No apparent concern for sharing batteries w/ non-flashlight equipment.

The scenario is defined in a way that eliminates most of the advantages of AA / AAA cells as discussed here in this thread. (Ease of supply, commonality with other equipment). With only minor changes to the assumptions this bias could have been reversed.

What that thread really revealed was a preference for SureFire and other lights known for their ruggedness, given the scenario assumptions.

 

[Brigadier]

What that thread really revealed was a preference for SureFire and other lights known for their ruggedness, given the scenario assumptions.

Exactly, even though they weren't AA/AAA lights.

 

[qip]

i still saw plenty of posts with a AA in there somewhere as a just incase lol...but even so, wouldnt that defeat the original point that people DO buy lights reguardless of battery as oppose to not

 

[Brownstone]

i still saw plenty of posts with a AA in there somewhere as a just incase lol...but even so, wouldnt that defeat the original point that people DO buy lights reguardless of battery as oppose to not

Yes. Some people certainly do purchase flashlights without excess concern for the battery type. If that is the only point being made then I agree. It just seems like somehow this thread is attempting to push a perceived "superiority" of CR123A cells.

 

[Brigadier]

Yes. Some people certainly do purchase flashlights without excess concern for the battery type. If that is the only point being made then I agree. It just seems like somehow this thread is attempting to push a perceived "superiority" of CR123A cells.

It was intended to understand why someone would not by an excellent light like a Novatac, HDS, Ra Twisty, SureFire, etc., just because they WERE powered by a CR123 and NOT an AA/AAA battery.

 

[Marduke]

It was intended to understand why someone would not by an excellent light like a Novatac, HDS, Ra Twisty, SureFire, etc., just because they WERE powered by a CR123 and NOT an AA/AAA battery.

We've gone over it before, and I'm sure we will many more times before this thread is locked....

Some of the MANY possible reasons not to purchase:

1) Those lights are not nearly as versatile with their power options.

2) They are more expensive to operate

3) Some of them are totally incapable of being used with rechargable cells

4) Safety concerns. Two mismatched alkaline or NiMH cells leak. Two mismatched lithium cells go :poof:

5) Many of those "quality" lights you mention are marketing as being somehow "superior". There is an image that such "superior" lights have to use a "superior" cell. 20 years ago, the ONLY cell superior to consumer alkalines were CR123 cells. Even though CR123's are not longer king of the mountain, that image of them formed over the past two decades is hard to shake. This also ties in with "superior" brand flashlight snobbery which some members show an abundance of.

6) Logistics complications with other electronics and travel. Almost no other electronics use CR123's. Some methods of travel have SEVERE restrictions with lithium travel. Some places in the world have never even heard of CR123's, good luck getting replacements there.

Do we really need to continue??

 

[Crosswire3]

I could go on for hours just as everyone else has, but I have and will continue to buy AA lights because of the battery availability and affordability. The fact is that you never know when something will happen or where you will be when it does. We already know that AAs (and AAAs for that matter, which will fit AA lights) are infinitely more common than lithium batteries. In every circumstance I have encountered I have been VERY happy with my selection of AA lights. Afterall, the performance margin is gradually closing.

 

[Technician]

I purchase AA based flashlights because I get AA batteries free at work. Everyone at work carries AA lights for that reason.

 

[xcel730]

Wow, I can't believe this thread is still going. :party:

I still haven't found a AA flashlight that I like. My one and only AA right now is my NDI and Pentagon Molle. :shrug: everything else runs on CR123a.

 

[qip]

Wow, I can't believe this thread is still going. :party:

I still haven't found a AA flashlight that I like. My one and only AA right now is my NDI and Pentagon Molle. :shrug: everything else runs on CR123a.

LFX5T would have been perfect except for the complex programming involved and odd clicky that fears in reliability + the delay may be an issue for some

 

[xcel730]

I'm eyeing on the LFX5T as well. I'm going to take the wait and see approach and give Liteflux some time to iron out the issues they're having.

LFX5T would have been perfect except for the complex programming involved and odd clicky that fears in reliability + the delay may be an issue for some

 

[Brigadier]

We've gone over it before, and I'm sure we will many more times before this thread is locked....

Some of the MANY possible reasons not to purchase:

1) Those lights are not nearly as versatile with their power options.

2) They are more expensive to operate

3) Some of them are totally incapable of being used with rechargable cells

4) Safety concerns. Two mismatched alkaline or NiMH cells leak. Two mismatched lithium cells go :poof:

5) Many of those "quality" lights you mention are marketing as being somehow "superior". There is an image that such "superior" lights have to use a "superior" cell. 20 years ago, the ONLY cell superior to consumer alkalines were CR123 cells. Even though CR123's are not longer king of the mountain, that image of them formed over the past two decades is hard to shake. This also ties in with "superior" brand flashlight snobbery which some members show an abundance of.

6) Logistics complications with other electronics and travel. Almost no other electronics use CR123's. Some methods of travel have SEVERE restrictions with lithium travel. Some places in the world have never even heard of CR123's, good luck getting replacements there.

Do we really need to continue??

Seems I have struck a nerve. Maybe it is just your personal problem with me. But all I did was make an observation based on the poll results in another thread. What is the harm in that?

 

[Marduke]

Seems I have struck a nerve. Maybe it is just your personal problem with me. But all I did was make an observation based on the poll results in another thread. What is the harm in that?

I was making a counter point to your statement, not referencing the other thread.

 

[LED-holic]

Apparently lots of people see things my way.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=189173

wow, bumping your own thread to continue beating this horse to death? :thumbsdow

So what lots of people see things your way? Lots of people also don't see things your way. I for one, along with many others, choose lights with easily accessible AA/AAA form factors. You don't see me pounding my chest and saying doing anything else is wrong, right?

Why the need for this thread? Who cares? As long as people are happy with their choices (battery type or otherwise) who's to tell them they're wrong?

:sigh:

PS- what's ironic is in that thread you referenced, all those people with CR123a lights would be SOL because the TSA / airport security will have confiscated most of their CR123a batteries, leaving them with one or two batteries for the extended trip. Thus rendering the CR123a lights for the most part useless, when compared to the common AA/AAA batteries that are available everywhere. :oops:

 

[LED-holic]

Wow, I can't believe this thread is still going. :party:

I still haven't found a AA flashlight that I like. My one and only AA right now is my NDI and Pentagon Molle. :shrug: everything else runs on CR123a.

It's still going because the OP bumped this thread after it became dormant on 6/4/08 (2 weeks ago).

I don't understand why the OP is so obsessed with this topic. It's a non-issue for 99% of us. I just don't get it.

:sick2::sick2::thinking::thumbsdow:popcorn:

 

[Centropolis]

This thread is still going strong?? :rolleyes:

I was watching the movie "Cloverfield" last night and I was waiting for someone to pull out a flashlight....no one did....no one brings a flashlight to a party anymore? :)

I don't think the discussion is about whether CR123A based flashlight to superior to AA based ones. The fact is people do buy flashlights because of a certain battery type it runs on no matter if it is AAs or CR123As. People also don't buy a flashlight because of the battery type.....

 

[Brownstone]

Well, if the OP is postulating that battery type should not enter into consideration when selecting a flashlight, then I wonder if he would purchase a flashlight that was vastly superior to any other product on the market if the cells provided 24 hours of runtime at 10,000 lumens, were $500 apiece, were only available from the manufacturer, and had a six-month lead time to order.

Clearly he would, right? After all, mundane details like battery technology should never influence your decision to buy the right light.