Has anyone tried DX SKU #123406?

[Biker Bear]

I'm looking at them to use for lighting at an outdoor event; given the possibility some of the lights might "go missing" I don't want to use anything expensive. I do realize the claimed brightness (250lm) is only potentially reachable with a higher-voltage rechargeable I'm not going to be using (and is possibly overstated even there) - but even half the claimed brightness would be enough for my purposes, so that's not something I'm going to quibble over.

If anyone has other suggestions, I'm open to them - though I do have some size constraints and really want to stick with single-CR123a lights. If someone is making a decent quality inexpensive light similar in design to the old Fenix P1 with a more recent LED, I'd especially like to hear about that.

 

[fractal]

Where are you buying the batteries? A buck and a half bulk, 8 bucks retail make cr123's expensive. A sk68 clone is the same price and can run on 50 cent alkaleeks and they "may" hit 100 lumens. I recently bought a 3 pack from DX and they are crappy but bright with enloops and crappy and pretty bright with alkaleeks. Ten bucks a piece with batteries won't break the bank if they go missing.

 

[awenta]

I second that. Why would you want lights that may go missing to use 123's instead of cheap alkaleaks?

 

[AquaJoe]

I agree, I would definitely look at a SK68 clone. Its cheap, surprising bright, runs off cheap AA.

I recently got one from Ebay for $7.50 shipped, and shipped from USA. Its a great light for under $8

I think it was rated at 300lm, but its more like 200lm.

 

[Biker Bear]

I already have the batteries; I went overboard a while back on a good deal and rather than have them slowly waste away in storage, I'd rather use some of them up.

In addition - I think if the lights use an "uncommon" battery, they're perhaps less likely to "take a walk" than if they use an AA - and even if they do vanish... the person who takes it likely won't know where to buy cheap CR123a's.

 

[sol-leks]

Looks like a nice light to me and as long as you buy them online cr123's are worth it. I'd say go for it. The reviews are rather glowing as well.

 

[KurtS]

Looks like a nice light to me and as long as you buy them online cr123's are worth it. I'd say go for it. The reviews are rather glowing as well.

Lowes carries Surefire 123 for $4.29/pair. Very good batteries at a good price.

 

[EscapeVelocity]

Lowes carries Surefire 123 for $4.29/pair. Very good batteries at a good price.

I almost got a pair of those the other day, but I balked not knowing the quality. The Energizers were over twice that. I thought maybe Id get some online a dozen or so at a bulk price....but nobody is recommending any brands.

 

[awenta]

I almost got a pair of those the other day, but I balked not knowing the quality. The Energizers were over twice that. I thought maybe Id get some online a dozen or so at a bulk price....but nobody is recommending any brands.

Battery Station has great cells for a great price. Tough to beat. CPF discount too.

 

[Biker Bear]

Looks like a nice light to me and as long as you buy them online cr123's are worth it. I'd say go for it. The reviews are rather glowing as well.

I'm a little wary of the DX reviews, but that certainly doesn't hurt.

I almost got a pair of those the other day, but I balked not knowing the quality. The Energizers were over twice that. I thought maybe Id get some online a dozen or so at a bulk price....but nobody is recommending any brands.

There are several comparison/"shootout" threads on CR123a's, such as: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/235213

People have various priorities - some are more cost-sensitive, others want absolute maximum power; some insist on USA-made, others don't. But with the performance information you can make your own decision and include whatever other factors are important to you.

 

[KurtS]

There are several comparison/"shootout" threads on CR123a's, such as: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/235213

The Surefires did well in that testing and are locally available. Seems like a no-brainer at $2/each and known quality.......

 

[fractal]

I never tried a CR123 light before and it was the price of lunch so I bought one.

I don't know what sort of outdoor event you are talking about and what role the light would play so I can't really make judgement calls on any of the features. But here goes some thoughts...

1 - it is a three mode, no memory light. The cycle is high - low - strobe. If you had it on high and want it on again in high you either have to press the button 5 times, and the light will be in "strobe" mode for a while. The strobe mode alone would disqualify the light for me if it were for fan use during an event. Alternately you can wait 10 seconds or so for the mode to reset back to high.

2 - it is small. Smaller than the sk68 I suggested earlier. It is a nice size for a pocket, bag or purse. I would not want to hold one for a half hour while waking the dog as it is too small for my hands. The SK68 fits a little better but I think a 2 cell light like the rayovac indestructible fits my hands better for walking the dog or patrolling a perimeter.

3 - It is not very bright. The sk68 is brighter than it is even on high. But it has a much tighter beam than the sk68. More like the rayovac.

I have no experience taking beamshots with my cheapo point and click camera so will spare you my feeble attempts.

All in all, I would not want one in my hands for extended periods of time and the strobe is a deal breaker for me. I don't get upset when I get a lunch I do not enjoy and I am not upset about this little light. But I don't think it will get much use by me.

 

[Biker Bear]

Hey, thanks for the info, fractal! You're right, I never went into any detail about what I had in mind; the basic idea is that they'll be set up around the area for decorative lighting. Small is good because the point is what's lit up, not where the light's coming from. Tight beam is actually a good thing for what I have in mind.One of the ideas is to use them with a bottle full of colored water - so a light small enough to fit into the neck of a soda bottle is ideal; my old Fenix P1 with an O-ring to keep it from falling into the bottle worked fine; the SK68 is too big in diameter to do that. And as this event happens in the evening... they don't have to be incredibly bright (though I admit, brighter than my P1 would be nice), and they'll pretty much be just turned on and left that way, so the UI isn't really a huge consideration.