Help Me Start Out: SureFire LFP 123A Rechargeable Kit vs. Everything Else

[bigfoot]

I'm entirely new to the rechargeable 123A game. I've got a ton of Eneloops for my AA & AAA needs, but now it's time to find something to augment my stash of CR123A cells. Basically, I'm wondering what folks would recommend for just starting out. I see SureFire has a LFP 123A kit for $29.00, and additional pairs of cells are $12.00. It's very tempting to stay with SureFire, especially with their warranty and safety record. But I also see that, for example, Amazon has a Tenergy "LiFePO4" kit with 6x 3.7v RCR123A cells and a charger for $22.00. Looks like a good value. I'm sure there's a lot of other kits out there besides these ones, too.

So... what I need is something that will power my various SF's (E1L / Minimus Vision / Kroma MilSpec) as well as an HDS Clicky High CRI. I don't plan on using any incandescent lights with these type of batteries, and have been moving to single cell 123A lights to avoid any trouble with mismatched cells. An exception is the Kroma -- won't give that up!

Any advice or suggestions greatly appreciated!

 

[ChrisGarrett]

We call them RCR-123s, or 16340s, which is the diameter size in mm and then the length in mm. 0 stands for cylindrical shape, but that's debatable.

The SureFire K2-Energy LiFePO4 3.2v cells and charger are the way you want to go, if you want ease of use. Get a few sets of cells, mark each one with a Sharpie marker, 1-X, Y or Z and charge them up. Take a DMM multi meter if you have one and measure the cells for voltage hot off of the charger and group them if you can.

Once you have them marked, take the best pairs and run them for 20 minutes in your light and stop. Measure them fresh out of the light and see what they measure. Wait 20 minutes and reinsert them and run them another 20 minutes and see what they measure. Make sure to put a timer on the light, so you know what's what.

This will give you an indication of how they're draining and you can get an idea of whether they're matching up well, or not. Maybe one cell measures 4.05v after 40 minutes of runtime and another measures 3.97v. Do that with the group you have and then pair them up further.

Chris

 

[dwong]

I was in the exact same boat for Vision, U2, seem everyone here highly recommended the K2 LFP but not their charger.
So I order bunch LFP from surefire couple weeks ago, and a Xtar SP1 charger.

 

[bigfoot]

Thanks folks! Always can count on the battery experts here for the best info. :thumbsup:

Going to look into getting a DMM and will probably go the SF route to dip my toes in the water. Will look up that Xtar SP1 charger, too-- any particular reason it was rated better than the K2?

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Thanks folks! Always can count on the battery experts here for the best info. :thumbsup:

Going to look into getting a DMM and will probably go the SF route to dip my toes in the water. Will look up that Xtar SP1 charger, too-- any particular reason it was rated better than the K2?

It's a more flexible charger. While the SP1 is a single bay charger, it charges at 250mA, 500mA and 1A. It can handle LiFePO4 (SF K2 cells,) Li-cobalt and Li-manganese cells. It can do 3.2v (SF K2,) 3.6v (Li-Co, Li-Mn, hybrid chemistries) and it can charge the new 3.8v (4.35v Li-co) cells. And it can charge up some USB devices with a charged cell.

Wait a week, or two and buy the re-formulated plastic Xtar VP2, which is twin bay and similar to the SP1, but it also comes with a voltage meter display.

Chris

 

[Viking]

Will look up that Xtar SP1 charger, too-- any particular reason it was rated better than the K2?

Maybe because some fellow forum members had bad experiences with the K2 charger when it first came out , including one meltdown.
Whether or not the issues are solved by now I don't know. But it isn't at top of my list either

 

[ACruceSalus]

I'm new to the wonderful world of flashlights and have been pouring over this forum. Great info. here. So how accurate are the voltage readings on the VP1? Would it be better to buy something like an XTAR WPIIs and use the difference in price to get a DMM?

 

[ChrisGarrett]

I'm new to the wonderful world of flashlights and have been pouring over this forum. Great info. here. So how accurate are the voltage readings on the VP1? Would it be better to buy something like an XTAR WPIIs and use the difference in price to get a DMM?

Wait a week, or three and just buy the VP2 and be happy. You should still 'always' have a DMM, so buy one of those along the way.

Chris

 

[ACruceSalus]

Wait a week, or three and just buy the VP2 and be happy. You should still 'always' have a DMM, so buy one of those along the way.

Chris

TY Chris I think I'll start another tread so I don't hijack this one.

 

[bigfoot]

Okay, I just ordered up the SureFire rechargeable kit and a pair of spare LiFePO4 cells. Next on the checklist is getting a DMM (I see Klein has a manual ranging model, MM100). Will this work okay, or would I be wiser to spring for the automatic ranging model? http://www.kleintools.com/catalog/test-measurement/multimeters

Of course, then I read the statement below on the HDS website, which sure sounds like I can't use these incoming SF LFP rechargeable batteries with the Clicky... well, nuts.

"Do not use the new lithium iron phosphate batteries with our products. Although this is a very safe battery chemistry, it cannot be reliably distinguished from a primary lithium battery and must not be used."
http://hdssystems.com/Content/LightFaq/

 

[bigfoot]

Well, the SF K2 charger kit and LFP batteries showed up yesterday. Put one pair on the charger and it took about 3.5 - 4 hours to charge. Speaking of the kit, I was surprised how little documentation (actually, none) was in the package. No instructions, no pamphlet, no explanations, no charge times, no nothing. (I do see SF has a few FAQs on their website, but still... not what I expected from them.)

The K2 charger itself barely got warm while charging, and the cells were downright cool to the touch. I've got the second pair on the charger right now. I do notice a slight "buzz" from the charger when held up to the ear, but I suspect that's just the electronics doing their thing...