Hooray CR123A

[Imon]

Being that this is my 123rd post I'd thought I'd make it in honor of the humble CR123A 3V lithium cell.
My understanding is that Surefire pretty much pioneered the use of the 123s in flashlights and the rest is history. This may or may not be true either way I'm a little bummed about my lack of knowledge of its origins.

So to say a few things about the CR123A

*Compact size
*Light weight
*Energy dense
*Large temperature operational range
*Increasing affordability
*Lots of rechargeable options!
and most of all...
*The high nominal voltage!

BTW: I don't want this thread to turn into a AA vs 123 thread so try to talk about the CR123a...
Thank you

 

[Southpawtact]

Aren't they soooooo wonderful!

For some reason, I love the the short, stockiness of them compared to AA's or AAA's. They're just very aesthetically pleasing. :thumbsup:

 

[Tuikku]

ATM I have none AA lights and 4 CR123 compatible lights
The size feels just right!

 

[etc]

A 3xCR123A lite like Surefure 9P is good for EDC, even if marginally so (IMO) while 3xAA lite like FiveMega 3xAA is impossible to EDC, discreetly. And even then you have the voltage difference of 9V versus 4.5V.

A 2xCR123A lite like Surefire 6P is very nice to EDC, and you get 6V in a package smaller than MiniMag in length. That's more voltage than a 3xAA huge lite.

I even EDC'ed a 4xCR123A lite briefly, difficult but not impossible. That's 12V in a relatively small package. Amazing.

Yes, CR123A has real advantages. The other huge plus is you can switch between CR123A and 185650's.

 

[paulr]

The first 123 light I ever wanted, and maybe my first flashaholic light, was the Tekna Splashlite originally made in the 1980's or so. A simple waterproof plastic twisty with a 123 and a #222 screwbase incandescent lamp. I eventually got one here on CPF a long time later, and I still enjoy using it, as silly as it is compared with a newer led light. Tek-Tite at some point acquired Tekna's assets (not sure quite what the story was) and they still make the Splash-lite including some LED versions. I'd had the idea years earlier to get a Splashlite and mod it with a direct drive red LED, but the Splashlite itself at around $10 seemed awfully expensive for a flashlight, so I didn't get one then. Little did I know what I'd be spending on lights once I found this place...

 

[etc]

The first 123 light I ever wanted, and maybe my first flashaholic light, was the Tekna Splashlite originally made in the 1980's or so

When was CR123A invented, anyway? Appears that it goes back 2 decades?

 

[Toulouse42]

Hello all.

New poster but long time reader here. I love CR123A batteries, but one of the things I learned here on CPF was to get a ZTS Battery tester and I use it to check my batteries regularly. (Ironic that it uses AAA batteries to power it!) I am always careful to match batteries properly, and because my family aren't "into flashlights", I am the only one who uses flashlights with 2 x CR123A. The family use AAA, AA, C or D cell flashlights or single CR123A.

Now that Greta (Sasha) has held my hand through the activation process (many thanks) I hope to participate more fully rather than just reading from time to time.

:wave:

 

[Kestrel]

The CR123 is one of the reasons I am so crazy about SF's. The performance that we are asking of our lights these days is greatly facilitated by the relatively high voltages that we can attain in lights of rather modest lengths.

And the frosting on the cake is that 3x CR123 provides very similar voltages under load to two 17500/18500 LiIon rechargeables (which have substantial capacity), providing great flexibility for the three-cell SF's like the C3.

 

[Black Rose]

The other huge plus is you can switch between CR123A and 185650's.

You must have really big pockets

 

[tjloeb]

Availability Issues. Are CR123 hard to find at the retail level? Do any of the major battery makers produce them?

Thanks

 

[etc]

The relevance of that question is moot here in CPF - its like disqualifying Surefire because you cannot find it at your local Walmart.

Dedicated people don't need to buy CR123A, since they *have* CR123As.

I always have at least 100 in TSHTF fund, when it drops, I buy more, way before I get to the last one. That's the second reason the retail level is irrelevant, if you buy a big batch at a time, you get huge price breaks, I have gotten it close to 1 token / each. If you get these cells - or any other cell at your local CVS for 8 tokens each, you need to have your head checked.