Re: Just bought a Tiablo A9
:duh2:
Hey there everyone. I just bought a Tiablo A9, and was wondering what the best battery choice would be. I don't know a whole lot about the different battery types so bear with me.
I understand this will take 2 x CR123 or 1 x 18650. Which would be better to run? What the difference? Will this light handle protected batteries? What the heck is an RCR123?
Thanks!
Tabro, I'm not sure how well you understand the graphs of the article Gunner12 pointed out, so forgive me if this explanation is overly simple.
If you look at the final graph, before the conclusions section, there are three lines showing the performance of:
- 2 x RCR123 (rechargeable CR123, rated at 3.7v, a.k.a. "16340")
- 1 x 18650 (rechargeable rated at 3.7v)
- 2 x CR123 (nonrechargeable, rated at 3.0v, a.k.a. "primary").
You'll note the relatively flat lines showing a constant output when the flashlight is operated with 2 RCR123's (2 X 3.7v = 7.4v) and 2 CR123's (2 X 3.0v = 6.0v). This indicates that the electrical circuit board does a good job of regulating the current between 6.0 and 7.4 volts.
(Note: The actual voltage range is much greater than 6.0 to 7.4. I've omitted the details for the sake of simplicity).
For you, the user, the effect of a well-regulated circuit is that a set of fresh RCR123 or CR123 batteries will give you full output for a longer period of time - but at the expense of a sharp dropoff at the 1 hour mark for the RCR's and the 1:45 hour mark for the CR's, respectively.
The 18650 is much less regulated. So it starts off high but immediately begins to taper off. However, it does so for a much longer period of time before it begins to tailspin at the 3 hour mark.
It is not necessarily a "bad" thing that the 18650 is not well-regulated. You get a longer usable run-time, you get a lot more warning before the battery dies on you. And you probably won't subjectively notice the difference in the decreasing output until somewhere around the one hour point. So, if long run times are what you're interested in, then you'll probably settle on using 18650 cells.
However, if you're the type of person who demands high-quality light for the duration, then I'd suggest sticking to 123's - either primaries or rechargeables - and keep a backup light or spare batteries handy. :candle:
Regarding protected cells: Personally, I have had no problem fitting protected Trustfire 18650's in my A9. Others have reported using protected AW 18650's. YMMV.
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