JetBeam III & CR123 type batts

[Albinoni]

Why is it the Surefire JetBeam III Pro - M (military) will accept both the 18650 Lithium plus 2x CR123 or 2xRCR123. But why doesnt the JetBeam III Pro ST or as fact other JetBeam III series accept 2x CR123A type batts either. I mean if they accept the 18650 than surely their body lenghts must all be the same.

 

[matt0]

First of all, Jetbeam is not a SureFire product. Perhaps you had another light on your mind and so you accidentally typed SureFire.

I don't know much about the Jetbeam lights but there is most likely a difference in the driver to allow a different range of voltages.

 

[Marduke]

Reading one of the many existing threads on those lights (PLEASE use the search function!!), you would discover that there are fundamental differences in the circuit. Buck/direct drive is very different from direct drive/boost

 

[willstilson]

Some lights have circuitry designed to use 18650 batteries specifically. These regulated lights are able to maintain full output from a 18650's 3.7v for full runtime and cannot accept the +/- 6v from 2x cr123a.The lights that take both 18650 and 2x cr123a are typically unregulated and light output on 18650 typically drops from max consistently until the battery is drained.

 

[gilly]

If you check the specifications, you'll see that the JETPRO III IBS, the JET III ST and JET III Ultra all have an input voltage of .7 - 4.2 V.

If you put two 3 V CR123 cells (or two 3.7 V RCR123 cells) in one of the three mentioned above you'll fry the emitter!

The JET III - M has an input voltage of 2.7 - 15 V.

The M version was obviously made with a wider voltage input to handle the 123 cells.

 

[Albinoni]

First of all, Jetbeam is not a SureFire product. Perhaps you had another light on your mind and so you accidentally typed SureFire.

I don't know much about the Jetbeam lights but there is most likely a difference in the driver to allow a different range of voltages.

Sorry was a type error I did mean JetBeam.

 

[Albinoni]

If you check the specifications, you'll see that the JETPRO III IBS, the JET III ST and JET III Ultra all have an input voltage of .7 - 4.2 V.

If you put two 3 V CR123 cells (or two 3.7 V RCR123 cells) in one of the three mentioned above you'll fry the emitter!

The JET III - M has an input voltage of 2.7 - 15 V.

The M version was obviously made with a wider voltage input to handle the 123 cells.

Interesting so your saying that 2xCR123's will produce more voltage than that of 1x18650, I thought it was the same.

Interesting why go up to 15V, when there's no such thing as a 15v batt that would fit it. Obviously the Pro - M version must be a all new light with a different circuit design to that of the others.

 

[Flashfirstask?later]

Interesting so your saying that 2xCR123's will produce more voltage than that of 1x18650, I thought it was the same.

Simple, 3v + 3v in series = 6v

The JetBeam JET-III-M is not the only light that can take 1x18650/2xCR123/2xRCR123 as some others are Olight M20 Premium, iTP C6 Tactical/iTP C6 Regular, Fenix TK11, Hermes H20 that have much the same type of regulation depending on the batteries configuration used.

 

[yellow]

Interesting why go up to 15V, when there's no such thing as a 15v batt that would fit it. Obviously the Pro - M version must be a all new light with a different circuit design to that of the others.

1st: that "no such battery"-point is pointless because
2nd: obviously the main IC has this "15 V input" rating - without any specific battery/light in sense. That driver might also be found in buck drivers for even larger packs (4-cell Li-Ion f.e.)

Usually lights that can run on both a single Li-Ion or 2 CR123s (2 Li-Ions) run BAD on a single cell
and I can assure You my Jet III Pro ST runs brutally good on the single 18650
(dont know the military model)

even if there were no difference at all, the 18650 means:
* more power in same size of package (compared to 2 CR123)
* only half number of small, loose "parts" to keep along
* no chance to mix new and used cells --> no
* no garbage of primary cells

 

[sledhead]

Also, the new Lumapower Encore takes all 3 battery configurations.