Looking for 3.0v CR123 Rechargeable

[CalgaryGuy]

Hello, I have an UltraFire WF-138 charger which can recharge 3.6v 16340 battery and I've being using it for a while. The charger also has a switch that can recharge 3.0v and have being using that mode to recharge 3.0v LiFePO4 (I got those 10+ years ago now). My LiFePO4 pretty much die and I'm looking replacement of them.

I went to UltraFire web site, they don't sell any 3.0v CR123 Rechargeable. The only thing that I can find is SureFire CR123A Rechargeable but they are rated at 3.2v and I'm not sure how well it works on the UltraFire charger. I also had problem in the past of buying SureFire light because I live in Canada and they don't ship it outside the US. Any other suggestion on what CR123 rechargeable batterie I can buy? Thanks.

 

[chip100t]

I use these, you don't need a charger.

P1634U1 RCR123A 3V 860mAh battery

protected RCR123A, HIGH Capacity RCR123A CR123A battery Micro USB 16340 battery

www.keeppower.com.cn

 

[CalgaryGuy]

Thanks for the link, but I'm not sure if I trust their description. My LiFePO4 is rated at 500mAh, SureFire rated their CR123A Rechargeable at 450mAh. That Keeppower is rated at 860mAh, that's almost double the SureFire one and that's not considering that they need additional space to put in the charging circuit.

 

[CalgaryGuy]

I measure the voltage my LiFePO4, they are 3.2v. Which mean it's the same as the SureFire ones. Does anyone know of a SureFire dealer in Canada that carry a wide range of SureFire items?

 

[hamhanded]

Unprotected/unregulated LFP cells will always be 3.2. The surefires are expensive for what they are, try batteryspace , they have Powerizer brand LFP 123s, I'm just not sure they ship to Canada.

 

[kerneldrop]

Thanks for the link, but I'm not sure if I trust their description. My LiFePO4 is rated at 500mAh, SureFire rated their CR123A Rechargeable at 450mAh. That Keeppower is rated at 860mAh, that's almost double the SureFire one and that's not considering that they need additional space to put in the charging circuit.

Keeppower is a trusted name.
Worst case it's 500mAh like the others...
I use them and have no issues. They are longer because they have a USB charging import.

Here's a review from a big-timer battery reviewer.
His findings are the capacity is as advertised

Test/review of Keeppower 16340 800mAh RCR123A (Black-Silver) 2020

Keeppower 16340 800mAh RCR123A (Black-Silver) 2020 Official specifications: Voltage: 3.70V Typical capacity: 800mAh Minimum Capacity: 750mAh Discharge cut-off voltage: 2.50V Charge voltage: 4.20V +/- 0.05V Standard charge current: 500mA Maximum constant discharge...

budgetlightforum.com

 

[aznsx]

Hello, I have an UltraFire WF-138 charger which can recharge 3.6v 16340 battery and I've being using it for a while. The charger also has a switch that can recharge 3.0v and have being using that mode to recharge 3.0v LiFePO4 (I got those 10+ years ago now). My LiFePO4 pretty much die and I'm looking replacement of them.

I went to UltraFire web site, they don't sell any 3.0v CR123 Rechargeable. The only thing that I can find is SureFire CR123A Rechargeable but they are rated at 3.2v and I'm not sure how well it works on the UltraFire charger. I also had problem in the past of buying SureFire light because I live in Canada and they don't ship it outside the US. Any other suggestion on what CR123 rechargeable batterie I can buy? Thanks.

I've been using these with good results:

https://www.custompower.com/documents/LFP123A.pdf

The last batch I bought came from here:

Search results for: 'k2 energy 3 2v lfp123a high capacity rechargeable li ion battery'

BatteriesInAFlash offers thousands of batteries and chargers for cars, power tools, door locks and much more. We have a battery for your everyday needs.

www.batteriesinaflash.com

 

[fulee9999]

+1 vote for the Keeppower P1634U1 from me

 

[hamhanded]

CalgaryGuy seems to be asking specifically about LFP cells, not RCR123s, which is what the Keepower cells are

 

[aznsx]

I've been using these with good results:

https://www.custompower.com/documents/LFP123A.pdf

The last batch I bought came from here:

Search results for: 'k2 energy 3 2v lfp123a high capacity rechargeable li ion battery'

BatteriesInAFlash offers thousands of batteries and chargers for cars, power tools, door locks and much more. We have a battery for your everyday needs.

www.batteriesinaflash.com

Almost forgot. Here's a more recent data sheet I received recently directly from K2. No URL. I'll attach it.

 

[fulee9999]

isn't the whole point is to get a CR123 shaped/sized rechargeable that is 3.0 volts...? which the Keeppower is, at least the one linked above
( or maybe I misunderstood the requirement )

 

[aznsx]

CalgaryGuy seems to be asking specifically about LFP cells, not RCR123s, which is what the Keepower cells are

My LiFePO4 pretty much die and I'm looking replacement of them.

Exactly. That's what the OP's been using and is seeking a replacement for. Sometimes people do 'round' the voltage to 3.0, which is not uncommon, although technically incorrect.

 

[akula88]

I've been using KeepPower RCR123A 16340 3.0v on my E1D for quite a while now. Although I'm not a long-runtime user, it's been functioning perfectly. Word of caution though is that the battery is long because of the added circuitry - so if your light has a compact space, then it might not fit.

Photo comparison of the KP RCR123A (center) with regular protected and unprotected 16340 and 18350

 

[CalgaryGuy]

CalgaryGuy seems to be asking specifically about LFP cells, not RCR123s, which is what the Keepower cells are

Thanks for all your replies, I was hoping there are some that have low power cut-off circuitry so I don't have to worry about killing the battery while using the light. I'm open to Keeppower if it does have that feature.

As for the light, I'll be using it on ProTac 1L-1AA, my older lights are SureFire L1 and a modified Arc LSH-P (this one use the 3.6v 16340).

 

[aznsx]

I've been using KeepPower RCR123A 16340 3.0v on my E1D for quite a while now. Although I'm not a long-runtime user, it's been functioning perfectly. Word of caution though is that the battery is long because of the added circuitry - so if your light has a compact space, then it might not fit.

Photo comparison of the KP RCR123A (center) with regular protected and unprotected 16340 and 18350
View attachment 29796

Does that brand drop instantly from 3.0V to 0V at end of discharge cycle?

 

[aznsx]

Thanks for all your replies, I was hoping there are some that have low power cut-off circuitry so I don't have to worry about killing the battery while using the light. I'm open to Keeppower if it does have that feature.

As for the light, I'll be using it on ProTac 1L-1AA, my older lights are SureFire L1 and a modified Arc LSH-P (this one use the 3.6v 16340).

Keep in mind that some of these new electronically regulated cells definitely have a sort of 'low power cut-off circuitry', as in 'instantly go to zero without warning and leave you in sudden, unexpected darkness' - if that's really what you want. I doubt that the LFPs you currently use will do that to you. I think I heard of a new type 'regulated' cell from another manufacturer that provides a step-down to warn you before dying, but I don't know if it's for sale yet. Think it might have been from XTAR(?). EDIT: Actually, I think that might be an AA size i.5V cell with the warning feature, so maybe scratch that idea.



The K2s I referenced have a recommended discharge cutoff of 2.5V, with minimum at 2.0 V, so it's not easy to compromise them by over-discharging (and they won't leave you suddenly in the dark).

Since you mentioned a 1L-1AA, mine lives on a diet of the K2s

 

[CalgaryGuy]

Keep in mind that some of these new electronically regulated cells definitely have a sort of 'low power cut-off circuitry', as in 'instantly go to zero without warning and leave you in sudden, unexpected darkness' - if that's really what you want. I doubt that the LFPs you currently use will do that to you. I think I heard of a new type 'regulated' cell from another manufacturer that provides a step-down to warn you before dying, but I don't know if it's for sale yet. Think it might have been from XTAR(?). EDIT: Actually, I think that might be an AA size i.5V cell with the warning feature, so maybe scratch that idea.



The K2s I referenced have a recommended discharge cutoff of 2.5V, with minimum at 2.0 V, so it's not easy to compromise them by over-discharging (and they won't leave you suddenly in the dark).

Since you mentioned a 1L-1AA, mine lives on a diet of the K2s

Yeah, my old LiFePO4 didn't have that feature and I accidently over used it and killing it. Anyone know if the SureFire LiFePO4 have low circuit protection?

I prefer it to gradually go down, but that's not a big feature as I normally carry a backup/loaner AAA light and I also have a cellphone which can act as emergency light.

 

[aznsx]

Yeah, my old LiFePO4 didn't have that feature and I accidently over used it and killing it. Anyone know if the SureFire LiFePO4 have low circuit protection?

I prefer it to gradually go down, but that's not a big feature as I normally carry a backup/loaner AAA light and I also have a cellphone which can act as emergency light.

I guess it all depends on one's application. I'm in sometimes dicey industrial situations where sudden instant darkness can cause me to have a very bad night - and a spare light in my pocket won't always help, because that can be too late. If I run my 1L-1AA on 'high' until there's just usable light remaining (like an FL1 test), I get plenty of warning time with slowly decreasing output to notice it, and when I check the cell it'll be at ~2.4V. It recovers to ~2.7 in a few minutes. That will not damage a K2 cell at all (that's the 'nominal' discharge spec [2.5V]), and my safety is not compromised by sudden darkness. In my situation, that's 'ideal'.

As far as the Surefire LFP cells goes, I've not used them, but I imagine they're functionally similar to the K2s in these respects. They're probably 'good' cells, but without a good data sheet like I have for the K2s, I can't even speculate. Someone else may have working experience with them....

BTW, when I checked that distributor site for the K2s, I noted they had shipping options for Canada, but of course I have no idea what that costs. You'd have to check with them.

 

[akula88]

Does that brand drop instantly from 3.0V to 0V at end of discharge cycle?

Unfortunately the regulating circuit drops you from 3.0 to zero without warning.
This basically set this type of battery to tier-2 backup rather than a primary go-to rechargeable.

 

[mk2rocco]

I was really curious when I saw the Keeppower 3v regulated cells for my vintage SF lights. Here's a comparison to SF123a cells in a Surefire Aviator on high.

Keeppower Cell:

Surefire 123a Cell: