MA6 Li Ion setup?

[painless]

I know the Tiablo MA6 will take 17670 and rcr123 as well as cr123, but my question is what would you suggest as being the most economical and reliable Li Ion cell and charger, for a relative beginner in rechargeable cells. I plan on using this set up over seas in Nigeria where resupply of any kind can be difficult to assure.

 

[painless]

bump

 

[mdocod]

most reliable will be a 17670, also happens to have more stored energy than a pair of RCR123s, so is the better option on both fronts. Another advantage of a single 17670 is, you can charge a pair of them on a 2 bay charger at the same time, enough for 2 "refills" so to speak, while the same charger would also be limited to 2 RCR123s, so you would only get one "refill" for a swap on the charger. Larger size li-ion cells like the 17670 tend to have a better track record than the little RCR123s, not a huge difference. but worth noting

[edit in]
I just read a review on this light and discovered that it, like many other lights that support everything from a single li-ion up to 2 li-ion voltage input, will not maintain true regulated output on the single 17670 cell. This is unfortunate as the description suggests that it might. With this thought in mind, the answer to the original question becomes kind of a tossup depending on a combination of factors:

here's a link to the review with this info:
http://www.light-reviews.com/tiablo_ma6/review.html

1. If you would like the longest possible rechargeable runtime, and don't mind the light dimming through the run, then a single 17670 is the best bet, providing about 2.5 hours runtime on high, over 6 hours on medium, and almost 18 hours on low. The output on medium and low with a 17670 is relatively flat until the end, the output on high steadily drops from 100% to 50% output through the run.

2. If you would like to have the same solid level of output through the duration of the run, then a pair of 3.7V RCR123s will be your best bet. Just make sure to get cells with protection as this light will over-discharge a pair of li-ion cells without any warning. (AW, BatteryStation, Trustfire white label, take your pick) Expect runtime on high around an hour, runtime on medium about 2 hours, and runtime on low about 5 hours. These runtimes are just my best guess estimates based on extrapolations from the tests that were performed on the light in the link above. But On high it will hold the highest level of output through the run.

 

[painless]

Thank you mdocod. I think I will opt for the 17670 and longer run time for now and try the 2x RCR123 later on when I can afford it. Heck, by that time I wil probably have purchased a 18650 light. Thanks again.

 

[Fallingwater]

How about getting the tube bored and using 18650 cells? They store considerable more energy than 17670s.

 

[painless]

How much over bore are we talking? 1-2mm?

 

[mdocod]

17670 is 17mm diameter, 18650 is 18mm diameter, so, you'd loose 0.5mm wall thickness, roughly. I've personally not seen a MA6 in person, so am not sure if doing this would be feasible or not. Want to make sure you leave enough wall thickness to keep the body good and sturdy.