RCR123 vs 18650

[yellow]

except for lowering "loose parts"

18650: 2200 mA * 3.7 = 8140
CR123a: 800 * 3.7 * 2 = 5920
difference = more than 1/3

... and I was very low on the 18650, while very nice to the CR, capacity wise.
In reality, 2*CR123 vs. 18650 might be 1.5 times a difference


PS: what kind of led is typed about here?
Where 1*18650, OR 2*CR123 cant give an hour of theoretical full power?
every single-die led should be on the 2+ hours timescale
:thinking:

 

[mdocod]

Many folks here are assuming that an RCR123 is actually a 750mAH or 800+mAH cell, they are all about 500-600mAH regardless of manufacture claims. An 18650 is double or more the stored energy of 2xRCR123s.

 

[bguy]

How substantial is the performance difference between these two battery types?

The brightness will be little to none depending on the light. The runtime will be greatly improved.

Also how do these batteries keep their charge in shelf time? In the light but the light not being used?

Rechargable lithiums (rcr123/18650) are ok for about a year, but they only have about a 3 year lifespan, used or not. Primary lithiums (cr123) have a 10 year shelf life. If you're not regularly using rechargable lithiums, you're wasting your money.

Also how do they resist to cold and do they keep a decent charge in the cold? Note cold not cool weather (-20C or -4F and below)

All batteries take a hit at lower temperatures, meaning less capacity and current. A rechargable lithium should be good to about -30C, a primary to about -60C. It's a good idea to warm the batteries before using them if it's that cold, even if it's just to 0C. The 3rd graph down shows the loss from temperature: http://www.ibt-power.com/Battery_packs/Li_Ion/Lithium_ion_tech.html