Rechargeable Recommendations

[Deiz]

So, I'm looking for a rechargeable flashlight for use around the house - I currently have a rechargeable Maglit, but that's a bit.. unwieldy, for certain applications, namely peering inside a PC case, into cupboards, etcetera, where a fraction of the lumens would do.

I have two Minimags as well, but both their bulbs have burned out, and they were never great at focusing a beam, anyhow.

I've been eyeing the SF 9AN, for its switchable output levels primarily, and the fact that it's a comfortable go-between between rechargeable Maglite (Too large for belt-clipping.) and the Minimags (Too dainty! Plus, mine are pink and baby blue, which doesn't help things.)

Any other suggestions are much appreciated.

Another option I'm thinking of, though I'm not sure of its feasibility, is buying a standard light and substituting in rechargeable 123As.

 

[oregon]

Maybe take a look at the new, multi-LED with variable brightness, Photon Rex rechargable. Reviews should be available soon. Seems like good idea to recharge from a variety of sources: batteries, sun and your computer's usb port. http://www.photonlight.com/Photon-ReX-Keychain-LED-Flashlights-p/rex-lithium-ion-rechargeable.htm

Wouldn't take up much space. Not the bludgeon that the Magcharger is but perhaps bashing is not on your list of requirements.

I was hoping that Battery Junction would be offering it soon.

All the best,

oregon

 

[Deiz]

Interesting alternative - Unfortunately, this room doesn't get much natural light, hence the need for a flashlight.

Question regarding SureFires / similar lights: I've seen some rechargeable 123As online that seem to have slightly higher voltage than SF's own batteries - I've also read that it's not a good idea to use these batteries in SF lights. Are there any rechargeable 123As that are able to be safely used in SFs?

I'm wanting the best of both worlds, I guess - The long life of medium-output 2/3 123A-powered lights, and the utility of rechargeables.

My main issue with 123A power is that once you exit the sub-100 lumen range with incandescent SFs, they seem to chug down a set of batteries every hour or two - And at $1.75 each, the cheaper flashlights are quickly eclipsed by the cost of batteries.

The LED SFs, for the most part, have longer run times at decent output levels (The 80-lumen, 12-hour G2 LED being a prime example,) - And yet, the only rechargeable LED (LumaMax) has a short run time.

The conversion kits that let you use the B65 in a 6P or G2 aren't really an option in my opinion, as they provide even shorter life than the B90-rechargeables.

 

[Zenster]

I'm wanting the best of both worlds, I guess - The long life of medium-output 2/3 123A-powered lights, and the utility of rechargeables.

The problem is; due to the different voltages that different batteries produce, most flashlights are optimized for one particular type even though some will run on other types of batteries.

Since your primary goal here is to use a rechargeable battery, you would be best served by getting a light optimized for using one.

The above is just a preamble, though. My main purpose for jumping in here is to point out that rechargeable 123's (RCR123) are pretty dismal no matter what light you put them in. There just aren't any made that I know of that offer much in capacity compared to other types.

If you want to be able to use mostly rechargeable's (18650) but then be able to pop in a couple of primary CR123's if you need to, I'd suggest looking at the Lumipower M1-T: http://www.batteryjunction.com/xxx-tactical-m1.html
It will even use RCR123's if you like, but if you scroll down toward the end of the description on the page linked, you'll see a "Runtime" listing for the different batteries which illustrates how good the runtime is on an 18650 and how absolutely miserable it is with RCR123's.
Of course, if you use the light at it's lower power setting, the runtimes are appreciably longer as you might expect.

 

[tarpon]

I changed my retired mini-mags into leds, used the Niteize multi-led lamp and switch assembly $10 and a couple of LSD NiMH AA Hybrids 4 for $10 at Walmart -- they have a cheap charger pack as well, but I bought a real charger. Works so well, I did two more the same way. Perfect for inspection, PC, car, general. Nice floody beam, not too bright, just right to read labels on equipment in dark areas.

Put AA Lithiums in one and put it in the glove box of the car. AA Lithiums cost about the same as 123 cells but are much more plentiful and easily substituted by Alkalines in a pinch.

 

[Deiz]

Thanks for the heads-up regarding rechargeable 123As; Guess I'll be avoiding them.

In the review that is linked to by that product page, it's mentioned that the 18650s result in a lower output/throw.

The review is fairly current (Februrary of this year.), so I assume that factor still applies?

Another factor in my purchasing will be accessory availability: I'd like to be able to use blue/red filters so as to not kill my night vision when walking around at night.

Also, is there something "special" about the Cree LED that wholly bests the LEDs used in the LumaMax line of SFs? It seems to be able to output much more, while still maintaining a good chunk of the run time on 123As.

Regarding retrofitting the Minimags, I may eventually do that, but I'm not sure it's worth it. They were cheap when I got them, ages ago, and they're pretty beat up - To the extent that one of the tailcaps won't come off because it managed to rust itself on well enough that I couldn't get it off with a vise and wrench.

 

[Zenster]

Thanks for the heads-up regarding rechargeable 123As; Guess I'll be avoiding them.

In the review that is linked to by that product page, it's mentioned that the 18650s result in a lower output/throw.

In reality, the light with either the CR123 or 18650 would look so similar that you would have a hard time seeing any difference in output.
The beauty of the 18650 is the long runtime plus it being rechargeable.

The review is fairly current (Februrary of this year.), so I assume that factor still applies?

I'm not positive, but I think there have been some improvements in the driver, and I believe that Epsilon is now supplying the drivers which are supposed to offer more features and more efficient (longer) runtimes. You can brush up on the newer models at the following link, and you might join in at the end of that thread and ask any specific product questions you have: http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=167918

Another factor in my purchasing will be accessory availability: I'd like to be able to use blue/red filters so as to not kill my night vision when walking around at night.

I don't know about availability of dedicated filters for the M1, but I have personally made a couple of my own when appropriate, and more to the point, I have ended up with other lights that are dedicated filtered lights (red is all I need for my aviation requirements).
As a CPF'er, I would imagine that you will also get a dedicated light for specific uses.

Also, is there something "special" about the Cree LED that wholly bests the LEDs used in the LumaMax line of SFs? It seems to be able to output much more, while still maintaining a good chunk of the run time on 123As.

Surefire has never been at the forefront of LED technology. Whenever the newest, brightest LED's come out, do NOT look to Surefire to start using them as a "first adapter". The Cree used in the M1 is one of the later ones.
The newer LED's are more efficient besides being brighter, and the way a driver is made to make best use of the battery type it's optimized for will make a difference in runtimes.

Regarding retrofitting the Minimags, I may eventually do that, but I'm not sure it's worth it. They were cheap when I got them, ages ago, and they're pretty beat up - To the extent that one of the tailcaps won't come off because it managed to rust itself on well enough that I couldn't get it off with a vise and wrench.

I wouldn't have intentionally gone out and bought a new MiniMag just to upgrade it, but since I had two, almost unused ones, sitting around, I decided to either throw them away or upgrade them (I never used them because they were so pitiful compared to other lights I have).
I spent $5 on a Niteize 3-LED upgrade which was a huge waste of money for me. It's probably good for someone who actually wants a low-light MiniMag, but I didn't find it useful at all, not to mention how the angry blue tint was quite aggravating to me (I literally threw the module away in the trash).
However, I still thought the MiniMags would be fun to upgrade so I bought two of the Terralux TLE-5EX units for my two Mini's, and they were great!
At $25 a pop, they're not cheap, but they made my MiniMags into lights that I actually use more often than I thought I would.
As a reference, I compared and found that the Terralux's in my MiniMag's gave a virtually identical beam to the medium setting of my L2D-CE/Q5, and that's saying quite a lot for the Terralux.
So I'm glad to have spent the money on the Terralux upgrades for my MiniMags if only for the fun I got from it.

Since you had several questions, look to the blue highlighted text above for my comments.

And while we're talking, you might also take a look at the Deree CL1H. It's also a great way to go if you want rechargeable, but note that you CANNOT use CR123's in the CL1H if fitted with the 2SD (digital) module because it (the module) will be damaged by the higher voltage.
However, you could buy that light with the 2SD module, PLUS buy the non-digital module with it at the same time (the 2SM).
Then, in a power out emergency, you could switch out just the module and then use the light with the 2SM and CR123's.
Note that you can also use an 18650 with the 2SM module, but since the 2SM is optimised for use with CR123's, the runtime isn't as impressive when using it with an 18650.
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=170818

 

[Deiz]

Hmm, alright.

I'm looking at the M1-R which appears to both be brighter, and get better run times than the M1-T.

As for batteries, I think I'll go with Batteryjunction's suggested TL-100 for a charger, and these LG 18650s for their high capacity.

WRT the CL1H, I think I'll stay away from it, as the huge low-power run time of the LumaPower lights is very attractive.

By the way - You mentioned making your own filters. Are you talking about a professional-looking filter, or colored plastic wrap attached with an O-ring?

 

[Zenster]

By the way - You mentioned making your own filters. Are you talking about a professional-looking filter, or colored plastic wrap attached with an O-ring?

You can find transparent colored plastic sheet of verying thicknesses at art supply stores.
What I do is to take the bezel off the light I want to use one with and trace a circle on the colored film using the bezel.
Cut out the piece just a little smaller so it will sit on top of the lens but be held in by the bezel when put it all back together.

The thing is, using a filter with a "thrower" isn't as good as using a flood, so I have also done as described above, but then sandwiched the colored piece between the flashlight lens and a piece of photographers diffuser material on top of that.
That cuts out a center beam altogether and gives off a nice "glow" of color (red in my case) that is perfect for preserving night vision.

It takes just a few minutes to do it, but as I said, I found that having another dedicated red light works for me better than switching filters back and forth.

 

[Deiz]

I see. And what would your red light happen to be?

I'd quite like to use a switchable light as an EDC (In this case, the M1-R) and have a special-purpose light with a set of filters.

 

[Gunner12]

How about a Fenix L2D-CE Q5?

Multimode, AA, and runtime on low lasts over two days. There is a 8% off coupon for CPFers at Fenix Store, "CPF8". The L1D(1 AA), P2D(1 CR123) bodies also work on this light.

The newer LEDs, the Cree XR-E P4-R2 bin, Seoul P4 U bin, and Luxeon Rebel 100 are all twice or more efficient then the Luxeon V used in the LumaMax Surefire lights(The P60L module a Seoul LED, new L1, new E1L and the new E2L use the Cree XR-E LED). That means for the same power, the newer LEDs will output twice or more light. That also means that, with the correct driver, a 1AA LED can output more light then a 2 CR123 light.

:welcome:

 

[Deiz]

Mm, another possibility.

It looks like AA Rechargeables are substantially better versus their disposable counterparts than 123A Rechargeables vs their standards - So are rechargeable AAs a viable solution for something like an L2D?

Edit: In other news, Fenix has a number of filters for sale, and, most importantly, a cheap ($6) red one.

 

[Gunner12]

Anything within a range of 0.9-3.2v will work with the L2D head as long as it fits in the battery tube(Boost circuit). The P3D will take 3.7-16v(Buck circuit).

Rechargeable batteries will give you more runtime then alkaline batteries with the rechargeable batteries(Or at least a flatter output, depends on the battery capacity).

Check this review(the Q5 version is about 30% brighter)

 

[PhotonLight]

Yes, NiMH rechargeables perform very well compared to their non-rechargeable counterparts. Voltage is only 1.2V compared to 1.5V for alkalines, but they handle high current draws much better, and have a pretty flat discharge curve which means that typically you will start out with slightly lower output but maintain that level of output for most of life of the battery, whereas an alkaline will drop very quickly.

PowerEx makes some of the best NiMH rechargeables I've been able to find (both real life capacity-wise & reliability) and we've been having very good luck with them. We started selling them a while back (here) as an accessory to our AA-powered Proton and have had nothing but good responses from our customers. The only drawback to NiMH is that they will lose their charge fairly quickly when left to sit for several months, so aren't really good for standby situations. Sanyo has been making some special low-discharge NiMH batteries for a while now though, and PowerEx just released their own version of this new NiMH chemistry last month with their "IMEDION" line of battteries. The capacity is a bit lower than standard NiMH, but for standby situations where you're only ending up charging the battery every few months, you could get more life out of a low-discharge type of NiMH like this despite the lower rated capacity.

 

[pipspeak]

How about that new LAPD Pelican... the 7060, I believe. Li ion battery, very bright LED, comfortable polymer body, and about 9" long. Only problem is there's only one mode AFAIK but for about $130 including the charging cradle etc. it's pretty decent value.

 

[YAK-28]

i use the uk 4aa rechargable(bulb version) as my go to, under the couch, back of the hifi, where'd i put that thing now? light. sturdy, comfortable in your hand, stick it the charger every now and then.

 

[Zenster]

I see. And what would your red light happen to be?

I'd quite like to use a switchable light as an EDC (In this case, the M1-R) and have a special-purpose light with a set of filters.

As a pilot who actually has need for a low output red light, it couldn't be anything else but... the A2 Aviator.
What's neat is that the A2 offers both a bright white beam and the red light without using any filter at all.

 

[bones_708]

Pelican has a real nice "around the house" rechargeable. It's basically a 4aa rechargeable with a decent, but not to bright, output. OK for around the house or walking the dog. Now if they just had it in orange...........