Rechargeables for a P3D

[Optik49]

Rechargeables for a P3D

I would like to know which rechargeable batteries with charger, I should purchase for a P3D. I would like to have a charger that would charge (2) 123's batteries at time.
Any recommendations and where to buy would be great. I would probably buy four batteries so I could always have 2 charged. I just don't want to lose lumens or functions.

Thanks

 

[WadeF]

http://www.fenix-store.com has AW's RCR123's and dual chargers. I got these after going on the same quest and they have been working in my P3D fine so far. They are a bit snug, but a few shakes gets them out.

 

[Optik49]

OK AW's RCR123's and dual chargers? So do I have to buy 2 chargers and 4 Batteries all separate? I wish Fenix had pictures? I don't get it.

 

[SmokeDiver]

This is what the Ultrafire charger AW/Fenix-store has looks like:

http://dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1251

You just need to buy one charger and 4 RCR123As. If you purchase from Dealextreme, you will need to buy spacers for RCR123As, and it will take a lot longer to reach you than from Fenix-store, which also has better customer service.

 

[Optik49]

Roger that!

 

[NigelBond]

Anything metal can be a spacer. A paper clip, a screw, a nail a coin, what ever. You make it sound as if it wont work without a custom spacer. I got my charger from dealextreme so it didn't with the option of purchasing spacers. I made my own out of copper pipe and pennies soldered together. If you are only going to be charging r123 batteries, i would get http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1236 and forget about having to use spacers at all. It claims to be good for charging both 3.0V and 3.6V R123's. Every time I need to charge batteries it always seems that I have misplaced my spacers.

The AW protected r123's don't all seem to be the same size. I got 4 of them and two fit the p3d very nicely with no problems removing or inserting. The other two i had to remove the silver sticker label to get a nice fit without having to shake them back out.

 

[LA OZ]

Nigelbond, that charger is poor quality. I have got one and was disappointed. Get the Soshine charger instead as it is much better. Also be careful that most protected CR123s are longer than the non-protected cells. It is going to be a tight fit and you may need to loosen up the head to accommodate the extra length (Ultrafire protected 16340). I used unprotected cells with no issue. Most of the unprotected cells found in dealextreme fits nicely but a little more complicate to use.

 

[Optik49]

WOW doesn't anyone make a 123 charger that is good and comes with batteries that fit every time.

 

[jumpstat]

With rechargeables, get it Direct from cpfer AW.

Batteries and charger http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=140362

Fast service and reliable batteries.

 

[SmokeDiver]

What Nigelbond said about spacers is true. Spacers can very easily be homemade, and long as a material that conduts electricity well is used.

The nice thing about the Ultrafire charger AW/Fenix-store sells is that one half of the charging terminals are spring loaded, which lets it charge several different sizes of li-ion cells, which you may very well acquire in the future.

 

[martonic]

Battery Station has nice RCR123's that tend to be a little thinner than AW's. With the P3D any RCR's will work fine, all modes available, but some are a tight fit.

 

[Grubbster]

I use a 17670 rechargeable in my P3D. I am not sure what the runtime is but the brightness seems to be equal to two 123 cells.

 

[RGB_LED]

I use a 17670 rechargeable in my P3D. I am not sure what the runtime is but the brightness seems to be equal to two 123 cells.

Grubbster, do you use the AW or another 17670 in your P3D? I have that cell and I'm waiting patiently for my P3D to arrive to try out.

 

[socalrunner]

I am also interested in the 17670, what is the burn time in high or turbo mode for the p3d..

 

[Grubbster]

I use a protected 17670 that I think I got from AW about a year ago. I had to remove the wrapper and put some scotch tape over the protection circuit to get it to fit.
I have not done any runtime tests on it and have not run through an entire charge yet. I don't have any equipment to test it properly and don't think I have the patience to turn in on and watch for it to drop output or go dark. If the runtime is anything like with 2x123s, I would fall asleep before completion.

 

[regulator]

I use an Ultrafire 17670 unprotected cell. I removed the wrapper and put tape around the cell and it fits perfectly. I ran in high mode for 3 hours and stopped the test because it was late. It may have ran for a bit longer. At the 2.5 hour mark is about when I could not switch to Turbo without seeing the flicker in turbo mode (but it still ran fine in high).

At the 3 hour mark I measured the cell and it was still at 3.7 volts. All modes work in regulation using the 17670, including Turbo. I really like using this cell in the P3d. It provides a long runtime. I measured current draw on mine with the cell at 4.0 volts I read .06A (low), .15A (medium), .340A(high), and almost an amp at (turbo).

Medium mode provides a lot of light and is the mode I seem to use most when a lot of light is needed. The 17670 probably provides about 10 hours in this mode. Medium mode is suprisingly bright and it puts out almost as much light as a SL4aa luxion. Mine on low is exactly as bright as my Peak Pacific (almost identical beam too) running on a AA cell (which puts out about 8 lumens).

 

[Fenix-Finatik]

If you are only going to be charging r123 batteries, i would get http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1236 and forget about having to use spacers at all.

+1
I've been using this for a few months now it works great....
Ordered a bunch of the 3v and 3.6v unprotected from DX for my P1D-CE, P3D-CE, and MXDL, and they work great - the 3.6v especially considering they were only $2.36/pr.

 

[Grubbster]

Thanks for that information regulator. The P3D with a 17670 really is a great setup.

 

[Confederate]

Get a charger that will charge as many different types of batteries as possible. This charger will charge 18650/(10440/14500)/CRC123:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.936

Also, buy more cells than you need! If you get a defective one, or one goes buggy on you, then you won't need to sit around waiting for a new one to come in.

In a single cell flashlight, I'd use a protected battery, but in 2-cells, I'd get unprotected. Since the CRC 123 cells charge to higher voltages, sometimes the variations of voltages send the wrong signals to the circuits and everything goes flakey. See:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/features/batteries_explained.htm

and especially:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/features/rechwarn.htm

 

[Confederate]

Duplicate.

(Interesting, but this forum times out quickly. If I begin a message, then finish it a little later, I have to log on again and then I get duplicate posts or worse, the message gets trashed. )