Re: FS: Gatlight V3 Titanium, Complete
Awesome deal on a hard to find light! I've always used RCR's in my GatLight v3's! Below is from Lumencrafrts FAQ
Can the GatLight use rechargeable batteries?
Officially the light is designed to be used with 3V Primary Lithium (123) batteries. There are 3V & 3.6V rechargeable lithium ion batteries available and the GatLight's driver circuitry is designed that it can operate with both rechargeable batteries. The driver can work with any input voltage between 1.5 and 5.5 Volts.
HOWEVER there are a couple of things to consider when using rechargeables (such as RCR123s).
ONLY use protected rechargeable batteries. Protected means they contain a circuitry which prevents a too high discharge. Batteries without this circuitry build hydrogen inside of the shrink plastic and can explode. We've seen battery manufacturers sell unprotected batteries as protected ones. We know that the batteries at this store here are protected.
OVERDRIVE - The GatLight is designed that when a rechargeable battery is used, that the light will overdrive the LED by about 30%, meaning at the maximum brightness setting you will get a little bit more brightness, at the expense of dramatically shortened runtime, more heat and reduced life time of the LED (normal life time is 10 years of continous use). As a result when using rechargeables we suggest to only use it at the maximum setting for a short period of time (<3min)and to hold the light. If you need a continuous high brightness (when using rechargeables) just turn the light a notch down - where you notice a slight decrease in brightness...that is typically a safe level to run the light continuously (when using rechargeables). This overdrive feature provides the light with a higher maximum brightness then other flashlights using the same LED for short periods of time.
If the light is used with regular 3V primary lithium batteries the overdrive feature is not available.
DISCHARGE - The GatLight is designed to completely drain every battery, all the way down to 1.5V, whether its a primary lithium one way battery or a rechargeable. This feature is desirable when used with primary lithium batteries, however when using rechargeables, draining a battery to less then 2.9 significantly shortens the life time of the rechargeable cells. As a result when using rechargeables it is recommended to recharge frequently and don't let the batteries drain completely - to maximize life of the rechargeable cells.
Because it is impossible for us to judge whether a customer is really using a protected cell and the risks associated with not using protected cells, the light is officially specified to be used with primary lithium 3V 123 batteries. However as outlined above the light can be used with rechargeables paying attention to the 3 items listed above.
Good luck with your sale Troy!
