Why do so many lights use cr123 batteries?

[Spork]

They say "photographic batteries" when really they should say flashaholic batteries instead. Why do so many lights use them? Surefire seems to think its the only battery that exists on earth. From what I've read its amazing how fast the e2 can suck down batteries. I'm not trying to sound negative but I want a light that doesnt eat 5 dollars for every hour I use it. With a standard battery light you can get off brand alkalines dirt cheap and also have the option of using rechargeable cells. I guess maybe the reason I'm complaining is I want a Surefire quality light that uses standard batteries. who knows

 

[DavidW]

The E series should have a better runtime considering the target consumer. But the rest of the Sure Fire lights are "tactical" lights. A specialized use with a goal of the brightest light in the smallest but still usable package. Runtimes and cost are low on the wish list for those who will rely on these lights.

As for good beam quality and construction while still using alkalines, I suggest dive lights. I can't think of any right now that match the Sure Fire beam quality. The Underwater Kinetics and then the Princeton Tecs come close.

 

[Daniel Ramsey]

The way I look at it is that the 123 series lithiums is the battery of the future....for now.
It has a flatter discharge rate,longer shelf life and operates in colder climates, its just an advancement in battery design and posibly even alkilines will go the way of the old carbon zinc. I would not keep my head stuck in the sand and try to rationalize the use of a battery design that is not adaptable to the future demands of technolgy such as LEDs and encapsulated emitters, the standard 1.5v battery was designed for high current incandescant bulbs, it will go the same path as the 6 volt automobile battery system...into history.

 

[Spork]

ok I took the plunge. I now have a HA e2 on the way with a spare lamp assembly. I got out my credit card before I could change my mind again. Which also means I will have to order some batteries. I think I will order the 223 pack like other people are doing and split them apart.

 

[SurefireM6]

$5!?!?!?!!?

Shop around, you can find them for less than a buck. I got super lucky and got 800 for way less than a buck.

 

[Chuen]

One of the reasons is 123A is capable of providing very high power (Watt). 123A can be drained at 1A while an alkaline AA peaks at around 0.5A. Considering that 123A have twice the volatage of an AA, it equals to 4 alkaline AA in terms of power output. I would like to see more flashlights using 123A battery, especially since 123A is cheap here.

 

[LightBright]

Lithium primary batteries have the highest Watt-hours per Liter (a measurement used by battery manufacturers)of any battery, along with the other things mentioned in the posts above. Surefire took advantage of this. As with most things "Ya get what ya pay for".

 

[Brock]

Another plus for lithium batteries is the the weight issue. The are about 4 times lighter for the same power in alakline. Imagine the size and weight of cameras if they had to use either 4 AA cells or 1 123 cell.

 

[papasan]

i have to agree...123 cells are a wast of money...like i'm gonna buy 800 batteries so that i can get them at a decent price...maybe they're the wave of the future, but for now they are *way* overpriced...i'm not sure why there's such a stigma about it in my head but i don't want to mail-order batteries just to be able to buy them for a descent price...if i went down to wall-mart and bought a pair it would be over $6 an hour...

this is why i only have 1 123 light and don't plan on buying anymore...not any time soon at least...

besides, i much prefer a rechargeable solution such as NiMHs...there are some rechargeable 123s out there but they are way expensive and only last 1/3 as long...

 

[Size15's]

It seems that people want it all.

You can have high output that's cheap to run, but it ain't gonna be small.

If there was a better way of getting high output from a tiny flashlight, I believe SureFire would have found it by now.

I don't feel that SF123As are expensive. For the likes of the E2 etc, you can do fine with other cheaper brands.

Buying batteries in bulk is like buying beer by the crate or fags by the box on a daytrip across the Channel.
Sure your pint and fags are going to be more expensive at your local.

The great thing is that 123A Lithiums have a very long shelf life so you don't have to use them all in the first couple of years!

Personally, I know of no alk flashlight that I could EDC to match the E2e.

Al

 

[The_LED_Museum]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by papasan:
i don't want to mail-order batteries just to be able to buy them for a descent price...if i went down to wall-mart and bought a pair it would be over $6 an hour...
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Around here, an E2 runs through around $28 worth of batteries an hour ($13.99 apiece). Be glad you don't live here and have to depend on 123 lights.

I think the cheapest I've seen them in Seattle is about $6 or $7 apiece. Maybe even less if you can leave the city and find a K-mart or Wall-Mart out in the boonies. But still a lot more than you can get them mail order.

Filling up something that uses 6 or 9 of those at once would end up costing more per hour than the flashlight itself costs new!

 

[Lonewolf]

The E2e with the MNO2 will be alot more economical and still have the SF quality beam.

 

[lightlover]

It's an annoying feature of lights which run on 123's that you have to buy then in bulk to save on the ridiculously expensive high-street prices.
And that usually means buying mail order over the net.
I didn't like that idea at all, but I've learned to grin and bear it.

lightlover

 

[PhilAlex]

Craig: Paying $10 - $14 US for a 123 is INSANE.

In Canada, at an expensive mall, I can get a Maxell CR123 for $11. I can get a "Chateau" for $5 at a "dollar store".

Is Washington that expensive?

 

[Daniel Ramsey]

But consider this.....if the 123 battery is driving an LED it will run longer than a regular battery. Somebody once did a cost per hour comparison of using standard alkilines VS the lithiums and it was about even of in favor of the lithiums, plus the advantages of whats been memtioned before. This is not like the use in Surefires where the lamp is nothing but a lumen sucking leach of a battery vampire

 

[Klaus]

At 20ma or so no real advantage for Lithiums in regards to Alkalines - the lithiums do make sense (as posted frequently) for long shelf life, cold wheather, high drain - but NOT for low drain. I do have some data for the L91 lithiums which are a different chemistry bit it should illustrate my point.

Operating Time ------1400mA 0.2 1.3
(Hours to 0.90 Volt)-1000mA 0.4 2.1
-----------------------400mA 2.7 5.7
------------------------20mA 117.0 122.0


Interestingly for the 9V Lithium energizes claims a much longer life at 20ma load compared to alkalines (upto 2x)- this is different from the other lithium cells but I don´t know why - probably because the 9V types are designed for low drain anyway ??


Klaus

 

[Daniel Ramsey]

what about when used with a DC/DC convertor?
Like using one 3v 123 and driving a Luxeon? And then comparing that to a single AA battery.

 

[Klaus]

Jeez Daniel,

I fear one AA at that load would go bust right away - take around 350ma load x 2.2 (for 3.2V) and add some 15% loss you are at almost 1A where the data from Energizer shows around 0.4 hours runtime - an L91 should still go for 2 hours then - for the 123 at 1300ma I have no data but in theory it might go for more than 3 hours ?

Like Duracell specs their 123 for approx 2 hours at 500ma and 5 hours at 250ma load.

Klaus

 

[Daniel Ramsey]

Refresh my memory about whats the available battery combinations for Peters LS, he uses a single 123, and what others?

OK I found it, the combinations are 1 AA, 2 AA and 1 CR123.
Now figure in cost per hour or even cost per minute and for idle minds what those figures may be.
Myself I've got to get ready for work its almost 5am here.

 

[Klaus]

No LS here - but the available batt-pacs are either 1 x 123, 1 x AA, 2 x AA

Driving a high-drain device like an LS Lithium is certainly in favour against Alkalines (I personally would still prefer 2 x NiMhs)

There must be some runtime graphs for the LS with the different batteries somewhere ... on Craigs site - OK - he did run one Alkaline AA - but as it only run with around one third brightness the load obviuosly was much lower - runtime was around 4 1/2 hours.

BTW - when you mentioned driving one LED I had one Nichia in mind and not one LS though.


Klaus