RCR123? Which lights/ voltages?

I am thinking of buying some rechargable cr123"s since surefire raised their prices by 40%. I have an X5, Q3, and a Dorcy super 1 watt. I have seen 3, 3.6, and 4 watt rcr123"s on ebay. I am not sure which lights will handle what voltage without damage. Also, where could I get the best battery/charger at the best price.
Thank You, you guys are always extremely helpfull.
Mike

I can't comment on which of your lights will work with any particular cell, but;

Rechargeable 123A Li-ions come in 3 flavours that I know of;

Unprotected 3.6V (4.2V fresh off the charger) - these aren't for the faint hearted, they can explode if overcharged or shorted, they die if they're over discharged. Not generally recommended for use in series. Maximum capacity is about 800mAh.

Protected 3.6V (4.2V as above) - these cells have a protection circuit built in to prevent them from doing the bad things that unprotected cells can do (this takes up space and reduces their capacity). Since this limits the current that they can supply some of them may need a "double tap" to work with some incandescents. They also "switch off" when their voltage drops too low, so a light run on them will go from bright to off without warning. Maximum capacity about 750mAh.

3V - these are the same Li-ion cells, but with another circuit built in to limit the voltage that they output (their no-load voltage can still be over 3.7V and they could still damage some lights). They have a reduced capacity over the other 2 types and require a different charger (as far as I know). Maximum capacity about 700mAh.

Cell size is variable and some may not fit in all lights.

Buying off Ebay is not generally recommended for these items as you can't be sure what you're getting (some vendors obviously lie). On CPF you have AW, Dae & Emilion (alphabetically, that I can think of) to buy from. The DSD charger seems to work well for 3.6V Li-ions and can be had for $10 or less, I don't know what charger would be recommended for 3V cells.

That's my understanding at least - if I'm wrong I'd be delighted for someone more knowledgeable to put me right.
(I also think that this thread may be moved to the flashlight electronics forum by a moderator)

Don

I tried to search this forum, but I must not have tried the right key words.
Thanks,
Mike

Um the only i can verify is the Q3.
I Have 2, and run them on Protected Li-Ions in the 750mah version, they are from john at www.lighthound.com whom i can recommend with confidence.
He sells a couple style chargers too that are compatible with these batteries aswell, a Nano (Single Slot) and a Double Slot version aswell, keep in mind i believe they all charge one cell at a time then switch to other when one is done, likemy dual slot charger.

Difference in output of light is noticeable, makes a new light out of an older one just by changing batteries.

For every single cell light you plan on converting to Li-Ion, consider getting atleast 2 rechargeable batteries for it to use, one for back up , and always charged. Aswell for any mutli celled light double upon cells, Note only some multi-celled lights can run on 2 123's at the higher voltage an get away with it, like my E2L, It loves its Li-Ions, more output, brighter ect, in fact so does all the lights i use them in.

The X5 and the Dorcy i can not comment on as i dont know, sorry.

I am really suprised no one took 2 mnutes to answer this so far.
I am sure someone will add to this now bro, so be patient.


Peace out

IF

I use protected 3.7v rechargables in my Q3 and my Ilumibeam XL1. The difference in output is easily noticable, and makes both of these lights real screamers!

My V2 is made for rechargables, so no probs there. I've run my Q3 on R123s also. I've also tried a Pelican M1 2310 and Aurora 1.5W on R123s with no probs, but I only used them momentarily for short durations (on for about 30sec each time). I haven't tried the M1 or Aurora with R123s continuous.

P.S. I have Protected R123s from Dae. I know batteryjunction.com sells a combo package of 3.0V R123s with charger. Most 3.0V R123s I've seen only have 350mAh capacity tho.

I use the 3.7 volt protected in my Q3. I also use two Ultralast 3.0 volt units in my Golston 7watt, the "cooler" version that has a larger diameter tube. They barely fit in the standard Golston 7watter. I have been charging the 3 volters in the DSD charger so far without any apparent incident. Some Meijer stores in the Midwest carry the Ultralast batteries, two with a charger for $25. Otherwise I have bought the rest from our advertisers listed above.

I have also run older KL1's and KL3's from Surefire with the 3.7 volt cells.

The Dorcy 1 watt that Sears carries can run with them. Some people check the emitter to make sure it has higher VF (Q vs R if I remember).

And there is the Peak CPF Special. It can handle them as well.

All of you are a wealth of information, as usual. Anybody know any mods for the X5. It is a great light as is, but that is usually not good enough for you guys.
mike

Most LED lights are designed without over-voltage protection so using Li-Ion rechargeable RCR123 at rated 3.6(-3.7)V which can come freshly off the charger at 4.2V can damage either the LED or circuit of the flashlight - simply because the over-voltage range is some 20-40% higher than a regular 3.0V non-rechargeable battery.

However there are flashlights that are designated for use with 3.6V rechargeable Li-Ion RCR123 - LightHound for example sells 3 versions - here's a linked review (huge with lots of pics) -

3watt single RCR123 Rechargeable Shootout

3watt Luxeons and clones/conterfeits mostly can be direct-driven by a single 3.6V RCR123 - the power draw is close to spec.

Whereas 1watt Luxeons and clones will be grossly over driven - close to 3watts - they will be very dramatically brighter - but I would guess they would burn out pretty shortly. Please see this thread -

Nuwai Q3 with RCR123 + Nano Charger

where I tried my S1801 1w Luxeon 1xCR123 for a short while on a 3.6V RCR123 and got much higher brightness - but see the warning response.

I like the combination of a single 3.6V rechargeable RCR123 with either the Nuwai Q3 or the LightHound V3 3watt rechargeable - both of which give quite spectacular brightness - in order of a 3D Mag or Streamlight Scorpion xenon.

For more realistic "practical" beam comparisons with these lights -
please see -

"Practical" Beamshots? (indoors, stairs)

"Practical" Beamshots? pt.2 (outdoors) (pampas grass)