Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

I was thinking about this other day when I read about Fenix dropping their prices
Of how popular their AA lights have become. And of course there is a precedent for it, with CMG infinity's, inova's etc being popular AA lights.
When I first joined CPF a little over two yr's ago, I remember most of the popular EDC's were lith 123 powered batteries and AAA's since an ARC
AAA seemed to be owned by everyone I had started my high end FL addiction first, with small key chain LED's, then I got a CMG infinity ultra.
Since it ran long, a primary AA alki and then lithium didn't
Seem too bad, especially since it's not a real bright light. My next 4 light's over a 6 mth period were an E2d, ARC LSH-P and AAA LE, E1e, and a little later two KL-1 4th gen on a VG 1X123 body, and my HDS basic-60, my main EDC. I also bought many 1xAAA 1xLED light's, new ARC P's, Peak ultra po, sonic's, dorcy's, in double/triple amount's.(small light's are my "true" addiction)

I really was and am pretty happy with my tools. I then learned on CPF about many different batteries, and Have pretty much used Li ion 123's for my LED EDC's, batt station 123's for my incan's and lith AAA's in my neck chain and pocketed Peak and ARC's. And with the exception of my Jil 1.3,
And my main "at home nighttime/nightstand" Peak Shasta N (run on a nimh N cell) I see that I have pretty much gone with either 123's primary or more often Li ion, or AAA's.

I don't know if it was loading minimag's for yr's, or what, but the only Fenix light I really want is a LOP,(the "little light" addiction!) nice as there are I have no interest in the AA ones. Even as most of my CPF brothers are very happy about a really good, bright AA LED light.

So I was wondering if anyone else has consciously or unconsciously settled on one or two battery types? Discuss. VDG

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

All my lights are powered by AA or AAA alkaline batteries except an Inova T4 LED (built in lithium ion rechargeable) and the two D-cell Maglites which I bought over 20 years ago.

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

I've been trying to go only AA and 123A (all my 2D lights have been converted to 8AA), but those darned SMJLEDs got me to start using lithium AAAs too!

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

I much prefer AA and AAA cells. AA for bright lights (e.g. SL ProPolymer 4AA Luxeon) and AAA cells for compact lights (e.g. Arc AAA Standard).

I have one 3 C light (uses 7 x 5 mm LEDs and is rarely used) and one CR123A light, a Dorcy 1W which I regret buying, since I much prefer the 1 AA Fenix L1P I bought not much later.

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

AA and 123s for me. The only exception to this would be a rechargable spot and a coin cell light.

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

AA's are too big when I could be using 123s. AAA and 123 for me.

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

I've pretty much settled on lights that take either AA's NiMH or 17670 LiIon batteries. Only exception (except for lights that I never use) is the PT EOS, but it's so handy that I'll happily keep a few AAAs around for it.

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

Just 123's they pack a lot of power, are light, have long shelftimes. but I mostly use the rechargable 123's nowaday's MP's unprotected 123's. guilt free lumens in my HDS EDC U85. wooohoooo!
I don't have any AAA or AA lights anymore.
this summer I'll go camping in the french alps and I take a solarpanel witm me to charge the RCR123's! ofcourse I'll take some SF123's with me, but I'll hardly need them: on a rainy day I can fully charge 2 RCR123's. On a sunny day I can charge up to 6 or even 8 of them.

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

I must admit that I have not. I think it is a really good idea and I would if I could start over but now its too late for me. I have D C AA AAA CR123 lights. I do try to run as many as I can on Pila's 168s and 150s. I even considered getting some of those adapters to use AA's in C and D sized lights but I never have. I think it would be nice to have only a couple kinds to buy. I don't really count the little photon keychain lights as they seem cheaper to buy than replacment cells. Looks like I need some more AAA C's and D's the 123's and AA's are covered for now.
Topper

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

Just depends, honestly. As a whole, I have lights that use pretty much everything - D cell Maglites and my Blaster1R, C cells in my Barbolight (with rechargable option!!), so on and so forth. The one thing that I generally will do is standardize when it comes to travel or something. In SAR, I don't like to carry spare batteries anyway, much less a bunch of different types of batteries. I'm kinda stuck with AAs right now, my radio and GPS run on them and that means I get to carry AAs. If I could find a radio that ran on CR123s, I'd be too happy and I'd ditch the AAs for good, mostly, but only in my pack. I'd still keep them (a lot of them, anyway..)

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

As much as I, like many flashaholics, am partial to AA batteries for their size/runtime/cost/availability and the benefit of AA NiMH/rechargeable options, regardless of how efficient and desirable it may be to "standardize", even with improving technology/efficiency of flashlights that use AA batts, there are just too many battery, flashlight and emitter/bulb options and variety of situations where a flashlight is needed, that to dismiss a quality flashlight solely because it does not use AAs or other preferred batteries is myopic and denying oneself the best flashlight for the job.

73
dim

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

AAA lithium for my EDC keychain light and Arc AAA red LED light. A NiMH AAA powers MP3 players

NiMH AA for L1P, Med 2AA (work EDC), 8AA LuxeonV high output light and Peak red/white/UV lights. The rest of my family uses NiMH AA cells for their lights, cameras, CD players, short wave radios etc.

I do use CR123A lithium cells in two of my lights. Inova X5 is my power failure light and still is on the original cells after 18 months of ownership. The light was a gift so... Have a Peak Mediterranean with CR123A body that is attached to a line-loc magnet/clamp for use at work. It gets fed a new cell every 6 months.

95% of my battery usage is NiMH AA cells be it my bicycle lighting, flashlights, cameras, shortwaves and other devices. Life was good until... DSpeck showed up with the Fire~Fly III that uses an RCR123 lithium-ion and I went for it. When it arrives, it will replace CR123A batteries in the Peak Mediterranean line-loc work light with RCR123 lithium-ion batteries that will be used in the FF-III. The X5 will be given away to eliminate any use for CR123A batteries since a Peak Pacific AAA/AA will take it's place. The ugly beam of the X5 is not worth the hassle of CR123A batteries.

For flashlights, I am going with AA/AAA and RCR123 rechargables so I guess that puts me at three different types. CR123A is going away and D cells are not used since my upcoming 400 lumen 8AA Mag does not need them. I do have a dozen CR123A batteries laying around but they can always be used to back up the FF-III in a pinch.

Am I the only flashaholic that not only does not use CR123A batteries but prefers never to use them? Maybe it's because I don't have Surefire flashlights?

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

Almost exclusively 123's, with a Li-Ion for a rechargable HID light and some lithium coin cells (2016's,2019's,2032's) and a couple of AA's,
Ian B

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

dim said:

As much as I, like many flashaholics, am partial to AA batteries for their size/runtime/cost/availability and the benefit of AA NiMH/rechargeable options, regardless of how efficient and desirable it may be to "standardize", even with improving technology/efficiency of flashlights that use AA batts, there are just too many battery, flashlight and emitter/bulb options and variety of situations where a flashlight is needed, that to dismiss a quality flashlight solely because it does not use AAs or other preferred batteries is myopic and denying oneself the best flashlight for the job.

73
dim

Click to expand...

This imho is were I feel a multi level light evens up your argument. My
basic 60 with just 4 presets, even on a li ion, can do most everything from regular tasks the 1watt L1P does, to very dim for reading checking the time, to much brighter and longer throwing beam, and better runtime excluding the high setting. (I use the fenix here just for example, could be a Q-III, etc) I would have to own 4 flashlight's that add up to as much or more then the cost of a basic for how much ground it can cover.

So even though I use AA's both primary and nimh in many other non flashlight gear, in my usage, 123's and li ion 123's pack a lot more punch
in term's of power delivery, in a broader amount of hi drain to low drain light's
and esp, multi level LED's. AAA's, i have no excuse for other then smaller batt,
smaller light. I even would prefer N cell sized light's if they were as popular as a AAA. VDG

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

Yes, since going down the slippery SureFire path and joining this forum, I had standardized to using CR123. Currently maintaining a stash of 200~300 CR123.

I am starting to branch out to others brand of flashlights, just got a Inova 24/7 and some vital gear bodies. Also looking for radios, GPS, scanner that work on CR123.

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

Mine varies. maybe 5 AAAs, 7 AAs, 10 Ds, 4 123s, 4 6volt lanterns/dive light, 2 Cs. Only 8 of these are leds and I would have more, but the .5 watt bulbs to me are useless, and going over 3 watts defeats the purpose of an led. (Long run time).

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

AA and C NiMH. I have AAA lights w/alkalines (arc). I do have some NiMH AAA that I use sometimes for stuff like MP3 players.

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

I have standardized on AA for camping with a Fenix L1P, a Princeton Tec Apex and (soon to arrive) a Streamlight ProPoly Luxeon. Funny thing is these were all purchased just in the last month.

I haven't got on the rechargeable bandwagon yet since I seem to be a lightweight user of flashlights so I have been investing in Lithium AA's. I bought 20 from Battery Station then saw the Excess deal and bought 100 of those.

But I have many lights that are not AA, from coin cell (Photon II) to whatever is in the Thor 10MCP.

I'm pretty sure my next light will get me into rechargealbes as it will be the Elektrolumens "Little Friend" which will burn through 4 AAA's pretty quickly.

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

Quite the opposite, for me, as my useage extends to the extremes of cell sizes and types. I've actually resisted this because I'd prefer to standardize. In my case, resistance was futile.

Of the lot, primary & secondary, AA & 123, are the sizes I use most frequently.

Re: Has anyone else "standardized" there lights around 1 or 2 battery types?

Not even a chance. While the most of my lights runs on AA, AAA and 123, frok keychain lasers, to light cannon to lanterns to glotoobs I got a whole array of battery types, including some modifications of the infamous 4R25, the "6 Volt lantern battery" and a Li-Ion incarnation of the 3R12.

EDC is made of Arc AAA on primary, U2 on 123 Primary, L4 with 17670P Li-Ion, L1P with AA NiMH.

Anthony