RCR123 or Primary CR123 for my P3D?

After careful research through this forum and dealer websites I'm convinced that the P3D premium Q5 flashlight is what I want to purchase.

Now should I spend money on the rechargeable-CR123 batteries and charger or just spend the money on a bunch of primary CR123?

I ask this question because I want to know if using rechargeable batteries have a significant impact over the useability and performance of the light.

I am planning on purchasing from Batteryjunction.com.

Here are my choices:

Rechargeables
http://www.batteryjunction.com/4parc390reli.html

Primary
http://www.batteryjunction.com/1pcsofcrteli.html or
http://www.batteryjunction.com/tpen-tcr123a-.html

I'm going to be using the flashlight for EDC mostly around the house and while I jog at night.

I appreciate your help.

The P3D works great with AW R123's! The only con will be less run time than using primary CR123's. As long as you can recharge it when needed, you should be fine. You could order a few CR123's to keep for emergancy use, since they last 10 years. You could keep a couple CR123's in the car, on you, etc, so if your AW R123's quit on you in an emergancy, you have an instant back up.

WadeF where can I purchase the AW CR123's?

Solar Powered Pickle said:

...where can I purchase the AW CR123's?

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Direct from AW via the AW's LiIon Batteries Sales Thread.

+1 on the AW RCR123s, they fit(important) and work great. I've also tried Ultafire and Trustfire they are too long, you will not be able to screw the head down all the way preventing you from using the turbo mode. One other thing, make sure you use protected batteries(AW's are) because the P3D won't start flashing(low voltage warning- only effective for primaries) until around 4.0v(2.0v for each battery). By that time unprotected RCR123s would be damaged. Lighthound carries AW batteries and the Ultafire chargers AW sells.

Solar Powered Pickle said:

After careful research through this forum and dealer websites I'm convinced that the P3D premium Q5 flashlight is what I want to purchase.

Primary
http://www.batteryjunction.com/1pcsofcrteli.html or
http://www.batteryjunction.com/tpen-tcr123a-.html

Click to expand...

Go get your P3D Premium Q5, I just got mine 2 weeks ago, and it is great light.

If you are getting the Titanium batteries, you can get it now at cfrlights.com for $1.05 each with free shipping. Here's the direct link:
http://www.cfrlights.com/servlet/the-316/lithium,-battery,-cr123a,-photon,/Detail?sfs=6130a53b

If I am not wrong there is substantial shipment charge at batteryjunction.com.

Have fun. :wave:

WOW $1.05 with free shipping?? Thats awesome!

I used to be a be fan of RCR123's, but one can buy a bunch of primaries for the cost of a couple of rechargeables plus charger.

I've been EDC-ing my P3D for quite a while now and its still on its first set of CR123s. But the calculus is greatly affected by how much one uses the light, I guess.

powernoodle said:

I used to be a be fan of RCR123's, but one can buy a bunch of primaries for the cost of a couple of rechargeables plus charger.

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I understand your point here. I think the best thing to do is to buy a couple of primaries along with the rechargeables for emergency. I will more than likely be using the light evey night during my jogs.. I'm trying to shed some pounds.

I don't use mine that much, Mostly playing around alittle bit. But I have had to recharge my battery about 3 times so I figure thats maybe 2 sets of primary batteries in about 2 or 3 months.
I suggest the AW batteries as well, I do have a couple of sets of primaries around the house.
It doest eat the batteries so its not like your going to be replacing them every week or two.

Consider AW's LiFePO4 123A's, too.

Do the rcr123's extra voltage cause the lights to lose the multi-mode? I thought I read that in the forums a while ago?

Not with the P3D(or T1), all levels will work (David tested the P3D up to ~ 16v). You are thinking of the P2D, L1D, L2D heads(they are all the same), over ~3.2v and you lose the lower levels.

AFAIA AW does not stock 3v proctected rechargables, he used to...

CandleFranky,

I used to carry them but no any more.

AW

Click to expand...

& if you use 3.6v you lose low settings

I use 3v unprotected and try to be careful...

Owen

gallagho said:

AFAIA AW does not stock 3v proctected rechargables

& if you use 3.6v you lose low settings

I use 3v unprotected and try to be careful...

Owen

Click to expand...

You don't lose the low levels with 2 RCR123's in a P3D, 8.4v fully charged is fine(Input voltage was tested up to 16v by David aka 4 sevens of Fenix Store) Thats why you can buy an accessory 3 CR123 tube for it, here's a link; https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=31_80&products_id=351 .

Thanks Steve, there was a post to the contrary a few months back that's why I went for the 3 volts... ho-hum !

Hey Pickle (OP), unless you're a heavy user, the primary CR123's will last you awhile. True, the rechargeables will work fine and may be good for your using habits, but I mostly use primaries although I thought I'd use rechargeables more.

Now when I get my G3 or P9, I'm going to use 2 x 17500 rechargeables and a good drop-in led... no doubt about it! :wave:

Longer run times with primaries is a moot point when you cant top them off so you have no idea what kind of charge is left in your light... Go rechargeable and top off the cells frequently..

Okay .. I just got my p3d premium q5 and this thing is AWESOME!! it is freakin bright.. I was a little concerned about the cree having a blue tint although I didn't notice any tint whatsoever if anything there may be a very very very slight purple tint around the very edge of the spill and I mean a very slight purple. The rest of the the beam looks very white to me.

In regards to the rechargeables.. I took your advice and went with the AW RCR123a PROTECTED cells and with the Ultrafire charger I think its the 138. It charged two cells in under an hour and I popped them in low, medium, SOS, Turbo, and Strobe all work fine NO FITMENT ISSUES whatsoever.

Man I gotta hand it you guys .. you really know your stuff!

Thanks a bunch

Hi Solar Powered Pickle, Glad to hear it's working out well for you. If you have the WF-138 charger, there is a switch on the side where you can select 3.6v or 3.0v. Make sure you have it on the 3.6v setting for AW's RCR123s. If you have it on 3.0v setting you won't get a full charge on the AW RCR123s(should be ~4.2v fully charged). You would use the 3.0v setting for LiFePo4 cells.