18650 Replacement for Fenix P3D

I own several Fenix P3D torches, and absolutely love them. I am never far from one.

One of the uses to which I and my riding partners put our P3D's is as a bicycling light, held to the handlebars with a Two Fish Block. Other riders are always amazed at the output for its size, especially compared to many expensive (and heavy) dedicated HID bike lights.

Anyway, late this summer and so far this fall, we've done a great deal more night riding than we have in previous years. The net result is, the three of us go through six CR123 batteries every time we ride (two/each). This has gotten to be both expensive and wasteful, so I'd like to switch to rechargable 18650 batteries.

I've 'searched' all morning, but not found my answer, and I'm hoping that someone here would be so kind as to educate me or direct me to the proper thread so that I can find what I'm looking for. What I am looking for is a flashlight:

- The size of P3D, up to the size of a SureFire 6P, at the extreme largest.

- White (not cold blue or warm yellow) SSC or Cree LED.

- 200 lumens or more at the LED.

- Best possible flat output regulation on (1) 18650 battery battery.

Thank-you for your help.............Frank

Why not use rechargeable CR123's?

The next best thing w/ 18650's would be the L-Mini.

Why not use a L2D on your bike?


Some 18650 lights are: Fenix TK11, Jet III and Derelight, your could also get a dropin for 6P.

Hi Jake25.

I cannot find an L-Mini.

If you mean the LumaPower LP-Mini, it does not take an 18650 battery and does not produce 200+ lumens.

Am I better off with RCR123A batteries? Please explain, as I don't know much about rechargables.

Thanks...........Frank

Hi HKJ.

The L2D does not take 18650 batteries, nor does it produce 200+ lumens. That's why I don't use it on my bike.

I know that the SF 6P does not take 18650 batteries, and I can't seem to find which of the others you suggest has the flatest output on 18650's.

Thank-you for your suggestions................Frank

Frank_Zuccarini said:

The L2D does not take 18650 batteries, nor does it produce 200+ lumens. That's why I don't use it on my bike.

Click to expand...

The L2D takes NiMH batteries and is very close to 200 lumens. I have been using it on my bike for some time and if your check the bicykel section here on cpf http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=86, your will also find other people using the L2D.

People are doing strange thinks with Surefire lights, including drilling large battery holes and replacing the lamp module with moduls for other voltages.

For lights accepting both 2XCR123 and 18650 it is a bit difficult to make flat output on 18650 batteries, because then your electronic must be cable of both boost and buck. I know that TK11 has this problem, but I do not remember the output curve for Jet and Dereelight (For Dereelight it will depend on what pill it has).

+1 on Lmine, superflat regulation and my led got any extremly low Vf (1400ma with rcr123 in dd with dmm!) and a nice tint...the cleanest white wc ive seen.

I have a jetbeam III st that I'm going to try it seems fit your needs also. It has a larger hotspot then the other jet III's. I have never done any night riding do, you think one on the bar and one on the helmet is enough or would another on the on the bar work better?

I do feel that the L2D is a better bikelight than the P3D. The difference in brightness is not huge to the eye and the L2D does a lot better than the P3D with rechargeables with a true 2 hour turbo mode on good cells, it is a fair bit longer in length than the P3D though if that is an issue (its not a problem for me).

You will not get as good runtime with a P3D on rechargeable rcr123 cells as you will with the L2D on good NIMH cells, and like I said the brightness difference is not as significant as it sounds.

Thank-you, Jake25, for giving me the link to Shining Beam.

That L-Mini seems like what I'm looking for. But, does anyone know:

- What's the difference between Ver 1 and Ver 3, besides colour?

- What protected 18650 batteries absolutely do fit without boring?

- Is the light output well regulated for a flat output profile?

- How do I contact 'Allen'? I can't seem to find contact info.

Again, thanks...........Frank

how about using 2 P3D's each run on the more efficient "high" level instead of turbo.

Jetbeam Jet III ST :thumbsup:

So far they are about the only company to respond to the call for an 18650 EDC. There is the shiningbeam, but I can't stand the UI on it.
Of course getting a bit bigger you have the TK11, Olight Warrior, more Jetbeam Jet III models, Dereelight CL1H, etc.
The Jetbeam has some things I'd like to improve as well, but in general it's the best option out there night now. But I would wecome an 18650 optomized (full regulation w/ 18650) EDC style light from another manufacturer. Competition is always a good thing for the consumer.

If you don't mind ordering from overseas have a look at the dereelight cl1h
http://www.dereelight.com/cl1hv4.htm

Thanks for the continued suggestions, folks.

The Dereelight CL1H v4 is one that I've been considering, and it seems a good fit. I need to check out the Jetbeam Jet III ST.

Again, thanks...............Frank

What you might want to do... is build a rechargeable battery pack, and hold it in something that attaches to your bike.

Have you visited the bicycle forum here?

I've always thought that if I were going to get into night riding I wouldn't bother trying to find an EDC light that works as a bike light, but rather, just build something out of a few reflectors, few good LEDs, aluminum heat-sink, and battery pack and drivers. could mount the switch somewhere closer to the grips that way, and design something with as much runtime and output as you want, limited only by how much bulk in batteries and heat sinking you are willing to deal with.

An MCE in the middle with textured reflector for close up flood, complemented by 4 R2s in tight beam optics around it All driven maximum around 700mA to maintain good efficiency (use more emitters driven less hard to maximize potential when you have the space for them)That would be an ideal bike light IMO.

A decent size li-ion pack would need to be built for it, like maybe a water-bottle size pack with ~10 18650s in it. That would be enough to run a solid ~4 hours in regulation on high, should be about 1600+ lumens.



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Ok, enough dreaming for now right... eheh..

The TK11 lacks flat regulation on an 18650, a good and bad thing as it means it will have more extended runtime, but diminishing output.

The CL1H series from DereeLight is available with true flat regulation on an 18650, or buck-only regulated modules that would have extended runtime with diminishing output through the run, (they offer more configurations of module than any other brand I know, hats off!)

A 1x18650 surefire compatible body (like a leefbody, or bored 6P) could be used in conjunction with a MalkOff M30, or a dereelight module, or many other D26 LED modules out there, with more popping up all the time. AGain, you have to be careful to pick one that is reasonably well suited for operation from a single 18650.

Wolf-Eyes 6 series lights with the "low-Vf R2" LEDs might be an option, I believe that these are also not going to run in perfect regulation, but instead will be like the TK11 with diminishing output, but that advertised "low Vf" is a plus and means it should stay in regulation *better* than some of the alternative buck-regulated configurations.

The LumaPower LumaHunter special edition is another 18650 supporting option, it, like so many others, is not fully regulated on an 18650, but will have diminishing output with extended runtime. The runtime chart for this one actually isn't too bad, it has a steady decline to 50% of initial output that lasts for about 4 hours on an 18650, not a terrible option.

The Jetbeam Jet III series lights all should have pretty solid regulation on an 18650, but I've heard that their setup is really only efficient on higher output modes, the driver has a major lack of efficiency when running in lower output modes, this may not even be an issue for what you are doing anyways, so this may be a good option.

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If it were me, and I didn't want to build the big complicated setup I described originally, but wanted to find a happy medium, I'd be very tempted to see how a 2x18650 body would feel mounted up the handlebars. or a pair of them, one on either side. This opens up a lot of options for LED modules, and increases regulated runtime dramatically. Another thing to keep in mind- (assuming the driver is of good design), 2 flashlights, each running at 100 lumens output, is just as good as 1 flashlight running at 200 lumens, but split between 2 flashlights, the LED can operate more efficiently, and the battery is operating at a lower drain rate, which increases available watt-hours. So this can increase available runtime substantially with the same output.


Eric

L-Mini Version 1 and 3

I have received one of each and have used them fo some time now.
imho they are farily good for what they are intended:
cheap light for "beginners", relatively bright, multilevel, running on 18650.
nice, pocketable 18650 lights

con is:
I dont like the beam from the cheap reflector
the threads are worthless; even same priced DX-parts have better ones
screw that "got through every mode"-UI and the "remember last setting"
the lights are too short for about 1-2 mm, so the body does not touch the interior metal inside the end cap, connection is via the threads (but that happens to be a problem of too much lights)

... no competitor to an 18650 version of the P3D, if Fenix finally happened to offer such a light
(by now they dont, and all these bulky tactical models are worthless. Now I am in the state to HOPE that another maker hears the calls and gives us ppl - who have bought Fenix' first and pocketable models and helped them get into the market - one sleek and elegant 18650, with good machining, materials and finish for an average price.
I am not going to by another Fenix, as long as this P3D 18650 is not here)

back to the L-Minis:
* the black colored (color, no anodizing, imho) Version 3 (for 2 CR123s) eats most of my 18650s but then runs on dimished brightness (which is OK).
* the silver Version 1 eats all of my 18650s and gives quite a light
* both offer nice white color
* the double o-rings at tail cap make the light watertight, but the threads are crap, I really hate to change batts (ever used very cheap tools?)
* the silver 18650 ordered with the L-Mini is crap, too thick and too long to work good with the Version 1

... still my meaining: good, cheap, first 18650 light for beginners,
but in no way up to the cheers received in here.
was a bit off the last weeks, but I dont know of any 18650 that could stand (or even exceed) a P3D 18650 - in the price range up to 80,--
(... if there were a P3D 18650)

PS: get the light pill out and short the back positive contact spring as much as possible, then the protected 18650s fit in better

Okay, at this point I'm pretty much committed to either the Dereelight CL1H v4 or the Jet-III Pro ST.

Tonight, I'm going to try my Olight M20 and see is I can tolerate this size and weight on my handlebars. If I can, then I'm sure that the CL1H v4 will suit me and my friends just fine. If I find it to be a bit too big, then the Jet-Pro III ST will probably be a better choice, though I'm guessing that the beam pattern will be a bit narrower.

While I'm confident that the CL1H v4 with the 3SD pill will give me the light and regulation that I demand, I have not been able to find an output chart for the Jet-Pro III ST.

Does anyone know if a light output chart for the Jet-Pro III ST exists?

Thanks for all the help...............Frank

Oh- something I forgot to mention, for this type of application, where you have a high power compact LED light that is going to be running for an extended period of time. The bulkier "tactical" designs have the advantage of having more metal, more heat sinking, easier for the LED to run at full output continuously without damage. However, if your mounting kit for them was also metal, and could move heat to the handlebars, then this would be a moot point, but many setups use composite materials that would actually insulate rather than conduct heat...

Just one more complication to throw into the mess, lol.