Cheap CR123A 'Battery Drainer'?

I am looking for a cheap light that I can use to suck the last little bit of energy out of CR123A primary batteries before I recycle them. Just a simple LED light that will dim down until this battery is completely dead is what I'm going for.

I tried searching and did not find much. I see that people like the single cell red Inova X5 for this task but I don't really want a red light and don't really want to spend $40 on one. Something in the $10-15 range from DX or KD would be great.

Any suggestions? Thanks!!!

Ryan

Edit: It doesn't have to be from DX or KD. In fact something from walmart or target would be even better because I don't have to wait on shipping :twothumbs

I'm not sure what CR123 based lights they have at wal-mart, etc, typically they are AAA/AA based lights, but it's always worth looking.

If you want a cheap light that drains the battery, I would avoid the "5-mode" type lights, as the modes get unreliable as the battery drains, which is annoying. One of the cheap resistor based lights will drain the batteries pretty low, but I'm not sure exactly how low (I always use RCRs).

These DX lights would work pretty well:

Single CR123:
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6117 (Cheap, older P4 emitter)
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13096 (Couple bucks more, nicer Q5 emitter)

A dual CR123 light might drain them lower, given the higher voltage compared to the Vf of the emitter...
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15341 is a decent light for EDC
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1315 This one can use P60 style dropins, so you can have IR / UV dropins, Xenon, etc

Go to Target and pick up a 1 Watt Dorcy 1 123A light for 19.99

good luck

I use the Streamlight Twin-Task 1L (3 LED, 1 Xenon Bulb) the 3 LED will suck it dry. Cost around $20.

lightinsky said:

Go to Target and pick up a 1 Watt Dorcy 1 123A light for 19.99

good luck

Click to expand...

+1, its drives awesome at draining just about anything thats 3V including CR2s [spacer needed] and daisy chaining AAs works too

The Dorcy seems to be the most recommended solution to your problem. A couple threads for you to browse. First a prior instance of your question:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/193833

and Crenshaw's "Battery Vampire" summary thread:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/185691

Illum_the_nation said:

+1, its drives awesome at draining just about anything thats 3V including CR2s [spacer needed] and daisy chaining AAs works too

Click to expand...

Daisy chaining AA's?????:thinking: How????

Mike

I thought it was a bad think to completely drain a rechargeable lithium battery, that it would lower the amount of cycles you could recharge it before it died, and basically killed the battery faster???

Isn't completely discharging an RCR the one thing you don't want to do?

The OP is talking about primaries.

FlaMtnBkr said:

I am looking for a cheap light that I can use to suck the last little bit of energy out of CR123A primary batteries

Click to expand...

D'OH. I saw recycle and then others mention RCR's and got sidetracked. Some people use RCRs in these types of lights and let them go, so isn't that still a bad thing?

yes

LED_astray said:

The Dorcy seems to be the most recommended solution to your problem. A couple threads for you to browse. First a prior instance of your question:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/210643

Click to expand...

I'm getting deja vu...

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

FlaMtnBkr said:

I'm getting deja vu...

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Click to expand...

Me too. I wonder why.

Another Vote for the Dorcy Super 1 watt. Little bugger can go a long time producing enough light to read with or act as a night light on a "dead" 123.

FlaMtnBkr said:

I'm getting deja vu...

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Click to expand...

OK, busted. I meant to cut & paste:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/193833

for the previous thread.

(I'll fix the previous post too.)

The Inova 24/7 on "Red" will take out of it what the Dorcy 1-Watt can't. That's what i use for my dead batteries, after my L1 finishes with them:thumbsup:

I thought leaving lights on with "dead" CR123's in them was a recipe for "venting"...??? Also, why would someone want to discharge a battery to recycle it?

Jackyl said:

I thought leaving lights on with "dead" CR123's in them was a recipe for "venting"...??? Also, why would someone want to discharge a battery to recycle it?

Click to expand...

Isn't the venting more of an issue for lights that need 2 or more CR123 cells (i.e. one cell goes lower than the other and a reverse change occurs and )?

With the price of CR123 cells, why not get as much from them as possible before they are recycled?

How about a red Inova X5, this is the one I use for single cells that are not quite dead.

why aren't ya using rechargeables? 123s are 'spensive!