Quark light/tube combos

I plan on buying the single 123 tactical model.

I would also like to get an extra battery tube for the light.
My options would be the 18650 tube or the 2xAA tube.
I guess there's no point in getting the 2x123 tube with this head as it can only be used with 18650's anyway.

The 18650 option would give me a rechargeable light (would I get the full 2xCR123 230 lumens using this battery or the single CR123 206 lumens) but the AA option would give me a light that can use easily available batteries which could also be rechargeable.

Your thoughts.

I guess there's no point in getting the 2x123 tube with this head as it can only be used with 18650's anyway.

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You can use a 17670 li-on with the 123x2 tube.

The 18650 option would give me a rechargeable light (would I get the full 2xCR123 230 lumens using this battery or the single CR123 206 lumens)

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No - the 0.9v-4.2v head will not be as bright as a 3v-9v head.

This graph explains it well (note that's for a 17670 battery - you can increase the run times for an 18650 - the overall shape of the graph would be the same though - i.e. a flat line for the 0.9v-4.2v head you are planning to get).

Streak said:

I plan on buying the single 123 tactical model.

I would also like to get an extra battery tube for the light.
My options would be the 18650 tube or the 2xAA tube.
I guess there's no point in getting the 2x123 tube with this head as it can only be used with 18650's anyway.

The 18650 option would give me a rechargeable light (would I get the full 2xCR123 230 lumens using this battery or the single CR123 206 lumens) but the AA option would give me a light that can use easily available batteries which could also be rechargeable.

Your thoughts.

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I've bought a few 2 x 123 tubes for this sort of combo using 17670 batteries but there have been some people with fitting issues for their batteries which is a problem you won't have with the 18650 tube.

The AA2 tube option is very easy and cheap to feed and as bright as a single 123 and only a quarter or a half an inch longer than the 18650 tube. If you like a thicker grip you can get the Turbo AA2 tube.

Thanks for this.
When I said
"I guess there's no point in getting the 2x123 tube with this head as it can only be used with 18650's anyway"

I meant that you will have to us a LiIon cell as you cant use 2xCR123's.

The other option to get more output would be to buy the 2xCR123 light which I can then run on a single 18650 as well and then buy the single 123 tube for the times I need smaller size.

How well would the 3-9v head run on a single CR123?

Streak said:

How well would the 3-9v head run on a single CR123?

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I didn;t actually know the answer to this despite having several of each voltage head so I just tried it. It runs but is much dimmer on max than a Li-Ion and I suspect it would get even dimmer quite quickly.

As to the differences between the 2x123 and 1x123 heads on li-ion, well the graph shows a difference but I've tested them side by side outdoors a dozen times and it's only under a few limited conditions that one can perceive any difference at all and even then it's so tiny that I'm not sure that I'm not tricking myself into believing I can see the difference when I can't. Minuscule to say the least.

Thanks Dave, useful input.
I guess I should do the single 123 tactical plus the 18650 tube if I really thinks its important to get another tube!!

My thinking is that the spare tube will never get used and (in true CPF spirit) I should just pay the extra and get a complete 2x123 light as well.

Streak said:

My thinking is that the spare tube will never get used and (in true CPF spirit) I should just pay the extra and get a complete 2x123 light as well.

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For me it's always the original tubes that never seem to get used. I've got a stack of standard AA2 tubes in the drawer cos even when I do run a 2xAA quark I use a Turbo tube.

The AA/123 head is the most versatile. It can run a CR123a, RCR123, 1AA, 2AA, 14500, 17670 and 18650. That pretty much covers any situation where one form or another of battery runs out of stock.

I do have some 2x123 heads and I thought that the slower taper off on Li-Ion would be a benefit but I never run my batteries down far enough between charges to get to that point so in fact the battery versatility of the single 123 heads beat the 2x123 heads in my possession hands down.