Quark Mini AA using 14500 question

just a quick question on this light. I just recently purchased this light and had it sent home. Was just wonderin if anyone has tried using the 14500 with this light and how it manages it. I know the regular quark aa can use it no problem but on the quark site on the mini it says not to use anything over 1.5v.

So, i was just wondering from those with experience, as I'm sure people have tried using the 14500 in the Mini, what the results of using that battery were. Ya know any reliability issues or overheating issues, etc...

Thanks in advance for the help

Thank you for choosing us! We recommend against using the 14500 with the MiNi AA due to voltage incompatibility. The Lithium Ion cells can produce too much voltage and heat in this light which will shorten the working lifetime of the unit greatly.

-Trevor

Customerservice@4sevens said:

Thank you for choosing us! We recommend against using the 14500 with the MiNi AA due to voltage incompatibility. The Lithium Ion cells can produce too much voltage and heat in this light which will shorten the working lifetime of the unit greatly.

-Trevor

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Now that the formalities are over with, do a quick search of the forums using the Google search at the top DivineStrike. There are many members who have documented their experiences using this light with 14500's.

14500 works great in the mini AA. All modes continue to function and it doesn't destroy the driver or the LED as long as care is taken. On high, the light goes into direct drive and produces an amazing amount of light. Something like 300 lumens.

It will get hot very fast. If you run the light like this keep it in your hand so your hand can help wick off some of the heat. Also, it's probably not a good idea to run the light more than a few minutes at a time on high. You can run it on 14500, but if you do, plan on using the medium mode for most purposes. The high mode is more for momentary use when you need extra light, or to wow your friends.

NOW is it safe to use it in my REGULAR quark? I notice it gets PRETTY warm while being used.

Or you can use the new Lithium 3V CR14505, but they're not rechargable. These will give you the same output as a MiNi 123 with a CR123.

This was the official word when it was time to pre order Minis. Then they went to the tap dance exhibited in post #2.

calipsoii said:

Now that the formalities are over with, do a quick search of the forums using the Google search at the top DivineStrike. There are many members who have documented their experiences using this light with 14500's.

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LOL - good first answer.

Here's a quote from David a while back and it's exactly how I use my MiNi AA.

Yes, both MiNi's can use protected li-ions, however extended use in high is not recommended simply because there is so little aluminum casing to dissipate the heat. Rule of thumb, if it's too hot to hold in your hand, then it's time to back down from high to medium. As long as you can hold it in hand, then you're fine.

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The MiNi AA warm tint is one of my favorite lights, even though it's also one of the least expensive and I favor it's beam pattern over virtually every light I own, a couple of while were fairly spendy.

The mini AA is my go to backup light. I have used Li-Ion exclusively in every mini I have owned without any I'll effect but use at your own risk as it may void your warranty if you have troubles. My first Mini AA I've had since the first batch of neutrals. I used it for many months then my wife swiped it but I got a Ti version in neutral although the tint is nit as Bice as my original. You should be fine just be cautious.


Best Regard,
Eric

Putting a 14500 in a mini is like putting NOZ in a car You loose warranty. You get a huge lift in preformance, and you dont want to use it all the time on full power/trottle. And last, it will break down faster. I dont mind if the led breaks down after let's say 10 000 hours instead of 50 000.

No problems with 14500 in Mini AA. Just don't let it get too warm on high.
Mike

I use a Mini AA with a neutral XPG running on a black label AW 14500 on my keychain as my backup light. The low mode is about the same, the medium mode is about as bright as the high mode on a nimh or alkaline, and the high mode is mind-blowing. But as everyone else said, it will get hot really fast, and the light has very little mass so you shouldn't run it on high for more than a minute or two at a time or you'll fry the emitter.

Same story as many above, except I have run mine for over 30 mins on high non-stop while outside at about 7 degrees C. Keep your hand on the head though and if it starts getting uncomfortably hot turn it down to med mode.

I really like the medium mode in this config, you get about 3 and a half hours of roughly 80 lumens. Just about perfect for an edc general mode imo.