E2DL Battery options

Hey everyone, I'm new to CPF and still finding my way around flashlights and the tech behind them. I recently purchased a new SF E2D. I also purchased a Veleno Designs 2 cell dual-mode E module as well as an E2DL head. I'm planning on getting some cr123 primaries but I'm also interested in acquiring some rechargeable batteries to use with both these LED heads. I know that the 2 cell E module can take 2 cr123 (2 rcr123 is a no go) or 1 li-ion 17670:

1. Can the SF E2DL head also safely run on the single 17670?

2. Is the AW Protected 17670 (1600mAH) listed in this sale ok?

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/sh...-Thread-*USA*-amp-international.-***Part-2***

TIA indadark.

Yes, the E2DL can run on a single 17670 but it will not be as bright.

You should also note that you need to sand down the interior of the battery tube on most E series lights to fit a 17670.

Thanks kuku427. Will finding a 17670 with it's mWh closer to that of 2 cr123 be the ticket getting it brighter? i.e.

2 cr123:
2 x 3V x 1500mAH = 9,000mWh

1 17670:
1 x 3.7V x 2400mAH = 8,880mWh

Or is brightness relational to Voltage?

It's related to voltage of the battery.
Vf of the LED and overhead voltage needed by the driver are the deciding factors here.

I would say E2DL is about 1/2 ~ 2/3 as bright on a 17670.
But its guilt free and you can always keep CR123s around for when you need full brightness.

Thanks again for your insight. I'm learning a lot here

KuKu427 said:

It's related to voltage of the battery.
Vf of the LED and overhead voltage needed by the driver are the deciding factors here.

I would say E2DL is about 1/2 ~ 2/3 as bright on a 17670.
But its guilt free and you can always keep CR123s around for when you need full brightness.

Click to expand...

exactly.

One 17670 = 4.2 volts
Two cr123a = 6.0 volts

mAh only has to do with run time. You can think of it as a measure of capacity. The higher the mAh, the longer you can run the light on that battery.

Ok so all this is making sense now but has me wondering... Are there any rcr123 manufactured @ 3V that will allow me to use 2 such cells in both LED heads?

There are LiFePO4 cells. Thay have a lower voltage off the charger than LiCo or LiMn (rcr123 cells) and a lower nominal voltage and some seem to be voltage regulated to 3.0V. I don't know much about them or what you would use to charge them. They are lower capacity than the cr123a primary cells and you would want to make sure the brand you look at could habdle the discharge rate of that light. There is much more info on CPF about those cells: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&biw=1665&bih=1037&q=site%3Acandlepowerforums.com+LiFePO4&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=

Thanks Tre! Looks like I have some research and reading to do, but that's half the fun isn't it?

I've run my E2DL on RCR's from the start, it's been almost 4 years now with not a single problem. I use AW batteries. When the batteries get drained the protection circuit will kick in on the batteries but if you let it reset, you can click through to low and still get enough runtime as a backup. Might hurt the batteries in the long run if you push them like that but it's an option. Low is significantly brighter as well, due to the increased total voltage. I have heard of the E2DL being run on 3X cr123 as well, but havent tried that myself.

dannyandmal said:

I've run my E2DL on RCR's from the start.

Click to expand...

Is that on normal 3.7v rcr123's? I thought that the surefires could only go up to 6v.

Also, is that with the older 120lumen or the 200 lumen E2DL?

999snafu said:

Is that on normal 3.7v rcr123's? I thought that the surefires could only go up to 6v.

Also, is that with the older 120lumen or the 200 lumen E2DL?

Click to expand...

Yes protected AW RCRs are 3.7v. I have tried it in my E2DL and it works too. I just did not use it frequently because mine seems to be machined so tight that fitting an RCR in there is occasionally a PITA, and I hate to force the cells in.

999snafu said:

I thought that the surefires could only go up to 6v.

Click to expand...

Many people believe that. Many people also believe that hot water freezes faster than cold, but that doesn't make it so.

I've been running my 120 lumen E2DL on 2 AW RCR123s for 3 years now with nothing but success. It runs for 62 minutes at full output, then the batteries just shut down.

I've been running my 2009 model L4 on 2 AW RCR123s for over a year now with no issues. It runs for 65 minutes at full output until the batteries shut down.

pjandyho said:

.....because mine seems to be machined so tight that fitting an RCR in there is occasionally a PITA, and I hate to force the cells in.

Click to expand...

The AW RCRs are indeed a tight fit. The set that I keep in my E2DL have a slight dimple in the button top of each from being mashed by the rounded metal contact of the LED head. This happened within the first couple of uses and has not gotten any worse since then. I've been running the same set of RCRs since I bought them over three years ago and they still seem to be at about 90% of their new capacity.

Howecollc said:

Many people believe that. Many people also believe that hot water freezes faster than cold, but that doesn't make it so.

Click to expand...

Actually, the UC Physics dept. disagrees with you.
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/General/hot_water.html

On a more relevant note, I have had no problems running AW RCRs in my E2DL for a few months now.

Howecollc said:

I've been running my 2009 model L4 on 2 AW RCR123s for over a year now with no issues

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Drifting off topic here, but I have an original floody L4 I never run 'cause it's so greedy; can it handle RCR's?

CallMeDave said:

Drifting off topic here, but I have an original floody L4 I never run 'cause it's so greedy; can it handle RCR's?

Click to expand...

The boost regulation circuitry in the LuxV L4s enable it to run well with the voltage provided by one RCR; two RCRs provide too much voltage. An RCR17670 is what you want. It will run the L4 at full brightness for 40 to 45 minutes before it starts flickering and then steadily dims for about another 15 minutes or so. I'd say at least half of the LuxV L4 owners here on CPF ran them this way.

http://www.lighthound.com/AW-17670-Protected-Rechargeable-Lithium-Battery_p_101.html

claren said:

Actually, the UC Physics dept. disagrees with you.
http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/General/hot_water.html

Click to expand...

The credibility of the article rapidly diminishes with the opening statement qualifier: .....can in fact freeze faster than cold water for a wide range of experimental conditions.

Show me the opinion of an already established scientist who's not just trying to get his name in a paper and I'll give it more than just a cursory glance.

I needed to resurrect this thread. I just picked up a newer E2DL head, and wanted to try(risk) my older E2DL head in an FM 2x18650 E-series with AW protected 18650 cells. I'm very bad at the electronics nuances of different forms of Li-ion cells. Would using 18650 cells be riskier than the RCR123a cells, in this configuration? If it would be riskier, what about AW protected 17670 cells? Thank you!