Good light for used, not dead, 123 batteries

I am looking for a good light to use up my "not quite dead yet" 123 batteries. I am starting to get a pile of 123's that I don't want to EDC, but I don't want to "throw away". I am looking for LED, because I was told that it will shorten the life of my LA's (Surefire) to run the cells until the were dead. I don't know for sure if that is true, but the explanation made sense at the time. I wish they made something like a 1X123 CMG Ultra, as this is what I finish off my AA's with. Thanks in advance to everyone for the suggestions/advice. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Your Inova X5T is probably a good choice. It's not ideal because it uses two cells, but if the cells you put in it are at about the same level of discharge, it should use them pretty completely. Another idea is one of McGizmo's SF E1e Newbeam mods. Finally you could just put them in your Arc LSH. It will probably run at full brightness for a while, then in moon mode it's about like a CMG Ultra, and will run for several hours like that.

The MadMax should be good for this. I think it'll suck a batt down to .9v. It's the reason I used a madmax in my KL1 mod for my E1e.

Don't ask me why, but for some reason, I just don't like my LSH on "moon" mode. I use my LSH every day as my EDC and try to keep a fresh cell in it at all times. My X5T is used as a glovebox light, so it doesn't get used too often. I will have to check into one of Don's E1e mods, but it may be a little to expensive for what I am looking for. I thought maybe there would be a light that I could buy a few of (2-3)to use for things like power outages, messing with my PC, Etc. I really didn't want to spend a whole lot of $$$. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Though the Epoch4 is not really one of my favorites I have found it is good for getting the last out of my more heavily drained 123's.

I have long wondered how the 3 leds of the streamlight single 123 light would do in this role.

I just put a cell from a brinkman LX (weak and yellow in the LX) in the TT1L the incandescent was weak and yellow the LEDs were about the same power as my Arc AAA.I have another TT1L that has a red/orange inretech adapter in place of the bulb the r/o lit quite bright on that same cell.With both low cells in my X5T it was bright. The X5T or the TT1L will work to finish low cells /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

At what voltage should I consider 123's "dead"? Do most people actually recycle their dead batteries, or do they just put them in the trash?

How about Milkyspit's candle thingy? I haven't checked into the modder's section in a while, so am not sure if that's been shelved or something...

I have a E1e w KL1, but most of the time its a fresh batt in there. So unless I can be bothered switching out the batt for a used one so I can do some bedtime reading or something like that, the used batts still sit on my table!!

If the 123 was run in an unregulated incandescent light,I replace it when it starts to dim and save them to run in unregulated led lights if the cells come from a regulated LED light they seem to be about finished when they go to moon mode,at least in my limited experience. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

It would be nice to have a dedicated low output light just for this purpose and for no other purpose. So you can grap on of the lights with fresh batteries when you need brighter and grap the other when bright is not needed.

how far will a newbeam pull the battery down?

The newbeam will finish them off but I do not know of a production host for the newbeam that runs on a 123-cell,I also think unregulated lights get more mileage from low cells in most cases. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

Is the SF Hurricane lantern a good place for used 123's?

My Streamlight TL2-LED has been a great performer with 'dead' batteries. I posted about this in an earlier thread on a similar topic, but the TL2-LED throws a nice bright beam of light on two dead 123s that would barely light the red 'dead battery' light in an Opalec moddified E1. The TL2-LED is my official travel light now. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

The unregulated 1 watters do really well on low cells the inretechs will also squeeze the last bit from a battery,I think I have a mental block about useing a potentially bright light like the TL-2 with low batteries when they are so good at getting the last bit of current from them. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Stanley said:
How about Milkyspit's candle thingy? I haven't checked into the modder's section in a while, so am not sure if that's been shelved or something...


[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, it's ongoing, currently Scott is working on the packaging. I'm sure he won't keep the results secret for long.

I've been making the regulators for him using a circuit first suggested here a year or so back by CPF sage 'MrAl'. Not really optimum for this task (as it needs two cells), but still works well and has overall efficiency over 60%. It draws them down to half Vf (say 1.5 Volts on low) each. (then I suppose you could use three and get the last few drops out...).

This means that driving a *red* LED from a single 123 cell has exciting prospects....if you can live with red.

Anyway, I made up some small circuit boards that have 3 levels of current regulation (typically 30, 8 and 2mA or so). This means charged NiMH AA cells will run on low (actually a usable level) for a month, even on bright (about what an ARC AAA or Ultra has), it's still a 50 hour thing. Two fresh 123 cells (Scot's configuration) will perform much like that I suspect.

Hopefully soon as the MC details can get sorted out we'll be offering a few complete 'milky candles' and hopefully a few versions of the circuit boards involved. The idea is for good folks like you to figure out the battery, holder for the battery, mounting and other details.

Doug Owen

there have be E1-mods to drain a newbeam. I also thought that stepups pulled a battery lower.

Pardon my lack of knowledge, but what is a SF Hurricane lantern? I was thinking about this thread today and kind of had an idea, maybe some kind of area light / lantern (tabletop stuff?) that could be used during power outages? I'm just throwing it out there, because I am almost certian that noboby has a 123 (multiple 123) powered tablelamp in use (or do they???) I've gotten a lot of good ideas already, Just need funding /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/broke.gif

The hurricane lamp is basically a battery box with a 6v bulb mounted on it I read somewhere that the price had just come down from about $45 to about $20 US so it is not a bad deal I would find it more attractive if it had an LED lamp. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif