Quark Low Battery Performance

I have a mostly depleted alkaline battery that will not turn on my Fenix L1D but will run on the first two levels of my Quark. Voltage tested 1.08. I have discovered that running AA batteries that are mostly depleted perform better when run in pairs due to the increase in voltage.

Well, the Quark's got lower levels and so would naturally cut-out later than the 12 lumen low of the Fenix. While the Quarks are about the best battery vampires you can get, it is not advisable to run them that low on alkalines, and especially in a 2 batt. config. They'll pop on you ("battery fart" - where rubber tail cap puffs out) and **** battery acid inside the light - especially in a 2 batt configs, the weaker cell will go negative and charge in reverse.

(Don't ask me how I know....)

While it would be nice to squeeze every ounce left on juice from primaries, Quarks do have that ability to zero cells, but at the danger of battery leakage which could ruin the light.

I don't usually run alkalines, I was just experimenting a little. I run an alkaline dead in a Nitecore D10 ounce and it poped when I took the head off but did not leak.

How would a CR123 react to such a deep discharge?

LightWalker said:

I don't usually run alkalines, I was just experimenting a little. I run an alkaline dead in a Nitecore D10 ounce and it poped when I took the head off but did not leak.

How would a CR123 react to such a deep discharge?

Click to expand...

nothing spectacular, it will just read zero. These 123 primaries are really made well. My Turbo X can zero out 123's. It will dim lower and lower until the batteries go dry. It's a scary thought when using unprotected 123's as you always have to be aware of how much juice is left in your 123's or else you end up with a dead RCR123. I learned this the hard way, wont charge anymore, zero voltage. Now when the light won go into turbo, it's time to recharge.

roadkill1109 said:

Now when the light won go into turbo, it's time to recharge.

Click to expand...

You do this for RCRs? About what voltage does that leave them with, and I assume it does not trip the protection circuit?

I've also been doing something similar for NiMh - when I can't tell the difference between Max and High, I recharge - but I don't know if this is a safe practice for Li-ions... Also wonder if using a low voltage head 0.9-4.2, vs the high 3-9v, or even running single vs double cells makes a difference...

It's not good to over discharge Li-ion batteries and since they do not have a memory effect you can top them off often.

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/discharge_methods

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/safety_concerns_with_li_ion

reppans said:

You do this for RCRs? About what voltage does that leave them with, and I assume it does not trip the protection circuit?

I've also been doing something similar for NiMh - when I can't tell the difference between Max and High, I recharge - but I don't know if this is a safe practice for Li-ions... Also wonder if using a low voltage head 0.9-4.2, vs the high 3-9v, or even running single vs double cells makes a difference...

Click to expand...

yeah, NiMH's are more tolerant to practically being totally drained. Sometimes it would be better to have them drained before charging them up again to ensure the cells are in good health and can keep a charge longer. But since switching to eneloops, those are things of the past for me! haha But i do have the tendency of still "drain-charging" my eneloops, force of habit i guess. haha!

For Lithium Ions since they should have a significant amount of voltage left (at least 1volt i heard) to be able to charge properly, i guess having to drain it down to almost empty may not be advisable. I've zeroed one accidentally, and it definitely refused to charge anymore.

Oh yeah, there is indeed a difference, if you run a high voltage head with a single 3.7 volt cell, its not as bright as running it off two cells. As such, the lower voltage head gives much better output with a single 3.7volt cell.

Heck, this is why my EDC is a Quark AA with a 14500 cell.

+1 LightWalker

Hey roadkill1109, I seen that you hit the 1000 post mark, it took me a little longer.

reppans said:

You do this for RCRs? About what voltage does that leave them with, and I assume it does not trip the protection circuit?

Click to expand...

I've noticed with my 123x2 that the light will drop from Max to Low just before the battery protection kicks in. Whenever I've checked the voltage, they're at about 3.10v each. If the protection kicks in, then they've hit 2.90v and they need a recharge immediately.

I've also been doing something similar for NiMh - when I can't tell the difference between Max and High, I recharge

Click to expand...

For NiMH that's fine as they can handle being run down to 1.0v per cell. A single Eneloop in an AA light is perfect as it will drop down at about 1.10v and then drop to Low or Moonlight at about 1.00v. I run AAx2 lights as well with NiMH and I replace and recharge the cells whenever the light drops output. You can also top up NiMH if you have a good charger that doesn't overcharge the cells and charges each cell indepedently. I do this whenever we're going away for more than one night - I top up several sets of NiMH so we have fresh cells in our lights, plus fresh backups.

Also wonder if using a low voltage head 0.9-4.2, vs the high 3-9v, or even running single vs double cells makes a difference...

Click to expand...

The high voltage head produces more output as it has only a buck circuit to drop voltage to match the emitter. So with 2 fresh 123 cells the Quark 123x2 puts out an extra 25 lumens or so over the low voltage head (which has a buck and boost circuit) with a single 123 cell. If you run the low voltage head with a single Eneloop, you only get about 109 lumens max, but a 14500 LiIon (AA size) will put out about 205 lumens thanks to the higher voltage and the circuit works less hard to boost the voltage.

Also, running the low voltage head with a single 3.7v LiIon produces the same output of light as the high voltage head with a single 3.7v LiIon cell, about 205 lumens, given that all the heads have the same XP-G R5 emitter. The X series uses the XM-L emitters, so lumen output is different, but head types would have similar results.