Newbie Single-Cell Solarforce Drop-In Question

Hi there,

I've been lurking for a while but I am otherwise new to the assemble-it-yourself flashlight thing so please forgive me if this is a dumb first post... I decided to get my feet wet with a Soloarforce L2M host to run in the single CR123A configuration.

I am looking for a drop-in with the best balance of durability, runtime (as long as possible with a linear drop-off), and beam pattern (I like a fairly tight / focused center beam, with moderate spill) for a tactical/EDC single-cell light. I'm not overly worried about the actual lumen output, but obviously the brighter the better as long as my other criteria are met first.

With the aforementioned in consideration, would I be better served by an XPG R5 .8-4.2v drop-in, or an XPL V3 2.7-9v drop-in? Will the higher voltage XPL do ok for my uses, or will it be handicapped by the single cell configuration and drain the battery much faster than the XPG?

If neither of these Solarforce modules are my best option, I'm open to suggestions also. I am on a budget, but I'd be willing to spend about $40 on the drop-in if it made a real significant difference. I am familiar with Malkoff, but I think they're a little overkill for my first one. I want a durable drop-in, but it doesn't need to be bomb-proof necessarily.

Thanks for any help!

Rechargeables? I'd say the 2.7 cutoff is safer.

Single cell cr123a primaries? That .8v cutoff will suck the cells drier. You can get away with that in a single cell primary light, not really recommended in a multicell setup.

....so it depends on what you're going to feed it. .8 is low enough to almost be considered a "vampire"

0uTkAsT said:

Hi there,

I've been lurking for a while but I am otherwise new to the assemble-it-yourself flashlight thing so please forgive me if this is a dumb first post... I decided to get my feet wet with a Soloarforce L2M host to run in the single CR123A configuration.

I am looking for a drop-in with the best balance of durability, runtime (as long as possible with a linear drop-off), and beam pattern (I like a fairly tight / focused center beam, with moderate spill) for a tactical/EDC single-cell light. I'm not overly worried about the actual lumen output, but obviously the brighter the better as long as my other criteria are met first.

With the aforementioned in consideration, would I be better served by an XPG R5 .8-4.2v drop-in, or an XPL V3 2.7-9v drop-in? Will the higher voltage XPL do ok for my uses, or will it be handicapped by the single cell configuration and drain the battery much faster than the XPG?

If neither of these Solarforce modules are my best option, I'm open to suggestions also. I am on a budget, but I'd be willing to spend about $40 on the drop-in if it made a real significant difference. I am familiar with Malkoff, but I think they're a little overkill for my first one. I want a durable drop-in, but it doesn't need to be bomb-proof necessarily.

Thanks for any help!

Click to expand...

Malkoff MDC....more money, worth every penny, especially if you plan on keeping the light awhile.

Thanks for the responses!

ForrestChump said:

Malkoff MDC....more money, worth every penny, especially if you plan on keeping the light awhile.

Click to expand...

I think I've read that the Malkoff drop-ins require some shimming or something like that to fit properly in Solarforce heads, is that correct? Do you just line the head with foil or something to fill in the gap?

ETA: I realize now you were talking about the whole head assembly, correct? The MDC is not a drop in, it's a complete replacement head?

more_vampires said:

Rechargeables? I'd say the 2.7 cutoff is safer.

Single cell cr123a primaries? That .8v cutoff will suck the cells drier. You can get away with that in a single cell primary light, not really recommended in a multicell setup.

....so it depends on what you're going to feed it. .8 is low enough to almost be considered a "vampire"

Click to expand...

Ok, would you mind explaining more about the .8v cutoff? Are you saying that if I run a single CR123A battery with the .8-4.2v drop in, the battery will actually drain faster than the 2.7-9v drop in?

The reason a .8-4.2v drop in was in my "final two" was because I only plan to run this in a single cell configuration, and I thought I'd get better battery life out of it than the higher voltage unit. So if the opposite is true, then I am genuinely curious how that works.

PM sent.

0uTkAsT said:

Ok, would you mind explaining more about the .8v cutoff? Are you saying that if I run a single CR123A battery with the .8-4.2v drop in, the battery will actually drain faster than the 2.7-9v drop in?

The reason a .8-4.2v drop in was in my "final two" was because I only plan to run this in a single cell configuration, and I thought I'd get better battery life out of it than the higher voltage unit. So if the opposite is true, then I am genuinely curious how that works.

Click to expand...

Sure, friend. No problem.

A faster drain is amperage. You can measure that with your DMM set for ammeter and touch the battery tail contact and metal light body side in a non-anodized place. This bypasses the switch and should light up the light. That's your amperage draw, a higher amperage drains cells faster. A rough rule of thumb is that if the battery were (hypothetically) 3000 mah, then running it at 3 amps gives you maybe an hour (roughly.) Amperage. A discharge at this rate is referred to as "1C." Disharge at 9 amps, then that's a "3c" discharge rate for that hypothetical battery.

A .8v cutoff is a deeper discharge. The amperage is independent of this. If you're moderately driving the emitter (low mode whatever) and you're only pulling 500 milliamps, then our hypothetical 3000 mah battery would give you roughly 6 hours... maybe. Now then, the specifics of this low cutoff voltage play with these real-world measured numbers quite a bit. A 3000mah battery in a light with a .8v cutoff versus 2.7v cutoff... which runs far, far, far longer? The light with the .8v cutoff.

Note: you just murdered a lithium ion cell if you try to take it to .8v. If a protected rechargeable cell, then the cell's protection (onboard to the cell) SHOULD have kicked in already before .8v is reached. Therefore, the .8v cutoff dropin is not suggested for rechargeable cells as you've inadvertently stripped away one layer of protection for no reason. If you took an unprotected lion to .8v, then it is not safe to charge it. Probably just recycle the cell. 2.9v is a very cautious cutoff value, 2.7 is okay too. 2.5 is slicing it really thin. Below that and forget it, you just murdered a rechargeable cell.

Running single cell CR123a primary non-rechargeable is zero problem with the .8v cutoff, in fact it's what you want for that cell type only. Drain a CR123a x 1 setup down into the dirt, it's what you want. If your circuit cuts out at 2.7v on a primary, then you have mostly "wasted" a cell.

Hope this helps. Single cell lights are safest and I hope I've illustrated just how easy it is to screw up and how much a flashlight enthusiast needs to know to keep everything together and brightly lit.

...properly!

Edit complete. Questions?

more_vampires said:

Edit complete. Questions?

Click to expand...

Thank you! I'm a little retarded when it comes to electronics so I had to read it three times to fully comprehend, but you most certainly answered all of my questions and it's no fault of your own I had such a hard time putting two and two together. I very much appreciate the detailed and thorough reply.

Same to ForrestChump, I really appreciate the info. You guys are great.

Bottom line: a .8-4.2v is good to go for 1xCR123A, no bueno for pretty much anything else. I think I'm going to start off with this setup to get my feet wet, and build another over the next couple of months using an L2P body and with a Malkoff or Nailbender drop-in.

A larger flashlight body can accept a battery spacer to go single-cell operation. It's really important to know this as you journey through the wonderous land of P60 and the wonderous options is provides.

They're only getting better as new emitters come out. The drivers are even getting better, stratifying into the low/mid/high ends of what is available.

It is critical to know which and why. Stuff the wrong batteries in there, then we refer to the "smoke and fire" section of CPF. We don't like that part, honestly.

Good day sirs, i'm planning to buy a Solarforce L2m and a Solarforce 320Lms R5 XP-G Cree Led 3 Mode 0.8V-4.2V Bulb to run AA's and cr123 and 18650's on the flashlight. my question is, where can i buy a cheap AA sleeve or tube to prevent battery rattle on the flashlight.thank you