Which version of the Fenix CP30R Camping Lantern would you buy?

In my recent poll about the 2300 mAh battery supplied in the Fenix CL25R Camp Lantern, many responses described what might be best for a hypothetical, "novice" buyer. That is not what I am after. I would like to hear what you would buy for yourself.

Is there anyone who would buy a 2300 mAh battery today? If your is answer yes, please describe your most recent purchase of a 2300 mAh battery. What year was that? Was that your most recent purchase of an 18650, or did you buy something with a little more capacity last time out?

One reason for doing the poll is to create some visibility for this issue. Fenix, we hope you are listening. Love your lanterns. Please do something about the battery!

I, for one, do not want the very promising CP30R to be released with low-capacity batteries.

What do you think?

Edit: Here is an example of how a "fair" price for the CP30R might vary depending on what batteries (if any) were included.

Are willing to pay the premium?

What could happen is if they ship with premium cells, they will charge a premium. What you buy for 10, they'll charge 12 and add that on to the retail price. What they can get lots of, they can absorb into the retail price. Don't expect them to absorb the price of a premium battery into their profits.

My most recent battery purchase was 2600 mAh XTAR batteries. Simple reason, they were cheap. In my day to day life I usually use flashlights for short spells at a time (seconds not minutes), and have the ability to top off/ change cells. Consequently the premium batteries don't serve a lot of purpose for me.

Eagle

Personally, I would like no battery. Offer the lowest price possible and I'll provide the 18650. I have a few spares, but wouldn't be bummed about having to spend $7 to get a new one.

I think the best option overall would be for Fenix to just sell the lantern and SUGGEST their batter for $xx. That would give "pros" the option to choose their cell, and novice users an easy way to get a proper cell without doing any research. I guess that would be up to 3rd party sellers to suggest, as well, unless Fenix included the usual photo of the lantern and a "We suggest xxx battery" note.

Mr Floppy said:

Are willing to pay the premium?

What could happen is if they ship with premium cells, they will charge a premium. What you buy for 10, they'll charge 12 and add that on to the retail price. What they can get lots of, they can absorb into the retail price. Don't expect them to absorb the price of a premium battery into their profits.

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This is why "no battery" may be the best option for sophisticated buyers. That's what I voted for.

I voted for "no battery" on this one. I'm OK with the small battery on the CL25R because it probably adds very little to the cost. For one that takes three cells, though, I'd want a choice. That could be "let me buy my own," or two packages, one with 2300s and one with 3400s.

KeepingItLight said:

This is why "no battery" may be the best option for sophisticated buyers. That's what I voted for.

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If the cost of 3 included batteries is minimal or absorbed into the retail price then that is an option. 18650's in some parts of the world are not common and are quite expensive. If the retail pricing is consistent in all markets, then for us poor technologically backwards countries, I'll take whatever is included.

Guess it will come down to the retail price and how much including 3 cells would raise that price.

Living in Japan, I'd prefer the no battery option because, in most cases, it is now illegal for consumers to directly have lithium batteries shipped into Japan from abroad. This is supposedly because of the safety hazards of Chinese imports ... although I can just as easily believe it is a non-tariff barrier to protect the domestic battery industry. I still remember a few decades ago when Japan Inc. tried to prohibit the import of European snow skis claiming such skis were unsafe for 'unique' Japanese snow, and later claiming American beef was not suitable for the 'unique' Japanese intestinal track. But it would be a little harder to stake a claim on 'unique' darkness, so I did manage to snag several of the CL25's (batteries included) to add to my 20's, thanks to the fellowship of CPF — just don't ask me how or who

Last 18650 I bought was a 3400 LiCo from Oveready for $21 for my V5 R33 - High power needs.

Personally I would like the lantern to be shipped with batteries and 2300's would be my preference. A nice balance between price, performance, safety and convenience.

sledhead said:

Personally I would like the lantern to be shipped with batteries and 2300's would be my preference. A nice balance between price, performance, safety and convenience.

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There are some rechargeable flashlights that do not come with any battery. The Nitecore MH20 is an example. Suppose this Fenix lantern were sold without batteries. Would you purchase 2300 mAh batteries in that case? These days, do you ever purchase 18650s with that low a capacity? Remember, the lantern can run on one, two, or three batteries, so you do not need to buy three all at once.

Mountain Electronics has a protected version of the Sanyo/Panasonic NCR18650GA 3500mAh battery it is selling for only $10.15 USD today. I think that is what I would buy for this lantern. Here is the description from its web site:

This is Sanyo and Panasonic's and newest high discharge capable 18650 cell, rated for up to 10A continuous discharge. It is a good compromise between IMR and regular LiCo cells, offering lower internal resistance and higher discharge rate capabilities and higher capacity than IMR. This is a popular cell for high drain XM-L & XM-L2 lights because it's lower internal resistance allows these high forward voltage LEDs to remain brighter longer.

The protection circuit features a high-quality Seiko IC (made in Japan) with AO MOSFETs.

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If something like superstorm Sandy knocks out my power, I'll be glad I have the high capacity.

Lantern enthusiasts, please take a quick second, and vote!

No need to post, unless you want to.

Thanks!

KeepingItLight said:

Was that your most recent purchase of an 18650, or did you buy something with a little more capacity last time out?

What do you think?

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I'm not sure what you mean by "...last time out?"

Marketing is controlling price points and cheap batteries helps with doing so. Myself? I received two batteries today which are still on the charger; Orbtronic, 3400 mAh 18650 batteries. I'm partial to high drain, high mAh batteries despite not being so happy with their price but for the price, a protective storage case is included and despite what one might think, in my opinion, protective storage cases are a needed expense.

Parrot Quack said:

I'm not sure what you mean by "...last time out?"

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If someone says that he (or she) would buy 2300 mAh batteries for a Fenix lantern, I am interested to know if his actions back up his words. That's why I have asked about the last time someone actually did opt to buy 2300s. "Last time out" just means the last time someone purchased 18650s.

Polls are still open.

KeepingItLight said:

"Last time out" just means the last time someone purchased 18650s.

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Thanks! The last time out, I went with 3400 mAh Orbtronic batteries and the next time out, I'll pickup a set of Panasonic NCR18650Bs.

You need to attach a price to each of the choices. If all choices were sixty dollars each, of course everyone would choose the 3400 mAh one. Having said that, I understand Fenix's choice and have no problem with it. I have a couple of SolarForce 2400 mAh batteries that I use in flashlights around the house. They work great.

My last purchase of 18650's were 3400 mAh. I would prefer no battery to be included.

fnsooner said:

You need to attach a price to each of the choices.

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Agreed. I am assuming "fair" prices. In order to avoid a numbers game, however, here is a hypothetical:


Anybody going for option 1? My guess is few or none. Given no other choice, we all might have to take option 2. When given the choice of batteries (as in the poll), so far, only one person has opted for the 2300 mAh batteries.

Fenix, please give us a choice!

fnsooner said:

I have a couple of SolarForce 2400 mAh batteries that I use in flashlights around the house. They work great.

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Nothing wrong with that. May I ask, however, did you buy those recently, or are they around from previous years?

Polling still open.

^^Ok, I slightly misunderstood the poll question. I guess if I had my druthers, I would just as soon buy the lantern separate from the battery. The same way I buy my flashlights.


In this instance though, I don't mind and I understand what Fenix is doing and why they are doing it. I doubt it is adding more than five dollars to the overall price. As long as the battery is of good quality, the capacity is not a deal breaker. If I want more capacity, I'll just grab one of the many that I own. Chances are though, I would just use the battery that is supplied with it.


For the record., my last battery purchased was a Zebralight branded Panasonic 3400 mAh that I threw on top of an order of a light that I purchased. Most of my 18650s are three or four years old though, and in the 2600 mAh range, and they really don't leave me wanting. Through attrition, I will replace them with the latest and greatest.


I do plan on buying one or two of these Fenix lanterns. My Rayovac Extremes are getting a little long in the tooth.

fnsooner said:

I understand what Fenix is doing and why they are doing it. I doubt it is adding more than five dollars to the overall price. As long as the battery is of good quality, the capacity is not a deal breaker.

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This argument works for the CL25R, where there is only one battery. If Fenix gives its customers no choice except to buy three such batteries when they purchase the CP30R, the situation may be different. Earlier in this thread, Dave said that would tip the balance for him in favor of the "no battery" option.

I'm with you. If the extra cost is only $5, it's not going to sway my purchase decision. When you multiply by 3, however, I begin to get irritated. Still $5 is $5, so I would prefer to see Fenix offer fairly priced options to its customers on both these lanterns.

Everyone please vote. Polls are still open.

Sorry again, I did do a quick google search for "Fenix CP30R" before I posted and didn't see any thing about three batteries. I completely missed that this lantern used multiple cells. My bad.

The general gist of my thoughts are still the same though.

Is there any English information available on this lantern? Pricing? etc. It does look interesting.