Zebralight SC32: any advantage to running a 16340?

I acquired a SC32 and I am pleased with this tiny light. I've read through some articles and it appears it will take a 16340 as well as a CR123. I tried both but there seems to be no output change between either battery. Am I missing something or is there no advantage lumen wise in running a 4.2v cell in this light. I can't find any reference to a higher output when running a 4.2v 16340.

The light was acquired second hand so no sales materials or guides were included.

Thanks
JP

AFAIK, the output will be the same. However, keeping the light on the highest output for a long time may be hard on a primary lithium. The best might be to use IMR if you keep it on the max for a long time.

The biggest point in using rechargeable is the long term economy. A good 16340 can be recharged 500 times. Keep in mind however that a 16340 will give you half the runtime of a primary, so carry 1 or 2 cells with you.

JP, You can print it out from the ZL page, thats basically all you get in the box


http://www.zebralight.com/SC32w-CR123-Flashlight-Neutral-White_p_159.html

Fwiw in the features and specification sheet for the SC52, they indicate the performance increase of the 14500, whereas they do not show an increase for the SC32/18340.

roger-roger said:

JP, You can print it out from the ZL page, thats basically all you get in the box


http://www.zebralight.com/SC32w-CR123-Flashlight-Neutral-White_p_159.html

Fwiw in the features and specification sheet for the SC52, they indicate the performance increase of the 14500, whereas they do not show an increase for the SC32/18340.

Click to expand...

Which makes sense because a CR123A requires minimal voltage boosting to power white LED's, and with similar current output, ends up having nearly the same power output as a 16340.

In contrast, AA's require significant voltage boosting, so even though an Eneloop can in theory approach the Wattage output of a protected 14500, due to voltage drop under load, they seldom do in practice. HKJ has tested AA Eneloops to at least 10A, but the voltage drops almost instantly to around 1V, which usually seems to be too low for the boost driver to work with effectively.

So I agree with the above - the benefits of 16340 cells versus CR123A is mainly their rechargeability. If you need to depend on the light regularly, it's probably a good idea to stash some primary cells in a convenient location as a backup for a 16340. Fortunately, they have good shelf lives.

Thanks fellas. I'll stick with the CR123 for now as I have a bit of a stash. I must say, the SC32 sure is a cute little light.