14500/16340 in streamlight protac 1l-1aa ??
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kyhunter1
Flashlight Enthusiast
Thats a good question. Im interested in buying one of these lights. I already have the 2L-X and like it. The protacs are great lights.
Timothybil
Flashlight Enthusiast
I know that Streamlight has been very explicit that doing so will void the warranty. If you try it one several things will happen. With a light like the Nitecore EA11 that is designed to be able to use both types of cells, you just get more output, either in lumens and/or in runtime. With other lights you take your chances. It may work, and produce more output, but prematurely age the components. In some you will get the increased output at the cost of greatly accelerated degeneration of the circuitry, to the point that some lights will fall into direct drive only at that point. Some will instaflash and let the magic blue smoke out. In all cases one runs the risk of prematurely aging the LED itself due to it being over driven. I tried it once in one of my low cost single mode AAA lights. It did shine brighter, but the head overheated in like twenty seconds so I quickly switched it back.
I've run K2 LiFePo cells in mine with no problems, but these are only about 3.6 Volts off the charger. Since this light is capable of running on lower Voltage AA's as well as CR123's, you need to be careful not to over discharge the rechargeable 123's.
Those cells are really about 3.2v or less as soon as a load is put on them. The light will never see 3.6v. Even an hour off the charger they've dropped to 3.35v or so. But it will be higher than the ~2.6v on a fresh cr123 cell
Just bear in mind that 350 lumen high mode will only be a couple minutes then it drops significantly
TallSteve
Newly Enlightened
We have a new Streamlight Protac 1L-1AA and have also been curious as to whether it would work with the 14500/16340. So, last night, I did some experimenting. The light seems to work with both batteries. I have my light configured in Low/High mode when using AA or CR123A. With the higher voltage 14500/16340, the light did not have a low mode; it was high only. I ran the light for about 10 minutes solid with each battery with no sign of over heating or damage. The light was very bright but I was not able to really determine if it was brighter than the CR123A output last night due moon and some dampness in the air. Further testing is called for. This light appears to be a five fuel torch: AAA, AA, CR123A, 14500, 16340.
StagMoose
Enlightened
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I second Tall Steve.
sorry for the pseudo necropost but I came across this when searching something else and thought I'd add input for science.
I wondered this and started doing it a couple years ago. I don't use this light all the time but I keep a few around the house and in cars as double back ups. The one I use most I have run consistently with 14500s and it hasn't fried yet. Probably about 50 charge cycles worth of 14500s. It has no low/ high. It has high and slightly almost indescribable higher. It does out throw the streamlight protac 2L or whatever the next size up light is with an 18650. It doesn't have as much spill but it out throws it.
It is certainly brighter than with a Cr123. I haven't used equipment to test but side by side they are visibly brighter with the Li-ion rechargeables. I wrote a review on Amazon a while back describing this.
So since they have been reliable and can use about any battery that will fit, I keep a few around. I've dropped them and haven't broken one yet. When they are on sale for $20 or so I get a couple to stash around.
sorry for the pseudo necropost but I came across this when searching something else and thought I'd add input for science.
I wondered this and started doing it a couple years ago. I don't use this light all the time but I keep a few around the house and in cars as double back ups. The one I use most I have run consistently with 14500s and it hasn't fried yet. Probably about 50 charge cycles worth of 14500s. It has no low/ high. It has high and slightly almost indescribable higher. It does out throw the streamlight protac 2L or whatever the next size up light is with an 18650. It doesn't have as much spill but it out throws it.
It is certainly brighter than with a Cr123. I haven't used equipment to test but side by side they are visibly brighter with the Li-ion rechargeables. I wrote a review on Amazon a while back describing this.
So since they have been reliable and can use about any battery that will fit, I keep a few around. I've dropped them and haven't broken one yet. When they are on sale for $20 or so I get a couple to stash around.
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I went through the manual just now and I see no such statement. However, I do see that they Notate: This product is not designed to use a rechargable CR123 cell.
Ok. You literally showed where the manual says not to. I'm confused
