Fenix HL30 2018, no Li/ion batteries

Asrjb25

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Sep 29, 2020
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Hey everyone, been getting valuable info from this website since I bought my first LED light, an Inova XO3 a looong time ago, this website is a wealth of knowledge that I've referenced frequently, thank you.

So I ordered a Fenix HL30 2018 edition on a whim last week because I hadn't bought a new light in a while (not that I needed another headlamp, but why not?) and was quite surprised to see in the owners manual it is not approved for lithium ion batteries, even 1.5v disposables... I live in Alaska and cold tolerant batteries are a must, alkaline doesn't cut it at 5 F.

Does anyone know the reason behind it not being approved for li/ion? I wouldn't have ordered it had I seen that before clicking complete order, my bad for not doing my research before hand... If it's simply that the lower lumen setting won't work I'm fine with that, but if it's a safety issue it's going back to Fenix and I'll get a different model.

Thank you in advance and thank you again for the great website!
 

ChrisGarrett

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I have an earlier version with 200+ lumens and for the time and price, it wasn't a bad purchase.

I've got a lot of Eneloop NiMH AAs, so that doesn't bother me.

I also have a NiteCore HC50 and a Black Diamond STORM, for reference.

Chris
 

3L3M3NT

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After looking at their specs it looks like you can run a set of these Li Ion batteries. https://www.fenix-store.com/fenix-arb-l14-1600u-usb-rechargeable-li-ion-14500-battery/
From here. https://www.fenix-store.com/fenix-hl30-led-headlamp-2018-edition/
Otherwise here's a screenshot.
4E1kva2.jpg
 

Hooked on Fenix

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I have the 200 lumen model. Was my only headlight in my group to survive a flashflood on Mt. Whitney. Two Princeton Tec Eos headlights failed. The light doesn't work with lithium's and you lose the low for a while with alkalines. It's optimized for NiMH cells. You might have better luck with lithiums with a Nitecore HA23 (not li-ion).
 

Hooked on Fenix

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If you need something lithium ion, I suggest spending more and getting a 18650 headlight with a cold weather rated cell (good down to -40). So far, 18650 is the only size cell that has the cold weather rated cell as an option. Regular li-ion cells won't work in the cold. Get a headlight that will also take 2 123A cells for disposable and rechargeable options for the cold. I like the Nitecore HC60. Takes an 18650 or 2 123As, Ipx8 rated, up to 1000 lumens, and doesn't require special or custom high drain batteries. It's $60. There's also the Nitecore UT32. Watch out for lights requiring a special cell or 21700 lights without other cell options (get stuck with a light that won't work in the cold).
 

Labrador72

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You must be referring to AA Lithium such as the Energizer L91. I don't think those are Lithium-Ion.
The HL35 will actually take 14500 Lithium-ion batteries.

Anyway, the Fenix HL35 doesn't work with Energizer L91 AA batteries - as already flagged in most threads for this light.
That was the only thing that bugged me about the HL35 and I agree it's a shame as it makes the light is not really usable in very cold conditions.
It remains a good headlamp for general use and it's always good to have something that works with AA batteries.

I too switched to headlamps with 18650s as they offer much better runtime and can have one battery type for both the headlamp and the flashlight.

As a poster above already said, you can use CR123 if conditions are very cold but I have to say I have had rarely to do that: regular 18650 have always worked well for me.
Headlamps with 18650 tend to generate a high amount of heat so - once they are being used - they probably are be less affected by colder temperatures.

There are also 18650 batteries supposedly designed to work in esxtreme cold conditions. Fenix do make one but it is 2900 mAh rather than 3500.
https://www.fenix-store.com/fenix-arbl18-2900l-cold-resistant-rechargeable-18650-battery/

I own a couple of those but to be honest I have never had to use them: I've been out at night in the mountains a few times with supposedly -20° C (-4° F) and the regular 18650 worked just fine, maybe with just a slightly shorter runtime. I don't get the chance to be out with those conditions regularly though so my feedback is limited.

For headlamps I'd recommend the HL55 (great for use with thick winter gloves) or the HM65R Supperrator edition.

Hope that helps.
 

3L3M3NT

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I completely agree that if you're going to get a decent headlamp that you might as well start with one that takes 18650 batteries, since they're fairly universal, easy to buy, good battery life, temp resistance, and affordable if you know where to look.

When I first started looking at headlamps 6 or 7 years ago, I made sure I bought a light that used rechargeable batteries, the batteries were fairly easy to find, and had a decent battery life of course that'll depend on which mode you're using.

Back on topic...so it looks like Fenix offers these special Li-Ion batteries for the HL30. https://www.fenix-store.com/fenix-arb-l14-1600u-usb-rechargeable-li-ion-14500-battery/
From what I read on these batteries is that they need to be charged on their own and can't be charged in a regular battery charger.
 
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