Streamlight TL-3 & the Lumens Factory drop in

prof student · Nov 14, 2020

So, came across the Lumens Factory drop in to revive the Streamlight TL-2 & TL-3.

The TL-3 needs 3 X CR123.

I recently found out the 2 X 18500 = 3 x CR123. Great!

Does anyone have experience with this setup?

What 18500 battery does anyone recommend? I assume it has to be button top, & would prefer protected.

Is this set up better than going with 3 X 16340s?

THANKS!

fivemega · Nov 14, 2020

prof student said:
I recently found out the 2 X 18500 = 3 x CR123.

In fact 2 X 17500 = 3 X CR123
18500 is fatter than 17500 or CR123

prof student said:
What 18500 battery does anyone recommend?

Befor you buy any cell, just make sure your flashlight takes 18xxx cells.

prof student said:
Is this set up better than going with 3 X 16340s?

3 rechargeable 16340 will flash your TL-3 bulb.

lightfooted · Nov 14, 2020

prof student said:
So, came across the Lumens Factory drop in to revive the Streamlight TL-2 & TL-3.

The TL-3 needs 3 X CR123.

I recently found out the 2 X 18500 = 3 x CR123. Great!

Does anyone have experience with this setup?

What 18500 battery does anyone recommend? I assume it has to be button top, & would prefer protected.

Is this set up better than going with 3 X 16340s?

THANKS!

I don't have experience with this setup specifically but you definitely don't want to load three 16340s into it. Fresh off of the charger they would total 12.6 volts. It would kill the driver for the LED replacement almost immediately. Maybe use two of them with a spacer. Problem is the light probably won't fit any 18mm cells. Might have better luck finding a NiMH pack to fit it.

NotRegulated · Nov 14, 2020

I am using two 17500's in my stock TL-3.

prof student · Nov 16, 2020

fivemega said:
In fact 2 X 17500 = 3 X CR123
18500 is fatter than 17500 or CR123

Awww.....so the poster was wrong! Whew...thank goodness i didn't go that route yet.

So 2 X 17500 is the route to go replace 2 x CR123.
What size would I need if i wanted to replace 2 x CR123? 16650? The only 16650 i found was on Illum's website, and it says its actually longer than 2 x CR123 b/c its a protected battery. Do you think that would fit in any standard 2 X CR123 body/tube?

fivemega said:
Befor you buy any cell, just make sure your flashlight takes 18xxx cells.

I would be putting them in the TL-3. I need them to replace CR123 size battery.

fivemega said:
3 rechargeable 16340 will flash your TL-3 bulb.

I would be usuing the Lumens Factory drop in

prof student · Nov 16, 2020

NotRegulated said:
I am using two 17500's in my stock TL-3.

What batteries are you using? So you're still using the bi-pin incandescent bulb?

fivemega · Nov 16, 2020

prof student said:
So 2 X 17500 is the route to go replace 2 x CR123.

2 X 17500 is almost same size of 3 x CR123 with same voltage. (Sorry don't have new 17500 to try)
Single protected 16650 is almost same size of 2 x CR123 but voltage is lower. My protected 16650 physically fit in my TL-2

prof student said:
I would be usuing the Lumens Factory drop in

Just check minimum and maximum voltage of this drop in.

prof student · Nov 19, 2020

fivemega said:
2 X 17500 is almost same size of 3 x CR123 with same voltage. (Sorry don't have new 17500 to try)
Single protected 16650 is almost same size of 2 x CR123 but voltage is lower. My protected 16650 physically fit in my TL-2

Checking out those size of batteries on the only website i could find that sells those 2 sizes, it lists:
Charging Voltage: 4.2V
Nominal Voltage: 3.7V
For the 16650: max continuous discharging current: 2C
For the 17500: max continuous discharging current: 3.4A

What light source are you running in your TL-2?

fivemega said:
Just check minimum and maximum voltage of this drop in.

Hmm.....it says:
-3.7V to 9V Regulated Input for Maximum Flexibility
-Maximum Current Output at 1600mA

prof student · Dec 2, 2020

Do you know if the TL-2/3 ever came with a glass lens, or are they all plastic?

fivemega · Dec 9, 2020

prof student said:
Do you know if the TL-2/3 ever came with a glass lens, or are they all plastic?

TL-2 NF-2 and TL-3 all come with glass lens.
Scorpion comes with plastic lens.
Older stingers also came with plastic lens.
All above statements are for incandescent flashlights.

prof student · Dec 10, 2020

fivemega said:
TL-2 NF-2 and TL-3 all come with glass lens.
Scorpion comes with plastic lens.
Older stingers also came with plastic lens.
All above statements are for incandescent flashlights.

Really? Great! In emailing LF about the drop in to get more information, they emailed me back saying it would probably not be good to be used as a bike light because of continuous use....... & that the lights came with plastic lenses! I haven't taken the TL-2 or the TL-3 apart yet, but couldn't tell if they were plastic or glass lenses. I bought the TL-2 brand new, and bought the TL-3 from someone here (CPF).

prof student · Dec 12, 2020

NotRegulated said:
I am using two 17500's in my stock TL-3.

What brand are you using?
How do you like them?

prof student · Dec 12, 2020

fivemega said:
2 X 17500 is almost same size of 3 x CR123 with same voltage. (Sorry don't have new 17500 to try)

The 17500 battery I found on Illumn says its 3.7 volts.

fivemega said:
Single protected 16650 is almost same size of 2 x CR123 but voltage is lower. My protected 16650 physically fit in my TL-2

Which 16650 are you using?
How do you like it?

fivemega · Dec 13, 2020

prof student said:
The 17500 battery I found on Illumn says its 3.7 volts.

That's nominal average voltage of Lithium-ion cell under load.

prof student said:
Which 16650 are you using?
How do you like it?

Keeppower protected (2500)
These are good cells but for longer run time I use 18650 (3500) where I can.

prof student · Dec 13, 2020

fivemega said:
That's nominal average voltage of Lithium-ion cell under load.

Well then, so 3.7 x 2 = 7.2volts

3 CR123s = 9 volts

How is that the same voltage? Or at certain points in flashlights, its all the same in the end?

fivemega said:
protected (2500)
These are good cells but for longer run time I use 18650 (3500) where I can.

But exactly do you use for your TL-2/3?

Or have you found some 18650s that actually fit inside the TL-2/3???

fivemega · Dec 14, 2020

prof student said:
Well then, so 3.7 x 2 = 7.2volts

3 CR123s = 9 volts

How is that the same voltage? Or at certain points in flashlights, its all the same in the end?

---------------------
Each CR123A primary has NOMINALLY 3 volt but under 1.2 Amp load it has 2.5 volts. So TL-3 bulb is in fact 7.5 volt and if forwarded voltage under load is 9 volt will burn out in less than a second.

Average voltage of Lithium-ion cell under load is about 3.7 volt and two of them will make about 7.4 volts which is pretty same as three primary which is designed for.
Strion bulb is 3.7 volt, 1.7 Amp, TL-2 bulb is 5 volt, 1.2 Amp, TL-3 bulb is 7.5 volt 1.2 Amp.

prof student said:
But exactly do you use for your TL-2/3?

Or have you found some 18650s that actually fit inside the TL-2/3???

I prefere using modified 18650 Scorpion instead of TL-2 because first it has clickie switch secondly I use 18650 instead of 16650 and third it has rubber covered grippy cover. Keep in mind bulb is 3.7 volt Strion bulb.
I also use custom made
2x18650 body TL-3 which runs much much better and longer than 2x17500

Each protected 17500 has about 1200mAh, each protected 16650 has about 2000mAh and each protected 18650 has about 3500mAh

prof student · Dec 16, 2020

fivemega said:
I prefere using modified 18650 Scorpion instead of TL-2 because first it has clickie switch secondly I use 18650 instead of 16650 and third it has rubber covered grippy cover. Keep in mind bulb is 3.7 volt Strion bulb.
I also use custom made
2x18650 body TL-3 which runs much much better and longer than 2x17500

Each protected 17500 has about 1200mAh, each protected 16650 has about 2000mAh and each protected 18650 has about 3500mAh

Did you just bore out the original Scorpion battery tube, or did you make one for an 18650 battery?

Does the clicky tail cap on the Scorpion fit the TL-2/TL-3? If not, have you ever seen a clicky tail cap for the TL/NF lights?

What brand of protected batteries do you prefer? What store do you tend to buy from?

fivemega · Dec 16, 2020

prof student said:
Did you just bore out the original Scorpion battery tube, or did you make one for an 18650 battery?

They are all custom made from scratch based on possiblity.
----------

prof student said:
Does the clicky tail cap on the Scorpion fit the TL-2/TL-3? If not, have you ever seen a clicky tail cap for the TL/NF lights?

Scorpion does not have tail cap. Switch fit in back of battery tube and covered by rubber cap. In order to remove batteries, you must seperate head and body then remove battery from head side.
In order to have clicky switch for NF-2, TL-2 and TL-3 you must make a new cap designed for it.
----------

prof student said:
What brand of protected batteries do you prefer? What store do you tend to buy from?

Most of the high capacity 18650 protected batteries are too fat to fit above 18650 Scorpion but non protected or IMR 18650 will fit.
2x18650 protected Keeppower (3500mAh) from (Illumn dot com) will fit in in above custom made TL-3

Streamlight TL-3 & the Lumens Factory drop in

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