Who wants a rechargeable EDC?

Small edc-lights have improved a lot since my first days on cpf. We have small high-end lights with various power levels, bigger ones with super-high-power, small, bright ones that are reasonable priced and so on. Not considering the strion, a small light with it's own charging cradle is pretty much the only thing that I'm missing. I asked some manufacturers in the last weeks about such a light and every time I heard: Well, some time in the future but not now.

So I'm just trying to find out am I alone in my search or does anybody else want this kind of light?
What I have in mind is basically this: Small, luxIII with three or more power levels, cr123 or pila 150 sized li-ion battery, charging cradle for the light.

Probably this would have to be a little more expensive than lights that just use pilas or other li-ions and there still is the chance somebody puts in a primary cell and later complains to the maker about the light exploding in the charger.(worst case scenario) Any other problems I forgot to mention?
What do you all think?

Chrisse

I would prefer a CR123 rechargeable so if you run out of juice, you can switch to a backup battery.

I voted yes but the light would have to have some
sort of moon mode. Just cutting out when the cell
is too dead would be a problem I think. Because then
you'd have to carry a spare or charge it way more
frequently than necessary just in case today turns
out to be the day I need to use it for X hours.

Greg

So far, the only small, bright, dedicated rechargable I know of is the Strion. It's my EDC. Just pop it in the charger every week or so, no need to take out the batteries, and it serves as a wall holder.
I know it's not an LED, but with a spare bulb in the tailcap, and the immense throw, i'll take it over a Lux III any day.

I already carry a rechargable EDC. It's just a matter of popping two fresh AAs in.

I know, I KNOW! It's not the answer to the question.

Yes, it would be way cool to have such a light. But then I'd probably never be able to afford it anyhow...

I carry a light that uses rechargable AAAs. For me if I EDC it then I can't afford to run it on disposible batteries.

Shifty, the strion would probably fit my needs perfectly if it had more than one brightness level. Having a thrower is nice, but I find myself using lower levels most of the time. Additionally, I've never actually seen a strion (I plan on having a look at one tommorow) but I suppose it's a little to big compared to the arc4 I'm carrying now.

Playboy: Only an hour after I posted this thread I had this special situation. Was walking home in pitch black. My way led me through a small forrest-like area and I had my arc4 clipped to my baseball cap. I'm using li-ions in it, and right in the middle of that really dark area, the light decided it's time to step down one level every three seconds. I had a spare battery with me, and my arc aaa to have some light while changing the battery. Well, it worked out, but the used cell fell down in the mud, I had to look for it, clean it, all that stuff you don't want to do.
That wouldn't have happened if I had a light that I could take out of the charger in the morning, knowing it's fully charged and ready to work.
And yes, I too want this light to be in the 50$ range. ;-)

Chrisse

I understand Chrisse.

I have never found myself in a similar situation, but I possibly could when we move soon to a country setting.

But even now when I go out at night to walk the dog or something, I carry something else in addition to my EDC.

What Flashaholic wouldn't?

I have pretty much migrated to a Strion and AA based lights mostly for the inexpensive rechargeables. I admit that if I had a convenient and reasonbly priced way to charge a 123 size cell for my Arc4 or other 1x123 based light I might change my current selection. I like the Strion a lot and find it to be a very useful light - so yes I'd love a rechargeable light for EDC that doesn't require changing batteries. Of course the Strion uses a removable battery so you can theoretically charge several and carry them with you if the runtime is too short. A Strion with a LuxIII or LuxV and multiple levels would be pretty sweet although it is a hefty light by Arc LS standards.

I use a Strion for EDC. I also carry a longlasting LED light such as an Infinity Ultra, X5T, Photon Freedom, etc. So I can use the right tool for the right job. I love the fact that the Strion doesn't require fresh batteries nor exchanging rechargable batteries...just pop the light into the charger on occasion and that is all there is too it.

I wish the Strion were a bit smaller but I manage to carry it with my wallet in one pocket without trouble.

Isn't that what the LionHeart is?

We all have different requirements for our EDCs. I use mine 4-5 times every evening and once every morning from the house into the garage, each time for ~ 15-30 sec. That's followed by 1-2 times daily to peer into something at work for a similar 15-30 sec. I don't keep a log but probably replace the CR2 monthly on general principles. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif Dealing with rechargeables for a pocket light has no utility for me. It resides in my pant's pocket, and to remember to pull it out for a recharge at appropriate intervals and to make that a "habit" doesn't fill my bill. I can live with $1.50/month and really should make something to use-up my swapped-out cells in the name of political correctness. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif (I have a bunch of them laying around. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif )
Edit: Forgot to mention that 90%+ of my usage is on "low" beam.


Larry

One of my current EDCs is rechargeable, the other is not. The C2-90 is rechargeable because that's the only way to get that level of performance for that formfactor without chewing through batteries like there's no tomorrow, but what I don't like about it is that protected R123s will literally leave you in the dark once the protection circut cuts off. It's instantaneous, there is ZERO time to preempt it!

That's why my other EDC is primary cell - the KL1 takes Surefire cells and nothing less. This gives me moon mode in an absolute case and a smooth transition to it, plus a whole lot more capacity than R123s can deliver. At the lower 0.75A drain, the KL1 will push easily 2 hours in regulation, whereas an R123 only lasts around 60+ minutes, I timed it.

It's a different story where AA rechargeables deliver so much better capacity than their alkaline cousins, but with lithium, I think I'll still have to find a place for CR123s. For low-power long burn lights, primary lithiums are still the way to go, for high power CR123A eaters, that's where rechargeables have their place.

Another requirement - all my important lights (as opposed to the play lights) have to be able to drop back to primary cells in a pinch.

Garage boy: With the lionheart, you still have to take the cell out to recharge them. I want a light than just sits in the cradle and gets charged untill I need it.

Larry: During summer time I use my edc in a similar way, but now in winter I often have a runtime of about 20 or 30 minutes on high each day. The fact that I used to replace half depleted batterys only because I didn't want to have to do it while I'm actually using the light is another reason for rechargeables. Well, since yesterday I know I have to change the li-ions each day to be on the safe side. It's simply much easier to drop the light in the charger in the evening when I'm home and taking it out in the morning, knowing it's fully charged and ready to go.

Chrisse

I,m with tvodrd. My lights are used daily, but only for some seconds, maybe some minutes if walking at night. And for the longer runtimes, I not always use the same light but grab what I want to use at this moment.
That means the batteries I use have a very long living time, buying recharcheables and a charger would take years to amortize.

Larry /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
There are by far too much disadvantages of rechargeable (replaceable) batteries to even think of using built-in systems /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif
Primary cells rule!
bernhard - part of the minority /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Kiessling said:
Primary cells rule!
bernhard - part of the minority /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Phh, who cares for your opinion anyway?

Chrisse /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/whoopin.gif Bernhard /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I knew you would come to try and destroy my dream...
Maybe I should have banned (where has that greamlin gone?) known rechargeable-haters from this thread. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Chrisse

lets look for a light that fits into a auto cigarette lighter to charge (mobile charger). that should make a home charging cradle easy to find or make

There was such a light sold by Volkswagen if I remember correctly. It was nice as a utility to have in the car, but not a usefull edc. Quite interesting idea though.

Chrisse

I want my EDC to be as small as possible, which means high power density, but still fairly low actual power (1 watt or whatever). Also, I don't use EDC's for that many minutes. So battery expenditures aren't really an issue.

Rechargeables make more sense for either more powerful lights (5 watt and higher, too big to EDC in my opinion) or lights that will be used a lot (enough to need a battery change every couple weeks at most, which to me means a duty light rather than an EDC). If I'm using a light that much, I don't really care about smallness, so AA NiMH is a perfectly ok power source. However, if I don't mind incandescent I'd probably get a Streamlight Strion.