• You must be a Supporting Member to participate in the Candle Power Forums Marketplace.

    You can become a Supporting Member.

Peak 123A models and Li-ion Cells

Paul_in_Maryland

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 27, 2005
Messages
3,191
Location
Maryland, USA
I do, especially when the answer is "All of them."

By how much does brightness improve--about 40 percent?

Does the Snow white beam turn Snow blue?
 

Archangel

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
May 29, 2005
Messages
1,182
Location
PA, USA
No, it's still nice and white. I *only* use R123, but the advantage is *constant* output, not *more* output.

(sigh) I was going to save this as the Big Reveal in my McKinley review, but i haven't gotten around to finishing the graphs - or buying a brass Killy-7, for that matter - and i'm hopefully going to be doing the Planning To Move thing here shortly, in which case i won't be doing them any time soon.

Code:
generic 750mAh R123 (no load 4.12v)

4:00		190
  04		190
  08		185
  12		185
  16		185
  20		185
  24		180
  28		180
  32		180
  36		180
  40		180
  44		180
  48		180
  52		180
  56		180
  60		180
  64		180
  68		 25

EDIT: the 4:00 is clock-time. Minutes on the left, lux(1m) on the right.
 
Last edited:

Sarius

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jun 16, 2005
Messages
137
To make sure I'm understanding this chart, are you saying that with the rechargable, you got almost five hours of near constant output with your Mac?
 

Archangel

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
May 29, 2005
Messages
1,182
Location
PA, USA
Sarius said:
To make sure I'm understanding this chart, are you saying that with the rechargable, you got almost five hours of near constant output with your Mac?

One hour, not five. I'll add a note to that post since i could've written it better. The 4:00 is clock-time. (I don't have an auto-logger, so need a way to keep from losing my place.) I'm wondering if my generic R123 is on the piddly side, but haven't gotten around to testing it with my MP cell in the same manner.
 

Archangel

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
May 29, 2005
Messages
1,182
Location
PA, USA
Just a quick note to say that i've started running 750mAh protected cells and have gotten 80, 80, 75, and 86 minutes of constant output, so apparently the MP and generic cells i've used before aren't all that great.
 

woodfluter

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Dec 14, 2005
Messages
142
Archangel, if you check in here, could you tell me if you know whether use of the RCR123's is likely to reduce LED life to any substantial degree? Due to higher voltages? Or could speculate? Don't know that they have buck circuitry to bring higher voltages down, don't know enough to guess about overdriving LEDs. I like the McKinley HP and would really like to use my rechargeables in them as well as my HDS.

I've searched & read replies about this from MJ, but they were generic "yes" rather than specifics about impact.

- Bill
 

45/70

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 9, 2005
Messages
2,800
Location
Rural Ohio
woodfluter said:
Archangel, if you check in here, could you tell me if you know whether use of the RCR123's is likely to reduce LED life to any substantial degree? Due to higher voltages? Or could speculate? Don't know that they have buck circuitry to bring higher voltages down, don't know enough to guess about overdriving LEDs. I like the McKinley HP and would really like to use my rechargeables in them as well as my HDS.

I've searched & read replies about this from MJ, but they were generic "yes" rather than specifics about impact.

- Bill
:bump:

As I am interested in this also.

Dave
 

Archangel

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
May 29, 2005
Messages
1,182
Location
PA, USA
From what i remember it wasn't any brighter with li-ion than disposable, so i doubt the LEDs are being driven much - if at all - harder than they are on a fresh cell. Keep in mind though that they'd be driven that hard for the entire life of the battery, whereas with disposables it'd only be on a fresh cell. The LEDs wouldn't dim any faster from *their* point of view - read: number of hours at 30/40mA - but it will take less time to get there as far as using the torch. If i planned on using my McKinley Ultra when i was 70 i'm sure i wouldn't risk it, but i'm not.
 

woodfluter

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Dec 14, 2005
Messages
142
Thank you Archangel, good answers. Yes, I have thought about that - how realistic is it to worry about minor losss of LED life considering advances in technology and probable purchases...

Also, I haven't noticed any subjective difference in brightness, although I was too lazy to dig out the light meter.

One more puzzle for whomever, if you will. I bought 4 protected LiIons from Battery Station, and the ones I've used in the HDS EDC and recharged seem to fit easily into the Peak McKinley, but the other two that I haven't recharged are so tight that I would have a very hard time extracting them from the McKinleys. Not sure what to make of that...do they shrink or something? Or just different diameters to start with?

And why the heck are the RCR123's larger in diameter in the first place?

- Bill
 

Archangel

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
May 29, 2005
Messages
1,182
Location
PA, USA
Not all cells are created equal, and not all cells are the same dimensions. Protected cells are larger by their very nature because of the protection. I'm not aware of cells changing dimensions based on temperature, but maybe i'm just not aware of it.
 
Last edited:

45/70

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 9, 2005
Messages
2,800
Location
Rural Ohio
woodfluter said:
And why the heck are the RCR123's larger in diameter in the first place?
One thing that makes protected RCRs larger in diameter is the strip that runs up the side of the battery for the IC to work. Another, I beleive, is the manufacturers use up all the space they can and possibly a bit more, since Li-Ions are at a capacity disadvantage compared to lithium primaries.

Dave
 

Archangel

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
May 29, 2005
Messages
1,182
Location
PA, USA
Not that people search old threads much, but apparently i was incorrect and that li-ons aren't recommended for the Atlantic and Glacier Bay.
 
Top