Batteries For Flashlights And Other Toys?

[JD Spydo]

Well I really got into these newer high tech flashlights back around 2004-05. Since that time a lot has changed and my priorities for what I expect from illumination tools has also changed. In the past two years I've pretty much got all my high tech flashlights ( mostly Surefire) running on one type of battery>> and just about all my Surefire flashlights I got use the "123A" batteries. I like that because I've got several of the rechargable 123A batteries along with 3 different chargers >> that way I always have enough fresh/hot batteries waiting.

My question to all of you is this>> What types of batteries do you all use in your flashlights? And are they rechargeable as mine are? I don't know what it is about these 123A batteries but they sure give great service for the tools I use them for.

But I do like to experiment a lot and I'm always open to newer/better stuff all the time. It's almost blinding how fast a lot of this technology has been changing in the past 10 to 12 years or so>> which is why I'm wanting to see what you all are using. I'm always searching for other options as well.

[Ankerson]

I have both Standard and rechargeable 123A batteries (Surefire).

And Rechargeable 18650 batteries (Streamlight).

[Naperville]

I've vape'd since 2015 and I use rechargeable 18650s.

I buy most of my batteries from: Illumn.com, OrbTronic, RTD Vapor

The most knowledgeable guy I know on batteries is, "Mooch" and he has a blog over at ECF.

https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/blogs/mooch.256958/
https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/blog- ... ries.7593/

[JRinFL]

I moved most of my lighting to lights using AA batteries and for those I use Eneloopes. I have some Amazon & Ikea rechargeables as well. The other lights have Li-Ion batteries or still use my dwindling supply of 123 lithiums.

Still waiting for all the improved & safer rechargeable technologies to actually make it to the market.

[JD Spydo]

I've vape'd since 2015 and I use rechargeable 18650s.

I buy most of my batteries from: Illumn.com, OrbTronic, RTD Vapor

The most knowledgeable guy I know on batteries is, "Mooch" and he has a blog over at ECF.

https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/blogs/mooch.256958/
https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/blog- ... ries.7593/

Hey thanks for those links Naperville :) I also am aware that photographers use a lot of those 123A batteries for various hardware and devices. And unless they are using rechargeables they are literally paying a small fortune for them. Unless they are buying them in bulk at one of those "Battery & Bulb" stores like the ones we have here in Kansas City. I just assume they must be a nationwide company. However they are of little help in the "rechargeable" arena.

I don't know anything about "vaping" but there is a shop close to where I live and I've heard it's owned and run by some really good guys. I might check them out in a day or so and see what they might have to offer. I've bought a few rechargeable batteries and chargers from "BH Video" out of New York. They sure ship extremely fast and I like that about them. It's been really tough to get ahold of a human being at SUREFIRE ever since this COVID crap has come about. But I've been told that they are so rich with big government contracts it seems like they don't any longer care much about their average customers anymore>> which is unfortunate because I've been a SUREFIRE fan since 2005.

[ugaarguy]

18650 or 16350 batteries for most of my flashlights. Eneloops for anything AA or AAA powered. I keep a few primary (non rechargeable) 3V lithium CR123s, and Energizer lithium (1.5V) AAs and AAAs on hand for their long shelf life as emergency stores.

With most Surefire lights you're restricted to Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo) chemistry that doesn't exceed 3.2V per cell for the rechargeable CR123s, so that you don't exceed 6.4V on the pair in series in the light. Surefire currently offers only two weapon lights and three hand held lights that can use an 18650. Their competitors moved to 18650 lights years ago. A single 18650 offers about 4 times the power of a pair of LiFePo CR123s. A single 16350 ( 3.7V lithium cobalt rechargeable version of a CR123) has the same total power as that pair of LiFePo CR123s. 21700 batteries have even more power.

You can safely run a single 16650 in any 2xCR123 Surefire. You'll get a little lower light output because (other than their five 18650 capable models) Surefire doesn't put a boost driver in their lights to pull more current from the 3.7V rechargeable battery to get the same total power as the 6V at lower current from a pair of CR123s. The big advantage is that a single protected 16650, like a Keeppower, is $7 from illumn, vs. $14 for the pair of Surefire RCR123s, and that the 16650 has a little more than twice as much power as a pair of RCR123s. Even against the $5 each Watson RCR123s that B&H sells, 16650s make sense. You can get a little Xtar MC1 from illumn for $4 if you need a charger for 3.7V lithium batteries. You're probably better off getting something like an Xtar VC2S for $15 though, since it has two slots and it can charge NiMH AAs and AAAs as well as lithium cells.

You're correct that Surefire doesn't really care about sales to consumers anymore. Brands like EagTac, Acebeam, Fenix, and others are far more responsive to the consumer market. If you want US made, Gene Malkoff of Malkoff Devices down in Alabama is making better lights than Surefire at competitive prices, and he sells mostly to consumers.

Longwinded, geeky talk with on battery capacity:
Those Surefire LiFePo batteries only have a capacity of 450 mAh, or .45 Ah. A single 18650 (same length as a pair of CR123s, just slightly fatter) is 3.6V or 3.7V nominal, 4.2V fully charged, with a capacity of 3000 to 3600 mAh. When you run batteries in series you add the voltage, but the capacity (mAh/Ah) is that of a single cell. So, a pair of RCR123s gives you .45 Ah x 6.4V for 2.88 watt hours of total energy. A single 18650 at 3.0 to 3.5 Ah times 3.6V to 3.7V is 10.8 to 13.32 watt hours. The highest capacity 16340 I know of is the Keeppower 800 mAh 3.7 V from illumn. That calculates to 2.96 watt hours.

Several flashlight brands have moved to a 21700 battery, again just a bit fatter than an 18650, and now just a bit longer as well. With a 21700 you're getting the same 3.7V nominal as an 18650, but the capacity jumps up to between 4000 mAh and 5100 mAh. That's nearly 19 watt hours of energy in a single cell that's not too much bigger than a pair of CR123s.

[VashHash]

Most of my stuff runs AA or AAA and I use lithium so they don't leak. I only wish they made lithium D batteries for my mag lights. This is my edc flashlight. Not as fancy as some but it's definitely waterproof and handles drops pretty well.

[ugaarguy]

Most of my stuff runs AA or AAA and I use lithium so they don't leak. I only wish they made lithium D batteries for my mag lights.

NiMH doesn't leak, and it's a rechargeable chemistry. You can get full capacity NiMH D cells from specialty brands. Energizer and most of the other mainstream companies sell what's essentially a single AA NiMH cell in a D shell with only 2500 mAh capacity. Tenergy makes full 10000 mAh NiMH D cells. On site like Amazon you can also get plastic AA to D converters that hold either a single cell or three cells in parallel. With three 2500 mAh AAs in parallel you'd be at 7500 mAh, which would be close to full D capacity, with easier to buy and charge cells.

[VashHash]

Most of my stuff runs AA or AAA and I use lithium so they don't leak. I only wish they made lithium D batteries for my mag lights.

NiMH doesn't leak, and it's a rechargeable chemistry. You can get full capacity NiMH D cells from specialty brands. Energizer and most of the other mainstream companies sell what's essentially a single AA NiMH cell in a D shell with only 2500 mAh capacity. Tenergy makes full 10000 mAh NiMH D cells. On site like Amazon you can also get plastic AA to D converters that hold either a single cell or three cells in parallel. With three 2500 mAh AAs in parallel you'd be at 7500 mAh, which would be close to full D capacity, with easier to buy and charge cells.

I saw those converters for the AA batteries. I usually just change my batteries yearly for the maglights.

[Accutron]

For my Lumintop and Noctigon stuff, I use Samsung 30Q 18650 flat top because they're rated for the highest drain. I also have some Samsung 35E and 25R in storage but they're not currently being used in anything. I use Efest 18350 1200mAh and EBL 18500 1600mAh with various short battery tubes on the FW3A and KR1/KR4.

All of my Fenix stuff is also 18650-based, but they prefer genuine Fenix protected cells with a nub. I have some 2600mAh and some 3500mAh with the integrated micro USB charging.

Olight is all oddball. My S1R Baton II uses a proprietary 16340 battery with both contacts on the same end. The rest of my Olight stuff either uses alkalines or has integrated batteries.

I'm slowly getting rid of all my AA/AAA stuff in favor of rechargeable, and I've stopped buying Fenix/Olight models that prefer or require proprietary cells.

[vivi]

I'm at the point where I only purchase lights with an integrated charging port. To me having to unscrew a light and take out the batteries to charge or swap feels outdated at this point. It'd be like having to turn off my phone and swap a set of AA's in.

The only light I use without integrated charging is my tweener, a Fenix PD25:



All of my other lights can be charged simply by plugging in a USB cable. This includes my big boi light, a Fenix PD36r, my EDC light a Surefire Sidekick, 3x headlamps from different makers, my bicycle headlight an Olight rn1500, my old edc light a Fenix E03r, my old bike headlight a Cygolite Metro 750, my two bicycle tail lights from cygolite, my camping lantern and my cheap harbor freight pen light I keep on my desk.

[ugaarguy]

I'm at the point where I only purchase lights with an integrated charging port. To me having to unscrew a light and take out the batteries to charge or swap feels outdated at this point. It'd be like having to turn off my phone and swap a set of AA's in. ...

I get it, and my most used light is an Acebeam EC35 Gen II that has a USB-C charging port. I can charge it with my phone charger, which is especially convenient when traveling. But there are downsides too, particularly in terms of the long term durability of those little ports. I also like being able to use my light with one battery with the other is charging, which I know isn't mutually exclusive to not having a charge port.

[max808]

Like other people have said already, eneloop for AA & AAA is hard to beat and the D adaptors are pretty sweet for Maglite conversions.

Get yourself a decent charger like a c9000 maha and you're good to go. Have retired several pair of eneloop pro AA after way over a 1000 charges, which is really cost-effective if you rotate daily and can potentially save you hundreds over the years. Think of all the Spydies you could spend that money on.

For reliability and output I like fenix 18650 with 3.5 Ah or 12.6Wh, which works a treat in a tk15ue, especially with a couple spares. Have never had a fenix light or cell fail. Quite hesitant to adopt the new 21700 format because of bulkyness, 18650 is the sweetspot for edc imho.

Have a great Sunday and stay safe out there,
max

[nerdlock]

I use Eneloops for my Olight AAs as well as my camera flash units. Keeppower 14500s for other AA-type lights like Lumintops, etc - I did try to use this for the two Olight i5ts that I have but quickly found out that while output is boosted to almost 800 lumens, the unit got hot pretty quickly to the point of burning your hands.

Keeppower and Nitecore 18650s for my Nitecore lights as well as some China throwers like Convoy.

Surefire disposable 123s for my Surefires. Already ordered the SF rechargeable 123s since most rechargeable 123s being sold here locally are 3.7v.

[murphjd25]

I run rechargeable 18650s in my old light, and my new light came with a rechargeable 21700. I get plenty of life out of them between charges. The 21700 lasts for quite a long time if I don’t run it in Turbo.

[The Deacon]

Pretty much all my flashlights use an 18650. Some need to have it removed to charge, some can be charged via USB cable.

[max808]

...
Still waiting for all the improved & safer rechargeable technologies to actually make it to the market.

Would you mind elaborating on that topic? A couple of years ago graphene batteries were all the rage but it seems few practical applications have come to market. Also what are in your opinion the most promising new technologies? Much obliged and have a good one.

[JRinFL]

Nothing specific, but every few months I read about another battery technology that claims it can make batteries more efficient, or charge quicker, or can be made from non-toxic substances and yet none seem to have yet made it to market. I guess I am just being impatient.

[TomAiello]

I use 123 and 18650. I also have some non-removable battery lights (for work) and a couple AA and AAA for travel (because I like to have the ability to quickly swap to a readily available battery if mine has run down).

[kiwisailor]

I've used NiCad and now NiMh AA and AAA
For last 20 yrs aboard Sailboat full time.

Have had a bad run with enloop AAA past 12 months. They have leaked causing damage to torches.

I'm very particular about running a fan to cool them and charger (Nitecore), so do not think it is a overheating issue.

Has anyone else noticed this problem?