18350 battery! More power for some CR123 lights.

[Woods Walker]

I actually prefer AA for preps but during the cold nasty winter find myslef packing CR123 systems. However I still have the CR123 lights and sometimes use them for EDC. I don't want to burn up primaries unless needed. For some 1xCR123 lights 16340 are rechargable options as they're around the same size. Well almost. But the runtimes in some modes never seemed on par with CR123 primaries. Another option for some 1XCR123 lights are 18350.

900 mAh 18350 at 3.7 volts, 700 mAh 16340 at 3.7 volts, 1XCR123 maybe 1400 mAh not really sure. Also the lithium ion comes 4.2 volts fresh off the charger.



No expert but pure mAh isn't a total indicator of available power. For example CR123 primaries are around 1400 mAh but the voltage is 3v. Lithium ion in this size has less mAh but more voltage and seems to more able to handle higher draw. I don't know how to convert the numbers to Watt hours etc etc but know that a 18350 runs longer than a 16340. To be honest I am more of a gear user than a technical person so... well....LOL!

Just because a gear item take 1xCR123 or 1x16340 doesn't mean it will also take 18350. These two light do.

Armytek C1 Pro and Solarforce L2M with Mountain electronics NW 4 mode drop-in. Actually the MT doesn't run 1XCR123 very well. The Armytek is a bit of an omnivore. I like omnivore lights.



Mountain Electronics drop-in. It's dang bright and also has a firefly mode. XM-L2



Armyrek C1 Pro XM-L2



For comparison.

1. 18350



2. 16340



3. 1xCR123



Ok so clearly the gear item must have the ability to accept the larger 18350 however some 1XCR123 lights can. Just depends on the maker and specs. Maybe something you might want to check before purchase. Beyond more power than 16340 what are the pros compared to other smallish lithium ion batteries. Say 14500 for comparable 1XAA gear items. Here are two lights from the same maker. One using 1x14500 the other 1x18350.



The 1x14500 is 840 mAh. The 1x18350 is 900 mAh. More power in the forum factor plus the shape of the light is shorter than AA. That said for preps I still prefer lights which use 1XAA and more so if they have an omnivore side.



But on the flip side yea can field charge a 18350 or most other lithium ion using the same charger people carry around for their cellphones.



Well that's about all I know on the topic. Much is probably already known by many here.

[50 Mission Cap]

That's a good point about not only amp-hours but also taking into consideration the voltage the battery operates at. The total energy contained in the battery is going to be a function of the voltage it operates at and how many amps-hours it can put out.

1000 mAh at 3.7 volts is about 25% more total energy (light) than 1000 mAh at 3 volts. And the magic of modern electronics and the white LED allow the best use of that power as the battery voltage changes as it is used up - unlike old school incandescent units which would squander the extra energy in the higher voltage cell.

Thanks for posting the comparison.

[111t]

i am just getting into the lithium powered lights. My current EDC is a thrunite tc12. I wanted supplemental batteries for it so I picked up a few more of the thrunite cells as well as a couple of those Nitecore f1 chargers from the bottom photo. I still use primary 123a cells in my surefires on my shotguns. I understand that 18650s are a no no for those lights which are specifically designed for the primary cells. A lot of the more modern lights will accept a range of voltages. I picked up a $12 Anker beater light that will take either (3)AAA cells or (1) 18650. It's nothing special as far as a flashlight, but it is cheap and kind of omnivorous.

Today I ordered a thrunite c1 'lipstick' USB power bank with a removable 3400mah 18650. Like the f1, it's a power bank... it's a battery charger... I like the form factor of the thrunite over the f1. The f1 charged several types of batteries obviously.

[Confucius]

Just a note of caution: the 123s are Lithium batteries (literally have a lithium metal anode), the 18350s are lithium ion batteries (have dwarven chemical magic in them).

Cold eats up charge on a lithium ion like nobodies business. So, I guess sleep with it in your sleeping bag...

Lithium batteries on the other hand are the battery of choice for cold applications. Just something to keep in mind...

[The Twizzler]

I know those types of batteries are usually stronger and longer lasting. If they were more standardized (sp?) and sold everywhere I would use them. As it is, I know what I am getting with regular, aa, aaa, c, d, and 9 volt batteries and they are easy to find and I can tell by look alone what batteries will work in what device. Nothing like ordering a special battery on Amazon waiting for it to get there and guess what it doesn't work, turns out you needed the other version of that same number battery or one made by a certain company. To quote those modern day sages The Simpsons
Homer: Lets use firecrackers to open this stuck chester drawer.
Bart: isn't there a special tool for that?
Homer: You want it done right or do you want it done fast?
Bart: Like all Americans I want it done fast.
Kaboom! Drawer flies out and hits the wall.

[Woods Walker]

i am just getting into the lithium powered lights. My current EDC is a thrunite tc12. I wanted supplemental batteries for it so I picked up a few more of the thrunite cells as well as a couple of those Nitecore f1 chargers from the bottom photo. I still use primary 123a cells in my surefires on my shotguns. I understand that 18650s are a no no for those lights which are specifically designed for the primary cells. A lot of the more modern lights will accept a range of voltages. I picked up a $12 Anker beater light that will take either (3)AAA cells or (1) 18650. It's nothing special as far as a flashlight, but it is cheap and kind of omnivorous.

Today I ordered a thrunite c1 'lipstick' USB power bank with a removable 3400mah 18650. Like the f1, it's a power bank... it's a battery charger... I like the form factor of the thrunite over the f1. The f1 charged several types of batteries obviously.

16650 will fit many flashlight which take 2XCR123 lithium primaries. The voltage will be lower but overall energy about the same as 2XCR123. Here are the ones I use. Got them from the below link. Good stuff, trusted seller.

http://www.illumn.com/16650-keeppower-2 ... n-top.html

I should do a thread on omnivorous lights. Working low (1-4.2) and high voltage (2ish to 9) projects.

[111t]

i am just getting into the lithium powered lights. My current EDC is a thrunite tc12. I wanted supplemental batteries for it so I picked up a few more of the thrunite cells as well as a couple of those Nitecore f1 chargers from the bottom photo. I still use primary 123a cells in my surefires on my shotguns. I understand that 18650s are a no no for those lights which are specifically designed for the primary cells. A lot of the more modern lights will accept a range of voltages. I picked up a $12 Anker beater light that will take either (3)AAA cells or (1) 18650. It's nothing special as far as a flashlight, but it is cheap and kind of omnivorous.

Today I ordered a thrunite c1 'lipstick' USB power bank with a removable 3400mah 18650. Like the f1, it's a power bank... it's a battery charger... I like the form factor of the thrunite over the f1. The f1 charged several types of batteries obviously.

16650 will fit many flashlight which take 2XCR123 lithium primaries. The voltage will be lower but overall energy about the same as 2XCR123. Here are the ones I use. Got them from the below link. Good stuff, trusted seller.

http://www.illumn.com/16650-keeppower-2 ... n-top.html

I should do a thread on omnivorous lights. Working low (1-4.2) and high voltage (2ish to 9) projects.

Cool! I will look into those.

The most recent acquisition has been the atactical A1. This light is interesting because it is manufactured by thrunite, but is a more budget friendly light. It is very similar to a thrunite tn12 or a tc12. The feel is very similar to my tc12. The led is a slightly older model with a max lumen level of 500. The light comes with a rechargeable battery with built in charger and USB port. The cost is $20 on Amazon. I've only had mine for a couple days but I'll likely pick up a few more for kits and gifts.

Atactical A1 LED Flashlight Pocket-Sized LED Torch Super Bright 550 Lumen CREE XP-G2 LED, 5 Modes with Strobe, IPX-7 Water Resistance, 1 x USB Rechargeable 18650 2600mAh Lithium Battery Included https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NBKWBU8/re ... IybX0RSZSP

[jnathan]

I recently picked up a couple new lights, one of which came with a 16340 and the second that uses 18350 IMRs. The light that uses the 18350s (a Nitecore EC11) has crazy output off the single cell. Given how powerful single cell lights have become, I am getting a little worried about over discharging rechargeable lithium cells in them.

I used to be a primary-only kind of user, and for any light I store for a period of time without use I'm still definitely going to use primary CR123s. But for lights that will see a lot of use, I've definitely converted to 18650, 18350, and 16340 cells.

Cheers!