Which re-chargeable batteries are you using in your HDS light?

[Rossymeister]

Thank for the help everybody. Got these ordered earlier this morning!

 

[Fuchshp]

Can slightly longer RCR123 with a built-in USB charging port be used with HDS lights?

 

[jon_slider]

RCR123 with a built-in USB charging port

I just tested an Olight 16340 w built in USB. It is not longer, as it measures just 34.1mm. It does work in my HDS rotary, even though it is a Protected battery. I tested with the battery at 3.8V. I have not tested at lower voltage.

I dont normally use Protected batteries in my HDS, but fwiw, the protection in the battery did not trip during my brief test with the HDS set to maximum output. I dont know if it would trip when the battery is at a lower voltage. (which has happened to me before, in a different light, a Jetbeam RRT-01, that has higher output than my HDS)

fwiw this USB battery trips protection if I use it in my Olight SMini, but does not trip when i use it in another type of light. (both lights also have higher output than HDS, I dont know why one trips protection and the other does not)

I think you would need to do your own test, to determine how your USB battery behaves, but fwiw, all USB batteries are Protected, and HDS has its own built in Protection, so it does not need a Protected battery. It might work, but you will have to test for yourself.

 

[Fuchshp]

Thank you, Jon. I'm not so worried about the circuits. The HDS flashlight works with this battery. Anyway I charge rechargeable batteries long before they are empty.

What I was thinking about was a small solar panel (10W), a small powerbank, and RCR123 batteries. I have two of these here:

Because they are a little bit longer than CR123A primaries the springs in the battery compartments are tightly pressed. Could this damage the HSD flashlight over time?

I don't know whether this setup is a good idea because the solar panel did not arrive yet.

 

[desert.snake]

Thank you, Jon. I'm not so worried about the circuits. The HDS flashlight works with this battery. Anyway I charge rechargeable batteries long before they are empty.

What I was thinking about was a small solar panel (10W), a small powerbank, and RCR123 batteries. I have two of these here:

View attachment 61952

Because they are a little bit longer than CR123A primaries the springs in the battery compartments are tightly pressed. Could this damage the HSD flashlight over time?

I don't know whether this setup is a good idea because the solar panel did not arrive yet.

The HDS has powerful springs, it won't hurt them. They are well hardened and springy. In the head there is also something like a black plastic limiter under the "+" spring

 

[Fuchshp]

Thank you

 

[jon_slider]

Could this damage the HSD flashlight over time?

the damage could be to the battery, from being crushed. I dont think it will hurt the HDS circuits

Or the undesireable outcome, could be that the protection circuit in the battery might make the HDS flicker or turn off... The first post in this thread says:

After some testing, for safety reasons I have decided to "recycle" my six (6) new less than one year old Fenix ARB-L16 16340 700mAh 3.7V Protected Lithium Ion button type batteries. (They have a one year warranty, maybe I will try that first). I have found them to be less than adequate for my HDS lights as they have inconsistent run times and cause my two high CRI HDS lights to randomly reset about once every eight days of daily use.

That is the same brand battery you posted in your photo, but without USB.. but still with a protection circuit

His lights had Locator flash option Enabled, which he was turning off manually with 4 clics. Any time the battery is replaced, or disconnected by the protection circuit in the battery, he would find that the Locator flash had "turned itself back on"

Here is a comment from Hogo, saying the max battery length is 36mm:

Hogo, i know it's been said before but i can't for the life of me find it now, what's the maximum comfortable battery length for the regular cr123 battery tube? I've seen all kinds of batteries recommended up to 37mm in length or somesuch, but if you could weigh in before i put some almost 36mm long Keeppowers in it and mash them i'd be grateful.

36 would be max.

So, my first suggestion is to measure the length of the battery to confirm it is not longer than 36mm. (online specs say it is 35.5mm, so according to Hogo, that is not "too" long)

Then test the battery in the light and observe if it causes flicker or reset during use..

To monitor if the light resets itself, enable locator flash Option, but turn it off manually. Then if you find the locator flash turned itself On, you can infer that the battery protection circuit had switched off (however briefly, and possibly when the light is not in use.)

The main issue for the USB battery use, would be during use of the HDS, IF the battery protection trips and turns the light off. If this happens, you could be left in the dark at an inconvenient time. The symptom that confirms this event, would be if the battery shows 0Volts on a meter. This would be caused when the battery protection circuit, in the battery, gets tripped, it cuts the battery circuit.

Let us know if your testing results in normal function of the HDS, or if it exhibits flicker or sudden shut off, resulting in the battery voltage reading of 0V.

 

[aznsx]

I dont normally use Protected batteries in my HDS

Your comment reminded me of a question I've been meaning to ask anyway:

If I'm charging a batch of "unprotected" 16340s in my Xtar VP2s in the kitchen, as I've done many times in the past (Efest, Vapcell, etc.), and one of my chargers goes off the rails and overcharges the heck out of them, which is a possibility with most any charger; in the absence of the 'overcharge protection' function of a cellular safety circuit, what else is there to prevent the china syndrome thing from happening right there in my kitchen?

 

[rwolfenstein]

Thank you, Jon. I'm not so worried about the circuits. The HDS flashlight works with this battery. Anyway I charge rechargeable batteries long before they are empty.

What I was thinking about was a small solar panel (10W), a small powerbank, and RCR123 batteries. I have two of these here:

View attachment 61952

Because they are a little bit longer than CR123A primaries the springs in the battery compartments are tightly pressed. Could this damage the HSD flashlight over time?

I don't know whether this setup is a good idea because the solar panel did not arrive yet.

I am using this exact battery with my HDS LE light and my Elzetta.

 

[jon_slider]

I am using this exact battery with my HDS LE light and my Elzetta.

Great info! Thank you for the first hand confirmation that the Fenix USB batteries are working well in your HDS.

I always suspected the actual cause of the issue RCS1300 had with the light restarting, was actually a power supply problem that a batch of HDS suffered from in 2018.

 

[rwolfenstein]

Great info! Thank you for the first hand confirmation that the Fenix USB batteries are working well in your HDS.

I always suspected the actual cause of the issue RCS1300 had with the light restarting, was actually a power supply problem that a batch of HDS suffered from in 2018.

Only thing I should mention is that when you pull the battery to charge it (on the HDS light only), when you put the battery back in and screw down the bezel, the light will come on in low for a couple seconds and turn off. That means it knows that you have that cell in it now. I checked to make sure that the voltage was within safe parameters prior to using it.

 

[jon_slider]

when you put the battery back in and screw down the bezel, the light will come on in low for a couple seconds and turn off

true,
that initial brief auto On, auto Off sequence, is normal behavior when an HDS starts up, with any battery

 

[Fuchshp]

Yesterday and today I tested the Sandberg 10W solar panel with the Fenix RCR123. It charges the battery even when it's cloudy (at least the red led indicated charging yesterday when it was cloudy).

The downside of this setup is that both the panel and the batteries lack USB-C ports. That means I have to lug around adaptors with my USB-C / USB-C cable. An adaptor makes the plug longer and that means more strain on the port / plug. If this setup is attached to a backpack it could be a problem.

 

[Monocrom]

If it's not an EDC light, just easier tossing in a single CR123 lithium primary into it. Always ready when you reach for it.

 

[Fuchshp]

I use only one flashlight and have it with me almost wherever I go.

 

[Monocrom]

Fair enough. But I've found having a small keychain back-up light to be useful.

 

[jon_slider]

this is my solution for an HDS battery backup..

it is a small 16340 light that has USB charging. It carries a spare battery, so if my HDS battery runs low, I exchange it for the one in the backup light. Then I can recharge the backup light via USB-C, while keeping the HDS ready to use.

I could just carry a spare USB battery, in a small battery case. The advantage of a spare light as a backup, is that it adds the option to use it as a light. In the unlikely event the HDS is misplaced, or gets dropped into a lake, or becomes otherwise unavailable.

 

[Monocrom]

A good solution.