ThruNite T20 - running 16340?

LED Flashlights – General Info CR123A Flashlights
1

I know the add says not recommended for 16340 but can you run them for short periods without baking the led? I done a search and could not find any info on this.

2

I have one, but wouldn’t risk it.

3

I use a tenergy 3v rechargeable,works great and won’t overdrive the heat.

4

Thanks i may try that.

5

I use a 16340 in my T20 with no problems. I have done many short bursts on high before without incident. I just did a five minute run on high with a protected Trustfire flame at 3.83v and it was fine. It was only drawing about 1 amp though since the battery wasn’t full.

When I measured before, with a fuller battery (4.12v), it was drawing

1.38 on high
.27 on med
<.01 on low

So with a freshly charged battery it will probably get hotter faster, but still should be able to survive short runs on high.

BTW, with a longer protected 16340, the head doesn’t screw down all the way. You can still see the brass part of the pill when it turns on, but it doesn’t really affect anything.

6

Is there a noticable difference in brightness with the 16340?

7

Yeah. It’s much brighter with a 16340 on high and medium, though the spacing isn’t as nice as with a primary. If memory serves me right, medium on a fully charged 16340 is brighter than high on a partially drained cr123a. I know that’s not really a fair comparison, but that’s what I had available to test with when I first got the light. The firefly pretty much stays the same though, which is a good thing :slight_smile: Sorry I don’t have more exact info/numbers.

Edit: I just topped up a 16340 and at 4.20v it draws

1.68 on high
0.27 on med
<0.01 on low

So it seems med and low are pretty well regulated, but current draw on high varies and so does the heat. After another five minute run on high, the battery is at 3.90v (not recovered) and is giving 1.38 amps on high. It’s warmer this time around, but still not too hot to handle. It’s also still alive. :wink:

8

Thanks for the info, i think i will go ahead and get a couple of 16340’s.

9

Their new T20S takes 1*CR123 /1*RCR123/ 1*16340. Max of 255lm.

http://www.thrunite.com/thrunite-t20s/

Just saw these on HKEquipment.