Hi there, I am looking to make a small backup light that uses a single 16340 battery.
I am not sure what kind of LED emitter I should be using, or what driver will work best with the single 16340.
I am aiming to have a decent throw, maximize my run time, but try and get 300 - 350 lumens out of the light.
Why do you want to use 16340 in a flashlight that will fit 18350? Especially since you want to maximize your run time?
If you want to have a good throw, choose this LED and a smo reflector.
Using the xp-l hi and the op reflector will also give you a fairly good throw and additionally you can choose from different CCTs.
In both cases I would use a 6*7135 driver with biscotti, but if 300-400lm is enough for you, you can use 3*7135.
I have quite a few 16340 batteries that are not compatible with my flashlights.
I am trying to have a backup light and it needs to be compact/ use one 16340.
I previously tried using 16340s in a Streamlight 1L-1AA and they somewhat work,
however, it would not be safe for the light.
In general, warmer and/or high-CRI will have less light output per watt, but will just plain look better, ie, quality over quantity.
3×7135 will give you about 1A current, for about 300lm plus or minus.
Better buck drivers will be a smidge more efficient than linears, but not so much as to make that much difference in runtime.
The Jet-II is a great light for using 16340s, if you don’t mind the typische Jetbeam green. Ano is top-notch, it has a great feel to it, and it just looks hella nice.
Recs? Go for the Nichia, 3×7135, make sure the springs are long enough to make solid contact with the shorter cell.
I like the colored varieties, like orange/purple/teal. Those come with the metal tailswitch.
I was advised that the Streamlight 1L-1AA is not advertised as able to run a 16340.
It was stated in the manual that they do not recommend it, because it might cause problems with the LED.
I actually had problems running 2 of the 3 16340 cells that I had and they were all decently branded cells.