So I'm new to the whole solarforce and P60's, so looking for some help
I'll be picking up a l2r, for my other halfs Dad as it seems the 2xAA set up ideal. My first question..What drop in would be best on a budget? Nothing seriously bright needed, but a runtime of an 1.5 hours+ would be good.
Next is for me, currently I don't have a 16340 charger but would like one..as I'm pretty set on picking up a l2m at some point. For the mean time I'd like an 18650 version. So do I get a tube and the l2m, or another flashlight entirely?if so which and with which drop in?
I was hoping the new jetbeam charger would be my all in one charger, so until they sort the issues out I don't want to shell out for a new charger and batteries so the 16430 tube wouldn't be used for a while.
2xAA is still only 3V (at best), so actually the 3xAAA setup of the L2i is more ideal for powering LED's. But you wouldn't get the runtime you want.
This is a Solarforce 3-mode XP-G drop-in for $14.99 which is kind of expensive for a XP-G, but not outrageous. If you get the L2r from the same site then you won't be charged any additional postage at least.
As for the L2m, I don't have one, but I think it usually comes with a half-length extension tube so you can use either 1xCR123A or 1x18650 with the extension. In this picture the light has the extension tube for 18650:
To answer you're question, the drop in that was recommended will work for both the l2I and l2m. Voltage range is (0.8-4.2v) so it safe to use on the l2m with a single cr123 and 1x 18650.
I'm not sure if you found a charger but this is a good budet charger that charges a variety of cells including 16340's without the need of spacers.
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/trustfire-tr-001-multi-purpose-lithium-battery-charger-12594