I need help from my BLF brethren! My brother is an HVAC contractor, and loves having bright multimode flashlights around. He had an XR-E Q5 that had a charging port built-in, with a car charger. He loved it because he could leave it in the truck charging, and pull it out when he needed it, and it would always be charged, no muss no fuss. However, he managed to break it and it needs replacing!
Here are some others I've found, but I don't know which are the best:
I'm also open to suggestions. Also I'd like to keep the cost down, he's not so much a flashlight geek like the rest of us, so he doesn't always see the value.
I have the newerversion of the Xtar, the R01, but do not have the other two. Generally, Xtar lights are built a bit better than the no name brands so I would go with the Xtar. I also would trust the Xtar charge circuit vs something that is a complete shot in the dark. E-mail Miles at Xtar and see if the 31.65 shipped deal is going on:
I tend to agree with your endorsement of the Xtar, I don't know about 31 for the light, let alone the cost it might be if it's not on special. Is there anywhere else to buy xtar's besides through their website?
Also, how do we feel about romisen compared to xtar? Anywhere else to get it besides KD?:
I have this Trustfire TR-001 charger and it has a 12 volt 500ma plug on the side that most radar detector cigarette lighter plugs fit into. Then he can keep any Lion battery charging in the car and is not limited to a light with a charger plug.
I cant understand why anyone would want to put a potential pipe bomb in a car with them and ride about.
If you need to charge from a 12v source (I actually use this for this function)
Redirect Notice this is, I’ve found, an extremely good charger, and means you can use any light you wish.
Just to re-iterate, li-ion cells run a risk of venting when under charging conditions, you are suggesting using a 12v source applied directly to that cell to charge it (there will not be a charging circuit in there, you can be sure of that), and relying on the protection circuit of the cell to deal with charging, your then going to do this with the cell sealed in an alu tube. There really is no polite way to say how absolutely stupid this idea is, so I wont even try, its as stupid as flicking your burning cig butt into the nearly empty and very warm petrol tank of your car….
Yeah, that’s not very likely. (Actually, knowing how these dirt cheap 12V car adapters are built, lacking every safety feature considered essential for an automotive environment, and how the cheap charging circuit probably would be designed, I would not use it even if it had one . . .).
Please, sacrifice that little bit of convenience and use a decent car charger
wow, 2 year old dig up, but I’ll leave it here when I’ve already wrote it.
You mean like leave it plugged while he is away from the vehicle? Well than tell you brother to never ever do this again. Lithium batteries have so little self discharge that this is not unnecessary, but rather harmful to the batteries.
But what is my main concern is possibility of fire of such cheap devices and resulting loss of car/house. I believe that even if only charged while driving it will be sufficient for normal use as lithium batteries charge faster when empty. The trickle/topping charge is only good when you want your battery to be fully charged like before going on the trip and leaving charger home.
As I don’t believe that lithium batteries alone are serious fire hazard as many here would think I can’t tell the same about cheap chinese circuits designed to charge them.
do NOT connect a DC power supply to this flashlight - unlike a phone or similar device, there is no charging regulator circuit inside the flashlight body
these charging ports are designed for an external charger which contain a charging circuit. they however are rarely sold by themself, usually as a kit only
If your planning to leave it plugged in all the time, I don’t think you should cheap out. Lithium batteries don’t lose charge while inactive.
511’s light for life or a Pelican7060led would do nicely, I think I saw a pelican on cpfmp for $50 ish, impressive because its a $200 light
Edit:
There are lights out there with there own charging circuits, my favorites are the ones I can charge with the USB port cigarette lighter plugin. That’s what I use for my phone.
Yes I wouldn’t buy a budget brand with a built in charger for that very reason. I feel that the pelican7060led and the Nitecore P25 are as safe as a laptop as long as your not cheating out on the cells.
The cell you use is as important as using a good charging device, to lower your risks
Yes, I have two of them (with a third on the way). I have mod’ed them with XML2/T6/3C LEDs on copper sinkpads and added AR lenses and 3 amp Qlite drivers. They went from around 500 lumens of cool white crud to over 700 lumens of much higher quality light. Still, when I charge them, I remove the battery carrier from the tube… better safe than sorry if the charger circuit goes bad.
thanks that I want hear
I have the same 220 volt and 12 volt charger as you linked but without holder for battery,only adapters
1I have diassemble the 220 volt and it have 1 small integrated inside
(circuits control?),led begin green when charge full
I have try charge my light from the direct built in port for 1 hour,after finish battery was charge and fresh.
the 12 volt adapter inside don’t have any integrated,but only a resistor and diode,for this reason is DANGEROUS to connect direct on the light,risk explosion and damage battery (if torch don’t have inside circuit control as my case)
but I not want to take risk,stop use all two.
Do you think it is more safe( always using built in port)charge with these models chargers?I have one of it
