I got a Jetbeam BC10 and measured the amperage draw with an almost new TF flames 16340 fully charged. It draws 1.93A... (1.37A on a year's old abused 16340 TF flames).
At 880mah (declared) capacity and 2C max discharge rate, 1720mA is the ceiling for safe operation. If we take into account that TF is probably not so truthful about 880mah, 1.93A sounds ridiculus...
I think this is dangerous for the 16340 and for the led, am I right? Also, what is the max amperage for XPG and how many lumens it emits at near 2A?
The thing with IMR is that they don't have under-voltage protection and after ~10 minutes of use @ max, it will already be below safe recharge voltage. I think a better quality, higher capacity protected Li Ion would be best, if XPG can handle 2A of course.
The good thing is that it is unbelievably bright at these amperes, the bad thing is that the two cr123a modes (low:30, high:270), become high:200, turbo:400+, so we don't have low anymore.
Mine didn't seem all that bright . I got the ba-10 and the bc-10 and don't like either . Not enough knurl feels slippery and spongy clicky makes the light boring next to the ex-10 nitecore .not even in the same ballpark ..back in the box waiting for someone else ...
I think the E21 Fenix is a much nicer light at about the same price.
It is not a perfect light. It is hard (firm) to change mode, clip rests on head (which moves when changing modes so it is going to be scratched), it has only two modes and needs two hands to change mode. Probably ex-10 / ex-11 are better lights overall, as also - my personal favorite - sunwayman v10r. But I personally also like bc10 for its simple design, momentary on, perfect beam and the way it fits better than anything else at this size in my "zippo" pants pocket clipped next to an also clipped tiny sanrenmu 401.
At first I was about to get EX-11, then the cheapo in me said "too expensive" and I got the BC10. After a day or so, the "cheapo" in me died and I also got a second v10r (xml this time). Now the cheapo might be dead but I am also broke So, nitecore has to wait.
And what about Klarus P1C? AFAIK, it should be the same, but I prefer to ask just in case. Maybe it will be a little bit more safe with 16340?
PS: yeah, I like that E21 :P But I searching for 1xAA or 1x16340, small light right now. Nitecore EZAA, Fenix E15, JetBeam PA01, Olight I2 comes to mind... which one is the brightest?
Got my P1C today. It seems to be functionally identical to the jetbeam, and with 16340 has two modes (bright and hella bright). With 16340, the low mode seems fairly close to the high on my EX11.2 which is supposedly 200 lumens, and the P1C high on 16340 is noticeably brighter.
The base of the driver looks different than the BC10, so maybe they are not the same???
Pros- I like the forward clicky, nice body, nice simple lanyard, decent clip. Two modes: Bright and super bright (60/245 claimed lumens)- very simple.
Cons-1) low mode is too high, manufacturer claims 60 lumens on 3.0V, and Low on 16340 looks to be ~200+ (16340 is not officially supported)
2) Clip is better/deeper than on BC10, but does contact head and will likely cause wear to anodizing
3) Mode changing requires two hands, and any pressure on head while turning it on etc can trigger change between high and low. For example, if you are squeezing the whole light in your hand while turning it on or off, sizeways or forward pressure between the body and head cause it to flicker or jump from high to low. Avoiding touching the head portion avoids this (this phenomenon is seen with many multiple mode twisty lights).
So, nitecore has to wait.