This Novatac Storm with N219b 4500k has been setup with LiIon Battery Detect per the manual, with a 5 second hold at startup. This setting is persistent through battery swaps.
Unlike newer models, removing and reinserting a battery that is around 3v (Full Primary CR123 Voltage level), does not automatically turn off the LiIon Low Battery Warning that causes the light to flash on low mode when Voltage drops to 3v.
3.8v produces 91 lumens
3.0v produces blinking @ 0.2 lumens
2.8v produces 68 Lumens
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Normal operation:
Here is a LiIon above the Low Voltage Warning trigger point, this is Maximum mode for this light:
Begin Low Voltage Warning @ 3v:
Here is a Battery that is triggering the 3v flashing on low mode feature of the LiIon Low Battery Voltage Warning System. While in this mode, turning the light off and on, only yields flashing Low mode. The light does not know whether the battery is LiIon or Primary, the trigger is the Voltage, not the battery chemistry.
End Low Voltage Warning @ 2.8v
I discovered an interesting behavior when inserting a battery at 2.8v, it bypasses the LiIon Low Battery Voltage Warning System. The light no longer flashes, instead it operates normally, except that the highest mode has stepped down to 68 lumens maximum, at this voltage. Again, the light does not know whether the battery is LiIon or Primary, the trigger is the Voltage, not the battery chemistry.
What this means
- It is possible that when using unprotected LiIon, that a Novatac, and especially an HDS that has Automatic Battery detection, such as the latest models, could OverDischarge a LiIon. I use Protected LiIon as a preventative.
2. Once a battery falls below 2.8v, the Low Voltage Warning System is bypassed. This can be very useful, as it allows for extended runtime from Primary CR123, well below the safe discharge level of LiIon… this feature is available even without resetting the Battery Detection to Primary, IF the voltage is below 2.8v.
3. In practice, inserting a full CR123 Primary, into a LiIon configured light, will only produce low mode flashing, unless either the Battery Detect is Reset, OR the Primary cell falls below 2.8v.
4. If an UnProtected LiIon that is below 2.8v (BAD Idea!) is inserted into the light, it can be overdischarged.