Dear Experts
I was reading the thread in the link above but since it had been posted while ago and I didn’t want to revive the old thread and some lights were discontinued when I searched for them
I have got 4 cars for family I am looking to get 4 lights CR123a for car glovebox.
What would yopu recommend ?
Thx
Rather than CR123, I’d recommend something that utilizes primary lithium AA. Perhaps a Skilhunt H150, since it’s a right angle light with a head strap. If you have to change a tire, it’s good to have both hands free. Magnetic tail cap also means being able to stick it onto the hood if you need to check things, and it also offers a beacon mode if you need to signal for help. Just keep it manually locked out with the tail cap until you need to use it.
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agree
that is the light I choose to keep in my car
JetBEAM Jet-II Mk
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What light would you hand to them for any emergency anywhere at any time?
Sufficient light for multiple scenarios and a UI that is not overly complicated should be the first priorities. The battery type should not be the first priority.
And one is not enough. Something slightly throwy and some form of headlight should be included. If they can share the same battery type that is an advantage.
Actually the battery type, for storage in a car, is very important, and is definitely first priority.
The OP specifically asked for a CR123a light (that is a Lithium Primary, non rechargeable), because he apparently knows that they have the best heat tolerance, and the longest storage life.
And as CookieDave pointed out, AA Lithium Primary, branded Energizer Ultimate Lithium, have equally good temperature tolerance, as well as equally good storage life, as CR123a Lithium Primaries.
The problem with LiIon, when stored in a car in summer, is that the heat causes the battery to lose its charge. That is why I do not store LiIon in my car, in summer.
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Where are you based? Not all climates need lithium cells, for example in London, UK, NiMh cells would be fine.
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I got myself a T4 for this purpose. I was planning to use eneloops as I dislike anything disposable. Does anyone know how the self discharge of eneloops is at very low or high temperatures? It usually goes to -5°C in winter and +35°C at most in summer where I live, and since we’re at roughly 45° latitude, we don’t have the crazy burning sun some of you might have.
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Thx all for your feedbacks and helps
Summer heat sometime not always 45C and inside car might reach 60C
Yes we know that the ideal storage voltage of lithium ion batteries is somewhere between 3.3 and 3.6 volts depending on who you believe and various factors. And if they are stored at a full voltage of near 4.2v they will self-discharge at a faster rate especially in higher temperatures. Once you get down to 4.0 volts the amount of self-discharge is negligible. So yes, you are going to lose a bit off the top of fully charged lithium ion batteries. Storage temperature guidelines are generated to provide the best life as far as charge cycles and capacity and overall degradation. I choose 18650s stored at 4.0 volts in my vehicles. I am sure they’re going to have more power available after one year or 5 years without touching them then a cr123a. If someone wants to argue that a 21700 is an even better choice I would agree.
Eneloop work very well for me, both summer and winter. LiIon also works in winter. Temps here range from -12C to 35C
I put Eneloop AA in my H150, plus Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA as backup.
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This sounds great, thank you! White or black “Pro”? I will probably get both in the Ikea version as I plan to switch w lot of alkaleak or crappy old NiMh over to a new decent batch of Ikea eneloops.
I use white, they last longer (more recharge cycles)
otoh, Black have more capacity, when new…
I have both, they are old. The black now give 50% lower output than the white. So I bought white to replace the old black.
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Which one do you recommend ? please share me the link for your recommendation to avoid imitation
I am planing to buy one from your recommendation and one from Oli recommendation
Ca you please share with me the link as I found on Ali Express little bit scare of the copy one
dont worry, there are no copies
buy wherever you feel comfortable
I use Aliex because it costs less (but takes longer)
otoh, buy from Amazon if you want the option to return the light if you do not like it
Thx jon for your help
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Wurkkos FC11C
That is a newer version of the fc11.
They have both been widely recommended by many people here for friends and family or anybody wanting a general purpose all around good light. Click on. Press and hold to ramp up , press and hold to ramp down. Click off.
Wurkkos HD15 headlight.
Click On. Press and hold to scroll- low medium high. Click off.
They both have more to the UI if you want to understand it all but with those two basic things you can operate everything you need. They both have magnets in the tail. They are both rechargeable with a type C cable. If somebody is away from the house with the vehicle overnight or for a week they can easily recharge things.
They are both available in 4000K directly from the wurkkos website.
Thx Oli for your help
The only problem with “emergency” lights is that they get forgotten about until decades later or when an actual “emergency” exists… maybe… only to find that the light and/or cell are trash. The cell, even a '123, might go dead, might leak, etc., and take the light with it. That’s why commercial fire-extinguishers are inspected every year, by law.
Better to keep light with cells in a separate baggie, and “rotate out” at least each year. Get 2 lights for each person, to use a light in the house. Each yearly inspection or so, take the old cells in the car inside to use in a light, and put new cells in the car.
Oherwise, you might have the light with cell(s) inside for 2, 3, 5, 10yrs, and not know if the cell’s even good if/when you might need it.
And how many people have an eternally chirping ceiling-bird vs just changing the damned 9V battery inside? That’s a) inside the house, and b) audibly alerting you the battery’s going dead, and still people choose to ignore it. So forget about a light whose cell just quietly dies in its sleep after 5yrs of disuse. Whoever drives the car might not even remember that there’s a light in there, even in an emergency situation, and will just pull out a phone as a “flashlight” instead.
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Do they all have mobile phones?