is cr123 batteries really bad (enercell from radioshack), i don't want to have to order 18650's over the internet
but i probably will so what brand of 18650 batteries should i get
I had an incident with old CR123a batteries (primaries) that were made in China. I bought a big box of them, to use in my various LED lights, about 7 or 8 years ago. The batteries were UL approved units from China that were sold under the Battery Station brand.
It turned out that after 2 or 3 years, some of the internal seals deteriorate and the batteries would short and out-gas. So I had a pair of the old batteries (remember these have a 10 year shelf life) in my 4Sevens Maelstrom G5. While in use, the batteries out-gassed and caught fire inside the housing. The rubber boot over the clicky button ballooned out and helped contain the gases while absorbing some of the pressure.
The light is now with 4Sevens for evaluation and repair/replacement and I've had a few emails with the owner of Battery Station. Basically, there's no way of telling which Chinese made batteries are immune to this sort of failure and he has long since switched to a US manufacturer. His advice to me was to recycle the remaining cells and restock with trusted US made cells. He had to throw out his entire inventory of Chinese batteries and take that loss. If the light isn't covered under warranty, he offered to cover the cost of replacement as well as offer a big discount for replacing the old batteries.
Based on this experience, I'd recommend 2 things. One, stick with a US made brand for CR123a primaries. Two, be very mindful when pairing 2 cells. Don't mix old and new batteries. Always replace them together with brand new cells. These two things should help prevent dangerous failures.
I'm very impressed with responses from both parties. And I'm confident they will take care of my problem.
For rechargeable Li-ion cells, I use AW's protected cells.
Good luck!
I'm not sure but I think special forces are taking a close look at this model.
