Rechargable NiMH batteries for Surefire G2

jfindon

jfindon

Joined
Dec 12, 2006
Messages
967
Do they make them? I see they have NiCADs but I hate that type of battery and prefer NiMH, so are there any out there? For now I guess I'll just buy a box of SF batteries because I keep running out.
 
For what it's worth,

I've been using the AA PowerEX 2300 NiMH rechargeable in my Camera since 2004.
Bought 2 four packs and a charger and have recharged them hundreds of times with only 2 taking longer to recharge.
Sure has saved me a lot of money on battery's.

www.mahaenergy.com

Here is some similar battery's to mine,

and here is the charger I have.
 
I am not aware of any NiMH batteries for the G2. Some people use rechargeable Lithium ion batteries. I believe you can use a 3.7 volt bulb and use a 18650 battery. You can also use two rechargeable 123 batteries and use the P90 bulb. It is hella bright!
 
scooby said:
I am not aware of any NiMH batteries for the G2. Some people use rechargeable Lithium ion batteries. I believe you can use a 3.7 volt bulb and use a 18650 battery. You can also use two rechargeable 123 batteries and use the P90 bulb. It is hella bright!
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They have rechargeable 123 batteries? Where can I get them, I didn't see them at SFs site.

omaha-beenglockin said:
You could get the LED conversion head for your light---not as bright---but a heck of a lot easier on batteries.
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I'd prefer brightness over battery life, unless they make something that is very close to 65 lumens.
 
jfindon said:
I'd prefer brightness over battery life, unless they make something that is very close to 65 lumens.
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With the current Cree LED's, you can get a drop-in that is significantly brighter than your current lamp, with a longer runtime as well.

Solatek, Dealextreme, Wolf Eyes, G&P, BugOutGearUSA, and some others have models available. The cheapest is the DX one, at only $12.50, and although the quality isn't as nice, it's very bright. Quality control is a mixed bag, but for the price it's worth a shot. I have a couple of them and they stack up just fine against my Solatek unit, pictured here in the right column.

old-comparison.jpg

(P60 stock lamp, 5W luxeon, Cree Solatek)

I used to have a lot of beamshots comparing some different Cree drop-ins that I have, but my old web hosting account expired and I can't find them stored locally at the moment. As you can see from the above though, the Crees are quite bright, and my unit pictured above isn't even as bright as what is currently out there.

The Wolf Eyes units seem the most solid, if you're willing to pay the premium.

Then, depending on the voltage range of whatever unit you choose, you could run it off of a single 17670 li-ion or a pair of hi-voltage RCR123's.
 
They have rechargeable 123 batteries? Where can I get them, I didn't see them at SFs site.
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There is aftermarket (NOT Surefire) rechargeable batteries but they tend to run in the 3.6 Volt range. If you use those in a 2 cell light, that will be 1.2 volts excess. That will kill your lamp, instantly. Even .6 volts over is a lot, and should have the same result.
 
ThinkOfTheChildren said:
With the current Cree LED's, you can get a drop-in that is significantly brighter than your current lamp, with a longer runtime as well.

Solatek, Dealextreme, Wolf Eyes, G&P, BugOutGearUSA, and some others have models available. The cheapest is the DX one, at only $12.50, and although the quality isn't as nice, it's very bright. Quality control is a mixed bag, but for the price it's worth a shot. I have a couple of them and they stack up just fine against my Solatek unit, pictured here in the right column.

old-comparison.jpg

(P60 stock lamp, 5W luxeon, Cree Solatek)

I used to have a lot of beamshots comparing some different Cree drop-ins that I have, but my old web hosting account expired and I can't find them stored locally at the moment. As you can see from the above though, the Crees are quite bright, and my unit pictured above isn't even as bright as what is currently out there.

The Wolf Eyes units seem the most solid, if you're willing to pay the premium.

Then, depending on the voltage range of whatever unit you choose, you could run it off of a single 17670 li-ion or a pair of hi-voltage RCR123's.
Click to expand...

I forgot about those. How much longer of a runtime are we talking about, and do these fit seamlessly in my G2 body?
 
Please be very careful when using recharable 123's in series, they have a nasty habit of going boom. Reallly. Check out the batteries section of candlepowerforums.com.
 
jfindon said:
I forgot about those. How much longer of a runtime are we talking about, and do these fit seamlessly in my G2 body?
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The ones I have get about 2 hours total runtime on a pair of regular 123's. Runtime with rechargeables will vary widely depending on what cell(s) are chosen. I have old and new units from Solatek and CalvinMo and new units from DX. All the old units leave a small gap between the body and the head of the light, but all the new units from these names are a perfect fit.

As mentioned by others, the rechargeables are outside of the voltage range of normal 123's, and using RCR123 in series can be dangerous. Depending on what LED drop-in you choose, you can work around the voltage issue as they will tell you what range is acceptable. There are the newer LiFePO4 cells which are closer to CR123 normal voltage and are safer for use in series, but you take a big hit for runtime and I understand they still shouldn't be used with incandescent lamps. As others have mentioned the Battery forum on CPF is a great resource and if you are thinking of going down the li-ion road should be required reading.
 
Thanks for the info, I may just get one of those new lamps as well. I wanted to get the P90 lamp but I can't deal with a 20 minute runtime, so if this is a little brighter than the P60 and lasts almost twice as long I'll shoot for that.

EDIT: So this one would be a good choice for my G2? 170 lumens is insane, does it really output that using 2 123 batteries, or don't they have enough juice? I don't remember the voltage on them, but the range is 3.7-13v for that lamp.

EDIT 2: Ok, so if the 123a batteries are 3v, then that should be good right?
 
Whether they are rating emitter spec lumens or out the front lumens (of which I'm not sure), I'm sure it will blow you away regardless. Here's a thread on it that may prove helpful. And it will still run longer than the P60 lamp.

Yes, it will run great on 2 normal 123's (which will feed it 6v). Also, given that it has a lower threshold of 3.7v, you could run it off of a single 17670 cell (therefore not having to worry about running li-ions in series) if you are still exploring that route. Whichever you feed it within the rated range, you will get the same brightness, just varying runtime, given its regulation.
 
Awesome, I think I'll go ahead and buy that one tonight or tomorrow then. I'll also just get another box of 123As for now, and read up on the lithium route when I run out.

When you said this one was the most solid, what exactly did you mean? Just quality wise? If I'm going to spend $50 on a lamp assembly I want to make sure it's a good choice and there are any other competitors that may be brighter for the same money or slightly more :)

EDIT: Read that thread and now I have a better understanding. I just ordered the lamp from PTS and a box of batteries from SF.
 
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