Anyone switch from 18650 to AA headlamp?

rj2

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I have a zebralight h52w AA headlamp and a Skilhunt H03 18650 headlamp. I was thinking to take the Zebralight for backpack elk hunt, but am starting to think the extra weight of the 18650 light would be worth the output/runtime advantages.

Has anyone who started using 18650 headlamps ever switch back to AA headlamp for any reason?
 

TheRambler

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The only time i would not bring a heavier 18650 headlamp is if it’s summer time/long days with no planned night hiking. Hunting and late fall/winter trips i always bring the 18650. Summer i can save 5oz or so by bringing a much lighter option. That being said i will probably not swap it out unless i am really trying to shave weight.
 
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I bring one of my many Zebralight 18650 lights and store a spare battery in a very safe place...a second Zebralight 18650 light. They weigh less than any AA lights with comparable energy storage (i.e. multiple AA batteries). I love the luxury of having more than enough light for normal activity, and a huge backup for extraordinary events.
 
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BluMtn

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I would not go back to AA after using 18560s for about 5 yrs now. Light last longer and brighter.
 
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If you spend enough time in the cold you will have AA batteries leak on you and that can be a bummer. You can run lithium AA but they get pricey and the last batch I bought on amazon seemed to be knock offs.

I run and love a couple of zebra light headlamps as my primary. I back them up with a small surefire light that runs 123s.
 
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Summer backpack hunting I prefer a small AAA headlight with one set of spares. Mostly gets used for walking on the trail and cooking. I’ve had some 18560s fail on me, mostly user error getting turned on in the pack kinda stuff. If I’m ounce counting and not expecting a lot of nighttime off trail navigation then it’s worth it for me to skip the big headlight.
 
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For all flashlights it is a very good idea to lock them out when they aren't on your head or in your hand. Zebralights need a 1/32 turn of the tail cap to completely lock them out, which is one of the features that make them so user-friendly for me.

Regarding any primary batteries, the flashoholics (of which I admittedly am) don't touch alkalines (we call them alkaleaks). They can render a light unusable in the field, and often even working on it in the shop won't revive it. There are several online battery vendors who are known good suppliers of rechargeables and primary lithiums. CandlePowerForums.com is a great resource if you want to know anything about lights. Fair warning, spend a little time there and within a few months you might find yourself investing in one-off vintage lights made by some true innovators, like this Mr. Bulk Dragonheart, the only one made that was gold plated...

Dragonheart1.jpgDragonheart2.jpg
 
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Tbuckus

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So this may be a dumb question.
what 18650 batteries do you guys buy? As in manufacturer or website?

I just bought a lamp/charger and it didnt come with the batteries so I need to get some.
 

Tod osier

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So this may be a dumb question.
what 18650 batteries do you guys buy? As in manufacturer or website?

I just bought a lamp/charger and it didnt come with the batteries so I need to get some.

You can buy unprotected or protected cells. Unprotected cells are just the bare cell and they are cheaper, they are the individual cells that are bundled in consumer electronics. Protected cells have a chip/circuit added to make them less likely to rapidly discharge and heat up causing a fire (they are safer, but more expensive).

I have the Sanyo (red) unprotected cells, 3500mah.
 

2ski

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Someone help me through the zebra lamp website. I see a lot of options for headlamps but I don't get the difference between most of them. What are you guys running?
 

Brendan

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I like my Zebralight AA's. Have two red ones and a white one (H502w, H502r) I also have an 18650 flashlight and an 18650 headlamp.

When hunting in the backcountry, I bring the AA headlamp, and the 18650 flashlight, plus a small Petzl eLight backup. No backup batteries for the flashlight, but AA's are interchangeable with my Steripen. I also like the lighter weight of the AA size and have never had an issue with light output or how long it lasts. I use Lithium batteries exclusively unless I'm day tripping around home - I have some rechargeables for that.

Whitetail hunting - I use the red sneaking in and out of my stands in the dark.
 
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So this may be a dumb question.
what 18650 batteries do you guys buy? As in manufacturer or website?

I just bought a lamp/charger and it didnt come with the batteries so I need to get some.

https://www.18650batterystore.com is a great source for good, fresh batteries. https://www.imrbatteries.com is another great source. You can trust them. Depending on your light, you may not be able to run protected batteries, and you may not need them. Protection means there is a little circuit board on one end of the battery that will turn the battery off under certain conditions. Once you know whether you need protected or not, you then check what the max current draw is on your light and match your battery to that. Some batteries can produce extremely high current draw. These are great if you need them, but the generally will drain faster and often have less total capacity.

So, what light do you have?
 

Beendare

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Someone help me through the zebra lamp website. I see a lot of options for headlamps but I don't get the difference between most of them. What are you guys running?
I did a thread here a couple years ago that goes into much more detail, "Happy headlamp to me" testing a bunch of these.

FWIW, I get app 4x from an 18650 version over the AA headlamps.

The high CRI Zebra is a very good option for a hunt. .

The Fenix 18650 batteries have been better than the others I've used.

A good battery charger makes a difference


______
 
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Good unprotected batteries:

Sanyo, Samsung, Panasonic-NCR, Sony

Specific models (none of these cost more than $8, and the average is closer to $5):
- Sony VTC6 18650 3000mAh 15A Battery (with 15 amp capability, will support very bright lights)
- Samsung 30Q 18650 3000mAh 15A Battery
- Panasonic NCR18650B 3400mAh 4.9A Battery (still powers most lights, but has more capacity and lower self-discharge)
- Sanyo NCR18650GA 3500mAh 10A Battery
 
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Any safety concerns with unprotected cells in a pack or Nino harness?

Not as long as you store them in a battery container, which you normally get when you order them. Heck, before I knew what I was doing I carried a bunch of batteries loose in a ziplock. The risk is low, but real. So since you get a container anyway, you might as well carry them inside it. They weigh almost nothing. If you use one of the little pockets on your bino harness and don't put anything else in there, your battery is absolutely safe without a case.

PRO TIP: The weight of the lightest battery containers is about 0.4 oz. The weight of a Zebralight 18650 headlamp is 1.4 oz (far less than many AA lights). So I store my extra battery in a bulletproof battery carrier. It just happens to also be a spare flashlight. 🔦🙂
 

NEPkaspot

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Glad you mentioned that. Have both zebralight headlamp and handheld. Usually carry headlamp in bino harness and handheld in pack. Maybe carrying another battery separate is overkill?
 
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Yes, I think carrying an extra light with battery in it is plenty. An 18650 weighs between 1.6 - 1.75 oz, so not heavy. So for a long trip it isn't a huge weight penalty to carry three, counting the two lights. But seldom necessary. I have never run out of even one 18650.

NOTE: Zebralight flashlights generally cannot fit protected cells, but their headlamps can. However, neither light requires protected cells. Just good to know that if your local 7-11 only has protected Vape cells, they will work in your headlamp but not your flashlight. You might be able to force one in your flashlight, but it will likely damage the contacts. Ask me how I know.
 
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