We’ve read SurvivalBlog for several years, my wife first (she’s the farmer), and more recently, me… the last 4-5 years. (I’m the farmer’s husband, but, grew up on 250 acres, farming).
I took particular note of the recommendation ‘not’ to use/buy appliances which use 18650 batteries (Li-ion rechargeable). We bought four of these 18650 batteries [1] 2.5 years ago, and use them nearly every day. This particular variety is not in stock on Amazon – however, the replacements are well worth considering, if you’re actively using flashlights.
Our old standard flashlights, were Mag-Lites, 3, 4, 6 D-cell versions, which we’d had for at +30 years, and used hundreds of batteries, and a few bulbs. Started with the standard bulb, then the brighter halogen bulb – and of course Alkaline batteries, which made the Mag-lites quite heavy, the 6 D-cell has a particular name among law enforcement, also served as a handy “bat”… Whenever I got a call after dark to work an outage in some Milwaukee neighborhoods, I took the 6-cell Mag-lite, over my shoulder, like a baseball bat – people moved away from me, instead of getting in my face.
The first 18560 flashlight was this little compact model, which I first used at work, in poorly lit Telephone Central Offices, and of course on the farm. We bought 6 of them, only 4 of them remain in use.
The issue was poor moisture seals, internal components, the lens, battery contacts, corroded, and the switch would eventually quit working. They’re not worth trying to tear apart, none of the replacement parts are available.
They do have a magnet on the ‘tail end’ which was great for sticking on a metal surface to work on something else. 2-3 of them stuck on pipes, duct work, iron racks, and you’re work area in a dark basement suddenly flooded with light. The zoomable lens might not seem that useful, until you hear the dogs barking wildly at something in the distance, which upon focusing that beam in tight, highlights a Coyote or Fox stalking your Chickens & Ducks. The other downside, is that it could only use a 18650 battery. Battery life was good, recharging took a couple of hours, about 1/2 a day through the battery charging port, so we bought extra batteries and a couple of 4-cell chargers. While the GE has great reception / sensitivity, it’s boxed in light plastic, which breaks easily & the battery door on both of ours keeps falling off – we taped it shut to keep it shut.
The 18650 12vdc battery packs 4 or 8 battery versions, also fit the Game Caller / Coyote & Crow chaser, again the 18650 batteries are multi-use. At the time we decided to go rechargeable batteries / systems, I was also working at one of the big 3 Telecom/Internet companies, the Backbone for the US and beyond. We had a lot of sealed, valve regulated battery banks, though not my main job, we were tasked with 6-month battery testing. If you’re interested in learning all about something… take care of it +20 years, you’re bound to experience all the plusses and minuses.
There’s a saying in St. Croix, where hurricanes can stop the resupply barges for weeks, “one is none, two is one”. If it’s something ‘necessary’, you always buy 2 of them. My wife & I always did the same, ‘his & hers’ in everything, including sporting equipment – it kept us together, enjoying the same things TOGETHER. Eight kids later… well, that’s what farmers did, raise their own help!
Okay, back to the previous mentioned model, and why I think the 18650 battery system is really superior: As we noticed the original flashlights beginning to fail (purchased $9.99ea on August & September 2018), we started looking for something just as cheap, maybe improved?
As with most reviews on Amazon, the ‘5-star ratings’ did little to give useful information over time, just sell more product. What we got was pretty much an improvement, and the 18650 battery capacity had also improved, a real plus – however, brightness is inversely proportional to time of usefulness. You want super-bright, then expect super-short battery life. Low brightness is far more useful during an extended power outage – which we have OFTEN. What ultimately influenced our purchase was the ability to swap out batteries from 18650 to AAA and/or recharge from any computer, car, or bulk charger. We still have the 2.5yr old AAA batteries in the shrink wrap, and the 3-cell adapter, in case… But, we keep a ‘stash’ of charged, ready to go 18650 batteries for all of our small devices, like my bedside Clock-radio, Weather Radio, Game Caller/Crow chaser away, Weather station, Computers & 12vdc Monitors.
The SuperFire C20-G does almost everything the original light did, but has a USB-C charging port – fast charging, and adapter cords to the older USB or cigarette sockets are currently easy to come by. Again, buy mulltiples, in this case, we use the same charging cord for the cell phones, multiple use is better than single function. The C20-G has great long range focusing, we can light up a Deer at +400′, the entire body, not just the eyes. Both flashlights are light weight <6oz compared to a +2lb D-cell single function Mag-lite. Oh, the SuperFire comes with 5 modes of operation High-Medium-Low-Stobe-SOS (SOS is probably useless, few people grasp morse these days. 2.5yrs of use, and the original 4 are still working good, the best part, all the moisture, rain, snow, wet conditions have had no adverse effects on the SuperFire flash lights. No corrosion on internal parts, batteries, switches, charging port, lens. Hey! Someone finally got sealing a flashlight right! Not even $25-45 Mag-lite had accomplished that (yes, we went through the glass & reflector replacements too). The manufacturer accurately claims: “Water Proof Design: IP46 Waterproof. Whether, in the field or indoors, it can show amazing endurance. Hidden charging port, no fear of rain and snow.” – we confirm it, even the focusing lense is as clear as the day be purchased them.
The two drawbacks of these higher-powered LED lights, IMHO, if it doesn’t have a magnet on the other end, I wish it had a clip that could be snapped onto something solid, and the light then swiveled to illuminate the workspace. Sort of a super-belt-clip, hat clip, pipe clip, get the idea? Lanyards are fine for walking around through the fields / woods, tracking down a silly, escaped cow, or wounded Deer after dark, but for stationary work, a magnet is a good start.
The other issue is ‘brute power’ isn’t needed, nor desired for the bathroom during a power outage… at 2am… wife sleeping… bright, blinding light, seeping under the bathroom door – she might mistake a ‘visit to mother nature’. Brightness means shortened battery life. Before someone states the obvious, let’s remember the idea of “Multi-use” devices, like Lantern-Stoves. They might not function as well as a single-use device, but, who cooks in the dark?
Our Motorola Weather radio takes 2 of the 18650 batteries, originally took 4 of the AA batteries, which lasted 2-3 days (not rechargeable), now lasts over a week (rechargeable).
This plug-in AC adapter, fits our small ‘box’ computers & monitors. about 1 day of use. We have a doubled tray, holds 8 of them, it’ll power a computer & 24″ “Sceptre” brand, 12vdc monitor a couple of days.
As a rule, we do not buy or allow these 200-500watt Tower PCs & power hungry monitors, our goal is <50 watts combined.
The battery pack plugs right into the back of our Sangean WR-22SE clock radio (vintage 2018), planted right in line with my right ear (plagued with Tinnitus), helps me sleep, also has GREAT sound. With a decent antenna (which I have a business building KJ4ADN on QRZ.com), it easily pulls in stations from Canada, NY, OH, GA, and with Bluetooth, it continues to keep up somewhat with modern technology. It replaced our 2 GE Super Radio 3s, because I kept knocking them off the bedside table. Besides sounding as good as the GE Super Radio, the LED display will auto-darken, keeping the room sleepable. A 4-pack of 18650 batteries, lasts between 1-2 weeks, when using it at ‘sleeping volume’, playing the Bible off the USB port. An 8-pack… haven’t had the need to try it. Why not convert the GE Super Radio 3 to 18650 batteries? Like take a wooden dowel rod, drill it out and slide in batteries….?
Lastly, the radio which got us started as a 18650 battery user, the Sangen PL880 SW radio. Being a ham, I wanted to gift our boys with pocket-sized SW radios they could throw in the glove box of the car/truck, for emergency use. Something good. The Sangen PL880 comes with USB & LSB modes, if you’re a ham, you already know how easy listening to the ham bands on Shortwave, with Lower Side Band / Upper Side Band. It can be done in AM mode, but it’s difficult even after a lot of ‘ear training’.
We are so impressed with a true rechargeable battery, unlike the AAA, AA, C & D batteries that claimed ‘rechargeable’ – but really had limited lifetime recharging… yet expensive! We decided to stick with something that seemed to work as advertised. That was 2017, the last time we purchased any 18650 batteries was in April 2018. We’ve lost 2-3 of them, out of the dozens we have. We’ve tried to stick with the Panasonic brands, or made-for-Panasonic (it’ll take some digging to find who manufactures them, relabels etc.). All of them fall into the 2000mAh to 3500mAh, Li-ion type, made by EBL.
If those fail, and someday they will, we can pop in a 3-pack adapter of AAA batteries to do the same job. For now, after seven years of use, batteries are much more than a luxury on our farm, work or play – we’re sold on Li-Ion for these small applications.