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The_Enquirer
64
Mar 28, 2019
I'd like to get this as an emergency light to keep in my car throughout the year. What battery would be good at dealing with Northeast heat and cold throughout the year?
Stepbystep
549
Mar 28, 2019
The_EnquirerLithium-ion does pretty well overall and isn't going to leak or lose charge too fast, but they do pretty poorly in the cold. This light does heat up a bit when run on turbo, but not sure it would do that well enough if it and the cell were already at sub-freezing temps. Honestly I don't think this light would be that great for general lighting in an emergency with such a tight and bright hot spot, but it does reach far and does provide light. If you don't need the distance, something like the Sofirn C8F triple emitter light would be fantastic (around $36 with 21700 battery if ordered overseas and can use a more normal 18650, and I think they're on amazon now but at a considerably higher price and without battery). It's about the same size, thinner in all aspects. Straight tube lights like the Convoy S2+ that use a single 18650 and a single emitter are also pretty good standards that can be really bright, just a bit less beam overall compared to these others. If all that is too much hassle, then using the 1.6 volt lithium primaries (not rechargable) would be the best bet for all-temp car storage and use...any light that can run on alkalines or NiMH rechargables can use those. They don't seem to leak like alkalines either.
The_Enquirer
64
Mar 28, 2019
StepbystepThanks for the info! I don't need the distance but rechargeable batteries are a must!
Stepbystep
549
Apr 1, 2019
The_EnquirerYou're welcome. I meant to reply the other day and forgot, sorry. So rechargeable is fine then, but when it's really cold you might expect some diminished output from any light, or get in the habit of taking the light indoors and back out with you when you drive. I don't have any experience using any type of battery in temps lower than around 15F but I think most all will still work and not give any no-power issues. It's smart to also get in the habit of draining and recharging the batteries at least a couple times a year but at the least it's prudent to pull them out and pop them on the charger anyway. Most lithium stores better (for cell life) in a half-charged state but it won't diminish cell life too terribly much if you keep them fully charged all the time and top them off periodically. I was thinking after the last comment that maybe one of the rotatable angle head lights with a magnetic tail might be a good option for you do consider. Massdrop has a Klarus one right now at a decent price. I don't have experience with that one but the similar models in various options from Rofis are very good and very well made, and there is a cheaper option that is also very worth considering from Nicron (I think the B-74 model, can't remember). If you need to change a tire in the dark or get under the hood, these can be stuck to body metal and are very handy, lots of light available plus low modes. They aren't throwers like this Lumintop on the drop but can carry a respectable distance even with the smaller head size, and they are certainly very visible to oncoming motorists if you point them that direction. I have a couple of the small AA/14500 angle lights from Rofis and Nicron and they're both great ($60 and $12 respectively and I actually like the cheaper one as much or maybe more), and one of them is always in my console box in the car.