I need to step away from this project for a few mins so I thought that I would share the battery adventure with you all. Its a long story.
TLDR - Bought a bunch of stuff based on a test of one Streamlight model, none of it worked as I intended. Have pile of stuff to try to make something work. Frustrated.
In preparation of receiving a new Lantac UTP I decided to tie up some loose ends with hardware. It was time to take the OWL off of the DD and replace it with another light, put a light on the Benelli M4 mount which has been ready for quite a while, replace my EDC light that was lost some time back. Just odds and ends to finalize things...for now.
Start -
I saw that the Streamlight Rail Mount HL-X was at a really good price ($98) so I snagged that. Its not the best light but 1000 lum, rail mount for convenience, comes with pressure pad & there is a low profile mount for the pad, good price (another OWL would be great but considering the number of things that I have ben purchasing I REALLY needed to tamp it down). Ordered.
Testing -
Light comes in. works great. I test it with the spare 18650 battery form the OWL, and it works very well, despite it not being the recommended Streamlight 18650 (this is the sanyo red, 0.1V lower, greater capacity). AND the tail cap fits perfectly snug into the AVA light mount that has been sitting lightless on the Benelli M4. AAND the non-rail version without pressure switch is at an even better price. AAAND the thinner head version (just like the one that I lost in a theater) is on sale. AAAAND they appear to all work with the same batteries as the OWL. Everything seems to be falling into place!
Buy More Stuff! -
ok, so since all of these lights are on sale and all use same batteries, this is easy, right? Order light for Benelli, order pocket light, order mounting hardware for DD rail. Order batteries.
6x red Sanyo NCR18650GA Battery ordered(2x for every light),
2x backup OWL batteries ordered
handheld HL-X ordered fro Benelli
pocket 2L-X ordered...for pocket
hardware ordered. Everything comes in. Batteries all take about 2 days to charge, time to assemble and be done!
ASSEMBLE AND BE DONE! -
I start with the easiest one. Benelli light pocket clip gets unscrewed, freshly charged bat goes in, test click. Nothing. No light.
make sure battery is in right. click - nothing. Try another battery, click - nothing. Grab set of CR123, it works! Well SH*T. After inspecting the inside i discover that the contact is recessed more on this light than the Rail Mount version. who would have thought?
ok, thats not ideal, but it'll mount right? try it in the mount and NOPE, different tail cap than the Rail Mount. Says its the same, but the outer material is thinner by .03" which is just enough to not hold it in the mount. Double sh*t.
I test the pocket light. Same thing, Click - nothing. Yet another type of contact at the head, still recessed within a plastic piece and will not connect. Triple sh*t.
Now I have three lights that were purchased because they all were supposed to share parts and work the same way, a pile of batteries, and mounts that may or may not work for other configurations and the only thing that works is the original rail mount light.
Streamlight isn't the BEST light brand, but they have been holding their own so I didnt think that I was going bottom of the barrel. It seems that a slightly higher end approach may have saved me some trouble.
*edited model numbers
TLDR - Bought a bunch of stuff based on a test of one Streamlight model, none of it worked as I intended. Have pile of stuff to try to make something work. Frustrated.
In preparation of receiving a new Lantac UTP I decided to tie up some loose ends with hardware. It was time to take the OWL off of the DD and replace it with another light, put a light on the Benelli M4 mount which has been ready for quite a while, replace my EDC light that was lost some time back. Just odds and ends to finalize things...for now.
Start -
I saw that the Streamlight Rail Mount HL-X was at a really good price ($98) so I snagged that. Its not the best light but 1000 lum, rail mount for convenience, comes with pressure pad & there is a low profile mount for the pad, good price (another OWL would be great but considering the number of things that I have ben purchasing I REALLY needed to tamp it down). Ordered.
Testing -
Light comes in. works great. I test it with the spare 18650 battery form the OWL, and it works very well, despite it not being the recommended Streamlight 18650 (this is the sanyo red, 0.1V lower, greater capacity). AND the tail cap fits perfectly snug into the AVA light mount that has been sitting lightless on the Benelli M4. AAND the non-rail version without pressure switch is at an even better price. AAAND the thinner head version (just like the one that I lost in a theater) is on sale. AAAAND they appear to all work with the same batteries as the OWL. Everything seems to be falling into place!
Buy More Stuff! -
ok, so since all of these lights are on sale and all use same batteries, this is easy, right? Order light for Benelli, order pocket light, order mounting hardware for DD rail. Order batteries.
6x red Sanyo NCR18650GA Battery ordered(2x for every light),
2x backup OWL batteries ordered
handheld HL-X ordered fro Benelli
pocket 2L-X ordered...for pocket
hardware ordered. Everything comes in. Batteries all take about 2 days to charge, time to assemble and be done!
ASSEMBLE AND BE DONE! -
I start with the easiest one. Benelli light pocket clip gets unscrewed, freshly charged bat goes in, test click. Nothing. No light.
make sure battery is in right. click - nothing. Try another battery, click - nothing. Grab set of CR123, it works! Well SH*T. After inspecting the inside i discover that the contact is recessed more on this light than the Rail Mount version. who would have thought?
ok, thats not ideal, but it'll mount right? try it in the mount and NOPE, different tail cap than the Rail Mount. Says its the same, but the outer material is thinner by .03" which is just enough to not hold it in the mount. Double sh*t.
I test the pocket light. Same thing, Click - nothing. Yet another type of contact at the head, still recessed within a plastic piece and will not connect. Triple sh*t.
Now I have three lights that were purchased because they all were supposed to share parts and work the same way, a pile of batteries, and mounts that may or may not work for other configurations and the only thing that works is the original rail mount light.
Streamlight isn't the BEST light brand, but they have been holding their own so I didnt think that I was going bottom of the barrel. It seems that a slightly higher end approach may have saved me some trouble.
*edited model numbers
