Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Best

Thinking I want to go with one Fenix light on my commuter bike.. 10-15 min. ride to work in am. What one light would be the best?? Thinking the Fenix Digital P3D RB100 Black Premium 100. I can always add another light at a later date if I want.

Also would you buy their ,Energizer E2 Lithium CR123A cells or is their better??

Also, their charger or this one, Maha MH-C9000 WizardOne??

For my night rides I use two P3D rebel 100s and a P2D on the helmet.

I would be cautious using a single P3D, as it doesn't cast a wide light. It is very bright, but using two I can cover plenty of side distance. For a 10-15 minute ride, you could get by with a single CR123 light like the P2D.

I use the AW rechargeable cells from light-hound.com or fenix-store.com with their dual charger. Works well. I also carry a backup Energizer CR123, just in case.

To the best of my knowledge from checking out the MAHA MH-C9000 charger it can only do AA/AAA and somewhere I read it can do C/D (if you have some special jerry-rig setup) as well as thier cut off is something around ~10,000mA range. I read that somewhere on the Steves Digicam forums.

I highly doubt the MH-C9000 can charge li-ion RCR123 cells as it's designed for NIMH.

I would go with rechargeables personally to save money in the long run. Get one set of CR123's and keep as a spare and use the rechargables daily. Only use the spares if/when the rechargeables are dead and you're out in the field somewhere and need power NOW. CR123's have a shelf life rating of 10yrs from all I've read.

You can also get some CR123 disposibles from DealExtreme (www.DealExtreme.com) which offer free S/H world wide. Or if you want everything in one shipment then get from the Fenix Store so you can get all the items in basket.

I have read something about using cheap CR123 disposibles getting rather hot when you're using the high/turbo modes. I think if I remember what I read right it had something to do with the internal resistance of the battery. Good batteries (more expensive) can last longer with less heat if I read right.

Some people bought RCR123's from www.all-battery.com with thier 900mA cells and reported no issues with the battery fit. Fenix Store reassured me as with others in the forums that the rechargeable cells from Fenix Store don't get stuck in the light.

For my night rides I use two P3D rebel 100s and a P2D on the helmet.

I would be cautious using a single P3D, as it doesn't cast a wide light. It is very bright, but using two I can cover plenty of side distance. For a 10-15 minute ride, you could get by with a single CR123 light like the P2D.

I use the AW rechargeable cells from light-hound.com or fenix-store.com with their dual charger. Works well. I also carry a backup Energizer CR123, just in case.

Just curious, where does one find CR123 2 and 4 cell holders?

For my night rides I use two P3D rebel 100s and a P2D on the helmet.

I would be cautious using a single P3D, as it doesn't cast a wide light. It is very bright, but using two I can cover plenty of side distance. For a 10-15 minute ride, you could get by with a single CR123 light like the P2D.

I use the AW rechargeable cells from light-hound.com or fenix-store.com with their dual charger. Works well. I also carry a backup Energizer CR123, just in case.

Are the P2D's brighter then the P3D's?? if so this doesn't make sense.

Also would this holder work with the P2D's? It seems better built then the one's from fenix.

http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1993

Isn't the Fenix P3D only a 160 lumen light on full power? I'm not saying that 160 lumen is bad; but for the same price you can get 220 lumens with this: http://www.szwholesale.com/cree-2x186502x18500-power-p-908.html

Or 240 lumens with this one: http://www.szwholesale.com/cree-240lumens-7417v-regulated-p-1044.html

Or 245 lumens: http://www.szwholesale.com/super-bright-power-glass-lens-2mode-rechargeable-42180-p-854.html

Just a few thoughts that's all.

The P3D CE is 160 lumens on turbo. The P3D Rebel 100 is 200 lumens on turbo.

Forgot to mention...I like using the Fenix lights because I use them as flashlights when I'm not riding. The 4 different output levels come in handy. I use the strobe when I'm riding during the day...it's a great attention getter. I could do without the SOS mode but at least they kept it out of the way.

The lights listed as alternatives don't appear to have any output levels other than full power, which I guess wouldn't be a bad thing if they're being used as bike lights only at night. However, even on a bike light I really like to see at least 2 modes (full power for nighttime and a strobe or flash mode of some kind for daytime use).

Zero: I just use a small plastic bag that's the perfect size for 2 CR123A batteries. I think it actually came with my Fenix P1 (for the keyring, clip, other accessories). It holds them side by side, keeping the positives and negatives apart...good enough for me. Here's a picture:
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa99/jeffb502/BatteryBagPhotos004.jpg