Running the Malkoff Bodyguard on an IMR 16340 Cell

[NH Shooter]

I thought I'd post this separately from the NEW! Malkoff Bodyguard thread.

For those who purchase the complete Bodyguard flashlight or for those who purchase the Bodyguard head only and wish to use it on a 1-CR123 body, this thread is for you.



The primary advantages of using an IMR 16340 cell vs. a CR123 battery is (1) lower long term battery cost and (2) better performance from the light. The Bodyguard is rated at 450 lumens on a CR123 lithium battery and 600 lumens on a rechargeable Li-ion battery due to its higher voltage.

As stated on the Malkoff website, the Bodyguard can be powered with a single IMR 16340 rechargeable cell. Due to the high current draw of this head (over 2 amps), the small 16340 cell must be the Lithium manganese oxide (IMR) chemistry, so be sure to use ONLY cells with the IMR designation.

For this test I used an Efest IMR 16340 700mAh cell and charged it with an Xtar VP-2 charger.

Runtime Test

Due to the unique automatic step-down feature of the Bodyguard, the only way to determine runtime on maximum output is to keep cycling the light. For this test I activated the light and as soon as it stepped down, I reset the timer by turning the light off and then immediately back on. On my light it takes about 8.5 seconds from when it is activated to when it steps down to the 150 lumen mode. After every 10 on-off cycles I removed the cell and checked the voltage, starting with a fully charged cell at 4.2 volts;

On-off Cycles - Voltage

10 - 4.07V
20 - 4.00V
30 - 3.92V
40 - 3.86V
50 - 3.81V
60 - 3.76V
70 - 3.74V
80 - 3.70V
90 - 3.67V
100 - 3.64V
110 - 3.62V
120 - 3.60V
130 - 3.56V
140 - 3.53V
150 - 3.48V
160 - 3.24V
164 - under 3.0 volts, end of test*

*light would only run in reduced output mode

A freshly charged IMR 16340 700mAh cell provided over 20 minutes of runtime at full output. Put another way, you can "flash 'n dash" with the Bodyguard/IMR 16340 combo at least 150 times before having to worry about a depleted cell.

If you use the Bodyguard flashlight for it's intended purpose, the output and runtime is actually quite impressive for the size of the light. If you desire longer runtime, you can use a 2-CR123 body with a 16650 2500mAh cell and at least triple the above results.

Questions? Please feel free to post them below!

[Exiledviking]

Thank you for the review. Would run total run times be better with the 16340 as well over a CR123A battery?

You said only to use IMR batteries with this head due to the 2A drain. The Orbtronic batteries that I use show a max drain of 3A, but it's not an IMR battery as far as I can tell. Would the Orbtronic 16340 not be suitable? https://www.orbtronic.com/cr123a-163...tronic-battery

[Mirolynmonbro]

Thanks for testing all that out for me! [emoji4]

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[JAD]

Thank you for the review. Would run total run times be better with the 16340 as well over a CR123A battery?

You said only to use IMR batteries with this head due to the 2A drain. The Orbtronic batteries that I use show a max drain of 3A, but it's not an IMR battery as far as I can tell. Would the Orbtronic 16340 not be suitable? https://www.orbtronic.com/cr123a-163...tronic-battery

Following with interest.

[NH Shooter]

Thank you for the review. Would run total run times be better with the 16340 as well over a CR123A battery?

You said only to use IMR batteries with this head due to the 2A drain. The Orbtronic batteries that I use show a max drain of 3A, but it's not an IMR battery as far as I can tell. Would the Orbtronic 16340 not be suitable? https://www.orbtronic.com/cr123a-163...tronic-battery

That cell looks good for capacity. Only possible issue is length - it is 35.65mm long vs. 32.86mm for the Efast due to the protection circuit, which is wafer board on the end of the battery under the protective wrapping. I'm not 100% certain you'll be able to tighten the head without damaging the cell - only way to find out is to try.

If it fits it should be good to go.

Edit - I think it will fit. Ordered two myself!

[BillSWPA]

Thank you for the review. Would run total run times be better with the 16340 as well over a CR123A battery?

You said only to use IMR batteries with this head due to the 2A drain. The Orbtronic batteries that I use show a max drain of 3A, but it's not an IMR battery as far as I can tell. Would the Orbtronic 16340 not be suitable? https://www.orbtronic.com/cr123a-163...tronic-battery

Regarding CR123 v. 16340, I would expect the 16340 to have about 1/2 the runtime of a CR123. However, there is no reason to ever let a 16340 get below 80% charge. They do not develop memory, and can be charged any time. Withn a CR123, you have to decide at what point to throw away a partially drained cell that still has some useful life in order to avoid a dead cell when you need it.

[NH Shooter]

Regarding CR123 v. 16340, I would expect the 16340 to have about 1/2 the runtime of a CR123.

At high current draw, the mAh capacity of a CR123 falls rapidly. Additionally, most are rated at only 1.5 amps continuous draw - http://data.energizer.com/pdfs/123.pdf

With that in mind, a single CR123 battery in the Bodyguard is being pushed hard. It certainly can be used to power the Bodyguard, but I suspect the run time will be no better - or perhaps even less - than a 16340 700mAh rechargeable. I'll do the same test and see what happens...

Good point about recharging Li-ion cells - no reason to wait until they are depleted. In fact, the cell will last longer if they are charged by around 3.7 volts.

[NH Shooter]

Would the Orbtronic 16340 not be suitable? https://www.orbtronic.com/cr123a-163...tronic-battery

Just got mine - it fits and carries the load just fine! It is now the cell I will use in the 1-CR123 body.

[Clusterfrack]

Efest IMR 16340 is out of stock. Are there any equivalent or better options for the one-cell BodyGuard2?

[NH Shooter]

Efest IMR 16340 is out of stock. Are there any equivalent or better options for the one-cell BodyGuard2?

https://www.orbtronic.com/16340-batt...le-best-li-ion