Running Sekonic L-608 on RCR123, 4.2V cell?

So, freshly charged, those batteries get to about 4.2 volts. Even not-so-new RCR123's measure about 4.1 volts, fresh out of the charger. This is way above the 3.2 V or so of the primary lithium CR123 cells that also remain close to that value almost until the complete depletion.

 

I happen to own a single RCR123 battery which came with a flashlight I bought. Just to see what would happen, I 'discharged' it until it read 3.4V on the meter and I just loaded it into the Sekonic. I haven't run the device through any 'extensive' tests or anything like that but the meter seemed to work just fine.

 

So, my question is, should I risk putting in a freshly charged RCR123? The way I see it, 1 of 5 things could happen:

 

1. The Sekonic meter functions properly, producing accurate readings.

2. Everything appears to be fine, however, in reality the readings are off.

3. The produced light readings are either correct or incorrect, the instrument appears to function properly, however, its life is being shortened by the higher voltage battery cell.

4. An over-voltage protection is tripped and the device does not power up.

5. A catastrophic component failure which requires repairs.

 

*Keep in mind, that at the time of this instrument's engineering there were no 4.2V batteries that came in the size of CR123 cells, as far as I know, anyway. I would be surprised if this meter knew how to cope with the quite significant voltage drop of the RCR123 cells, which is from 4.2V all the way down to about 2.8V, at which point these cells are still usable in some devices.

 

It would be beyond awesome to hear from someone who's been actually using this particular model with RCR123 batteries for at least a couple of years or so but I'm probably asking too much.

 

Thanks!

Edited April 22, 2017 by david_r._edan

With respect, this all seems a bit silly. If you can afford a 608, then buy a fresh CR123 and be done with it.They're long-lasting and can always be pulled when the meter's in storage.

I buy CR123 batteries by the dozen. The least expensive, reputable batteries are Sure-Fire, for their tactical flashlights, available from Amazon.

 

Li batteries maintain a relatively constant voltage, then fail gracefully over a day or two (as I use them). Rechargeable Li-Ion batteries drop from 4.2 VDC to about 3.7, then fail suddenly, like turning a switch. The voltage might not matter if the light meter has a voltage regulator (even my flashlight does). If the light meter fails, you replace the battery. If a flashlight fails, you change the battery in the dark (if you carry spares).