Best 18650 battery question

[ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond]

Re: What's the "best buy" in 18650s these days?

A question would be if you are looking for a higher capacity lower amp draw or a higher amp draw and lower capacity. There are some great offerings in LiCo, hybrid and IMR cells right now. eFest has been producing some great IMR cells in their newer purple line.

Check out HKJs comparator here: http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Common18650Summary UK.html for a great comparison of many cells he's tested.

 

[awyeah]

Re: What's the "best buy" in 18650s these days?

A question would be if you are looking for a higher capacity lower amp draw or a higher amp draw and lower capacity. There are some great offerings in LiCo, hybrid and IMR cells right now. eFest has been producing some great IMR cells in their newer purple line.

Check out HKJs comparator here: http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Common18650Summary UK.html for a great comparison of many cells he's tested.

I tend to use stock lights - ArmyTek, EagleTac, etc. I *think* all of mine are ICR - because those are the ones that are protected? I might be wrong on that. These are the cells I have now (although they have newer white labels on them): http://www.eagletac.com/html/accessories/features/et18650_3100mah.html

 

[ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond]

Re: What's the "best buy" in 18650s these days?

I've been really happy with a set of Keeppower 3400 Panasonic based cells I've been using. They should be worth a check out.

 

[ven]

Re: What's the "best buy" in 18650s these days?

I have been using KeePower(pany inside) and efest cells recently,find great performance and well priced too


KP IMR next to a 3100 protected


Had fun trying to get them over seas,now i am sure they are sent by ground/sea so i try and order local,my case the UK and although more expensive its not as bad as i thought

 

[markr6]

Panasonic NCR18650B protected button top 3400 mAh

mtnelectronics would be my first choice to buy from

Just purchased a set of unprotected button tops from mountain electronics - my first order from them. Good price and fast shipping only being a few states away! I like the ones from fasttech but they are out of stock often and obviously much slower to deliver.

The tops are a little different than the ones I currently have, so being a little OCD that could bother me not "matching"

 

[ven]

I ended up buying 4 SoShine 3400mAh and also grabbed a XTAR VP2 charger to replace my VP1 which was giving me problems.

I got my vp1 after my vp2 :laughing: but as a companion to charge up to 4 cells and at 1a at same time. If i want the 3.8(4.35) option i just use the vp2.

 

[subwoofer]

Panasonic NCR18650B protected button top 3400 mAh

mtnelectronics would be my first choice to buy from

eagletac 18650 3400 mAh is another great choice

take a look at HKJ's reviews in this sub forum he has a great comparator

Fenix recommend flat top cells for the BC30.

I ended up buying 4 SoShine 3400mAh and also grabbed a XTAR VP2 charger to replace my VP1 which was giving me problems.

Let us know how you get on. The BC30 cell holder is quite tight, so cell length will make a difference.

 

[Sirob]

What battery to use?

I have bought a flashlight with the specifications.
"Working Voltage 3.6 ~ 4.2 V" that is not so hard to understand, that the voltage should be inside those specifications.
"Circuitry 3000 mA" Can I not have a battery with a higher mA than that?
Because on ebay, you can find 18650 batteries with significantly higher mA but if it is harmful to the flashlight then I will not use one.

 

[ven]

Re: What battery to use?

Hi there,the mah is not harmful as this is your run time basically BUT the exaggerated claims of the ****fire cells can be bad.

Pany cells are the best or up there,3100/3400 and if lucky to get 3600mah is the highest available. In truth the 3100 or 3400 will suit your needs.

In short any higher its lies and more likely 1500mah if lucky,respected seller/shop is the answer,if very cheap its for a reason.
:welcome:

 

[ven]

Re: What battery to use?

Bare in mind depending on what light it is protected cells (usually around 69mm) may not fit where as unprotected(just over 66mm) will fit.Is it button or flat top required,also a decent charger to,this stops over charging the cell once its charged.Brands like xtar and nitecore do well priced chargers to suit,no need to spend$$$ on a charger when $20 cover most

Have a little read up on the safety side on here if unsure,but just dont leave intended when charging.................avoid left alone overnight for example.

 

[cland72]

Re: What battery to use?

3000 mA refers to the maximum amperage the flashlight might pull on high mode, meaning you need a battery capable of delivery a sustained 3A current. Any quality 18650 cell can do this without a problem. I would suggest looking for a Panasonic 18650 with PCB protection. Make sure you get cells made in Japan.

 

[Chewiekw]

Best 18650 lithium ion batteries--protected

Hello
I am looking to stock up on 18650 batteries and wanted to know what brand is the one most of you prefer. Right now I have nitecore but they are expensive. I also have some ultrafire.

I have seen panasonic, thrunite brands out there. What are the best for performance and price.
Thanks again

 

[kj2]

Re: Best 18650 lithium ion batteries--protected

Check out the battery section. There are numerous threads about this.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Re: Best 18650 lithium ion batteries--protected

Hello
I am looking to stock up on 18650 batteries and wanted to know what brand is the one most of you prefer. Right now I have nitecore but they are expensive. I also have some ultrafire.

I have seen panasonic, thrunite brands out there. What are the best for performance and price.
Thanks again

I'm running naked cells in my single cell lights and checking things frequently, which is important if you 'fly naked' like I do.

LG D1 3000mAh, LG E1 3200mAh, Samsung 25R 2500mAh, Panasonic NCR18650A 3100mAh and some Sanyo 2600mAh cells are in constant rotation.

All of them can be had for under $8-$9 if you look around and buy from a reputable dealer. Some dealers are adding button tops, if you need them and even doing some of those with protection circuits, for a few bucks more.

Chris

 

[Chewiekw]

Re: Best 18650 lithium ion batteries--protected

Should you store 18650 batteries fully charged? Also when they say do not discharge below 2.5v under load, what are they referring too? Sorry for the newbie questions but i want to make sure i am handling these correctly and know as much as possible.

 

[ven]

Re: Best 18650 lithium ion batteries--protected

Around 3.6v is 40% charged so ideally between 3.6 and 4.2v are best for cell/performance wise for running your light. 2.5 is max discharge,beyond could damage cell long term if happens regular. Lots of lights will warm via flashes or loss of modes,maybe shut off before this point be it 3.0v or 3.3v (example).

Storing cells at 4.2v for 2 months is fine,long term then better stored around 3.6v-3.7v.

 

[Conte]

How long will you be storing them?

And the second question is pretty self explanatory.

Lion' batteries can get damaged or violent if you over discharge them. So don't run them down under 2.5v. Make 3v for good measure as difficult batteries have different specs but 3v works for all lions.

Under load means while the are in use.
The voltage Drops while you are sucking power out of them, then jumps back up again when you turn the light off.

While you are running your light, you don't want the voltage to drop under said voltage, 2.5 to 2.75v.

You can't really test this without the tools and knowhow, but any protected battery will automatically cut off at the correct point. Most good led lights will also have voltage detection built in and turn off or dim at the right point.

Invest in a multi meter so you can measure voltage and you'll get a feel for it.

Otherwise, if your running unprotected cells, just don't rum them down and wait till they are dead to recharge.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Anecdotally, if I'll not be using my cells for 3 months at a stretch, or longer, they get discharged like others have intimated, to ~3.6v-3.7v and then they go into plastic cases and then into a Ziplock baggie, where I'll note the date on the bag with a Sharpie.

As to discharge voltage levels, I think it's Panasonic that uses 2.50v for most of their cobalt cells and Sony, Samsung, LG and Sanyo were at 2.75v, but that's changing with some of these newer 'high drain, high current' chemistries, so check with your particular model of cell.

I try not to go down below 3.5v on any of my various chemistries, but have done so here and there. The key then, is to charge them back up quickly and don't let them sit for weeks or months.

Chris

 

[pipes]

Here is a question for ya. In going through the test charts, I mean, it seems efest, keepower, and lg aren't a bad battery and are comparable to other high performers like the Panasonic. I haven't seen much mention of them however. Ive been trying to research batteries for the last week or so, and its kind of a lot to take in lol. Why are the Panasonics seemingly the first choice, it would appear they are hands down the favorite here?

 

[thedoc007]

Here is a question for ya. In going through the test charts, I mean, it seems efest, keepower, and lg aren't a bad battery and are comparable to other high performers like the Panasonic. I haven't seen much mention of them however. Ive been trying to research batteries for the last week or so, and its kind of a lot to take in lol. Why are the Panasonics seemingly the first choice, it would appear they are hands down the favorite here?

MANY companies just re-brand Panasonics (put a new wrapper on them, and maybe a protection circuit). In your own question, for example, Keeppower actually uses Panasonic cells. So does Thrunite, Callie's Kustoms, Orbtronic, SoShine, Olight, Nitecore, some Fenix cells, some AW cells, Brillipower, Eagletac, Intl-Outdoor, and Xtar. This is by no means a complete list...but you are getting the idea. Panasonic has the highest volume, it has the highest capacity cells, and it is probably spending the most money on research and development. So it isn't very surprising that they are generally recommended.

For certain applications, you might find other cells that are equivalent, or even better, than the Panasonics. Right now, for example, for high-drain cells, Sony VTC5 and Efest 35A 18650s are king. The LG D1/E1 are 4.35 volt cells that hold a higher voltage for longer than just about any other, if that is your criteria. But Panasonic has the highest capacity, which for most people, is either the first or the only thing they know to look for. If you have a specific question, about a certain light (or even better, a specific current that you need a cell to supply) there are a few people that can help with it. But if you ask for a general recommendation, it is hard to go wrong with Panasonic cells. They are high quality, and serve well enough for most people.