Trying to find a spare battery for a new Thrunite Archer Pro!

[mikekoz]

This is a long shot, but I still have until the end of January to return this light to Amazon! Like the title states, I am looking for a spare battery for this light. If I can find one, I will probably keep the light. I actually emailed Thrunite and they said the lights head is glued down and they do not have the battery. My lights head easily unscrewed and I have easy access to the battery. I have included photos. As you can see, the top of the cell is not a standard configuration. The negative and positive part of the cell are on top of it! A standard 14500 or AA does not work. If I put any standard 14500 in it, the led just slights lights up. I actually have an old Fenix light that came with a 18650 cell that was like this. Have any of you ever seen a cell like this and have any ideas where to get one? Thanks in advance for any assistance here!

 

[chillinn]

What's the other end look like? What standard 14500 did you try? Am I correct in assuming that you are assuming both the positive and negative contacts are on the top of the cell?!

If I put any standard 14500 in it, the led just slights lights up.

Isn't that the idea? If it worked at all, it's a 14500 light. and don't be fooled by that weird looking flattop. It's probably just more area for contact, which means if a smaller flattop surface isn't connecting, placing a thin coin-shaped conducting metal on top (like a thin, neodymium magnet wider than the contact) will help make full contact. That cell is probably protected so it is a little longer, meaning maybe the spring is crushed a little, so a little extra to help make full contact should do the trick. But I really think if the LED turned on at all, it was the right cell with a bad history or a crummy cell.

This is the light?

I don't think there's anything special about how that light makes contact, which is to say, using a spring that contacts the positive end of a 14500. I have Thrunite AAA lights, and they all take bog standard AAA and 10440. I'd say it's far more likely there's something wrong with the other "standard" 14500 you tried. Poor quality cells and abused cells do not put out any amps nor have decent capacity left in them.

I'd recommend you try a decent 14500 cell. I've been running these constantly since Nov. 2020 for 1.2A and 1.8A lights, and they are awesome. Lithium nickel rechargeable or INR cells use a LiNiMnCoO2 nickel-manganese-cobolt oxide (NMC) hybrid chemistry for increased energy capacity. Here is HKJ's test/review.

Splurge and get a quad, with ship will be just under $20 if you choose the USPS option. If you treat these cells right, they will last. I wouldn't use the builtin charger to charge the cell. A decent Li-ion charger can be had for under $20 with a digital readout showing voltage and adjustable charging amps.

Forgive me if this is patronizing, but always rest your Li-ion cells after use and before charging, and after charging and before use. An hour is fine, but they just have to cool down, so in cool ambient temperatures 10 minutes can be fine. Actually, heat is the enemy, so when running long periods, try to give them a chance to cool down before continuing, though I haven't noticed any issues running them from full and rested to 3.6V empty at high amps and getting too hot to hold. And avoid dropping them, that also can reduce capacity. That is really the hardest thing, because they love to slip out of my fingers, forcing me to move faster than I like to catch them before they hit anything. Gripping them tightly helps.

That is a neat light. I think I need one of those.

Reading a little more about the Archer Pro, apparently the cell is not meant to be replaceable. But you got it open, so why not? The switch concerns me. Does it have a sleeve inside the body that moves forward when you press the switch (ala Lumintop FW lights)? Or does it feel like a standard electronic switch, with no mechanical action? idky it would matter. But it is possible ThruNite for some reason designed a light with built-in obsolescence with a weird cell. I am curious if you have a way to test the voltage on your original cell. Does the bottom have a negative contact? Then if Vapecell H10 doesn't work right away with no modification, I think the coin magnet trick should work if the spring needs more contact surface. But if the negative and positive contact are both on the top of the cell somehow and for some reason, that light is a junk design. I'd find it hard to believe.

 

[Bambuino]

Pretty sure Fenix uses a similar way of presenting battery terminals, like in their RC-series lights. Odd way to defeat potentially dropping batt in with reverse polarity. Anyway, I mention this because I been wondering if there is not an 18650 in a proprietary carrier that make up those Fenix batteries.

Could this ThruNite14500 be something like that? Can you power the head with another 14500 and a couple short wires to the correct springs? How bright is that? If no spring in bottom of can, then perhaps to much resistance in body for clear path to return, leaving dim light.

I'm kinda new here so, maybe not pay too much attention to me. ; )

 

[mikekoz]

Thank you for your reply. I have tried 3 different 14500's, one which is brand new and all three work in other lights. Two are button top, and one is a flat top. I even tried a 3.6v LiFePO4, and it did the same thing. I used a multitester on the cell that came with the light, and the part of the cell on top that is on the outside of the button is the negative terminal. Look at the photo of the inside of the lights head and you will see two springs, a narrow one and a wide one that appears to be made to make contact with the outer ring on the top of the battery. That is how I came to the conclusion that this is a proprietary battery.

 

[chillinn]

I used a multitester on the cell that came with the light, and the part of the cell on top that is on the outside of the button is the negative terminal.

That's crazy. wtf ThruNite?! They screwed you. If Fenix doesn't have a replacement, you can try to remove the wrap on a new 14500, run a thin wire from the negative terminal up the side to a ring contact and carefully re-heatshrink a new wrapper so the contacts don't meet, but I would toss it in the recycle bin. Thanks so much for posting. I had no idea ThruNite changed to selling junk. There is absolutely no reason to do that other than to introduce obsolescence to force the consumer to buy another light in a few years. Why would that consumer ever purchase another ThruNite? Really dumb business practice. And I don't think there really are any 1000Lm 14500 lights. Maybe for 30 seconds. Get a Lumintop AA Tool to replace, 650Lm and takes AA also, 30 bucks in Al, 45 in Cu. Or a Maratac AA if you like twisties, Cu for 55, Ti for 65, but be careful with heat on the Ti.

 

[mikekoz]

I told them this light was a poor design in my email and I agree with you. I actually have started EDC'ing the smaller 18650 lights these days, but I really love the Archer 1A and thought this would be an upgrade. I was wrong!

 

[chillinn]

I actually have started EDC'ing the smaller 18650 lights these days

Which?

18650 cells have gotten so good, lights that run them are hard to resist. I have 2 Noctigon KR4 in E21A 2000K & 3500K that I use every day, but they're a little chunky for me to carry comfortably, and I don't care for the clip, but the reason I got them was the CC driver, so they get used every night. I was carrying a fivemega 18350 E head E tail w/ Elite head, MN02 and z52, but since I just got a Classic E2 body from Lumens Factory, I can't put it down. Love the runtimes I get on 18650 with whatever is on it. But I learned long ago not to carry such things away from home. When I go out I risk the Zebralight SC5c Mk II, which I would hate to lose, but it wouldn't hurt as bad as losing an E, which I have done. But I wouldn't mind taking an 18650 light instead, I just don't know what. I ordered a Convoy S2+ about 2 years ago, but it never arrived, and I've been shy about ordering another after that experience.

 

[knucklegary]

Which?

18650 cells have gotten so good, lights that run them are hard to resist. I have 2 Noctigon KR4 in E21A 2000K & 3500K that I use every day, but they're a little chunky for me to carry comfortably, and I don't care for the clip, but the reason I got them was the CC driver, so they get used every night. I was carrying a fivemega 18350 E head E tail w/ Elite head, MN02 and z52, but since I just got a Classic E2 body from Lumens Factory, I can't put it down. Love the runtimes I get on 18650 with whatever is on it. But I learned long ago not to carry such things away from home. When I go out I risk the Zebralight SC5c Mk II, which I would hate to lose, but it wouldn't hurt as bad as losing an E, which I have done. But I wouldn't mind taking an 18650 light instead, I just don't know what. I ordered a Convoy S2+ about 2 years ago, but it never arrived, and I've been shy about ordering another after that experience.

@chillinn, did you order the S2+ from Ali Convoy store?
The fella "Simon" that runs the store is one of the few, if not the only person, in PRC that I would trust to send parts, or refund your money.
Btw, Simon offers a S2+ host for about 11 bucks. CNC machining is top notch, and consistent, you can mix match parts with same acme threads used throughout

 

[chillinn]

@chillinn, did you order the S2+ from Ali Convoy store?

Yup, along with an OP reflector. There was tracking sent, and neither ever tracked. After a couple months I opened a dispute, and another couple months later finally got refunded. No idea what happened there, but I couldn't tell if they ever shipped, though I got a shipping notice, tracking, and those "almost there," emails. Next thing I know I get a notice that the time limit on confirming receipt had expired, that's when I opened the dispute hastily. I was pretty disappointed because I was really looking forward to it.

 

[idleprocess]

The outer negative contact on what's otherwise the positive ring is for the inbuilt charger. Seems like a button top would avoid the charging negative contact; if not it might need an insulator (paper, tape) around all but the button.