18650 - I saw the light!

[Stol3n]

I have an Eagletac T20C2 light and have been running the primaries that came with it. It's about time for them to be replaced and I want to step into the 18650 world. The search feature has been my friend up to this point but I need a little more guidance before I make any purchases.

I think I have narrowed it down to either the EagleTac 2400mah protected cells or the Trustfire 2400mah protected black/red cells.

I'm in need of a picking a charger before I order the 18650's. From what I have read the Ultrafire UF-139 is a good banhg for the buck charger..However, I have read that there are several versions on this particular charger "fakes".

How can I be sure that I get a good one and where should I order it from? Also, feel free to send me a pm if it cannot be posted in here.

-Thanks!


Any other suggestions are welcomed..and I'm not interested in spending $50 for the Pila Charger.

 

[Fichtenelch]

You can get it at 4sevens or dealextreme. i got mine from dx and it's a 'genuine' one (as far as you can call it genuine). you can recognize it when it's loading (indication red), it stops every few seconds to check the voltage of the cell and switches to green for a short period before switching back to red.
I'd recommend either the EagleTac, XTAR, AW or the 'wow'-ebay-cells (ebay# 220546119074), which have recently been tested by a cpf-member and perform really good for the price.

 

[kramer5150]

I got both of my green blinking ones from DX almost 2 years ago... I think its hit or miss though. I am not sure what they are selling now.

 

[joe1512]

AW protected batteries have a good reputation and mine have worked great. batteryjunction is one place to buy them if you dont want to order from the Order Thread somewhere on the cpf marketplace.

 

[skyfire]

i would recommend 4sevens' cytac charger over the ultrafire. ive used both and the cytac is much better imho. the pila charger is very good but more pricey.

ive also been using the red/black trustfires without any problems. i would go with the eagletac 18650, they probably will perform very well considering your using it in an eagletac.

 

[old4570]

Hmmm, after testing some Japanese cells ???

WF-139 copied ? But there might be some older models/revisions floating about on Ebay , If you buy from say DX , there turn over should be such that you get the latest .

For the Price of AW's you can buy Japanese cells , but there not protected .

For less money , and so far better performance , Trustfire R&B , WOW18650 , Fireworm [ Fireworms cost more and I would consider Panasonic at this price point ]

THe AW2600 is a good battery , but at the price point , is seriously outperformed by Samsung and Panasonic , and cheaper chinese cells .
Guess with the glut in the laptop battery market , more Japanese cells might make it into flashlight battery re-labelers [ re brand + add protection circuit ] , so we may see some new batteries shortly , perhaps .

 

[etc]

I use Pila charger and Panasonic 2900 mAh unprotected cells, with 1x18650 configuration, for the last year.

works nicely.

 

[Stol3n]

i would recommend 4sevens' cytac charger over the ultrafire. ive used both and the cytac is much better imho. the pila charger is very good but more pricey.

ive also been using the red/black trustfires without any problems. i would go with the eagletac 18650, they probably will perform very well considering your using it in an eagletac.

what's your reason for recommending the cytac charger? I have searched and it seems that there isn;t a whole lot of info on this particular charger and in fact that some feel just the opposite..not trying to offend anyone, I just am asking questions so I know what I am getting and the proof always helps to seal the deal.

Hmmm, after testing some Japanese cells ???

WF-139 copied ? But there might be some older models/revisions floating about on Ebay , If you buy from say DX , there turn over should be such that you get the latest .

For the Price of AW's you can buy Japanese cells , but there not protected .

For less money , and so far better performance , Trustfire R&B , WOW18650 , Fireworm [ Fireworms cost more and I would consider Panasonic at this price point ]

THe AW2600 is a good battery , but at the price point , is seriously outperformed by Samsung and Panasonic , and cheaper chinese cells .
Guess with the glut in the laptop battery market , more Japanese cells might make it into flashlight battery re-labelers [ re brand + add protection circuit ] , so we may see some new batteries shortly , perhaps .

I want to use protected cells. I have pretty much narrowed it doen to the red/black trustfires or the eagletac cells. I'm leaning more towards the eagletac cells because after all it is an eagletac light so I'm certain to get something that is compatible with my light and is a good match.

I just want a charger that works, one that I don't have to force my batteries into, and one that will stop charging around 4.2v without overcharging. I'm open to other recommendations, I'm not brand loyal, I just want something that works.

let's keep it going.

 

[BIGLOU]

Stol3n I am rocking the ET 2400 mah batteries with my T20C2 and have had no problems. I use AW RCR123s and they are great too. If you get the WF-139 just make sure you use a digital multi-meter to check voltage after charging to make sure charger is doing its job. I also recommed getting stuff from batteryjunction or lighthound. Dont forget to use your CPF coupon code and checkout for a little discount.

 

[old4570]

what's your reason for recommending the cytac charger? I have searched and it seems that there isn;t a whole lot of info on this particular charger and in fact that some feel just the opposite..not trying to offend anyone, I just am asking questions so I know what I am getting and the proof always helps to seal the deal.



I want to use protected cells. I have pretty much narrowed it doen to the red/black trustfires or the eagletac cells. I'm leaning more towards the eagletac cells because after all it is an eagletac light so I'm certain to get something that is compatible with my light and is a good match.

I just want a charger that works, one that I don't have to force my batteries into, and one that will stop charging around 4.2v without overcharging. I'm open to other recommendations, I'm not brand loyal, I just want something that works.

let's keep it going.

tested the eagletac cell some time ago . was not flash [ to be kind ] .
There are three types of batteries , bottom of the barrel , middle of the road and Japanese made [ Top end ]

The eagle I tested was neither Japanese or middle of the road . Perhaps they have improved since then ?

The WF-139 is some what battery challenged [ Length ] , and the R&B Trustfires are on the long side , perhaps not the best combo .

The Trustfire TR-001 is a decent charger and accepts longer batteries , though leaving it unsupervised ? , Ive done it by accident , and they were 4.2v the next day , but it does not shut down , it trickle charges , perhaps so low in Amps that it merely maintains 4.2v .

 

[skyfire]

what's your reason for recommending the cytac charger? I have searched and it seems that there isn;t a whole lot of info on this particular charger and in fact that some feel just the opposite..not trying to offend anyone, I just am asking questions so I know what I am getting and the proof always helps to seal the deal.



I want to use protected cells. I have pretty much narrowed it doen to the red/black trustfires or the eagletac cells. I'm leaning more towards the eagletac cells because after all it is an eagletac light so I'm certain to get something that is compatible with my light and is a good match.

I just want a charger that works, one that I don't have to force my batteries into, and one that will stop charging around 4.2v without overcharging. I'm open to other recommendations, I'm not brand loyal, I just want something that works.

let's keep it going.

a friend of mine has the ultrafire wf-139 from Dee-Ex. he purchased blue ultrafire 18650s as well. first off, its a very very tight fit. it would create dents on the copper protection circuit piece on the negative end of the cell. (i gave him a pair of red/black trustfires cause 1 of his cells failed. and those are a tight fit also). now, he doesnt even stick the cells completely in the slots while charging, the positive end is sticking up, but still making contact to charge.
the build quality on the cytac charger from 4sevens seems better.
my cytac charges my rcr123a, 14500, and 18650 fine without the need of spacers.
cytac charges a little bit faster. 500ma, the wf-139 charges are 450ma, i believe. but both are still slow. i measured the time to charge a dead 18650 and it was about 8 hours till the green light came on. the wf-139 would probably take around 9 hours. reason being is that the charge rate slows down as the cells reach capacity.

ive never heard of fake ultrafire chargers, and from the 2nd post here, my friends charger does not perform that way. it doesnt blink from red to green. it starts out green, place cells in slots, then its red when charging, and then turns green when finished. (my cytac does the same thing). so maybe his could be a fake? i dunno.

another thing, both these chargers when left unattended will charge over 4.2volts depending on how long you leave it in there. its more of a trickle charge when the lights are green. the pila IBC charger will stop charging when done, so you dont have to worry so much. its also faster at 600ma.
pila would be the best choice. if you buy cheap, youll buy twice

1 more thing, i think 4sevens stop carrying the wf-139 in favor of the cytac.

 

[Kraid]

I understand that its not what you want to hear, and I don't mean to offend, but your batteries really aren't the area that you want to skimp. I started out using the cheaper options. But in the end, I still bought the good stuff too. Its cheaper to just start out with a Pila and some AWs than to buy the cheapos, THEN buy the good stuff. Just trying yo help. Your mileage may very well vary.

 

[Stol3n]

tested the eagletac cell some time ago . was not flash [ to be kind ] .
There are three types of batteries , bottom of the barrel , middle of the road and Japanese made [ Top end ]

The eagle I tested was neither Japanese or middle of the road . Perhaps they have improved since then ?

The WF-139 is some what battery challenged [ Length ] , and the R&B Trustfires are on the long side , perhaps not the best combo .

The Trustfire TR-001 is a decent charger and accepts longer batteries , though leaving it unsupervised ? , Ive done it by accident , and they were 4.2v the next day , but it does not shut down , it trickle charges , perhaps so low in Amps that it merely maintains 4.2v .

Upon further research I seen that you have tried/own many different chargers. In your personal opinion which do you like best and why? I noticed you have the trustfire tr-001, shekor, soshine, etc. so which seems to "best" as in the most reliable charger to get the 4.2v charge consistently?

Also what's the big deal about protected/non protected cells? Whenever I plan to charge them I will be at home or will be sure that I am around to take them out as soon as they are finished.

a friend of mine has the ultrafire wf-139 from Dee-Ex. he purchased blue ultrafire 18650s as well. first off, its a very very tight fit. it would create dents on the copper protection circuit piece on the negative end of the cell. (i gave him a pair of red/black trustfires cause 1 of his cells failed. and those are a tight fit also). now, he doesnt even stick the cells completely in the slots while charging, the positive end is sticking up, but still making contact to charge.
the build quality on the cytac charger from 4sevens seems better.
my cytac charges my rcr123a, 14500, and 18650 fine without the need of spacers.
cytac charges a little bit faster. 500ma, the wf-139 charges are 450ma, i believe. but both are still slow. i measured the time to charge a dead 18650 and it was about 8 hours till the green light came on. the wf-139 would probably take around 9 hours. reason being is that the charge rate slows down as the cells reach capacity.

ive never heard of fake ultrafire chargers, and from the 2nd post here, my friends charger does not perform that way. it doesnt blink from red to green. it starts out green, place cells in slots, then its red when charging, and then turns green when finished. (my cytac does the same thing). so maybe his could be a fake? i dunno.

another thing, both these chargers when left unattended will charge over 4.2volts depending on how long you leave it in there. its more of a trickle charge when the lights are green. the pila IBC charger will stop charging when done, so you dont have to worry so much. its also faster at 600ma.
pila would be the best choice. if you buy cheap, youll buy twice

1 more thing, i think 4sevens stop carrying the wf-139 in favor of the cytac.

thanks you for your response. :twothumbs

I understand that its not what you want to hear, and I don't mean to offend, but your batteries really aren't the area that you want to skimp. I started out using the cheaper options. But in the end, I still bought the good stuff too. Its cheaper to just start out with a Pila and some AWs than to buy the cheapos, THEN buy the good stuff. Just trying yo help. Your mileage may very well vary.

I'm not really trying to "skimp" on batteries but if the red/black trustfire batteries are getting such good reviews why pay more? I also cannot see paying only $10-$20 for batteries and $50 for a charger to make them work.

No offense taken. :twothumbs

 

[Kraid]

Fair enough. To say true, when I was experimenting with different options, the red/black batteries didn't exist. So for all I know, you might well be onto something.

 

[mfm]

what's your reason for recommending the cytac charger? I have searched and it seems that there isn;t a whole lot of info on this particular charger and in fact that some feel just the opposite..not trying to offend anyone, I just am asking questions so I know what I am getting and the proof always helps to seal the deal.

The Cytac charger is identical to this TR-001: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.12594

You should be fine with the Red/Black Trustfires, they work fine for me and everyone else here who tried them.

I used the euro version of this charger: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6105 and I always get 4.17v. It doesn't stop charging entirely when the light goes green (it will charge up very slowly to 4.20v), so if you monitor the charge and remove them within a few hours after the light goes green then you have no problem.

You should monitor the voltage after charge a few times to see that your particular unit doesn't overcharge cells (this can happen even with the expensive PILA charger).

 

[skyfire]

i purchased 6 red/black trustfires, and all are working well. two i gave to my firend to use in his jetbeam m1x, and he told me theres a difference in brightness compared to his blue trustfire 18650. i honestly couldnt tell, but he does use his light more than i do.
i say go for the red/black trustfire, 2 for $10 cant be beat, and if is does fail, who cares, it was only $5 each, compared to AW18650 2600mah which are 3x the price.

 

[old4570]

Yes I own a lot of chargers :

I like most of them :

I have nothing against the following :

WF-139
Trustfire TR-001
Soshine SC-S2
Shekore

THe Trustfire and Soshine trickle charge on completion , the soshine is known to charge over 4.2v , in fact most cheap chargers [ As well the pilla ] can charge over 4.2v [ Bit of luck of the draw ]

Both the Shekore and Ultrafire shut down on completion .
I dont rely on any one charger , simply because I have varied needs .

The WF-188 looks like it could be OK , but far more feed back is needed .

Its up to you , do you plan on charging overnight or when you leave home ? you may want a charger that terminates on completion .
If you plan on monitoring the charger , then you have far more to chose from .
I use my Trustfire TR-001 a lot , more than my WF-139 ..
In order of use ATM

Trustfire TR-001
WF-188
Soshine SC-S2
WF-139

 

[march.brown]

I use the Soshine SC-S2 and the Trustfire TR-001 for my 18650 batteries and have had no trouble at all , though I do make sure that I take the cells off charge as soon as the LED tells me to.

I use a Soshine SC-S1min for the shorter 18500 and 123 cells and again have had no problems.

My 18650 batteries are the Ultrafire grey protected ones though I have a couple of the unprotected blue Ultrafires ... Again , I have (so far) had no problems and the price is right ... My protected 18500 cells are Ultrafire and my unprotected RCR123's are Soshine ... The 18500's are used in a Maglite 2C with the LED showerhead dropin and the RCR123's are used in single cell torches.

I might have been lucky , but I am certainly happy with all of these purchases.
.

 

[Stol3n]

:bump:

 

[pae77]

I highly recommend an inexpensive hobby charger like the Turnigy Accucell 6 or similar. With a few magnets and the cables it comes with, it's really quite a snap to charge 1 cell at a time and the charger uses a true CC/CV algorithm and beeps and shuts down when the charge is finished. You can set the charge current and since the charger remembers the last setting that was used, if you're only charging 18650's, you just basically hook up the magnets flip the switch on the power strip to send power to the charger (requires a separate power supply like a laptop power supply within the right power specs) and just hold down a button for a few seconds and the charger is charging your battery. The display tells you exactly what it's doing at every moment during the charge process. You can watch the voltage rise during the CC phase and then when it hits 4.20 you can watch the current slowly decrease during the CV phase until the target voltage of 4.20 is reached. I suggest searching and reading up on the Accucell 6 or some similar hobby chargers to learn about their advantages and disadvantages to decide whether such a charger might be appropriate for you. For a little added complexity, one gains a lot of versatility, control and accuracy.

Hobby chargers used to be quite expensive but some decent ones (albeit limited to relatively low power output, but perfectly adequate for flashlight purposes) have become available at very reasonable prices. For example, the Accucell 6 can be had from US based retailers for about $39 shipped. You can get a decent power supply for it for less than $20 if you don't have a suitable old laptop adapter or computer power supply lying around as I did. There are also slightly more expensive hobby chargers that have power supplies built it so they can be plugged in just like a cradle charger.

Otherwise, of the cheap cradle chargers, I like the Shekor because it has springs that adjust to accept all or almost all cell cylindrical sizes and it really does shut off when the charge is complete and none of the three of them that I have have shown any tendency to overcharge. On the contrary, they tend to undercharge a bit which is good for cell longevity at the expense of a little capacity. However, I'm not using my Shekors much since I got the Accucell. It's really nice the way it can charge an 18650 so fast if one sets the charge current at ~1C or even 0.5 C.

The Shekor is very slow. It takes about 7 or 8 hours to charge an 18650 to about 90% which is where it usually shuts off.

As far as batteries go, I'm having great luck so far with a pair of the protected red and black Trustfire 18650s, the so called "true 2400 mah" cells. Mine are admittedly a very small sample but many others here have reported having good experiences with them as well. The price on them is very reasonable at 2 for $9.68 shipped from DX. So I would recommend getting those.