18650 Rechargeable Lithium Battery?

[Ervand]

I have a JetBeam M1X flashlight with an extender in order to use the 18650 Rechargeable Lithium Batteries.

I am choosing rechargeable 18650 batteries and a charger right now and I ran into 2 questions.

1. There are batteries that are 2400mah and there are batteries that are 2800mah. Which ones are better or what are the differences?
2. There is also 3.7v and 3.8v. Which one of these are better or what are the differences?

By "better" I mean longer lasting or brighter.

I'll really appreciate your help!

 

[Burgess]

Hello, and Welcome to CandlePowerForums.


:welcome:



I'm gonna' give you TWO valuable pieces of advice:


Battery -- AW brand


Charger -- Pila IBC (intelligent battery charger)



You're Welcome.


_

 

[Patriot]

:welcome:



+1

Burgess speaks the truth.

Save yourself some future headaches and second guessing and go with the recommendation he posted above. You won't be sorry.

 

[Ervand]

Battery -- AW brand
Charger -- Pila IBC (intelligent battery charger)

Thanks for welcoming me, suggestions, and a quick reply.

I am planing on getting these:
- Charger
- Batteries
- JetBeam M1X extender tube

First, I'll have to find out what the extender tube color is. Most advertise it as dark gray, but sell the green one. My flash light is dark green. I guess it will take some time. Any suggestions? Maybe someone already ordered it from that website and already knows what color it comes?

 

[pipspeak]

I'm also curious about the battery issue. I know a lot of people swear by AW, but I presume there are some other good options. For example, ultrafire 3000mAh would seem to be a good choice for extra runtime. I also read that Trustfire 2600mAh batteries tend to be better for high current demands that some other brands.

What are the downsides to some of the non-AW brands?

 

[Ervand]

ultrafire 3000mAh

I am interested in that too. Anyone?
Will trustfire work with the charger or I should get a trustfire charger?

 

[jirik_cz]

For example, ultrafire 3000mAh would seem to be a good choice for extra runtime.

There were many reports of leaking Ultrafire 3000mAh batteries. I wouldn't recommend them.

 

[Ervand]

There were many reports of leaking Ultrafire 3000mAh batteries. I wouldn't recommend them.

Then I am not going with it!! As for the charger. Is there something cheaper but as safe as the one listed above?

 

[pipspeak]

AW (and most online retailers) sells the Ultrafire wf-139 charger for about $17. And if AW sells it then I figure it can't be too bad.

 

[Ervand]

Ultrafire wf-139

I just read a couple of review and found out that it overcharges unless you plug it off right after a green light turns on. I tend to leave my things over night, so is there something cheaper then Pila Battery Charger, but as safe as it is. So that when I leave my batteries overnight I know they won't be damaged or overcharged in the morning?

 

[Burgess]

You may wish to re-read Post # 2.



_

 

[pipspeak]

AFAIK the wf-139 charger is about as good as the cheapies get and from reading these boards it seems plenty of people use them and I've certainly not seen a rash of exploding-cell posts. I've read the same reviews about overcharging, but also reviews from others that suggest they don't all overcharge (the new vs. old model issue). If you're worried, then the Pila is really the only other option AFAIK.

I picked up a wf-139 charger and two well-reviewed trustfire cells for about half what the Pila charger alone would cost -- for me it was a budget issue and therefore a no-brainer. I plan to check charging voltages and I'll be sure to report back if my house burns down!

 

[mfm]

I just read a couple of review and found out that it overcharges unless you plug it off right after a green light turns on. I tend to leave my things over night, so is there something cheaper then Pila Battery Charger, but as safe as it is. So that when I leave my batteries overnight I know they won't be damaged or overcharged in the morning?

So that you aren't woken up by the smoke detector you mean?

I doubt that overnight charging of Li-Ion flashlight batteries should be attempted unless you have both the Pila charger AND Pila batteries.

You should only charge on a fire-proof surface, especially with cheaper chargers. I would buy http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6105 instead of taking the WF-139 lottery.

 

[Black Rose]

So that when I leave my batteries overnight I know they won't be damaged or overcharged in the morning?

DO NOT LEAVE LI-ION BATTERIES ON ANY CHARGER OVERNIGHT.

I'm not trying to sensationalize this, but the greatest risk with Li-Ion batteries is during charging.

Even the best cells in the world could have some sort of internal failure during charging.

You can't treat Li-Ion cells the same as NiMh or NiCd cells.

 

[C-Beam]

I charge when I'm sitting at the computer or reading, with the charger next to me. When the light changes, the tone coming from the charger also changes so it's hard to miss. I pull them right off. I have the Trustfire on a non flammable surface.

 

[tengc82]

Do any of you know if the AW has any issues with the Fenix TK21? I just bought the TK21 yesterday at a gun show.

 

[Bat]

US$50 for a charger is a total rip off.

1000%+ profit margin.

 

[KiwiMark]

US$50 for a charger is a total rip off.

1000%+ profit margin.

So you are saying it costs less than $5 and is being sold at a HUGE profit?

 

[darcyh]

Your M1X does not like flat top cells. It will not work with AW or Redilast 2600 / 2900 mah cells unless you place something on the tip of the cell to make it smaller. The large top of the cell will not make contact with the positive terminal of the light. Make sure you purchase 'button top' cells for this light unless you want to put a magnet or such at the top of the flat top.

Regards,

Dave