Cheapest 18650 with protection in the light?

Yes, fraid so.

Your best bet though is to use a Protected 18650 which gives you an extra layer of security. Id trust the battery circuit moreso than flashlight electronics, especially a cheapo.


The cheapest 18650 you can get is 30 bucks at DX for a P7. Those won't have any protection.


Yeah, itp C6 is a good choice. Its input voltage is 3.0 to 6.something. This means that once the 18650 drops below 3, the light should cut off anyways, even after the low voltage warning.

By 2.6 (the danger level) the light should be off. I'd still get a protected battery, but I think this is about as cheap as it gets.


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Is there a reason you want an 18650 light? Do you already have protected 18650 batteries and charger?
I mean, looking at the C6, it doesnt seem to be any better than a 2xRCR123 light such as the itp SC x2, which has MORE brightness, will be more efficient (sligltly), and has infinite bright adjustment for 39.99! (minus discount)

In general, the only reason to go with an 18650 light is because it cranks out 700 lumens. (SST-50, P7 or MC-E light). I am not seeing any real budget choices that do so, so I'd just use 2xRCR123 lights instead. Or you can do with rechargable AA lights as at least the AA/AAAs are useful for other home electronics.

If you are really wanting a big bright light, then that is a different discussion.
 
I have other 18650 lights and run protected cells in them. Like you said in my Lumens Factory SSC P7 mostly but also in my L2P and soon to be Catapult and Spear clone.

A fellow CPF'er down here in Africa has offered me some unprotected cells salvaged from laptop packs.
My charger will stop at 4.2v or at least slow down for me to remove the cells.
Its just the discharge I need to watch out for.

I'll find a niche for the free powered C6, maybe use it out by the braai (barbecue) ;)
The C6 Tactical works just like my C7/8 tactical. Infinite adjust.


I have a few iTP's already so it would be fine and suit the collection. SA1, C7/8, A1-2-3.
I'll get the SC2 once my Quarks arrive, just want something relatively cheap to suck these 18650's with.
 
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I bought this light 3-4 months ago. The R2 drop in dims and flashes when the cell voltage drops to around 3.4V. I don't know however if the current production models still do this. You know how DX suppliers always make un-announced changes.
 
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I bought this light 3-4 months ago. The R2 drop in dims and flashes when the cell voltage drops to around 3.4V. I don't know however if the current production models still do this.

Cool, I actually got the single mode and 5 mode of those too.
I'll run them flat and see what happens, I recall more of a flicker than a signal flash.
I can get another L2 body very quickly from my local supplier as well.

Great solution that passed right over my head.
 
Cool, I actually got the single mode and 5 mode of those too.
I'll run them flat and see what happens, I recall more of a flicker than a signal flash.
I can get another L2 body very quickly from my local supplier as well.

Great solution that passed right over my head.

Yeah .. I think it was more of a flicker and then completely turns off. Not really a signal flash to the user. IIRC the cell voltage was around 3.4V... but my memory could be off. I tested it with 16340 cells though, not in my 18650 host.

Its a nice module though... happy with it. Even though its not my brightest, its still in the ~160L range. Its about as bright as my M60 when I run that off an 18650.

*side note*
Nice thing about the Solar L2M is you can run it with an unprotected 17500 cell if you de-solder the +IVE spring from the module. An 18500 is too big though.
 
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Thinking about it, it does not even fire up with 3v CR123's so it should be very safe to run unprotected cells with

I'll have to break up my latest little lego to use the dropin though.

L2m.jpg
 
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