Bolster
Flashlight Enthusiast
Re: Confused: Need 'Protected' 18650 if Light Cuts at 2.8V?
VOM, check.
Here's an interesting attribute I found by reading Panasonic's tech sheets, regarding the unprotected NCR18650:
"Increasing energy density raises the risk of overheating and igniting due to short-circuiting. Panasonic employs a heat resistance layer technology to improve the safety of LiIon batteries significantly. This heat resistance layer consists of an insulating metal oxide on the surface of the electrodes which leads the battery not to overheat even if a short-circuit occurs."
Well! If that's true, now I can check off:
- unlikely to overcharge with new manufacture Pila;
- unlikely to over-discharge with built in H60 circuitry (says Zebralight);
- no reverse charging due to one-cell light;
- reverse polarity protection built into the H60 (says Zebralight);
- unlikely to V.W.F. if short circuited (says Panasonic).
I'm feeling a little better about going unprotected now. I think I have most of the safety bases covered.
So to summarize what I've learned here:
- Don't use on lowest modes when battery is getting empty, or check occasionally that it still fires in high modes.
- Any indication of low battery, stop and recharge right away.
- Use quality charger (current manufacture Pila a good choice)
- Feel the cell for overheating while charging.
- Attend to the cells while charging, no "charging on their own next to where the gasoline is stored."
- Test the cell with VOM when charged, look for 4.2V or less.
- Triple-check the battery's going in the correct way on reinsertion. (EDIT: Will do this anyway, but have since learned the flashlight has reverse polarity protection built in.)
- Won't use my unprotecteds in series, one at a time in single cell lights only.
- Keep unused cells above 3.8V during storage.
How am I doing as a student? Thanks for all your help.
VOM, check.
Here's an interesting attribute I found by reading Panasonic's tech sheets, regarding the unprotected NCR18650:
"Increasing energy density raises the risk of overheating and igniting due to short-circuiting. Panasonic employs a heat resistance layer technology to improve the safety of LiIon batteries significantly. This heat resistance layer consists of an insulating metal oxide on the surface of the electrodes which leads the battery not to overheat even if a short-circuit occurs."
Well! If that's true, now I can check off:
- unlikely to overcharge with new manufacture Pila;
- unlikely to over-discharge with built in H60 circuitry (says Zebralight);
- no reverse charging due to one-cell light;
- reverse polarity protection built into the H60 (says Zebralight);
- unlikely to V.W.F. if short circuited (says Panasonic).
I'm feeling a little better about going unprotected now. I think I have most of the safety bases covered.
So to summarize what I've learned here:
- Don't use on lowest modes when battery is getting empty, or check occasionally that it still fires in high modes.
- Any indication of low battery, stop and recharge right away.
- Use quality charger (current manufacture Pila a good choice)
- Feel the cell for overheating while charging.
- Attend to the cells while charging, no "charging on their own next to where the gasoline is stored."
- Test the cell with VOM when charged, look for 4.2V or less.
- Triple-check the battery's going in the correct way on reinsertion. (EDIT: Will do this anyway, but have since learned the flashlight has reverse polarity protection built in.)
- Won't use my unprotecteds in series, one at a time in single cell lights only.
- Keep unused cells above 3.8V during storage.
How am I doing as a student? Thanks for all your help.
Last edited:
