heads up! a new 18650 with *better* PCB by tenergy...2600mAH TOO!?

[mdocod]

Ok... I was just browsing around and noticed this: Tenergy has some "self-branded" li-ion cells out now (with tenergy shrink-wrapped label and everything)...

Honestly, I have no idea if the cells are very good or not, but what struck my attention is that these new cells have a "unique new PCB" design that cuts off at 4.25V for charging. On top of that, they are the first "2600mAH" labeled cells I have seen with any kind of fully featured PCB. Safety when using chargers like the WF-139 would be much better on cells with this type of protection IMO. 4.25V is a bit too high for long cycle life, but is still considered very reasonably safe as I understand it on relatively "new" cells.... They are rated for 1.5C discharge rates, so I'm assuming the PCB is set to around 3.5-4 amps, should be plenty for *most* of the stuff we use em for around here. Obviously, coming from an off-brand, you never really know for sure what you are getting, but these might be worth a look.

Here's a link:
http://www.all-battery.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1952

They also have this same PCB available on a 2200mAH 18650 "blue body" style... interesting stuff.

 

[ak645]

Uggg I HATE flat top Li-Ions! Looks like the 2200 mah ones might have button top.Hard to tell from th pic though.

Andy

 

[LuxLuthor]

They might be ok, but I'll stick by AW. Never any problem that he doesn't fix....and that deserves my loyalty. Too many issues with unknown manufacturer quality controls to experiment.

 

[selfbuilt]

FYI, I just picked up one of these new protected "2600mAh" Tenergy-branded 18650s from BatteryJunction. Hot off my TL-100 charger it reads 4.22V. Runtime in my Tiablo A8 is ~10% longer than my AW protected 2200mAh (114min vs 103min to shutdown on Hi). Note that my comparison AW 18650 is about 9 months old, and has gone through maybe ~10 or so charge cycles in that time (max).

Of course, I plan to stick with AW as well, but was curious to see its performance.

 

[jrv]

The flat top is a good safety feature for a battery. I've seen people short batteries with button tops when inserting the battery from the front of the flashlight: during reassembly some metal piece of the head makes contact both the exposed button top and with the battery tube, already connected to the negative side of the battery - instant short.

 

[Nitro]

FYI, I just picked up one of these new protected "2600mAh" Tenergy-branded 18650s from BatteryJunction. Hot off my TL-100 charger it reads 4.22V. Runtime in my Tiablo A8 is ~10% longer than my AW protected 2200mAh (114min vs 103min to shutdown on Hi). Note that my comparison AW 18650 is about 9 months old, and has gone through maybe ~10 or so charge cycles in that time (max).

Of course, I plan to stick with AW as well, but was curious to see its performance.

Interesting. I bought a couple that I haven't used yet. I'll use them in my A8, for almost 2 hours runtime. :thumbsup:

 

[lukestephens777]

Has anyone had much experience with these cells yet?

They seem a bit more reasonably priced than AW cells...

I like the fact they are 2600mah and Fully protected, i just wonder what the quality and lifespan is like... Any

 

[lukestephens777]

Anyone?

I'd like to take the plunge, but need some opinions... :laughing:

 

[Dr.K]

These are the only cells that I currently have, I got'em for my Dereelight c1lh, but have recently been using 2 of them to power the mighty SF P91.

I use a magnet inbetween them while in my light, for a better connection

I have ordered 6 total, and only one was DOA (fixed by batt junc)

They work good, but it requires 3-4 taps on the button to fire it up.

I ordered some of AW's due to his reputaion here on CPF (not here yet), but I got my Tenergys from Batt Junction.

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

These cells caught my eye, and I was wondering if there are any positive or negative opinions on them since the last response on this thread. The price is good if the capacity holds up. I am using the Pila charger, so I feel *pretty* safe, but the PCB and higher capacity looks nice, too.

Has anyone used these for more than several months, and if so, to what end?

 

[rideandshoot]

I just got on here to research sources for 18650s and this is the first thread at the top.

I'm a noob to the Li Ion rechargeable cells. I have DIY type bike light that runs on a double 18650 battery pack. The guy building them has had some problems lately with bad cells so I'm wondering what the most reliable source is and if there is any source I should specifically avoid.

By the way who is AW?

 

[Anders]

Hello rideandshoot.


Andrew Wynn
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=180449

Anders

 

[Mercaptan]

Hello rideandshoot.


Andrew Wynn
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=180449

Anders

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Andrew Wynn 'AWR' and not 'AW?'

AWR ripped quite a few people off in a scam a few years back.

 

[jirik_cz]

My experience is that they have lower capacity than AW 2200mAh.
Andrew Wynn/AWR is not AW !!!

 

[Citivolus]

Andrew Wan is AW. He's been very good to deal with from my perspective.

In a CL1H V3 3SD I got the same run time out of a new AW and Tenergy battery. The Tenergy batteries are over-labelled. They are also slightly physically larger than the AW 18650, which can be an issue with some light bodies.

Regards,
Eric

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

My experience is that they have lower capacity than AW 2200mAh.
Andrew Wynn/AWR is not AW !!!

A runtime plot is worth a thousand words. Many thank's!

 

[mdocod]

Thank You Citivolus for the chart! It speaks volumes and helps shed some light on where these Tenergy cells stand. Not a lot of people here have really reported on using them so I've always been curious... Many people are always on the look-out for the next budget cell to complement their collection, and I've always wondered if maybe the Tenergy cell would be a smarter recommendation than the "fire" brand cells for those who are not willing to pitch a few extra dollars for AW brand cells.

The tenergy should work fine in lower current applications where the PCB doesn't interfere with operation. I maintain the recommendation to stick with AW/Pila/Wolf-Eyes cells for flashlights, but if I had to make an alternative suggestion I suppose I *could* feel semi-comfortable with the Tenergy in this case... Would be interesting to see results from multiple different cells to see how they are consistency wise as that's one of the MAJOR problems with the tenergy brand in NIMH cells, poor cell-to-cell consistency.

Eric