So let me get this straight about 10440/14500 batteries.

[belomeclone]

So, my iTP keychain light broke. The threads weren't strong enough. So I bought this.

sku.30987

Upon receiving it (in an extremely timely manner from DealExtreme), I realized my calculations were off, and it was huge for a keychain light. So I bought this.

sku.26988

And it is in the mail. That being said, Both of them take those higher-capacity batteries. Now, I could go to Radio Shack and pay 18.99 for a 14500 one-time use battery, but I'd like some info first.

1. So, it can damage my flashlight.. if I leave it on for an hour or something? I know it will heat the flashlight up, but most heat up when on anyway. Is there any real risk to investing in these bulbs?

2. Any specific batteries/charger to get online? Or are they all pretty much, uh, safe. Ultrafire?

3. I assume the difference between a regular AA/AAA and these is rather... intense? Or at least noticable? If it's not, is it worth getting? If it is, is it worth getting? Shouldn't I just have asked "is it worth getting?"

Thanks everyone!

 

[AnAppleSnail]

The radio shack lithium AA won't do you - it's made for low-current jobs. Check reviews. Some lights blue out and die on lithiums, while others just get hot. Remember that all the current is going through those metal hairs they call bond wires, and if those (or the phosphor or LED bits) overload, it dies. Many lights won't die if you use the 'high' modes sparingly.

Cheap chargers are cheap. Follow li-ion safety as mentioned in other threads. If you're going to use them a lot, most people suggest investing in AW batteries and a decent charger.

 

[boondongle]

I have the second light you bought, and it's one of my favorite lights...when it has a 10440 in it. With a regular AAA, it's okay...better than most AAA lights you find in retail stores. With the 10440, it's impressive. The battery used makes all the difference. I've been using the cheap Ultrafire unprotected 10440 batteries...my protected cells won't fit (just a bit too long), and I haven't had any problems.

 

[belomeclone]

I have the second light you bought, and it's one of my favorite lights...when it has a 10440 in it. With a regular AAA, it's okay...better than most AAA lights you find in retail stores. With the 10440, it's impressive. The battery used makes all the difference. I've been using the cheap Ultrafire unprotected 10440 batteries...my protected cells won't fit (just a bit too long), and I haven't had any problems.

Thanks for the heads up. And dude! It's called TANK007!! I feel like an unstoppable badass AND James Bond, all in one! So regular Ultrafires and the charger them come with should be fine? And most of these chargers can do the 14500's too?

 

[AnAppleSnail]

Thanks for the heads up. And dude! It's called TANK007!! I feel like an unstoppable badass AND James Bond, all in one! So regular Ultrafires and the charger them come with should be fine? And most of these chargers can do the 14500's too?

They'll specify if the charger does 14500s. Unfortunately, I don't know much about which ones are best. It seems that most everyone has no problem running the TANK007 on Li-Ions.

 

[belomeclone]

What's the assumed danger of "unprotected" batteries? Should I be concerned?

 

[AnAppleSnail]

What's the assumed danger of "unprotected" batteries? Should I be concerned?

Some types of Li-Ion rechargeables are stable between two voltages, and below some large amount of current draw (or short circuit), I forget exactly what. Anyway, a 'protected' battery has a circuit board that opens the circuit in the battery if the voltage goes too low (overuse) or high (while charging), or if the current is going too fast (short circuit). In ideal conditions, you never trip the safety - if it fails, then the battery will reach unsafe territory. Staying within the voltage bounds makes the cell last for more cycles.

An unsafe lithium-ion battery can do fun things like reach thermal runaway. Chemical decomposition or something makes it heat up, which speeds up that chemical reaction. Anyway, you suddenly get heat, pressure, and toxic fumes - "Vent with flame." There are 'safe' lithium-ion chemistries that won't do this, but they still don't like going to too-low or too-high voltage.

 

[AnAppleSnail]

Also, if a cheap charger misses termination on an unprotected battery it can burn your house down. Charge in a non-flammable place.

 

[belomeclone]

None of that sounds very fun.

Edit: Are you sure you can't fit protected batteries in there? One of the DealExtreme reviews mentions using them in it. I'm not going to bother with unprotected batteries if they are so dangerous. I assume protected ones have the same safety issues as most batteries?

Edit 2: How different are protected batteries from unprotected ones in terms of size?

 

[AnAppleSnail]

None of that sounds very fun.

Edit: Are you sure you can't fit protected batteries in there? One of the DealExtreme reviews mentions using them in it. I'm not going to bother with unprotected batteries if they are so dangerous. I assume protected ones have the same safety issues as most batteries?

Edit 2: How different are protected batteries from unprotected ones in terms of size?

DX batteries are...diverse. Some are millimeters too long, you'd have to see what people say. Sometimes a blue Trustfire cell works whil e the Gray Ultrafire is too long. Protected batteries will protect you from most dumb mistakes except crushing/stabbing the battery. Unless the protection circuit is cheap too . As long as there's space in the spring for it, a few mm probably won't hurt. Check around to see which DX cells have worked. Remember... DX is sketchy on QC and uniformity of product...

 

[belomeclone]

DX batteries are...diverse. Some are millimeters too long, you'd have to see what people say. Sometimes a blue Trustfire cell works whil e the Gray Ultrafire is too long. Protected batteries will protect you from most dumb mistakes except crushing/stabbing the battery. Unless the protection circuit is cheap too . As long as there's space in the spring for it, a few mm probably won't hurt. Check around to see which DX cells have worked. Remember... DX is sketchy on QC and uniformity of product...

Is there anywhere else to buy them? I mean, I don't want to mess this thing up. Someone help me!!!! Hahaha.

 

[AnAppleSnail]

Is there anywhere else to buy them? I mean, I don't want to mess this thing up. Someone help me!!!! Hahaha.

Go for it, the tales of batteries exploding aren't really too common here. Just search for the Li-Ion safety and follow those rules and nothing bad will happen. If you break them, you'll get away with it for a while, probably.

 

[belomeclone]

Go for it, the tales of batteries exploding aren't really too common here. Just search for the Li-Ion safety and follow those rules and nothing bad will happen. If you break them, you'll get away with it for a while, probably.

You mean, go for protected ones?

 

[AnAppleSnail]

You mean, go for protected ones?

Or buy unprotected and take care of them (Take 'em out and recharge when they're low).

 

[belomeclone]

If anyone has some suggestions for what to buy, I would very much appreciate it.

This stuff gives me a major headache.

 

[45/70]

......Just search for the Li-Ion safety and follow those rules and nothing bad will happen.......

As AnApple suggested, it'd be a really good idea to read through some of the relevant threads in the "sticky" at the top of this Forum. The Smoke and Fire sub forum deserves equal attention, also.

Li-Ion use and care is a bit different than other types of cells. It's best to have a reasonable understanding of what you're getting into, before you make the jump.

Dave

 

[belomeclone]

So I need to measure my battery's voltage, and if it goes too low before a charge, I need to recycle it? Like... I need to OCD over these batteries?

 

[45/70]

So I need to measure my battery's voltage, and if it goes too low before a charge, I need to recycle it? Like... I need to OCD over these batteries?

Yeah, pretty much. I would say having and frequently checking your cell's voltage with a meter is pretty much mandatory when using LiCo chemistry cells. It's not as bad as it sounds. At first it may seem to be a pain, but once you get used to it, it's not really a big deal.

Using protected cells, alleviates a lot of the problems, but you should still check your cell's voltage. Protection circuits have been known to fail.

Dave

 

[belomeclone]

So um.... do I need one of those expensive voltage checkers if I did this? I mean, I always take my batteries out of the charger, but shouldn't the charger shut off when it's finished charging? It makes it sound like if you leave it in the charger, it keeps charging the battery until it explodes.

 

[Ragiska]

i didn't know a $5 multimeter was "expensive"