Ultrafire 2600 question?

[Casper507]

I purchased 2x 18650 Ultrafire 2600 rechargeables and an Ultrafire charger on flea bay. The cells are solid wine colored with black writing and the charger is a dark grey. Today I was checking voltage with meter and got readings of 4.38 from the one in my M20 that's been there awhile; and 4.42 on the other unused 18650. (Now I'm assuming they are unprotected cells. Could they be protected but faulty?)

Additionally I thought the Ultrafire chargers were supposed to be protected. So my question is are they? Could mine be faulty?


Is a 4.42 volt cell going to blow up a drop-in which says it's good for up to 4.2? Particularly one of the 3mode drop-in MCEs from DX? Or the .2- 4.2 drop-ins like those used in the L2r?????

It's not a problem at this time because I'm using them in an Olight M20. But I am worried if I get a 4.2 drop-in to use on another body. ??????

lovecpf

 

[The Dane]

Just pulled mine and theyre protected, so yours must be too. No posibillty of gross overcharging there.

Then i thought of your multimeter, does it read true?
Have you tested it with a new alkaline, something in the neigborhood of 1,55-1,6 Volts is what it should read.

 

[45/70]

Today I was checking voltage with meter and got readings of 4.38 from the one in my M20 that's been there awhile; and 4.42 on the other unused 18650. (Now I'm assuming they are unprotected cells. Could they be protected but faulty?).....

.....Is a 4.42 volt cell going to blow up a drop-in which says it's good for up to 4.2? Particularly one of the 3mode drop-in MCEs from DX? Or the .2- 4.2 drop-ins like those used in the L2r?????

If your cells are reading an actual voltage that high, I'd be more worried of the cells exploding, than damaging a drop-in. Yes, I suppose the drop-in could be damaged, but that's the least of your worries. I would beg, borrow, or steal another meter and check the voltage again. Somewhere over 4.40-4.50 Volts, LiCo Li-Ion cells are prone to "venting with flame".

Just pulled mine and theyre protected, so yours must be too. No posibillty of gross overcharging there.

Unless the protection circuit has failed/is bad, this is not that uncommon. If an accurate voltmeter reads 4.42 Volts, that's what it is, protected or not!

UltraFire chargers and cells are thought by many to be at the bottom of the list, as far as quality goes. Add to that, fleabay is known to have some of the worst quality cells and chargers available. It's best to purchase from a reliable dealer, especially when it pertains to Li-Ion chemistry cells and chargers.

Dave

 

[Casper507]

Well,
I did throw them in the charger without seeing if they were significantly discharged. :duh2:
And I did check them right out of the charger.
And the (cheap) meter had been left on since the time I last used it.

All other cell checks looked good in past.:thinking:
All cells look good now.:thinking:

Subsequent check of the batteries this morning show 4.19 and 4.17. I'll probably run a spacer in the charger and charge some 16340s later to verify it was a one time screw up. Could have been the batteries or charger wrong. Guess I'll just empty a ammo can and use that to charge in for awhile. :twothumbs

Thanks guys.