Battery issue?

I thought I was ordering 18650's that were protected and that had button tops.

Instead they were neither. I have other batteries so there's no problem but I'd like to be able to use these occasionally in a single battery application (flashlight).

I checked the charge and it's 4.2 V. I went to Radio Shack and got some small rare earth magnets to use as spacers. I've heard that this works but have no personal experience with this.

In my case it's not working. Why? I tried putting the battery where the button would be...nothing. Since there's a spring in the top of the battery compartment I thought it's just a length issue so I added another to the other end of the battery...nothing.

Should this be working? Am I missing something?

Thanks.

What rare earth magnets are you using? Are they black, or are they nickel coated?

If they're black, it's not working, because you're connecting the battery straight to a very non-conductive piece of magnetite (think of it like trying to use dry cardboard to conduct electricity)

If they're the nickel-plated, I am quite stumped.

black (nonconductive) magnets:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102642#

nickel-plated neodymium (conductive) magnets:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012AUU84/?tag=cpf0b6-20

~Brian

bstrickler said:

What rare earth magnets are you using? Are they black, or are they nickel coated?

If they're black, it's not working, because you're connecting the battery straight to a very non-conductive piece of magnetite (think of it like trying to use dry cardboard to conduct electricity)

If they're the nickel-plated, I am quite stumped.

black (nonconductive) magnets:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102642#

nickel-plated neodymium (conductive) magnets:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012AUU84/?tag=cpf0b6-20

~Brian

Click to expand...

They're black. I told him what I wanted them for...oh, well.

The ones on Amazon are $5 + $6 for shipping so it's more than the batteries cost!

If there is no place local to get the correct ones I guess I'll just have to throw away the batteries. This was only a stop gap measure anyway.

Thanks.

gcbryan said:

They're black. I told him what I wanted them for...oh, well.

Click to expand...

If you told him you needed them for a "particular purpose", and he sold them to you, then you have recourse under tort law.

Call him up and give him h*ll! Maybe you'll get a free battery of the month membership over there? At any rate he has to take them back, if you wanted to waste the gas money that is.

Plenty of free shipping options on Amazon if you're worried about the $6. Unless it's a "marketplace" seller.

And hey, I didn't know the black ones weren't conductive either. One learns something new every day.

core said:

If you told him you needed them for a "particular purpose", and he sold them to you, then you have recourse under tort law.

Call him up and give him h*ll! Maybe you'll get a free battery of the month membership over there? At any rate he has to take them back, if you wanted to waste the gas money that is.

Plenty of free shipping options on Amazon if you're worried about the $6. Unless it's a "marketplace" seller.

And hey, I didn't know the black ones weren't conductive either. One learns something new every day.

Click to expand...

I'm not worried about the $2 the magnets cost. I'd just like to find a local source for some that work but I wouldn't drive all over town for them either.

I don't understand why they even make batteries without buttons. I guess it's for a non-flashlight application?

gcbryan said:

I don't understand why they even make batteries without buttons. I guess it's for a non-flashlight application?

Click to expand...

I don't have a spot welder, and I've never welded anything in my life, but I'd imagine it's MUCH harder to reliably spot weld tabs on a button top cell with 4+ points of redundant contact. If not downright nair impossible.

Also that protruding button just means much more chance for an explosive mistake. Much safer if you don't need it.

get some magnets here:
http://www.dealextreme.com/search.dx/search.magnet
and maybe some other gadgets

yellow said:

get some magnets here:
http://www.dealextreme.com/search.dx/search.magnet
and maybe some other gadgets

Click to expand...

I know about DX, that's where I got the wrong batteries but I don't have another month of my life to deal with this.

core said:

I don't have a spot welder, and I've never welded anything in my life, but I'd imagine it's MUCH harder to reliably spot weld tabs on a button cell with 4+ points of redundant contact. If not downright nair impossible.

Also that protruding button just means much more chance for an explosive mistake. Much safer if you don't need it.

Click to expand...

It's not a button cell it's a 18650. Every other 18650 I have has the button top.

gcbryan said:

It's not a button cell it's a 18650. Every other 18650 I have has the button top.

Click to expand...

Button top cell is what I meant to say. Oops! Original post edited.

Some of the Harbor Freight stores carry the nickel plated magnets you need.

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ronkar said:

Some of the Harbor Freight stores carry the nickel plated magnets you need.

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]ITEM 67488-AZZ


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We don't have those here (Seattle). Is that a hardware store?

Do you know what they are used for other than as spacers or is that why Harbor Freight carries them?

You can also get them at Walmart......its in there crafts section. Thats where i got mine from.....they were like 5 bones for a pack.