Just got my first proper Flashlight

First of all sorry if i posted this in the wrong section.


I used to own a Fenix PD20 Q5 and i just recently bought a

Jetbeam RRT-2 R5
http://www.ledtorches.com.au/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=188

And this charger and Battery Combo

http://www.ledtorches.com.au/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=171

And i was wondering what you guys thought of this, also i bought a Pila IBC Charger because i read about this certain Ultrafire charger overcharging etc. My question is should i buy some AW 18650 Protected Cells or will these ones be alright and also any tips you can give about charging 18650's would be appreciated. Also how does the Jetbeam compare to the Fenix ?

Thanks, Bill

I have no experience with Jetbeams batteries, however I do with AW. I can attest that AW cells are of high quality and I have had no dramas with mine in the two years I have had them.

As for charging, buy yourself a multimetre to keep track of the voltage level of the cells so that they do not drop to low, or come off the charger to high.

The Pila would be the better option of the two chargers.

Cheers!

I do have a multimeter, albeit an analogue sanwa multimeter from the 90's that my grandfather gave to me. it should do the job though. but is checking the cells required when the batteries come off the Pila Charger. The jetbeams say IC protected. does that mean that they are protected from Over-charging, over discharging etc

and some of the stories i have read about exploding 18650's are horrible.is it still common for them do explode/catch fire in single cell torches or is it more common in the torches that require 2-3 18650's?

Best to be safe, rather than sorry. I always checked mine until I got a smart charger.

I keep an eye on mine throughout the week, to keep on top of how low they are so I know when to charge.

The protection circuit will protect them, but I wouldn't risk my house on a small chip... If the chip fails, and the battery overcharges there can be dramas.

DimeRazorback said:

Best to be safe, rather than sorry. I always checked mine until I got a smart charger.

I keep an eye on mine throughout the week, to keep on top of how low they are so I know when to charge.

The protection circuit will protect them, but I wouldn't risk my house on a small chip... If the chip fails, and the battery overcharges there can be dramas.

Click to expand...

Yeah, i understand where you are coming from. What is the storage life like on 18650's and is checking the voltage weekly enough. Also what voltages should i be looking for

They will slowly discharge if they are just sitting, and I wouldn't worry too much if they are in storage. Just check them every couple of months if so.

As for being used daily in a flashlight etc. I tend to test every couple of days. Just to be safe.

"4.2 volts 100%
4.1 about 90%
4.0 about 80%
3.9 about 60%
3.8 about 40%
3.7 about 20%
3.6 empty for practical purposes
<3.5 = over-discharged"

Taken from DM51's post here.

DimeRazorback said:

They will slowly discharge if they are just sitting, and I wouldn't worry too much if they are in storage. Just check them every couple of months if so.

As for being used daily in a flashlight etc. I tend to test every couple of days. Just to be safe.

"4.2 volts 100%
4.1 about 90%
4.0 about 80%
3.9 about 60%
3.8 about 40%
3.7 about 20%
3.6 empty for practical purposes
<3.5 = over-discharged"

Taken from DM51's post here.

Click to expand...

so do i have to wait until they are around 3.7 V to charge them or do i wait until my light dims or do i just top them up. also will my light dim when the voltage gets low. it says on the website "Intelligent drive circuit incorporates over-discharge protection for Li-ion cells"

Here is the page for the jetbeam http://www.jet-beam.com/links/pro/rrt2r5.aspx

With Li-ion it is best just to top them off rather than fully discharging.

I recharge at about 3.90v or so. There is no set voltage you have to recharge at, however I would suggest you don't let them go below 3.7v to often.

Depending on the light you intend to use the batteries it may or may not dim. Some lights have low battery indicators such as a blink when its time to "change" or recharge batteries.

The RRT2 is regulated so you wont really notice it getting dim by eye. You will have to use the multimeter to keep an eye on the level of the cell. As the run time on high is approx 3 hours, if you use it on high the majority of the time just check the battery when you think you've used it for about 2 hours.

Depending on how often you use it really determines how ofter you should check. Eg if you use the light everyday on high for about an hour and a half, I would be checking everyday.

If you use it every now and again, mainly on lower levels I personally would probably only check once every week or two.

It really just depends on usage.

The cells do have a cutoff protection to stop the worst case scenario, but like I said early I don't rely on that. Also, it isn't too healthy to allow Li-ion's to discharge too much too often. Best just to top them off.

Alright, thanks for the help. ill make sure to check the cells ~twice a week and i will make sure that they never drop below 3.7v

Hi there, welcome to CPF,

Personally all my rechargeable needs are being taken care by Ultrafire WF-139 charger and AW's R123 rechargeable. I use all types, 18650, 17670 and 16340 with the one and only charger mentioned. They have yet to fail me even the batteries. These AW batteries are protected ones and so far I have yet to experience any blowouts whatsoever, touch wood.

There are many types of chargers and batteries, and the information can be had in these forums by using the search functions. Also there are dealers right here in cpfmarketplace for accessories etc...have a look and enjoy .