Purpose of Extension + 3rd Battery on my Sky Ray Light

I just got a Chinese flashlight, a Sky Ray:[h=1]SKY RAY L1 4500 Lumen CREE XM-L 5xT6 LED Flashlight[/h]
Seems a good light and I have 2 other Sky Rays. This one has an extension section and when used so is a 3rd battery. My question is: does using the extension + 3rd battery provide more power and hence a brighter beam - or would it just provide longer run-times.

Here is link to one on Ebay, extension is shown in one of the photos:

eBay Item number: 260908864852


Thanks.
[h=1][/h]



eBay link removed - Norm

I just ordered an extension for my Dereelight and it will only increase run time - I would assume it's the same.

:welcome:

Please read the following information carefully.
Using Li-ion cells in LED flashlights safely
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Using-Li-ion-cells-in-LED-flashlights-safely
You do not want to have accidents like these:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?280909-Ultrafire-18650-3000mA-exploded
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?262234-TK-Monster-Explosion
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...CR123-Explosion-during-use-firsthand-account)
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...awk-Flashlight-literally-exploded-like-a-bomb

A normal 18650 should not be run above 2C or 2*(the MAH rating) to be safe. Turn it around and runtime should be more than 1/2 hours to be safe.
A normal 18650 would give ~1 hour of runtime with a SSC-P7/MC-E/SST-50/XM-L You can check this out with your 800 lumen Sky Ray.
2 18650 into 5 XM-L means you are going to get 24 minutes (2/5 hours) or less runtime well into the danger zone of normal 18650 batteries. So 2*18650 into 5 XM-Ls is a NO-NO.
There are 2 ways around this. First is to get the extension tube and the highest capacity 18650 batteries you can find. You should get 3/5 hours or 36 minutes. Close to the danger point but better than definitely in it. Second you can get IMR18650 batteries which can run at higher currents. With these batteries you can stay without the extension.

LEDninja said:

:welcome:

Please read the following information carefully.
Using Li-ion cells in LED flashlights safely
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Using-Li-ion-cells-in-LED-flashlights-safely
You do not want to have accidents like these:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?280909-Ultrafire-18650-3000mA-exploded
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?262234-TK-Monster-Explosion
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?120888-ROAR-of-the-Pelican-(CR123-Explosion-during-use-firsthand-account)
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...awk-Flashlight-literally-exploded-like-a-bomb

A normal 18650 should not be run above 2C or 2*(the MAH rating) to be safe. Turn it around and runtime should be more than 1/2 hours to be safe.
A normal 18650 would give ~1 hour of runtime with a SSC-P7/MC-E/SST-50/XM-L You can check this out with your 800 lumen Sky Ray.
2 18650 into 5 XM-L means you are going to get 24 minutes (2/5 hours) or less runtime well into the danger zone of normal 18650 batteries. So 2*18650 into 5 XM-Ls is a NO-NO.
There are 2 ways around this. First is to get the extension tube and the highest capacity 18650 batteries you can find. You should get 3/5 hours or 36 minutes. Close to the danger point but better than definitely in it. Second you can get IMR18650 batteries which can run at higher currents. With these batteries you can stay without the extension.

Click to expand...

Thanks a lot but I am a rookie about all the technical references. But I take I should run that light with the 3 batteries and extension to be safe/ that right?

Now, what does this mean: "So 2*18650 into 5 XM-Ls is a NO-NO.
There are 2 ways around this. First is to get the extension tube and the highest capacity 18650 batteries you can find. You should get 3/5 hours or 36 minutes. Close to the danger point but better than definitely in it." What is the "danger point", and why does it occur vis a vis run-times? Also, are you supposed to track run-times so you don't exceed them?

Last, are run-times mentioned for the bightest of the several options for the flashlight (High, Med, Low, Strobe, SOS). ? By the way, light is programmed to return to last setting when turned on again - if that is significant to anything.

Sorry for all the questions, but as you can see no doubt I'm a rookie. What I know is how to turn a flashlight on and off - about it.

FROM OP: Just bought IMR 18650 batteries, AR, two. Can you charge them with the same charger I use for the "plain" 18650s?

Thanks

PS (Charger is some generic one sent as part of a package with 2 Trustfire 18650 batteries)

gvf said:

FROM OP: Just bought IMR 18650 batteries, AR, two. Can you charge them with the same charger I use for the "plain" 18650s?

Thanks

PS (Charger is some generic one sent as part of a package with 2 Trustfire 18650 batteries)

Click to expand...

Yes.

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Normally 1 XM-L needs 1 (or 2) 18650 batteries to run it.
All the recent 3*XM-L torches use 3*18650. Which works out to 1 battery per LED.
So 5*XM-L really needs 5 batteries.
SkyRay do not have a 5 battery body so they took a 5*XR-E head 2 battery body and just changed the LEDs. Unfortunately the XM-Ls are 4X more powerful which is why there is a mismatch between how many batteries there should be and how many there actually is.