What AW cell mAh for new light.

for the soon out new ZL SC600w MkII.
looking for something that can hold the brightness/ load rather longer before it drops than kinda runtime I guess.



AW 2600 ?.
the AW seller recommended 3100..
??.




thanks.

neutralwhite said:

for the soon out new ZL SC600w MkII.
looking for something that can hold the brightness/ load rather longer before it drops than kinda runtime I guess.

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The SC600 is fully regulated - the step down at low capacity is a feature to remind you that its time to change the Liion. Lower brightness steps should begin at around 3 V, and shut down around 2,7V. So you will get full brightness of almost the whole capacity even with the new NCR18650B based ones that have 3400 mAh. The issue is the low diameter of the SC600 tube, some ones will fit, others not. See http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?322436-Battery-considerations-Zebralight-SC600 for details.

Since the SC600 shuts down to prevent over discharge, it is even safe to use unprotected NCR18650B which will give you some more % of runtime at a much lower price. Before doing so you should read a lot about Liion chemistry and safety, and you should be sure about the risks of unprotected cells.

Same will +/- be true for the SC600 Mk II, instead of the unknown diameter of the tube - noone knows so far which types will fit.

thanks, will wait for the flashlight, and then see and order the batteries right?.
safer bet?.

cheers.

bumpy. read from HKJ that there are more better ones than AW out there these days that could do the job better.
AW isn't everything really.
thanks.

neutralwhite said:

bumpy. read from HKJ that there are more better ones than AW out there these days that could do the job better.
AW isn't everything really.

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Well, you should only compare protected cells that are based on the same base cell. Don't compare an AW 2600 with any other that holds 3400 mAh
Protected cells with the Panasonic NCR18650B inside should have almost the same values (capacity, voltage curve under load and so on). For me the reasons to use an AW 3400 instead of any other protected NCR18650B based are:

- small size (important, because the NCR18650B has an higher diameter).
- manufacturing quality
- reliability

There is a thin metal stripe that connects the cells "+" to the PCB - look at http://lygte-info.dk/info/BatteryRewrapping UK.html. Failures of the insulation will cause a short circuit. That's why I'm using either protected cells from manufacturers that I trust - or even unprotected cells, if the flashlight is suited for them.

Ah, and the AW 3400 isn't yet on HKJs web site.

oeL said:

There is a thin metal stripe that connects the cells "+" to the PCB - look at http://lygte-info.dk/info/BatteryRewrapping%20UK.html. Failures of the insulation will cause a short circuit. That's why I'm using either protected cells from manufacturers that I trust - or even unprotected cells, if the flashlight is suited for them.

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I believe that my "Anatomy of a protected battery" is a better reference for the construction of the battery.

oeL said:

Ah, and the AW 3400 isn't yet on HKJs web site.

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No, AW is not selling 3400mAh batteries yet from his website and I cannot buy from WonderLite.

both unprotected

region A shows the advantage of sanyo 2600. sustains higher voltage so a buck-only or linear driver will stay in regulation longer

but region B shows the panasonic's capacity advantage but at lower voltage. i believe the zebra's buck/boost driver could still take advantage of this zone. i believe the sc600's cutoff is around 2.75v

so this is a win for NCR18650B if using zebra

btw many many thanks to henrik for his excellent comparator

HKJ said:

I believe that my "Anatomy of a protected battery" is a better reference for the construction of the battery.

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Sure

HKJ said:

No, AW is not selling 3400mAh batteries yet from his website and I cannot buy from WonderLite.

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AW does not sell them by eMail or on the CPF marketplace?
I have got one AW3400 here with a slightly damaged wrapping. The dealer in Germany must have done some experiments with slim flashlight tubes... anyway, he sent me an unharmed one for free.
Well, I thought about rewrapping it, but if you want it for an review, just PM me your postal address...

oeL said:

AW does not sell them by eMail or on the CPF marketplace?

Click to expand...

They are not listed in his sales thread.

oeL said:

I have got one AW3400 here with a slightly damaged wrapping. The dealer in Germany must have done some experiments with slim flashlight tubes... anyway, he sent me an unharmed one for free.
Well, I thought about rewrapping it, but if you want it for an review, just PM me your postal address...

Click to expand...

I want new batteries when testing, but maybe I will search for the German dealer (I was not aware that there was a German dealer).

hi there, considering AW, but really, could this be said the same for the Fenix ARB L2's?.
they are made though in china by a company named "BAK", and the writer does state anything out of china is a no no when it comes to batteries.
im looking at this from a safety point of view, as well as quality.
fenix batteries just as good?.
according to hkj's review, they did good, but is AW safer?. http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Fenix 18650 ARB-L2 2600mAh (Black) UK.html
thanks.


Here is what separates AW cells from the imitators:

• 
  [*=left]Reliability: Less chance the cell stops working for no apparent reason (it happens)
  [*=left]Consistency: Every battery has similar performance (as opposed to variable)
  [*=left]Safety: Mechanical and electronic safety features (a "protected" cell)
  [*=left]Lifetime: Longer total life span because of the characteristics above

AW batteries are, without question, the best lithium flashlight batteries in the world. They assembled in China, but the actual cells are top tier cells from Panasonic in Japan. AW batteries are specifically intended for high performance applications. You can buy Panasonic cells from online retailers for 1/2 the price, but you are getting second tier cells...basically batteries rejected by other companies.

---

NOTICE: My lights are ONLY intended to work with a single 18650 lithium-ion battery. 2x CR123 lithium primary batteries are not recommended because they cannot sustain the high current draw of "high" mode. Using them may be dangerous.
2x RCR123 (rechargeable) batteries will fit inside the body, but the driver CANNOT accept more than 6V. Using 2x RCR123 batteries will damage the driver.

---

If you aren't convinced, read on...


High quality batteries are the life-blood of any flashlight. This might sound obvious, but buying cheap batteries is often a "go-to" cost cutting measure. There is a reason you don't put cheap gas in a Ferrari, it won't run right. There are a lot of Li-Ion batteries on the market with a vast range of quality. Cheap lithium batteries are at best unreliable; and at worst dangerous.

Fortunately I've eliminated the guesswork for you. AW lithium-ion flashlight batteries are simply the best you can buy, period. They are the only brand I'll sell along with one of my lights and I don't recommend that you put any other brand in there. If you are a flashlight expert, then do what you want. If not, trust me.

What, don't want to take my word for it? Candle Power Forums is THE place on the internet for discussing everything flashlight related. Turns out that a lot of "flashaholics" are also electrical engineers and rocket scientists that know a lot more about batteries than I do. So don't take my word for it. Go to CPF and see for yourself. You'll find one brand is recommended above all others, far above, and that is AW.


So the funny thing is AW is a small company...as far as I can tell. So why are AW batteries the gold standard? First, it appears to me that AW's goal is simple: be the best. It's not just because they are twice as expensive as other batteries. They have been tested and retested by the CPF community against every "other" brand and they simply perform better, for longer. AW sells (almost) exclusively to the after-market flashlight community and those standards are exceedingly high. Remember the rocket scientists? They have lab equipment.

See [URL="http://www.candlepowerforums.com/Rules.html#siglines"]Rule #3 Do not Hot Link images. Please host on an image site, Imageshack or similar and repost – Thanks Norm[/URL]

The AW 18650 is constructed using top-tier Panasonic cells, made in Japan

AW quality starts with the raw li-ion cells. When batteries are manufactured they undergo a battery of tests (hehehe) to determine their performance characteristics. These batteries are then "binned" according to quality. The high quality ones go to big companies like Toshiba, Dell, HP, etc. Instead of getting tossed, the lower quality cells go...other places...like secondary online battery retailers. AW buys top bin cells from Panasonic, not second rate ones. Then each cell is fitted with a custom circuit board that protects the cell from things like over heating, over voltage, under voltage, shorts, and excessive current drain.
A lot of li-ion batteries are made in China. These of course are the cheapest ones. Now anyone who knows me, knows that I'm not against Chinese products. But in the case of li-ion batteries, word on the street (Science Street) is that they are inferior. Li-ion batteries store an immense amount of energy. You wouldn't want to store an immense amount of energy is a sub-standard container would you?

Stored energy wants to get out there and do something. Don't cheap out or they might do something besides turn on your flashlight.

http://darksucks.com/store%20battery2900T.html

hi, ended up with buying 6 AW 3100's, from AW, HK.
thanks.