Battery quickie

IsaacL

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Need suggestions on what cells to use in your Mac? Mac's EDC lights run on two different cell sizes: 16340 and 18350. With the high current required by the drivers, chances are you're going to need an IMR cell. The bad news is IMR 16340's and 18350's are nowhere near as popular as their larger brethren. As a result, they tend to occupy their own special niche.

What's the good news then? AW, AWT, and Efest. There are others...but these test the highest by far. See HKJ's test results below:

AW IMR16340 550mAh (Red)
AWT IMR16340 550mAh (Yellow)
Efest IMR16340 V2 550mAh (red)

In practical application, IMR 16340 cells perform best up to 3A and max out at around 4A.

AW IMR18350 700mAh (Red)*
AWT IMR18350 700mAh (Yellow)
Efest IMR18350 700mAh (Purple) 2014

IMR 18350 cells are even more beastly. The AW's can easily handle 5A (rated up to 6A). AWT steps it up a notch with a 6.4A continuous rating and a bit more capacity, plus slightly higher voltage under load. Finally, the Efest can deliver a cool 10.5A with excellent tracking. However, the AWT's and AW's both have better capacity at 6A and under.

*AW has some brand new 800mAh (3Wh) 18350 cells that have just started to hit the market. They are rated up to 12A. I ordered two today and I'll be curious to see how they test :thumbsup:

A good rule of thumb is low drain cells have higher capacity (both mAh and Wh) while high drain cells have lower capacity (but less voltage sag). This means that the best battery depends on your specific application. I say all that to say this: if your application is less than 2A, then a low drain cell (like the high capacity Xtar 18350 900mAh) may offer more runtime. If your application is higher than 2A, I recommend the ones I listed above.

There's no data available for the new AW's yet but I am pretty confident they will outperform the older cells as well as the purple Efests. In fact, the only reason to use the Efests was if you needed more than 6A, which is what the AWT and old AW's are rated to. As far as the new AW's compared to the AWT's...we won't know until we see test data.
 
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stewdogg

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*AW has some brand new 800mAh (3Wh) 18350 cells that have just started to hit the market. They are rated up to 15C (i.e. 12A). I ordered two today and I'll be curious to see how they test.:thumbsup:

Does AW have some 800 mAh out now? I just purchased some of the new Efest 800 mAh 18350's... should be getting delivered tomorrow.
Nice write up!!
 

IsaacL

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Does AW have some 800 mAh out now? I just purchased some of the new Efest 800 mAh 18350's... should be getting delivered tomorrow.
Nice write up!!

Thanks. Yes, the ones I ordered are the new 800mAh cells. A quick search turned up a handful of authorized dealers that have them already.
 
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RUSH FAN

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Thanks for the awesome write up!
PM sent to you regarding your recommendations.

Thanks!
 

IsaacL

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It's difficult to say. On the one hand they function perfectly at 4.5A... On the other, I haven't been able to perceive any difference, capacity or otherwise. The wrapping looks cool though!

The real test would be at higher currents closer to 12A
 

IsaacL

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A quick six month update on my two 800mAh AW's. These are still going strong and I've yet to see any issues or reduced life while running at 4.54A. My older AW 700mAh 18350's are beginning to show their age and can only manage a few minutes under that load. The voltage sag causes the driver to step down real quick. I keep them around as backup since they are fine at lower currents but they are no longer in my carry rotation. I think it's time to order a few more of the 800mAh cells.

If anyone is feeling particularly generous, they can send HKJ a pair for testing :D
 

D2000

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Apr 29, 2013
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A quick six month update on my two 800mAh AW's. These are still going strong and I've yet to see any issues or reduced life while running at 4.54A. My older AW 700mAh 18350's are beginning to show their age and can only manage a few minutes under that load. The voltage sag causes the driver to step down real quick. I keep them around as backup since they are fine at lower currents but they are no longer in my carry rotation. I think it's time to order a few more of the 800mAh cells.

If anyone is feeling particularly generous, they can send HKJ a pair for testing :D
Will probs bite the bullet and replace my original 3x 750mah AW's after reading that they go longer under higher load. I want more turbo time!
 
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