Fenix PD30 and 18650 Batteries

wingspar

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I've had this light for years, and it still remains my favorite light. It's an older light and I've just about gone thru my box of CR123 batteries and am wondering if 18650 batteries will work in this old light.
 

Lou Minescence

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18650 batteries are too fat to fit. You will need 16650 or possibly 17650 batteries will fit. The first 2 numbers tell the battery with in millimeters. The PD 31 could take 18650 batteries
 

wingspar

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Thank you. That's good info. I did not know the first two numbers meant the diameter of the battery. I just measured inside the PD30 and got 0.673 inches which converted to 17.094mm, so possibly either the 16650 or 17650 will fit.

I've been using CR123 batteries which measure 0.648 inches or 16.459mm and are a resonably tight fit in the PD30 but a very loose fit in my Thrunite TN12 (2014).

What do the last 3 numbers (650) mean?
 

Lou Minescence

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The last three are length in millimeters. Measure how long 2 cr123 batteries are together. I think the PD 30 is sensitive to length. Not much room to go longer. Check 16650 battery specifications for actual size. It is possible you might not be able to screw the tailcap on when installing a 16650.m battery. Even though a battery says 16650, they vary slightly in actual size.
 

wingspar

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Thank you. That helps a lot. It looks like I'd better just stick with CR123 batteries for the PD30 and pick up some 18650's for my one light that will use them and save the two CR123's I just put in it this week for the PD30.

Batteries are so confusing to me. Every time I try to read up on them I get to feeling like I'm going to fall asleep and fall out of this chair. I just can't absorb the info. This is true when I try to research the best battery to buy, but it's overwhelming. I'd rather spend a few extra bucks to get the best rather than try to save some money and not be happy with my purchase. I've thought about starting a thread to ask, but feel it's probably a subject that's been beat to death around here, but I seem to come up empty when I try to do a search. Who makes the best performing 18650?
 

WarRaven

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Food for thought, the worst or first, incidents that I read about using batteries, involved CR123 in mismatched SOC combinations.
 

bob60626

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First post here and I can actually help!

16650's fit fine; I have 2 2500mah protected Keeppower's that I use with mine. They're kinda tight going in through the front so I change them at the tailcap side. 17760's seem to have less capacity; with that and the size difference I'd stick with 16650's. I wish I'd done this years ago!
 

KeepingItLight

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Not exactly. The second two are the length, the last is the form (0 being cylindrical)


I don't know myself, but I did see this in another thread.


[SIZE=+2]Naming[/SIZE]

... Another name for that size batteries is 16340, first two digits is diameter, and last 3 digits is length in 1/10mm. (The diameter will often be 0.5mm more than the number specify, the length can be a couple of mm more.) 17335 or 17345 can also be used for this size battery.

I have also seen some references state that the final "0" indicates a round cell :confused:

They have not checked the standard (I believe it is IEC), they says R is for round and the 3 digits is the lengths.

Yes, IEC uses "R" to denote round cell (IEC 60086-1, 60086-3).
 

wingspar

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I've never used any 18650 batteries before, but have a flashlight that will use them, so I'd like to try some, but I know nothing about them, and just can't seem to absorb all the technical data on batteries and searching for info that might help me without starting a new thread to ask the question that has probably been beat to death, but I just can't find those threads, or the ones I do find drift too far into the technical details for me. I'd rather pay up front for a battery that performs rather than pinch some pennies for a battery that might not work for me.

Who makes the best performing 18650?

Protected? Unprotected?
 

Lou Minescence

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Wingspar, did you mean " Who makes the best performing 16650? " It looks like bob60626 confirms a Keeppower 16650 battery will work in your PD30.

First post here and I can actually help!

16650's fit fine; I have 2 2500mah protected Keeppower's that I use with mine. They're kinda tight going in through the front so I change them at the tailcap side. 17760's seem to have less capacity; with that and the size difference I'd stick with 16650's. I wish I'd done this years ago!

Welcome bob60626 !
 

Dr. Tweedbucket

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Food for thought, the worst or first, incidents that I read about using batteries, involved CR123 in mismatched SOC combinations.


That is a concern of mine as well. I've been researching this but haven't come up with any solid answers yet. As far as I can tell, some batteries have 'smarts' in them as a safety feature, but still aren't clear on what is safe and what is not (other than to used same brand and same voltage level batteries). :confused:
 

wingspar

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Wingspar, did you mean " Who makes the best performing 16650? " It looks like bob60626 confirms a Keeppower 16650 battery will work in your PD30.

If you read post #5 of this thread, you will see that I indeed did mean 18650, not 16650.
 

WarRaven

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That is a concern of mine as well. I've been researching this but haven't come up with any solid answers yet. As far as I can tell, some batteries have 'smarts' in them as a safety feature, but still aren't clear on what is safe and what is not (other than to used same brand and same voltage level batteries). :confused:
The thing is, never mix batteries/cells really, of different states of charge.
This applies to just about any cell/battery in anything, it's just more serious with lithium primaries.

Only use new cells in multi cell lights.
Depending where you buy them, they may be shrunk wrap in pairs to help avoid that.
On rechargeable cells, it's the same thing, don't mix various states of charge together, although rechargeable usually have electronic protection to help prevent, they can fail. So charge in pairs together, and do not separate them, they are married to that light or at least together.
So the best protection is yourself, do not mix drinks, then there's no throwing up volatile chemicals.

Hope it helps.☺
 
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wingspar

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Ok, since I wasn't getting an answer to my question, I went ahead and purchased these Panasonic 18650 NCR18650B's for my Thrunite TN12 (2014). Why do these not come in button top? Nothing on that site says if they are protected or unprotected. What did I buy and will they work for me?
 
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