I am a newbie personified! Please be patient.
I have a 2c Mag bored to accept 26mm cells. I really like the size and ergonomics of the 2c and therefore have no interest in using 65mm cells. I haven't decided on the front end yet. I'm either going to use a drop in such as an Adventure Sport unit or build something myself.
After reading so many posts concerning battery safety with lithium cells, and unprotected cells in particular, I feel like throwing in the towel before I even get started! I bought a pair of EVO Gimbals IMR 26500's and bored the tube to fit them nicely before reading a word about what path I was venturing down. All I knew was that I wanted as much runtime as I could fit into this light. You see, there are very few 26500 cells on the market (by reputable companies) and ZERO protected offerings! After all that I read, I'm genuinely concerned about using unprotected cells.
I want to enjoy this light without worrying that by simply using it, I may use it for too long thereby discharging the cells to the point of possible danger. I don't know how to, nor do I have interest in checking my battery levels while I'm outside - in the dark - in need of the very flashlight I'm using. Hauling around a second pair of batteries is not an option. I paid $38.52 for this pair from Amazon. I don't have $77.00 to spend on batteries that I can only use in relative safety for about 20 minutes before I feel as though my own safety is at risk. Is it accurate that when a 3.7 volt cell drops below 3 volts you need to stop using it and put it back on a charger? Really, less than 1 volt from
3.7 - 4.2? Please clear this up for me if I got it all wrong.
Ok, enough on over discharging concerns. Now let's talk about overcharging. Just kidding. My whole reason for this lengthy diatribe is that I much rather error on the side of caution.
So here is my dilemma, am I being too much of an alarmist? Are IMR cells inherently dangerous if not closely monitored? If this is the case, is my only alternative then to use 18500's with a sleeve? The IMR 26500 cells are rated at 3,600 mAh and I believe Keeppower offers a 2,300 mAh 18500 protected cell. Is this a substantial performance difference? I don't know what to do. I'd like some feedback or direction from the good folks here on CPF. If given the choice, which power source would you choose? All responses welcome, just keep the technical verbiage a few levels below "NASA speak" for us laymen.
Lastly, I also have an Ultrafire "6P" style host using a Malkoff M91B with 2 Keeppower IMR 18350's. I just found (and ordered) a single 18350 extender tube offered by Lumens Factory so I can switch to a pair of protected 18500 cells.
Thanks for reading! Hope it wasn't too long for my first post!
I have a 2c Mag bored to accept 26mm cells. I really like the size and ergonomics of the 2c and therefore have no interest in using 65mm cells. I haven't decided on the front end yet. I'm either going to use a drop in such as an Adventure Sport unit or build something myself.
After reading so many posts concerning battery safety with lithium cells, and unprotected cells in particular, I feel like throwing in the towel before I even get started! I bought a pair of EVO Gimbals IMR 26500's and bored the tube to fit them nicely before reading a word about what path I was venturing down. All I knew was that I wanted as much runtime as I could fit into this light. You see, there are very few 26500 cells on the market (by reputable companies) and ZERO protected offerings! After all that I read, I'm genuinely concerned about using unprotected cells.
I want to enjoy this light without worrying that by simply using it, I may use it for too long thereby discharging the cells to the point of possible danger. I don't know how to, nor do I have interest in checking my battery levels while I'm outside - in the dark - in need of the very flashlight I'm using. Hauling around a second pair of batteries is not an option. I paid $38.52 for this pair from Amazon. I don't have $77.00 to spend on batteries that I can only use in relative safety for about 20 minutes before I feel as though my own safety is at risk. Is it accurate that when a 3.7 volt cell drops below 3 volts you need to stop using it and put it back on a charger? Really, less than 1 volt from
3.7 - 4.2? Please clear this up for me if I got it all wrong.
Ok, enough on over discharging concerns. Now let's talk about overcharging. Just kidding. My whole reason for this lengthy diatribe is that I much rather error on the side of caution.
So here is my dilemma, am I being too much of an alarmist? Are IMR cells inherently dangerous if not closely monitored? If this is the case, is my only alternative then to use 18500's with a sleeve? The IMR 26500 cells are rated at 3,600 mAh and I believe Keeppower offers a 2,300 mAh 18500 protected cell. Is this a substantial performance difference? I don't know what to do. I'd like some feedback or direction from the good folks here on CPF. If given the choice, which power source would you choose? All responses welcome, just keep the technical verbiage a few levels below "NASA speak" for us laymen.
Lastly, I also have an Ultrafire "6P" style host using a Malkoff M91B with 2 Keeppower IMR 18350's. I just found (and ordered) a single 18350 extender tube offered by Lumens Factory so I can switch to a pair of protected 18500 cells.
Thanks for reading! Hope it wasn't too long for my first post!