I was checking out a couple of really nice flashlights ,the Olight S80 Baton ,and the Eagletac D25LC ,both operating off a single 18650 battery.The Olight has a proprietary cell,the Eagletac comes with house brand cells.I have been reading up on these 18650 cells,and quite a lot of flashaholics seem to prefer the chinese AW cells over the U.S. and Japanese cells, I am not sure why this is,with a powerful cell like this I am inclined to worry more about safety ,rather than cost.....a couple of questions for you flashlight fans,what do you think of these 2 flashlights,and how safe are the 18650 cells? Is it absolutely neccesary to use a voltmeter on them frequently,or is a state of the art smart charger enough ?
18650 batteries
- Thread starter malocchio
- Start date
I use them all the time and have no problem with them. The batteries and charger I have are both from Battery Junction and have been flawless for several years. There are lots of choices in flashlights in that size. If you are not running it for extended periods, a single c123 battery light will be less weight and be just as bright. The RCR123 batteries last a long time if you are not on max output.
Checkout dealextreme for low cost high power flashlights and mod parts
I don't know about either of them but if you want a good small light that runs on one AAA get a Streamlight microstream. I carry one with me all the time. It's very nice light for the size and price.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00143JZ08...nd=3210266421051975599&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=
Edit: Nevermind I just saw the LUMs on the lights you had pictured. Check out the Streamlight Polytac. Very nice and bright C4 LED.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001S0IN46...d=21177434982106977783&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00143JZ08...nd=3210266421051975599&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=
Edit: Nevermind I just saw the LUMs on the lights you had pictured. Check out the Streamlight Polytac. Very nice and bright C4 LED.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001S0IN46...d=21177434982106977783&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=
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- Thread starter
- #5
Yes..I have ordered lights ,batteries and chargers from both dealextreme and batteryjunction ,and always had good service and products from both dealers. I have been cruising through batteryuniversity and also candlepower forums and now I am seeing most battery mishaps result from "double stacking" ,especially 123's.I have a nitecore ez123,that has been great,tiny but powerful,a great edc light.I was thinking of a powerful light for rugged outdoor use,and I was leaning towards a potent ,but single cell battery,and the 18650 seems to fit the ticket,my main concern is safety. Are the AW cells from china safe? or should I stick with Japanese and American ? From what I have read on those 2 forums,the Chinese batteries are more trouble prone.
I use Tenergy brand in my Fenix. Got them on Amazon along with a charger. Holds a charge forever.
CandlePowerforum and edc forum have great articles on the safety of lithium cr123 and lithium-ion rcr123, 18650 bbattery's .
adding a fully charged cr123 with a discharged battery in a 2 cell flashlight makes life exciting when the discharged battery explodes. Over discharged 18650 batteries get ruined if over discharged. Be aware if a flashlight allows you to over discharge a call.
Read and learn about these batteries. Lithium fumes does not smell as good as napalm in the morning.
safety first...
adding a fully charged cr123 with a discharged battery in a 2 cell flashlight makes life exciting when the discharged battery explodes. Over discharged 18650 batteries get ruined if over discharged. Be aware if a flashlight allows you to over discharge a call.
Read and learn about these batteries. Lithium fumes does not smell as good as napalm in the morning.
safety first...
- Thread starter
- #8
absolutely ! I have been reading as much as I can at batteryuniversity and candlepowerforums....I like the niteye eye 10 and the zebralight sc600.....deciding on an IMR 18650 a LiFePO4 18650 or an AW or Readylast protected 18650 is a big challenge for a new guy like me...A pila charger for sure,and a $40 digital voltmeter for sure...
I have nothing to add except that I thought you needed 18,650 AA's or something, and I wondered where the battery enthusiast website was. And whether or not BAD was not only for Brush Acquisition Disorder.
IMHO, stick with conventional.
AA and CR123 are readily available.
Rechargeables can be recharged.
While #2 is true, should something happen to one of the cells during the Zombie Apocalypse, you'll wish you had a light that COULD use conventional cells, or that you had conventional rechargeables.
Single-manufacturer proprietary cells?
Not a chance. The odds are that you and your product (excepting the cells) will outlast the manufacturer. In a niche market like this, it is unlikely that a new manufacturer will step in to provide support.
How many times have you been bitten by proprietary and "orphaned" computer hardware?
AA and CR123 are readily available.
Rechargeables can be recharged.
While #2 is true, should something happen to one of the cells during the Zombie Apocalypse, you'll wish you had a light that COULD use conventional cells, or that you had conventional rechargeables.
Single-manufacturer proprietary cells?
Not a chance. The odds are that you and your product (excepting the cells) will outlast the manufacturer. In a niche market like this, it is unlikely that a new manufacturer will step in to provide support.
How many times have you been bitten by proprietary and "orphaned" computer hardware?
Some battery chemistries are safer than others.
This is just my opinion, not a recommendation. You have to decide for yourself what factors are important (self discharge, total energy, physical safety, ecological damage, etc).
For something that's used daily or every few days, I like the AW IMR which uses LiMn[sub]2[/sub]O[sub]4[/sub]. LiMn[sub]2[/sub]O[sub]4[/sub] is very good at high current, and handles more load than the much denser lithium-cobalt cells. Their downside is a much higher self-discharge, and low energy density. If you really need twice the energy, you're stuck with cobalt. The LiNiMnCoO[sub]2[/sub] is somewhere in the middle, and might be a decent choice for a flashlight that's not used often, though they probably need monthly (charging) attention. (LiMn[sub]2[/sub]O[sub]4[/sub] would need weekly attention.) LiFePO4 cells are actually the safest & most ecologically friendly of the lithiums, but come in at 3.2V, so they're not really compatible with everything else. For a flashlight, you'll probably just get a dimmer output. Though, honestly, none of these are as safe as non lithiums, so I'd just use alkalines for a rarely used emergency flashlight. If you use it frequently, you can check the voltage often and make sure they don't empty too far, since they get damaged and explode if the voltage drops too far. (through self-discharge. I'm assuming they have protection circuitry to shut off when used.) It's the occasional and rare use (common with flashlights) that's problematic, since you need to check the voltage and possibly recharge them about once a month--and maybe once a week with LiMn[sub]2[/sub]O[sub]4[/sub]. Of course, I'm assuming that you find yourself in a situation where you need to use the battery after a while without being able to charge it first: e.g. using the flashlight in an emergency after it's sat for a few months. Most other uses of batteries allow you time to recharge before use.
Definitely prefer a single 18650 over a pair or smaller ones and save yourself some sleep. Also, get a good charger. Pila, for example. Many mishaps seem to happen just after charging with cheap chargers that overcharge, or rather top off too quickly. I'd even consider a fancy programmable charger like the RC folks use and just stop at 4.1V instead of trying to top it off to 4.17 or 4.2. For frequent use, I'd also be looking for a flashlight that refused to work below some (preferably, user set) voltage, such as 3.6V or 3.4V, and definitely no lower than 3.3V. With that setup, you wouldn't even need the volt meter. (Though every man should have a Fluke.)
This is just my opinion, not a recommendation. You have to decide for yourself what factors are important (self discharge, total energy, physical safety, ecological damage, etc).
For something that's used daily or every few days, I like the AW IMR which uses LiMn[sub]2[/sub]O[sub]4[/sub]. LiMn[sub]2[/sub]O[sub]4[/sub] is very good at high current, and handles more load than the much denser lithium-cobalt cells. Their downside is a much higher self-discharge, and low energy density. If you really need twice the energy, you're stuck with cobalt. The LiNiMnCoO[sub]2[/sub] is somewhere in the middle, and might be a decent choice for a flashlight that's not used often, though they probably need monthly (charging) attention. (LiMn[sub]2[/sub]O[sub]4[/sub] would need weekly attention.) LiFePO4 cells are actually the safest & most ecologically friendly of the lithiums, but come in at 3.2V, so they're not really compatible with everything else. For a flashlight, you'll probably just get a dimmer output. Though, honestly, none of these are as safe as non lithiums, so I'd just use alkalines for a rarely used emergency flashlight. If you use it frequently, you can check the voltage often and make sure they don't empty too far, since they get damaged and explode if the voltage drops too far. (through self-discharge. I'm assuming they have protection circuitry to shut off when used.) It's the occasional and rare use (common with flashlights) that's problematic, since you need to check the voltage and possibly recharge them about once a month--and maybe once a week with LiMn[sub]2[/sub]O[sub]4[/sub]. Of course, I'm assuming that you find yourself in a situation where you need to use the battery after a while without being able to charge it first: e.g. using the flashlight in an emergency after it's sat for a few months. Most other uses of batteries allow you time to recharge before use.
Definitely prefer a single 18650 over a pair or smaller ones and save yourself some sleep. Also, get a good charger. Pila, for example. Many mishaps seem to happen just after charging with cheap chargers that overcharge, or rather top off too quickly. I'd even consider a fancy programmable charger like the RC folks use and just stop at 4.1V instead of trying to top it off to 4.17 or 4.2. For frequent use, I'd also be looking for a flashlight that refused to work below some (preferably, user set) voltage, such as 3.6V or 3.4V, and definitely no lower than 3.3V. With that setup, you wouldn't even need the volt meter. (Though every man should have a Fluke.)
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An 18650 battery is the type used in portable computers, with flashlights it would be reasonable to use a cell with a protective circuit to prevent over and under charging.
Alkaline batteries will eventually leak, ruining your flashlight and they poop out in very cold weather.
so in a zombie apocalypse use lithium, they will hold their charge at least 10 years but more likely 20.
brush acquisition disorder , titanium and custom flashlights are a much greater problem. Surfire collecting is an addiction .
candlepowerforum.com is super. I am a fan of HDS Clickys.
zebralight sc600 puts out a huge amount of light in a small package and can be clicked to go down to moonlight levels that let it run for weeks on a battery.
i can run down to goinggear.com and play with lots of models.
- Thread starter
- #13
Thanks for all the input from everyone...I am leaning towards the zebralight SC600 ,pair of 18650 AW protected cells,PILA charger,and the Extech mn36 $40 voltmeter..yes,Flukes are great,but quite pricey for me !
I've used both the AW and Readylast in a HDS Ra Twisty and I've been pleased with the performance of both. Haven't spent much time lately at Candlepower -- I'm too easily persuaded that every new light on the market is an absolute must-have -- but I seem to remember that both of those 18650 sellers used a Japanese battery (or did at one point).
I worry enough about the explosive power of lithium batteries that I only use lights that require a single battery. It just seems safer that way.
But I'd buy the AW or Readylast with confidence.
I worry enough about the explosive power of lithium batteries that I only use lights that require a single battery. It just seems safer that way.
But I'd buy the AW or Readylast with confidence.
- Thread starter
- #15
my19..I share your thoughts.I carried around a single cell cr123 nitecore EZ123 on a few stays in Tanzania.Never worried about having a single primary in a decent torch,so any light I do get will be single cell.From what I've read at batteryuniversity,problems really start to pop up when stacking cells,even primary cells.I want to have maximum safety...
Do you have to tease us with hds twisty?
Sorry my picture from my iPad did not show. It had several hds clickies and twisty.
do you edc the twisty?
if you lost it how long could you go before replacing it?
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If you are looking at the sc600, consider the sc600w the tint on w models are much nicer.
and if you look at headlamps h600w would be super. Have you looked at the hi-cri headlamps?
the ones that have Aa can use eneloops.
the sc50 is what I give for Xmas.
my favorite zebralight is the sc60w. But the sc600w is more than I need.
do you have a local store to go to try them out?
keychain light I have the fenix eo5
Pocket carry was hds Clicky, I lost when the split rings on my keychain pulled my pocket light out when it pulled out my pocket
so I now have a lanyard to make sure that never happens again.
i keep a fenix TK-35 at my back door to intimidate the bunnies and bambies.
the rabbits flee what flashed with an Incan surefire. The led just makes then turn their heads.
the protection circuit on rechargables take the worry out of over and undercharging.
- Thread starter
- #18
shakey...I don't have much use for a headlamp,but I have seen them,and they look very well made..The cool or neutral white may be better for me than a warm white when deep in the jungle or forest to give deeper illumination between the green leaves etc..aa lights are great for eneloops ,but cannot give the enormous throw or flood of a single 18650 cell matched with a super efficient LED emitter...I like the fenix lights as well,very sturdy.I bought my grandson one and he loves it..
We wouldn't want to hear "The Roar of the Pelican" here, too!
I suggest you take a look at the JetBeam 3 Military. 200+ lumens, a single 18650. Easy programming. I carry mine in my left slash pocket nearly 100% of the time, and it's been teh handiest tool I ever carried.
