Best IMR 14500 cell for Nitecore MT10A?

[ven]

I thought that was the point of the thread to find a decent 14500 cell, which there are 3 choices, Sanyo,AW and efest. MM is more for checking against and obv not taking up a mountain. Keeping an eye on the cells periodically to make sure all is well with both cell and charger. The voltage readout on flashlights are handy, but can also not be too accurate. This would need to be tested against something else (MM)to make sure of.
If your going to use lower modes mainly, check out the Sanyo eneloops......work out a lot cheaper .

Just gives you another option to keep an eye on things and the cell/s not getting over charged/discharged

 

[StorminMatt]

If you are looking for an IMR 14500 that is not a Chinese cell, look into the Sony US14500V. It has a decently high capacity of 680mAH and a maximum discharge of 5A. This puts it well ahead of the Sanyo UR14500p for high draw applications. It IS somewhat hard to find. But if you can find these, they might be the way to go.

 

[cdm-dude]

Very useful information, everyone! Many thanks!

At this point we should wrap up.
Since I don't actually 'have' the flashlight yet, or the battery, I can't do any tests with it.
Once the MT10A arrives I'll be able to tell if I get enough light out of it with the Energizer lithiums. And if not, I'll take it from there. Thanks to the information and resources that were provided to me in this thread, I should know what to do.

 

[toobadorz]

If you are looking for an IMR 14500 that is not a Chinese cell, look into the Sony US14500V. It has a decently high capacity of 680mAH and a maximum discharge of 5A. This puts it well ahead of the Sanyo UR14500p for high draw applications. It IS somewhat hard to find. But if you can find these, they might be the way to go.

Cells from Sony used to be good, but they usually have a flat-top. The US14500V cell is also flat-top, making it incompatible with NITECORE's reverse-polarity protected flashlights. Actually you will need a cell of small button-top for this kind of flashlight. Maybe that's why IMR cells from NITECORE all have a small button-top.

 

[Overclocker]

i really don't understand why people buy this flashlight. it's not small, it's bigger than many 18650 lights, yet it's power cell has a tiny capacity

power source is very problematic as evident on this thread. you have to keep babysitting the IMR to prevent overdischarge

who actually makes the nitecore IMR? your guess is as good as mine. from an undeclared chinese company. good luck w/ that

sony us14500v is pretty much unobtanium. attaching is nipple is going to be a problem for most people

a protected 14500 like KeeppOwer 840mah might work well at the lower output levels, but you'll miss what i think is the mt10a's main selling point: the 900+ lumen max mode.

and there's another major issue (for me) about protected 14500: the sudden cutoff when the protection trips. i just don't like my lights cutting off without warning. might even be dangerous depending on what you're using it for

speaking of cutoff voltage, it varies between makers. some can be as low as 2.3 to 2.4v. definitely in overdischarge territory. not healthy for the cell, which means you'd still be babysitting the light even if you use protected

it's just ridiculous

 

[toobadorz]

i really don't understand why people buy this flashlight. it's not small, it's bigger than many 18650 lights, yet it's power cell has a tiny capacity

power source is very problematic as evident on this thread. you have to keep babysitting the IMR to prevent overdischarge

who actually makes the nitecore IMR? your guess is as good as mine. from an undeclared chinese company. good luck w/ that

sony us14500v is pretty much unobtanium. attaching is nipple is going to be a problem for most people

a protected 14500 like KeeppOwer 840mah might work well at the lower output levels, but you'll miss what i think is the mt10a's main selling point: the 900+ lumen max mode.

and there's another major issue (for me) about protected 14500: the sudden cutoff when the protection trips. i just don't like my lights cutting off without warning. might even be dangerous depending on what you're using it for

speaking of cutoff voltage, it varies between makers. some can be as low as 2.3 to 2.4v. definitely in overdischarge territory. not healthy for the cell, which means you'd still be babysitting the light even if you use protected

it's just ridiculous

You just mentioned the chief defect of NITECORE MT10A, EA11, and EC11. I suppose most people buy one of them simply because of its maximum output (900+ lumen), but then they got to do some research to find a good IMR 14500/18350 cell for it. And it's really inconvenient, or even impractical to periodically check the cell voltage. I overdischarged my 18350 in a EC11 once, and I rarely use that flashlight since then.

Maybe NITECORE expects us to use a NiMH/CR123 battery in these flashlights, not Li-ion IMRs. So they simply implemented the Li-ion lower modes with PWM and showed no warning for low voltage. That is definitely a bad idea.

 

[Overclocker]

Maybe NITECORE expects us to use a NiMH/CR123 battery in these flashlights, not Li-ion IMRs. So they simply implemented the Li-ion lower modes with PWM and showed no warning for low voltage. That is definitely a bad idea.

nitecore doesn't even recommend 14500 for this flashlight. i've been trying to point this out but no one seems to understand.

no "recommended" tag means NOT RECOMMENDED. for reasons that should be obvious by now

 

[staticx57]

Not recommended would imply it does not work. That's different. It would be closer to say "not ideal" instead of "not recommended"

i mean, Nitecore doesn't even recommend primary lithium cells. Let's be real here, they will work just fine too. An IMR 14500 would work excellently in the oughtnit would just require manual voltage monitoring. For that it loses it recommended tag as it is much to expect from the average person. Doesn't mean it doesn't work well with a light enthusiast.

 

[cdm-dude]

nitecore doesn't even recommend 14500 for this flashlight. i've been trying to point this out but no one seems to understand.

no "recommended" tag means NOT RECOMMENDED. for reasons that should be obvious by now

This again? Come on, man... Call it 'different points of view', or whatever... The way I see it: Just because something is not explicitly recommended does not mean that it is explicitly NOT recommended. Right there, in the 'Compatible' column, it says "Y", which means 'yes'. So, YES, the IMR14500 Rechargeable Li-ion battery IS compatible with the MT10A. End of dilemma... You're entitled to viewing things in your own light.

I kinda knew that someone here wouldn't like the idea of me buying this product, and that's cool. I can see where you're coming from. But: "i really don't understand why people buy this flashlight" is something else entirely.

You may be failing to see that some of those 'people' need this flashlight for applications that differ greatly from what you're doing with your lights. Therefore, what you consider to be a 'proper flashlight', may be very different from any particular product that is being used and fully enjoyed by someone else.
Perhaps, with some imagination, you may come to 'understand' as to why those people, choose a flashlight like the MT10A over, let's say the Klarus mi7.

I do not speak for anyone but myself, so here are my 2 cents:

Just because the 920lumens is there does not mean that you have to beam them all the time, or EVER, for that matter.
I've actually selected the MT10A for its unmatched VERSATILITY, not the jaw-dropping beam. Name ANY OTHER flashlight with similar form factor and I will point out at least one feature from the MT10A that is not present in that unit. (I'm not afraid to go there). Yes, you can argue that you don't need this or that, however, you cannot speak for me.

From what I gather, the MT10A is an ultra-versatile unit that also happens to be an excellent flashlight for any survival and, especially, SHTF scenario. All I need to power it is one AA or one AAA battery (with a dedicated or improvised adapter). Any half-decent cell would then give me unrestricted access to all of the flashlight's modes. And if I'm able to get my hands on an IRM14500, I would have the option to put out a really bright beam, albeit for a short duration, OR for as long as I need to, if I came across a huge supply of IRM14500's that I wouldn't care to over-discharge.
In a post-apocalyptic setting or any other serious-s**t-hitting-the-fan scenario, many of the established laws, rules and norms go out the window. And if we're going there, with some modding, a little, "underpowered" flashlight like the MT10A can be converted into a fairly potent headlight, if you know how to hook it up to your vehicle's battery.
Not really a prepper but I like thinking outside the box like that.

And did it ever occur to you that someone with unlimited funds (not me, obviously) may treat his IRM14500's as disposables? If you buy a huge batch wholesale, the per-battery cost is not even that crazy. You can just drain those babies and throw them in the bin as you go. Obviously, suddenly losing the power in the middle of something critical is not ideal and can even put someone's life in danger. That's what backup lights are for.

Here's an option for a real-world application (vs. imaginary) that I'm actually reserving for myself: Running my MT10A on Energizer Lithiums or Alkalines, enjoying the long runtimes, while also carrying one or two 14500's in the waist pack, just in case I need the extra reach... Did I just blow your mind?

To sum it up: Just because the car can go 160mph, does not mean it must come with a huge fuel tank that has to be constantly filled to the brim, or that I have to drive it at full-speed, all the time... OR EVER. Knowing that the speed is there is enough for me to seal the deal. *Your philosophy may vary.

Bottom line: You buy what you know is best for you and I'll buy what I think and hope is best for me. After all, it's not like I'm getting married to this MT10A. Given the price, I wouldn't hesitate to replace this flashlight with another, better product.

 

[Mkduffer]

I do not speak for anyone but myself, so here are my 2 cents:

Just because the 920lumens is there does not mean that you have to beam them all the time, or EVER, for that matter.
I've actually selected the MT10A for its unmatched VERSATILITY, not the jaw-dropping beam. Name ANY OTHER flashlight with similar form factor and I will point out at least one feature from the MT10A that is not present in that unit. (I'm not afraid to go there). Yes, you can argue that you don't need this or that, however, you cannot speak for me.

Great post, very well written. Personally, I love my MT10A and find it back in my EDC rotation because of it's versatility. I think your post hit on most (if not all) of the reasons I purchased it. When I switched from 18650 lights to AA/14500 for EDC I purchased a lot of different lights to see which would best suit me and for a lot of reasons, I keep going back to the MT10A.

 

[CelticCross74]

Efest and AW

 

[Impossible lumens]

I use Xtar IMR14500 600MAh and they work great. All of my BLF style 14500 lights are brighter when using them vs standard 800MAh 14500. They all test out at over 650MAh to boot. If you can find them less expensive than the AW or Efest then I would get them. If the EFest or other before mentioned brand IMR is cheaper, then get those. Also look at shipping times when deciding if all else looks like a close comparison.

 

[Tootall72]

If you can it is always worth buying 2, one on charge and one in the light and just rotate like that(never without light).

Not sure what is in the head of the NC MT10 , does it have a spring? if so its good with both. If it has physical polarity protection (the + is lower down to prevent damage from a wrongly inserted cell)Then a button top will only work.

IMR/ICR/INR etc which are hybrids(mixed chemistry) are 3.6v nominal and 4.2v fully charged so all fine on the charger.

I contacted NC and this was their response " Thanks for your support of NITECORE products.

The MT10A is compatible with both protected and unprotected 14500 batteries.


But it is better to use button top batteries, for it has Reverse Battery Protection Design.


It is OK to use a battery which capacity is larger than 750mAh.


For more purchasing details, please kindly contact NITECORE authorized dealer in USA:
US Nitecore Distributor
Phone: (512) 258-6649
Fax: (512) 666-3646
Website: www.nitecorestore.com
Email: [email protected]"

So I guess that means no spring and you would have to button top. I have the same delima as I am looking for batteries and am finding more flat top than button top. I am most likely going with the Nitecore IMR 14500 NI14500A 650mAh 6.5A 3.7V Li-Mn Rechargeable Battery as it is stated as a "IMR" not Li-ion or Efest 650 mAh. How ever I was wondering weather the length would be too long compared to the NC. I have an email into NC asking about max and min length and dia. Hope that helps.

 

[Tootall72]

I have a Nitcore MT10A flashlight that I had a Nitcore IMR 14500 installed. This morning the flashlight would not turn on and the battery would not take a charge and read 0Volts, I also had another 14500 IMR backup what reads 4volts and would not take a charge. I have the LiitoKala 100. It will not charge the batteries, it just blinks.The charger will charge other AA batteries. I was wondering if anyone could recommend a charger that could restore the 14500. I have been looking at the Nitcore SC4 that says it can restore 0V batteries and has special IMR charging. What are your thoughts?

 

[Curious_character]

Look carefully at the zero volt battery to see if it says "protected" anywhere on it. If it does, the protection circuit probably has tripped and most chargers will reset it -- sorry, I don't have any specific recommendations. But if it doesn't say "protected", throw it away (send it to a battery recycler) and don't mess with it! It has serious problems and it could be very hazardous to try and recharge it.

For your 4 volt cell, it appears that your charger has a switch for conventional (~3.7 v. nominal) Li-ion cells or for lower voltage LiFePO4 cells. Make sure it's in the position for the 3.7 volt nominal cells (4.2 volt maximum charge voltage). If it still doesn't charge, try discharging it some, then see if your charger will charge it.

c_c

 

[jimbo231]

It's an IMR so not protected ........do not charge it ....recycle it....not worth the risk for the cost