Lumens Factory HauL

[knucklegary]

Yeah, the 3600mAh at that price is a bargain!

Craig, or sometimes both brothers, usually gets back to me in a day.. I didn't see NH1835 as well, that's why I asked them if KP discontinued mfgr. Man I hope not!

I'll pm you with their message.

 

[chillinn]

Excellent. ty

 

[chillinn]

Finished test with MN02 (0.51A) and Sanyo NCR18650GA (3500mAh).

• 4.12V 0h
• 4.03V 1h
• 3.88V 2h
• 3.77V 3h 8m
• 3.64V 4h 6m

Kind of disappointed.

Did I initially calculate my expected runtime correctly? What I did is took HKJ's test results for 0.5A, which is 3.311Ah, and divide by 0.51A = 6.49h or 6h 29m 31s. Maybe I was going to get 4h 20m on this cell. I'm missing more than two hours of runtime.

Maybe the more I use them, they'll get better?

I love the way the button top NH1832 snuggly fits the LF E2 body and doesn't need help to make contact. I don't mind wrapping it with a little paper, but having to use a magnet with the Sanyo is a little annoying because the MN02 pot is ferrous and sticks to it when I swap cells. I prefer my lamps stayed in the head.

Starting the same test with an MN02 riding a button top NH1832, 3200mAh. HKJ tests of same or similar.

results:
4.12V 0h
3.88V 1h
3.68V 2h (probably a bad read)
3.77V 2h 15m
3.70V 2h 47m
3.63V 3h

Was I wrong to expect 6h of runtime on MN01? Maybe the amps for MN02 on the Popular bulbs current draw post is off? Maybe something is different about this particular MN02?

I'm going to get some 35E when I have a chance and see how they do.

 

[chillinn]

The wooden spoon was used to lay across the Turbo head's stock crenelated bezel to remove and replace it. Wish I had thought of that before I tore up my palms.

In an astounding oversight, I did not check to see what cells fit Seraph. NH1832 will not fit. The NCR18650GA do fit (I ended up getting one extender), but, for unknown reasons, they will not fire the ES-9 or SR-9L. I tried magnets to extend them and everything even though contact seemed fine without them. I ended up pulling the extender and trying Duracell Solar LFE18500, which fit and are the only Li-ion cells I currently have that fit Seraph, other than UH1835P (KP IMR18350). The Duracell's do fire the ES-9 and SR-9L and both brighter than one would expect on 2x 3.2V.

The IMR-13 will have to wait. I could try them with UH1835P I have, but none of them are matched anymore. I really need to get 6 new and virtuously keep 2 sets of 3 matched and rotated.

I expect NH1826 30A cells will fit @18.35mm, though they're only 2600mAh, and I don't see any available in button top, which would just be more convenient for this light. The Duracells are button top, so I'm making the assumption that Seraph prefers buttons. My hope is that NH1830 cells fit, but I can't find any for sale, let alone with buttons. Illumn still has NH1829 10A button top cells, but the picture shows the old silver label rather than black. It may have to be those. The NCR18650GA are allegedly 18.5mm cells, but, also allegedly, so are both the NH1832 and NH1829. Also, weirdly, UH1835P are supposed to be 18.6mm. So one 18.5mm cell fits, one does not. But 18.6mm cells definitely fit. None of this is making sense.

I need to figure out what highest capacity IMR18650 cells will fit Seraph. I also will still need two more extenders to run IMR-13 with IMR18650.

Between the LeeFs

Turbo head SP-9

 

[sgt253]

How about the Samsung 30Q? 3000mah. 15A max. continuous discharge. imrbatteries.com has both flat top and button top. Best of luck.

 

[chillinn]

How about the Samsung 30Q? 3000mah. 15A max. continuous discharge. imrbatteries.com has both flat top and button top. Best of luck.

Though not IMR, I suppose that's an decent option, and I was planning on picking up a handful of 35E anyway. INR will put out more amps, but are known not to last as long, expected to lose 40% capacity after only 250 cycles. But even 250 cycles takes a while, and it's not like they're expensive, just ordinary prices for 18650.

 

[thermal guy]

Finished test with MN02 (0.51A) and Sanyo NCR18650GA (3500mAh).

• 4.12V 0h
• 4.03V 1h
• 3.88V 2h
• 3.77V 3h 8m
• 3.64V 4h 6m

Kind of disappointed.

Did I initially calculate my expected runtime correctly? What I did is took HKJ's test results for 0.5A, which is 3.311Ah, and divide by 0.51A = 6.49h or 6h 29m 31s. Maybe I was going to get 4h 20m on this cell. I'm missing more than two hours of runtime.

Maybe the more I use them, they'll get better?

I love the way the button top NH1832 snuggly fits the LF E2 body and doesn't need help to make contact. I don't mind wrapping it with a little paper, but having to use a magnet with the Sanyo is a little annoying because the MN02 pot is ferrous and sticks to it when I swap cells. I prefer my lamps stayed in the head.

Starting the same test with an MN02 riding a button top NH1832, 3200mAh. HKJ tests of same or similar.

results:
4.12V 0h
3.88V 1h
3.68V 2h (probably a bad read)
3.77V 2h 15m
3.70V 2h 47m
3.63V 3h

Was I wrong to expect 6h of runtime on MN01? Maybe the amps for MN02 on the Popular bulbs current draw post is off? Maybe something is different about this particular MN02?

I'm going to get some 35E when I have a chance and see how they do.

The current draw probably goes up as battery voltage drops.

 

[chillinn]

The current draw probably goes up as battery voltage drops.

I always thought current either stayed the same or dropped as a function of voltage dropping, so that's the opposite of what I expected. Electricity is somewhat ironic.

 

[thermal guy]

I know with LED's the higher the voltage the lower the draw. Incandescence May be different.

 

[chillinn]

Bugging me all day that the Sanyos fit (but don't fire), and especially that the UH1835P fit, but the NH1832 wouldn't. Well, as it turns out, the NH1832 do fit Seraph and fit just fine with plenty of clearance. I'm going to let CPF guess what the problem is until I hear back from Mark.

 

[michaex]

@chillinn sorry for the off-topic, but damn that small Leef is sweet!

 

[chillinn]

Thanks. I wish I could remember which CPF member sold me that body. Originally I wanted it to run FM1794, and the lumens with them are absolutely beautiful, but runtime on 2x UH1835P not so great. It's now running a Tad Customs A3712 with 18650, plenty of light and tons of runtime. The Lumens Factory Seraph tailcap has a Lightsaver Miser switch in it, so it is a moded incan and also tailstands like a champ. I'll still run FM1794, but I split up the married cells. I'll be getting a stash of new UH1835P in the new year, set aside a couple for it. The FM1794 is pretty amazing for about 20 minutes, 1000Lm around 3000K, but it is more golden than any LED.

Most like cooler color temperatures, and I can't understand why. I do not. 3500K is as cool as I'd ever want. I run a Noctigon KR4 E21A 2000K every night for the last hour before bedtime, and it's the first light I grab if waking before dawn. 2000K never hurts, perfect for weary eyes. The other KR4 I have has E21A 3500K, which gets used indoors after sundown when runtime is important. Light it shines really looks like the old indoor incan lightbulbs.

 

[chillinn]

I thought I should mention something else that didn't come with this haul, but I got early November off Amazon.

I like a portable battery tester. Multimeters are clumsy, and though testers aren't necessary because nearly all Li-ion chargers can be used to quickly check voltage, sometimes all my slots are filled. Also, I use a couple types of primary button cells which my charger won't test. So testers are just convenient for me.

In mid-2020, I bought an ANENG BT-168 PRO off Walmart's site. I didn't particularly like it, but it was like 6 bucks and it did what I needed. It stopped working almost immediately, within days and less than 20 uses. I bought 6 more (yeah) at once because they were cheap and I knew they wouldn't last. Well, unsurprisingly, they didn't. I went through those extra 6 in about 4 months treating them all ever so delicately. Total crap. Poor design, bulky, and obviously the contact on the slider was breaking. Anyone else here could disassemble and permanently fix, but all my stuffs, including my iron and solder supplies, are still being stored in a Florida garage since 2014 and will stay there until gas prices become reasonable again. I also did fry one of them with polarity reversed. They didn't tolerate that at all; a split second is all it took.

I have been missing the convenience, but that's all. First week of November I happened to notice another tester on Amazon with a completely different design, ANENG 168Max, and I purchased it in trepidation. I didn't like the design at first. It felt like it was made for lefties, and the arm is on a spring that snaps it closed, which I kept forgetting about, but I got used to it. I have knocked this thing on the floor (vinyl covered concrete pad) from a height of 5.5ft at least half a dozen times, impact and bounce, impact and careen, slide, and impact, etc. The rescue kitten has also, at least twice that number, and I have caught her playing with it. It's only been about 6 weeks, but it is still working. I also accidentally checked a few cells inverted, and it has so far survived reversed polarity. I do like that it is a lot more compact than the BT-168 PRO, is pocketable and neatly fits in my new 18650 case. I just wanted to pass along that this 168Max tester doesn't completely suck and also seems somewhat durable. But really time will tell.

 

[hsa]

I got one of these and it works great. It will charge most anything. I mostly use it as a battery status checker.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08197WFP3/?tag=cpf0b6-20

 

[chillinn]

That's pretty nice. Takes big cells and charges up to 2A, wow. But what are you going to do when it is occupied and you forgot the SoC on a handful of other cells? That's when the independent tester shines. I got one of these awhile ago to gift with a light and cell, then got shy about gifting Li-ion. No digital display, so no testing, but pretty cheap. I already had a D4, then bought two more (1st Gen Nitecore D4 digital display) chargers on sale before they disappeared. It is uncanny how often all 12 slots are occupied, and I like to charge my Li-ion at low amps, so 18650 can take up to 36hrs. I charge Eneloops at the max the old D4 will do, though, 750mA, which means at least two slots have to be empty (D4 only charges 2 cells at 750mAh).

 

[hsa]

Most of my 18650 and 21700 have usb charge ports on them. I use it mostly to check Soc. Just thought I would mention it but it sounds like you keep a charger a lot busier than I do. It works good though.

 

[chillinn]

I just got 78m with 3500mAh NCR18650GA on Tad's A3718 1.8A lamp, straight from 4.13V to 3.6V without checking until the color temperature dropped. So Sanyos really can handle the amps. They're more impressive on 1.8A than on 0.51A. I'm reconsidering dedicating the closest three of these for the Greenbean as another cell group.

And 62m with 3200mAh UH1832 button top on A3718 straight again from 4.12V to 3.57V, but the cell rapidly recovered to 3.62V, so there may possibly be a couple more minutes in there.

Done testing cells for today or I'll be in the dark tonight.

 

[Buck91]

Did I read you are running the LF 2.7v drop in off 2x eneloop? How's that working? How's the run time?

 

[chillinn]

Lumens Factory D26 LED module 2.7-4.5
1.2A 100% high
0.36A 30% medium
0.06A 5% low

Product page states runtime is about an hour on CR123A or 1550mAh. This should be 1h 17m by the math. Close enough.

Full 1.55V Eneloops are 2000mAh, runtimes should be
1h 40m on high
5h 33m on medium
33h 20m on low

Just ran the test when I saw your post, using
1.36V Eneloops rested for more than a week
and I got 52m to 0.96V

Maybe this D26 LED isn't 1.2A on high. Mark knew my intentions to run with 2x Eneloops, so maybe he amped it up to maintain brightness on 2.4V or maybe it is 1.2A and with brimming full Eneloops the runtime on high would approach 1h 30m. Or maybe it was never 1.2A if CR123A gives "~1 hour," maybe it'd be 1.6A if "~" is optimistic and really means nearly an hour.

I had the impression that my runtimes were short, so I was using medium a lot, but that impression never really went away. I'll time the runtime on medium and low when I have a chance.

 

[chillinn]

On medium, 30%, I thought it was supposed to be 0.36A, but since I got 52m on high, I was expecting just over 3h of runtime, not 5h+ by the math.

1.36V Eneloops rested more than a week
and I got 2h 2m to 0.87V

I'm running this test a second time,
because I don't believe it.

----------------
1.36V to start,
runs 1h 58m to 0.97V
:/
It appears medium draws close to 1A and a little more,