not so much reccomend me a light, more of reccomend me batteries
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jimboutilier
Enlightened
I've been very happy with the Nitecore i4 smart charger. They also make an i2 for two cells that's cheaper.
Ive had very good luck with protected EagleTac batteries. So far their 3100mah 18650s ones fit and work in all my lights. The heads on the 3400mah hour ones are a bit flat and won't work in all lights or fit in all lights. The 3100mah ones will fit and work in both the lights you mentioned. If you really want 16340s the EagleTac 750mah ones work well but of course you need two and they add up to less capacity than 1x18650.
Ive had very good luck with protected EagleTac batteries. So far their 3100mah 18650s ones fit and work in all my lights. The heads on the 3400mah hour ones are a bit flat and won't work in all lights or fit in all lights. The 3100mah ones will fit and work in both the lights you mentioned. If you really want 16340s the EagleTac 750mah ones work well but of course you need two and they add up to less capacity than 1x18650.
CounterAttack
Newly Enlightened
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- Sep 29, 2013
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I like just plan Panasonic NCR18650B they are extremely cheap and great quality. Most cells use panasonic cells either way so this is just cutting out the middle man. Look for R-Isales on ebay/amazon he has great prices on both flat top non-protected cells and button top protected cells. I am currently running these and am pleased. However I would like some rechargeable cr123's too. I agree with jim the eagletac ones good and some people recommended the AW 16340's but I had a bad experience with the AW brand so... I wanted to run two rcr123's but when I used my two rcr18350 from AW which didn't work long at all my light Xt-11 Upgrade which has a lot of heat dissapating fins got warm within seconds of having the light on. And after running regular cr123's and 18650 it didn't really get warm until a minute or two. And I can't really tell the difference in output between my 18650 vs cr123 output.
ChrisGarrett
Flashlight Enthusiast
Any of the four/five Xtar chargers are fine and not a lot of money.
I use protected AW ICR (chemistry) 16340/RCR123s and naked (unprotected) AW IMR (chemistry) 16340s in a few of my lights.
Using two RCR123/16340 cells in a light that is designed for 2 CR123As can possibly blow the driver, since hot off the charger, those cells will read ~4.20v x 2 equals 8.4v. CR123s are 3.2v resting.
A single 18650, or 17670 cell, should be fine in current regulated lights.
Whether cell A fits in your lights, or not, is a different matter.
In my PD32, I use EagleTac 3100s, naked Panasonic 3100s and naked Sanyo 2600s. All fit in the PD32 and my ZL SC-600, FWIW.
Some lights, if they don't blow due to higher voltages, behave differently when using that higher voltage and usually lose some of their modes and I think that the EagleTac D25C is one of those lights.
Fenix doesn't allow for two RCR123/16340 cells in the PD35, so get an 18650.
Chris
yoyoman
Flashlight Enthusiast
> Generally speaking, larger cells will have more capacity (mAh) than smaller cells. E.g. 18650 will have more capacity than a 16340.
> Generally speaking, ICR chemistry will have more capacity (mAh) than IMR cells. But IMR cells can handle high drain situations better. E.g. a protected ICR 18650 will have more mAh than an IMR 18650. But the IMR will perform better in a high drain situation.
> Generally speaking, unprotected cells are fine in lights with low voltage warning or cut off. But checking the voltage of the cells with a simple voltage meter is simple and safe practice.
> Generally speaking, I use protected cells in lights that don't have low voltage warning or cut off. Malkoff and McGizmo are 2 examples of good lights/dropins that don't have love voltage warning.
> Generally speaking, I use rechargeable cells in lights that get a lot of use and I stick to primaries for lights that sit in a drawer or in the car.
> Generally speaking, the key to li-ions is don't overcharge and don't over discharge. A simple volt meter is key to understanding your cell, how the light pulls energy from the cell and let's you know when you can top off the charge.
> Generally speaking, you don't need to wait for the protection circuit to cut off power before recharging the cell. Many chargers won't start charging if the voltage is above 3.9 V. But topping off the charge is fine - li-ions don't have memory.
> Generally speaking, some lights won't take 2 RCR123 (16340) li-ions - the voltage is too high. If not bored for 18650, a 17670 or 16650 will work. Or LiFePO4 chemistry, with a nominal voltage of about 3.0 V, will work. (Note that LiFePO4 cells need a special charger. They cannot be charged to 4.20 V.)
> Generally speaking, just a few things to know in order to use li-ions safely. There is a lot of power in these cells, and proper, safe use is wise. Check the threads on CPF and Battery University.
"An educated consumer is our best customer." Sy Syms
> Generally speaking, ICR chemistry will have more capacity (mAh) than IMR cells. But IMR cells can handle high drain situations better. E.g. a protected ICR 18650 will have more mAh than an IMR 18650. But the IMR will perform better in a high drain situation.
> Generally speaking, unprotected cells are fine in lights with low voltage warning or cut off. But checking the voltage of the cells with a simple voltage meter is simple and safe practice.
> Generally speaking, I use protected cells in lights that don't have low voltage warning or cut off. Malkoff and McGizmo are 2 examples of good lights/dropins that don't have love voltage warning.
> Generally speaking, I use rechargeable cells in lights that get a lot of use and I stick to primaries for lights that sit in a drawer or in the car.
> Generally speaking, the key to li-ions is don't overcharge and don't over discharge. A simple volt meter is key to understanding your cell, how the light pulls energy from the cell and let's you know when you can top off the charge.
> Generally speaking, you don't need to wait for the protection circuit to cut off power before recharging the cell. Many chargers won't start charging if the voltage is above 3.9 V. But topping off the charge is fine - li-ions don't have memory.
> Generally speaking, some lights won't take 2 RCR123 (16340) li-ions - the voltage is too high. If not bored for 18650, a 17670 or 16650 will work. Or LiFePO4 chemistry, with a nominal voltage of about 3.0 V, will work. (Note that LiFePO4 cells need a special charger. They cannot be charged to 4.20 V.)
> Generally speaking, just a few things to know in order to use li-ions safely. There is a lot of power in these cells, and proper, safe use is wise. Check the threads on CPF and Battery University.
"An educated consumer is our best customer." Sy Syms
