cheapest reliable low-drain 18650s

das_blinkenlighten · Aug 17, 2017

Hey, I've searched but this seems to be a rare topic. Is there any money to be saved in a high capacity 18650 if it can be low drain? About 1A max. I'm getting some dirt-cheap Chinese hanging lights that come with a 1000mAh 18650 (hey, at least they're honest!) and would like to increase the capacity. I'm just wondering if there is something like a low-drain ~3400mAh 18650 that can be had at a savings compared to the 3400s that can handle higher drain. Thanks!

Ozythemandias · Aug 17, 2017

NCRB is my go-to cheap 18650 for non-high drain applications

terjee · Aug 17, 2017

I'd stick with quality cells for the safety. NCRB like Ozythemandias mentioned are a popular choice.

das_blinkenlighten · Aug 18, 2017

Okay thanks all. Wanted to see if I could find something cheaper to buy in some quantity as I and my camping partners switch over to an 18650 ecosystem, but it looks like it's not worth the hassle.

ven · Aug 19, 2017

Sanyo NCR18650GA which are 10a 3500mah, these can be found pretty cheap these days. Just buy from a reputable source/shop.

Almighty1 · Aug 20, 2017

ven,

Got any reputable source/shops and can one also buy custom battery packs?

ven · Aug 20, 2017

Hi there, i believe imrbatteries is a good source your side, also mtn electronics, going gear, illumn supply type shops that are reputable. Try and avoid ebay unless its a trusted know seller/shop if possible. Not sure on the battery packs, if it was me i would check amazon out, google the pack and make sure a safe/solid investment(not amazon reviews).

In what way custom? Cells swapped out for high drains? What type of packs, flashlight type or power bank? Vinh has done some himself for the rc40 and sure he could do others .

Almighty1 · Aug 20, 2017

Thanks for the answers. For custom, need a 2 cell battery pack hooked up in parallel (+ to + and - to -) so it gives double the mAh of the single cell.

ven · Aug 21, 2017

Right so a parallel set up, either tabs welded or you could use something like a parallel battery carrier. Have a search for 18650 parallel battery holder and see if that may suit and could be used. Maybe look at vape shops also.

terjee · Aug 21, 2017

Quick note: remember to check voltage before paralellig up batteries. They will balance, and if one is full and one is empty, that could become more interesting than one would want. Best to get them as close as possible.

Almighty1 · Aug 21, 2017

I thought battery packs besides being welded together, they also have a circuit board of some kind before connecting to the device?

terjee · Aug 21, 2017

Almighty1 said:
I thought battery packs besides being welded together, they also have a circuit board of some kind before connecting to the device?

They can, but it's not a given. Laptop batteries for example, are battery packs with circuits. Power tools used to not have any, but IT might have started piping up now.

Almighty1 · Aug 21, 2017

If it's only to power a solar flood light, does it really need the circuit?

terjee · Aug 22, 2017

Almighty1 said:
If it's only to power a solar flood light, does it really need the circuit?

If the batteries are NiMH, and the charge current is low, it does not. No matter if the cells are in series or parallel.

If the batteries are LiIon in parallel, there should be some protection, such as from over charge or over discharge.

If they are LiIon in series, then ideally the cells should be protected individually.

It doesn't matter as much where this protection is though, if it's in the light, it doesn't need to be on the pack.

terjee · Aug 22, 2017

Cheap solar lights will often have cheap NiMHs, charge at a low rate. They also typically doesn't last very long, but it's unknown to me if that's due to cheap cells, or lack of any protection.

Almighty1 · Aug 22, 2017

As in my other thread, they are actually LiIon ICR 18650 Samsung 1800mAh 18650s so the circuit seems to be in the pack. I just know it takes 24 hours of solar charging to get 2 hours of light so putting in higher capacity cells might make the light output last longer.

terjee · Aug 23, 2017

Might also be that the batteries are not fully charged by the solar? In that case, larger capacity might not change much.

Almighty1 · Aug 23, 2017

It's fully charged according to the manufacturer and the run time is only 2 hours with a 3-4 hour charge daily for 4 days with the power switch off. I charged closed to 7 days.

terjee · Aug 23, 2017

Manufacture specs are often somewhat off, especially with solar. Might be fully charged, might not. Either way, upgrading the batteries won't be too expensive. Worst case you'll still have better batteries in it, best case you also get better runtime.

Almighty1 · Aug 25, 2017

So true, now trying to see how many cells I can put since I think it might be able to handle 4 parallel but only in pairs of 2s.

cheapest reliable low-drain 18650s

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