Olight H2R query

Wrongway

Newly Enlightened
Joined
May 3, 2017
Messages
20
Location
Cumbria, UK
I received an Olight H2R yesterday to compliment my other Olight torches. I received an email today from the dealer thanking me for the purchase and reminding me *The battery included is customized. Other batteries can not be used in this torch(because of the different circuit design. It came supplied with one of the proprietary Olight 3000mAH batteries which works with Olights magnetic charging system. As far as I am aware other 18650 batteries can be used with the H2R, it's just they cannot be charged within the torch like the supplied battery. I cannot think of any other reason that third party batteries cannot be used. I would probably only use a protected cell. If anything I think a third party cell is safer as any accidental short across the contacts at the base of the torch would not compromise the battery. Is this correct?
 

blessed

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Sep 1, 2017
Messages
5
Interesting thought. I am not an expert, but I also don't know why you couldn't use any high quality 18650 in this headlamp and charge it via the magnetic talkcap. I don't see anything special on the supplied Olight battery that came with mine. I will wait and see if someone with more knowledge than I chimes in on this.
 

Kallyfudge

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Sep 13, 2016
Messages
22
Location
Skipton or Manchester
I believe the Olight batteries supplied with their rechargeable lights have both positive and negative terminals at the tail end (and positive at the head). This is the case with my R50 seeker. With mine you can use other batteries but not charge them in the light. I expect that's the case with yours but would double check.
 

blessed

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Sep 1, 2017
Messages
5
I believe the Olight batteries supplied with their rechargeable lights have both positive and negative terminals at the tail end (and positive at the head). This is the case with my R50 seeker. With mine you can use other batteries but not charge them in the light. I expect that's the case with yours but would double check.

OK, so to be safe, if I wanted to use another quality 18650, I'll just charge it up in a different charger before use. I'll only charge the battery that came with mine with the magnetic tailcap. I don't want to experiment and destroy something. I have some Olight 10A 18650 that I MIGHT try.......................
 

Wrongway

Newly Enlightened
Joined
May 3, 2017
Messages
20
Location
Cumbria, UK
I had the following reply from the Olight UK distributers.

The reason is that the Turbo S/Turbo mode can not be reached if using other batteries. No other special reasons. I am sorry that I may not explain it very well.

After a bit more digging it appears the protection circuit on most 18650's will cut out in super turbo mode due to the high current flow and the supplied 18650 has been modified accordingly.

Olight batteries have their -ve terminal repeated at the +ve end of the battery to allow the use of Olights proprietary charger. As this -ve terminal is a recessed ring I can't see why the battery could not be used in other torches or charged with a standard charger. The torch seems to work ok witha standard 18650 I tried except for the super turbo mode.
 

maukka

Enlightened
Joined
Dec 22, 2015
Messages
641
Location
Finland
It's fine to use any high drain unprotected 18650 as long as it has a button top. 30Q, VTC5A, VTC6 all work well. No in light charging of course.
 

rookiedaddy

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 21, 2009
Messages
941
Location
A Place Called HOME
The reason is that the Turbo S/Turbo mode can not be reached if using other batteries. No other special reasons. I am sorry that I may not explain it very well.
Not Really. like what @maukka said, other high drain battery with button-top can and will reach the Turbo S/Turbo mode. There is in fact a special reason: Olight wants to let you have the ability to recharge the battery in-light without removing it.


...the supplied 18650 has been modified accordingly.
I seriously doubt any significant modification been made, the battery from Olight is a high drain battery with a single purpose modification to let us recharge in-light... but the coming M2R model will show that Olight can design a light to use any regular 18650 without "special-reason-battery". :grin2:
 

Patriot

Flashaholic
Joined
Feb 13, 2007
Messages
11,254
Location
Arizona
It's understandable that Olight used a unique charger connection which required a unique cell. My preference would have been that it worked with any cell and charged with a conventional micro USB. Micro USB cables seem to be in every drawer and camp kit and eliminates the special cell. The charging feature has great, in field value to me however this charging convenience it cancelled out by the need for a proprietary, limited capacity cell. One could rightly argue that with the recharge-ability feature, it's not critical that a cell's capacity be as high as 3400-3600mah but for my uses, it is, because I'm only operating the light in a lone cell configuration (due pack weight requirements) and I need all the capacity I can get. I realize that my situation is niche. I suppose that short of a USB version using conventional cells, I'd settle for a 3400-3600mah cell with +/- connections on the tail.

At this time I'm using an H600 with 3600mah cell and a separate, single 18650 charger (31grams) for connection to a power bank and solar panel (76grams) which recharges the power bank.
 
Top