These unprotected batteries

mickb

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
Messages
349
Location
Australia
Guys I haven't used unprotected cells before and decided to bite the bullet and get some. In particular a single 18650 light I just bought doesn't fit protected cells about 68mm long too well. Just making sure I have the right product here? https://www.orbtronic.com/batteries-chargers/panasonic-3400mah-18650-li-ion-battery-cell-ncr18650b

Everyone has said the hybrid nature of modern cells and some kind of failsafe in the lights themselves will prevent these from melting down my flashlight and setting my house alight. Is this correct? what exactly do I have to be careful of? Also when I charge these should I be standing by my nitecore intellicharger and removing them instantly the last flashing charge light becomes solid? Is this is what you do with unprotected charging?
 

terjee

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Joined
Jul 24, 2016
Messages
729
Location
Bergen, Norway
The biggest danger of unprotected are when they're used in series, which isn't much of an issue here. :)

The product you linked is one of the ones with a really good reputation, and would be a good choice.

They are relatively safe, but still have a lot of energy, so still demands to be treated with respect, protected against short-circuiting in your pocket (keys, loose change, mechanical damage and so on). In a single cell light, those are your primary concerns. If you always have the batteries inside something protecting it, you're pretty well covered.

Pretty much any sane modern charger, including the intellichargers, will terminate properly, so you don't need to rush to remove the cell form charging. I'd still keep an we on it though, and not leave it in the charger when leaving the house for example.

Or in other words, you're not using unprotected charging, despite charging an "unprotected battery". It's still protected charging.

The protection circuits are often things like overcurrent, over- and undervoltage, but between your charger and light, you're covered on a lot of that as it is.

There's nothing specifically you'd need to do in most cases, in a single cell light. Would be good to verify that it has undervoltage lockout, stepdown or similar, or else you'd want to pay attention to cell voltage (dimmer light for example).

Other than that, in a single cell light, not a lot actually changes. The consequences of a short could be worse, since you wouldn't have current limiting in the same way, but you'd want to physically protect a protected battery against short anyway, so again not a lot changes.
 

peter yetman

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
5,100
Location
North Norfolk UK
A very wise man once said "Battery protection is there to protect the cell from you, not the other way round"
Take note of what Terjee says and you won't go far wrong.
P
 
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