# intellicharger i4 problem?



## bugz000 (Aug 30, 2015)

Hey guys 
after you all recommended me a pair of flashlights which i am absolutely over the moon with - exceptional performance (THANK YOU! ) 

i've gone all-out and bought myself a box of genuine surefire CR123A batteries and an intellicharger I4 as i wanted best performance for my lamps

however i've come across a strange "bug"
i find the intellicharger has taken a disliking to some random batteries, say the indicators are as such
1=1 light
2=2 lights
3 = charged

the flash pattern will show 1 1 1 1 1 1.....2 2 2 2 2... then at random, 1 1 1 1 1 1.... 2 2 2 2 2 < -- never reaches 3
now taking them out and putting them back in again results in returning to 1 flashing - soon turning to 2 again
thinking it was a connection issue - i've gently bent the tabs forward a few degrees to really make sure the batteries are in there good and snug - this seemed to help the issue a bit, however they seem to just be flashing at 2 2 2 2 2, i've actually fully charged several batteries while a dodgy one is just sat at 2, i removed them after i felt they were becoming significantly hotter than the other batteries which reach full charge

i set to and started changing channels with a single dodgy battery - after a while, hey presto it showed 3 lights stable - full charge

i'm not sure what that's all about - can anyone shed some light?
Are surefire CR123A subceptible to dodgy cells or is it the charger? or am i being impatient or something







just put 3 on charge, the 2 bar on far right is a known "dodgy cell", the three 1bars are showing 33c(93f) and the 2 bar (dodgy) is showing 54c (130f) - all on charge for the same ammount of time (about 15 minutes)

Thankyou all in advance

edit: 20 minutes later the dodgy cell reached 60c (140f) at which point i disconnected it, only charging the 3 good ones now :s
in spite of removing bay 4 battery very carefully, being careful not to move the unit at all, the battery in bay 2 stopped flashing (0 lights on) for a few seconds then resumed flashing 1


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## swan (Aug 30, 2015)

I dont have any surefire cells but i thought they where lifepo4 3.2volt? If thats the case u need a different charger, what v are they?


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## cyclesport (Aug 30, 2015)

Is this a joke? Are you actually trying to charge primaries (non-rechargeable batteries)? If so...STOP IMMEDIATELY. Remove all attempted charged cells out of your house (before you burn it down) and put them in a place where, if they combust or explode (a very real possibility), they will do so in a safe place.

Aside from the fact you have probably destroyed (by attempted charging) all previously good primary CR123a batteries you may have harmed your charger as well! Don't do this...very dangerous!!!

Only charge RCR123/16340 batteries (as well as other size Li-ion and NiMh cells in your new charger) as these are all it was designed for.


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## Stream (Aug 30, 2015)

I felt chills down my spine when I read your post; you appear to be talking about charging regular CR123A primaries. As cyclesport has already told you, you need to stop! You are risking serious personal injury or death.


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## RI Chevy (Aug 30, 2015)

Oh boy. :thinking:.......:wow::huh2:


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## JimTokle (Aug 30, 2015)

RI Chevy said:


> Oh boy. :thinking:.......:wow::huh2:



My reaction exactly when I saw that picture. Wow. I'm speechless.

I sincerely hope that OP was able to read these responses before something catastrophic occurred.


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## Str8stroke (Aug 30, 2015)

Oh mercy! you are about to Shed your own lights out with that set up. 

STOP What you are doing! WOW. 

I had to do a triple take when I saw that pic. WOW.


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## Stream (Aug 30, 2015)

JimTokle said:


> I sincerely hope that OP was able to read these responses before something catastrophic occurred.



I'm actually starting to worry, I hope he's not in the burn ward or something. It will be a relief if he replies to let us know he is alive and well.


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## JimTokle (Aug 30, 2015)

Stream said:


> I'm actually starting to worry, I hope he's not in the burn ward or something. It will be a relief if he replies to let us know he is alive and well.



I'm actually pretty worried as well. It sent chills down my spine reading his post and then his edit about how warm the batteries were getting. I hope that, if this isn't a troll post, he was able to read this in time. That kind of thing is really nothing to joke about.


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## Stream (Aug 30, 2015)

JimTokle said:


> I'm actually pretty worried as well. It sent chills down my spine reading his post and then his edit about how warm the batteries were getting. I hope that, if this isn't a troll post, he was able to read this in time. That kind of thing is really nothing to joke about.



I don't think he's a troll, I looked at his profile and he has one other thread where he got advice on which light to buy. He ended up buying two lights (Thrunite TN11s and TN12), and he seemed genuinely excited. He also mentioned in that thread that he bought a pack of Surefire cells and a Nitecore charger, but he never mentioned he was going to try to charge the Surefire cells in it. He talked about an old 18650 battery he had laying around, and I'm sure everyone assumed that was what he would use the charger for. 

This poor guy was all excited about having "gone all-out" and bought himself a box of "genuine surefire CR123A batteries and an intellicharger I4" and was never heard from again . Makes me wonder if we should start being much clearer about what does and what doesn't go in a charger.


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## ChrisGarrett (Aug 30, 2015)

One needs to know about li-ions and chargers and the only way to 'know' is to read and understand what this stuff is. OP has a lack of understanding and this can present major problems.

OP, you need to go over to Batteries and Electronics and read up there.

Stop charging ANY cell/battery until you know what's what.

Chris


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## JimTokle (Aug 30, 2015)

Stream said:


> I don't think he's a troll, I looked at his profile and he has one other thread where he got advice on which light to buy. He ended up buying two lights (Thrunite TN11s and TN12), and he seemed genuinely excited. He also mentioned in that thread that he bought a pack of Surefire cells and a Nitecore charger, but he never mentioned he was going to try to charge the Surefire cells in it. He talked about an old 18650 battery he had laying around, and I'm sure everyone assumed that was what he would use the charger for.
> 
> This poor guy was all excited about having "gone all-out" and bought himself a box of "genuine surefire CR123A batteries and an intellicharger I4" and was never heard from again . Makes me wonder if we should start being much clearer about what does and what doesn't go in a charger.



I'm really hoping that we hear back from him soon.

I'm also curious where his research failed him along the way. He did enough to pick good lights, a good charger, and good primary batteries... but he missed something along the way. No one deserves or expects to get hurt over something like this. While safe if used properly, the consequences of a simple mistake like this can be huge. So much so that I'll probably continue to worry until we hear back from him.


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## Str8stroke (Aug 30, 2015)

Yes, I feel like we may have let him down. Hopefully he is fine and is just enjoying dinner with his family.


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## akhyar (Aug 30, 2015)

Oh boy!
I hope no fire or explosion on his side. Fingers crossed all are well


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## Stream (Aug 30, 2015)

The really scary part is how hot the batteries got according to his edit. It makes it a very real possibility that something could have happened, so I will continue to worry as well until we hear back from him. I'm also curious how he could have missed that these batteries are not rechargeable. At this point I'm starting to feel that we should shout in all caps DO NOT RECHARGE!! whenever primary cells are discussed.


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## cyclesport (Aug 30, 2015)

I'm guessing by his vernacular he's in the UK...if so, it's approx 4am there as of this posting. If I'm correct, he probably won't see any of this for a few more hours at least.


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## Stream (Aug 30, 2015)

You are right, so he could either be in bed or in the hospital. I really hope it's not the latter!


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## UnderPar (Aug 30, 2015)

Hey OP, do hope your doing fine out there and nothing happened to you after charging those primaries! Lets keep this thread up always until he reads and responds.


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## ganymede (Aug 31, 2015)

Hope OP has good home insurance. :shakehead


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## lunas (Aug 31, 2015)

On top of the act he has committed is basically a surefire way to make those into little bombs that charger will be trying to charge to 4.2v not 3.0v like those disposeable one time use expensive batterys.

I don't know which is scarier the fact he is trying to recharge them or that it sounds like he has been doing so for a while now and has thus far been really lucky.


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## bugz000 (Aug 31, 2015)

wahaha xD okay guys i'm not dead - and your concern is compelling - if not a little alarming, i never leave batteries charging unattended, these were charging for about an hour max before i headed off to watch a movie, disconnecting before i left, my brother once put an alkaline AA in a charger, thing went off like a 12 gauge so i know enough to monitor temperatures while charging

looking closer it does say "do not recharge" on the batteries (in the smallest text imaginable, honestly) - but it DID however state they were rechargable on ebay  with "Lithium" written on the side, i've beed had! 
can you guys recommend a good cr123a RECHARGABLE cell retailer for me which won't kill my family and my 4 pet cats?

also looking, it says my torches are compatible with 18650 and CR123A
it may be a stupid question but then again i'm the guy who put standard batteries into a charger...
if a torch supports CR123A will it support as cyclesport says, RCR123A (i'm assuming it's the rechargable version of it)


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## akhyar (Aug 31, 2015)

Glad that nothing bad happens to you or the charger.
I think it'll be easier for users to recommend you places to buy legit rechargeable batteries if they know where you are located.

By the way, CR123A are primaries (standard), while the rechargeable cells are known as RCR123A or 16340.
That way easier for you to shop online for the rechargeable batteries for your need.

As whether the lights support both CR123 or RCR123, it depends on the voltage that the lights can take as CR123 is normally 3V, while RCR123 is 3.7V.
If the label on the light says it can only support CR123, most probably RCR123 is out of the question due to the higher voltage.
If the lights supports both CR123 and RCR123, normally the output power (highest lumens) when powered by RCR123 is more when compared to the same light powered by CR123.


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## bugz000 (Aug 31, 2015)

located in Shropshire, UK

(Thrunite TN11s and TN12) 

looking over the forums this guy seems to have tested the TN12 at least with "2x RCR 3.7v" (aswell as two CR123A in another image)
will look around for the TN11s compatability


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## LeafSamurai (Aug 31, 2015)

bugz000 said:


> wahaha xD okay guys i'm not dead - and your concern is compelling - if not a little alarming, i never leave batteries charging unattended, these were charging for about an hour max before i headed off to watch a movie, disconnecting before i left, my brother once put an alkaline AA in a charger, thing went off like a 12 gauge so i know enough to monitor temperatures while charging
> 
> looking closer it does say "do not recharge" on the batteries (in the smallest text imaginable, honestly) - but it DID however state they were rechargable on ebay  with "Lithium" written on the side, i've beed had!
> can you guys recommend a good cr123a RECHARGABLE cell retailer for me which won't kill my family and my 4 pet cats?
> ...



Glad to see you are ok bro. If you were to buy rechargeable CR123A, please test your charger first as it have been used to charge non-rechargeable batteries. You must also try to keep an eye on the non-rechargeable batteries that you have charged as you might have damaged the internal cells.


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## bugz000 (Aug 31, 2015)

LeafSamurai said:


> Glad to see you are ok bro. If you were to buy rechargeable CR123A, please test your charger first as it have been used to charge non-rechargeable batteries. You must also try to keep an eye on the non-rechargeable batteries that you have charged as you might have damaged the internal cells.




i'd count the non rechargable ones as shot - theyre all either out of power or i've tried charging them lol, theyre going in the bin  
how would i go about testing the charger?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5pcs-NITE...ion-Battery-/261831969043?hash=item3cf666c913

well that's expensive considering i need at least 6 of them, 4x for TN11s and 2x for TN12, what's the pro's/con's of using 2-4x 123A cells vs 1-2x 18650? 
i read somewhere using 123A config results in brighter operation but shorter battery life whereas 18650 runs for longer at slightly lower brightness? is this true?


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## akhyar (Aug 31, 2015)

Most probably your TN12 can take RCR123A but you need to look around to confirm. All I can say is some of my older lights like Surefire E2e, Fenix P2D, Pelican M6 which are at least 7-8 years old cannot take RCR123. 
As for the charger, maybe you need to test it with rechargeable batteries to ensure it is still working fine as you don't know what happens with the circuitry inside when you charged the primaries earlier


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## Str8stroke (Aug 31, 2015)

Search for Soshine 3.0 volt RCR123. *Make sure you get the 3.0 volt*. Those were what you were looking for in the first place. Once again, 3.0 volt. Thats THREE VOLTS. Do not buy the 3.7 Volt because you may think they are close or you thought I made a typo. Your E2E and Fenix will work just fine on 3.0 volt RCR's.
I usually buy mine from Banggood, or try focal price. 

So what you need to find is a 3.0 volt RCR123, they are usually 650Ah cells. 

Also do not buy any battery from China/ebay/Amazon that has the words FIRE in the name. That is not a joke, I am serious.


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## bigburly912 (Aug 31, 2015)

I was really really hoping this was a troll thread.  i would just about go ahead and buy another charger. Hard telling what that poor thing is going to do now


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## LeafSamurai (Aug 31, 2015)

bugz000 said:


> i'd count the non rechargable ones as shot - theyre all either out of power or i've tried charging them lol, theyre going in the bin
> how would i go about testing the charger?
> 
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5pcs-NITE...ion-Battery-/261831969043?hash=item3cf666c913
> ...



I think it would be wise to get another charger. Might be better to get the D4 charger, which would be a slight upgrade from the i4. You are right. 18650 runs longer but for slightly lower brightness and the 123A config will be brighter but it will be shorter battery life. Listen to the advice of all the posters above me, especially the one from Str8stroke which states NO batteries that have the FIRE in its name.


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## Stream (Aug 31, 2015)

bugz000 said:


> wahaha xD okay guys i'm not dead - and your concern is compelling - if not a little alarming, i never leave batteries charging unattended, these were charging for about an hour max before i headed off to watch a movie, disconnecting before i left, my brother once put an alkaline AA in a charger, thing went off like a 12 gauge so i know enough to monitor temperatures while charging.



The thing is they could have gone off and burnt down your house after you disconnected and headed off to watch a movie. Lithium batteries burn very hot and the flames are very difficult to put out. In fact, they are so dangerous that postal services in many countries consider lithium batteries Dangerous Goods (just like gasoline, propane, and sulphuric acid), and shipment is subject to a lot of strict regulations. Here's a link to a Canadian gov website explaining the potential dangers of lithium batteries:

https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/tdg/lithium-batteries-are-dangerous-goods-1162.html

And if you think the AA alkaline exploding was bad, here's a video of what you would have been in for. This guy throws two CR123 lithium batteries into a firepit to see what would happen:



That was just 2, and you had 4 of them on the charger! So you can understand why we were concerned.



bugz000 said:


> ... but it DID however state they were rechargable on ebay  with "Lithium" written on the side, i've beed had!



This really makes me mad. I've seen a lot of sloppy descriptions and lying on eBay, but this really takes the cake. Describing non-rechargeable lithium batteries as rechargeable is extremely reckless and dangerous. You should report him to eBay. See if he is still listing them as rechargeable and save a copy of the page to your computer as evidence. At the very least you should get your money back via an eBay or PayPal claim. This is an easy process, and they will side with you. Also leave negative feedback, and warn other buyers.


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## lunas (Aug 31, 2015)

If you do not already have one a multimeter should tell you if the charger is borked. I had the i4 for a while and I picked up a d4 I like it better. 

The issue with testing is the charger is a smart charger it is not supposed to over charge and it is supposed to figure out what type of cells you have. I can't think of how it would have damaged the charger short of fire damage. So the i4 charger is probably still ok.


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## JimTokle (Aug 31, 2015)

Bugz, what you're really wanting is 18650. The other ones will shine slightly brighter for the first few minutes, and then the only difference is the much shorter run time. Not to mention the fact that battery companies are putting the most research into the 18650. There are 18650s all around you, and you may not even realize it. It's a very good battery with way more energy density than your alternatives. Invest in a couple of good 18650 batteries from a reputable vendor, and don't waste time with RCR123 cells.

Also, I don't think that you fully understand the danger that you were in. Lithium battery explosions are not like alkaline. They will start venting highly toxic fumes and extremely hot flames that will melt pretty much anything that you'd probably have nearby. There's a reason that so many of us were worried about you. Lithium batteries are relatively safe when handled properly, but your original picture was enough to alarm several of us. Please be more careful in the future.


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## bugz000 (Aug 31, 2015)

thankyou all for your feedback  i did read somewhere no ****fire batteries but somewhere else said ultrafire was the "genuine" brand and the rest were all copies/cheap alternatives

I am aware of how a lithium battery burns up, i've shot a couple at my friends firing range for fun, it's quite spectacular
i considered 60c the cutoff limit for charging batteries - in temperature at least, ofcourse it's a stupid idea to try to charge non rechargable but i was lead to think they WERE rechargable batteries
it was only you guys who made me look closer at the batteries to check and hey presto "do not recharge" (i did look to check for lithium or similar when i recieved them and LITHIUM is written very clearly on the side - the do not recharge is not :/)

by the sounds of it 18650 setup would be better for me as longer runtime  any specific brand you'd recommend? 
another option i've seen is to bust open a laptop battery, chances are theyre packed with a few lines of 18650 cells, but rarely have "charge protection" and other fancy stuff on them so can be quite volatile if you don't know what you're doing :/


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## jonwkng (Aug 31, 2015)

I am of the belief that it is always less confusing to the less experienced flashaholics to use the standard nomenclature for Li-Ion rechargeables, i.e. 16340 vs RCR123A, 15266 vs RCR2.

I believe I can speak for all of us here that everyone is glad that nothing catastrophic happened.

Do Google for "Battery University" and read through the 'Learn About Batteries'' section.


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## akhyar (Aug 31, 2015)

Harvesting 18650 cells from old laptop batteries is a "NO! NO!" for beginner or those not familiar with Li-Ion rechargeables.
I would suggest you look for branded 18650 cells from reputable makers like AW, Keeppower, Fenix, Olight, etc. They might be more expensive than those stock batteries from Panasonic/Sanyo, Samsung or LG, but it is a good start for beginners.
Avoid those batteries that end with "fire", to be on the safe side.


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## bugz000 (Aug 31, 2015)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6000mAh-3...ashlight-ww-/121641243356?hash=item1c526212dc
seems legit... lol






any of these brands stand out from the rest?
also any pros/cons to NiMH/Li-Ion?


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## Stream (Aug 31, 2015)

bugz000 said:


> thankyou all for your feedback  i did read somewhere no ****fire batteries but somewhere else said ultrafire was the "genuine" brand and the rest were all copies/cheap alternatives



Surefire is the original and trusted US brand, the others (including Ultrafire) are cheap China imitations with a serious lack of imagination. The number of China brands with the word 'fire' in them is ridiculous.



bugz000 said:


> i considered 60c the cutoff limit for charging batteries - in temperature at least, ofcourse it's a stupid idea to try to charge non rechargable but i was lead to think they WERE rechargable batteries



Did you read what I said about the fire hazard even after you disconnect them from the charger? Cyclesport pointed this out to you as well. 



bugz000 said:


> it was only you guys who made me look closer at the batteries to check and hey presto "do not recharge" (i did look to check for lithium or similar when i recieved them and LITHIUM is written very clearly on the side - the do not recharge is not :/)



Lithium does not mean rechargeable! Rechargeable lithium batteries are designated as lithium-ion, usually shortened to li-ion. So what you need to check for on the battery is 'li-ion'. If it just says lithium, DO NOT put them in the charger.



bugz000 said:


> by the sounds of it 18650 setup would be better for me as longer runtime  any specific brand you'd recommend?
> another option i've seen is to bust open a laptop battery, chances are theyre packed with a few lines of 18650 cells, but rarely have "charge protection" and other fancy stuff on them so can be quite volatile if you don't know what you're doing :/



For me 18650s are the way to go, the runtime is amazing, and the quality cells (if taken well care of) will give you years of reliable use. They are expensive, but you save in the long run vs what you would spend on disposable primaries. I use AW, which is a very high quality brand (also a member of this board), but brands like Fenix or Panasonic are good too. You can expect to spend roughly $20 a piece for quality cells. And like the others have already mentioned: stay away from any li-ion battery brand that ends with the word 'fire'.


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## bugz000 (Aug 31, 2015)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AIOH9VG/ these look genuine? (the 4x 3400mAh protected)


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## Stream (Aug 31, 2015)

Deleted


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## bugz000 (Aug 31, 2015)

see here


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## Stream (Aug 31, 2015)

bugz000 said:


> see here



Yup, saw that. That's why I deleted my post, but the main title on the listing you linked to says "Panasonic 3.7V 3400mAh Lithium Ion Rechargeable Unprotected Battery with Storage Box (Pack of 2)". As to whether they are genuine, I'm not sure.


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## bugz000 (Aug 31, 2015)

where do you get your cells from? i've heard some horror stories of people buying bulk loads of cells for a few hundred $$ only to find theyre all very convincing knock-offs and bear different signs of construction methods once the wrapper is removed, different lettering, different metal encasing it, so on, basically an assorted bunch of random brands and builds, all wrapped to look genuine - how can you ever be sure, i mean i've been to the Panasonic website but alas can't find any outlets for them in the UK


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## akhyar (Aug 31, 2015)

bugz000 said:


> see here
> ]



If you worried that you might get fake factory brands cells like Panasonic or Samsung, go for torchlight brands cells like those from Fenix, Olight, Nitecore, Jetbeam, Eagtac, etc or reputable cells wrappers like AW, Keeppower from reputable dealers.

For me, when I purchased those factory brands cells from China dealers, I know I'll take a gamble that some of the cells might be fake. The only way to test the cells are using advance chargers to check if the rated capacity is as advertised on the cells.


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## bugz000 (Aug 31, 2015)

you say "reputable dealers", i'd like to know where these dealers are, i mean i could read through 5000 reviews on maybe 500 various sellers, all will result in good and bad reviews
what i'm asking - from the people i trust to recommend reliably and truthfully - is where you all get your cells from
if they work for you - then they'll work for me  no messing around, no false reviews - no false batteries

i have been recommended brands, but now i need outlets, where do i get these reliably?
thankyou all so much for your help btw  i know how frustrating it is dealing with a noob


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## akhyar (Aug 31, 2015)

For AW cells, you can order direct from the owner himself, Andrew Wang in the dealers' forum here. But he ships from Hong Kong so not sure how long it takes to reach UK. For Keeppower cells, you can order from hkequipment @ eBay. They also ship from HK.

For those torchlight brands cells, maybe you can check with your local retailers in the UK, or check their websites if they have authorised dealers in the UK.


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## Stream (Aug 31, 2015)

bugz000 said:


> where do you get your cells from?



In the past I would buy them straight from AW here on CPF, but due to new postal restrictions on lithium batteries they can only be shipped via surface mail. And that can take forever all the way from Hong Kong! So the last time I ordered a bunch of batteries it was from a dealer in the UK. I can't remember the name exactly, but a quick google search will give you a few alternatives. This one looks ok: http://www.flashaholics.co.uk/


BTW, as I mentioned before, I don't think you should let the eBay seller off the hook. If it's true that he falsely advertises Surefire CR123 primaries as rechargeable, he is putting people's lives at risk. You were lucky your house didn't burn down, but the next person may not be so lucky. Report him to eBay, and if they won't act you could even forward his listing to Surefire to let them know he is making false and dangerous claims about their products. The potential liability lawsuits against them from people injured by their products could be enough to make them come down on him hard.


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## hyperloop (Aug 31, 2015)

Hi there, thankfully you are alright, phew, anyway, have you thought about getting the XTAR VC4 , I have attached the link, it can charge almost all sizes of li ion cells as well as charging NiMH cells, seeing as how you are starting on this flashlight odyssey, getting the VC4 would solve your problems (and if you want a solar charger the VC4 can run off one of these too)


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## ganymede (Aug 31, 2015)

To be honest, if the OP can't tell the differences between rechargeables and non rechargeables, he should just stick to non rechargeables until he learn more about rechargeables and the associated risks.


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## more_vampires (Aug 31, 2015)

Stream said:


> I don't think you should let the eBay seller off the hook. If it's true that he falsely advertises Surefire CR123 primaries as rechargeable, he is putting people's lives at risk. You were lucky your house didn't burn down, but the next person may not be so lucky. Report him to eBay, and if they won't act you could even forward his listing to Surefire to let them know he is making false and dangerous claims about their products. The potential liability lawsuits against them from people injured by their products could be enough to make them come down on him hard.


Also, in addition to the eBay report, *report him to Surefire. *They have a flotilla of attack lawyers for stuff exactly like this. You might even get some coupons and a Surefire sticker, maybe a hat.


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## lunas (Aug 31, 2015)

Yes aw is good as your just now getting batteries you can also look at efest for imr LiMn batteries rather than li-ion.


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## bugz000 (Aug 31, 2015)

ganymede said:


> To be honest, if the OP can't tell the differences between rechargeables and non rechargeables, he should just stick to non rechargeables until he learn more about rechargeables and the associated risks.



i'm not a moron, i made a mistake, it happens.


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## bugz000 (Aug 31, 2015)

more_vampires said:


> Also, in addition to the eBay report, *report him to Surefire. *They have a flotilla of attack lawyers for stuff exactly like this. You might even get some coupons and a Surefire sticker, maybe a hat.



i'll try track down the seller - i did buy the batteries a fair while ago, see what i can find


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## Stream (Aug 31, 2015)

Stream said:


> This one looks ok: http://www.flashaholics.co.uk/



Come to think of it, this is probably the seller I ordered from last. It was a couple of years ago, so that's why I didn't remember right away. But definitely order from them, they are legit, and they are in the UK so you should have your order very quickly!


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## d88 (Aug 31, 2015)

Stream said:


> Come to think of it, this is probably the seller I ordered from last. It was a couple of years ago, so that's why I didn't remember right away. But definitely order from them, they are legit, and they are in the UK so you should have your order very quickly!



I can vouch for http://www.flashaholics.co.uk/ . I bought from them a few months ago, quick and efficient service if I remember rightly.


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## Str8stroke (Aug 31, 2015)

You may want to check out Mtn Electronics for batteries. Give them a call or send them a email and tell them the light you have and they can set you up nicely.


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## KeepingItLight (Aug 31, 2015)

CPF member HKJ is an expert on batteries. His reviews are the gold standard. He has published an excellent tutorial describing CR123A batteries. It also explains why finding a good rechargeable substitute is a bit tricky.

*CR123A and rechargeable substitutes*
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?366975​ 
I agree with those who recommend 18650 batteries instead of RCR123 batteries for the ThruNite flashlights you bought. Li-ion rechargeable batteries are generally very safe. If, however, they become over-charged or over-discharged, they can become dangerous. 

Microprocessor-controlled chargers, such as the Nitecore i4, prevent overcharging. They should also detect a battery that has been modestly over-discharged. They might get confused if a Li-ion battery's voltage is so low that it falls into the range of a NiMH battery. Keeping an eye on the charger, as you do, is a good safety measure. 

Some flashlights use a low-voltage cutoff circuit to completely turn off a flashlight when its Li-ion battery voltage is too low. I do not know whether your ThruNite flashlights have this feature. Other lights use blinking LEDs or forced step-downs to alert a user that batteries are getting low. Once again, not all flashlights have this, so you should check to see what your ThruNites do.

Protected batteries also have a cutoff circuit that shuts down a Li-ion battery when its voltage gets too low.

You should not be afraid of Li-ion, but you should treat it with the same respect you do a power saw.


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## JimTokle (Aug 31, 2015)

KeepingItLight said:


> CPF member HKJ is an expert on batteries. His reviews are the gold standard. He has published an excellent tutorial describing CR123A batteries. It also explains why finding a good rechargeable substitute is a bit tricky.
> *CR123A and rechargeable substitutes*
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?366975​
> I agree with those who recommend 18650 batteries instead of RCR123 batteries for the ThruNite flashlights you bought. Li-ion rechargeable batteries are generally very safe. If, however, they become over-charged or over-discharged, they can become dangerous.
> ...



Very good advice. Much like power tools, these batteries are very safe if you buy quality cells and treat them properly.

I feel like it should also be clarified that over-discharging cells isn't dangerous, it's trying to recharge them after that is. Accidentally draining an unprotected battery past the safe point isn't going to make it blow up. You just shouldn't try to recharge it after.


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## bugz000 (Sep 1, 2015)

hyperloop said:


> Hi there, thankfully you are alright, phew, anyway, have you thought about getting the XTAR VC4 , I have attached the link, it can charge almost all sizes of li ion cells as well as charging NiMH cells, seeing as how you are starting on this flashlight odyssey, getting the VC4 would solve your problems (and if you want a solar charger the VC4 can run off one of these too)


[h=3]XTAR VC4!![/h]this charger looks incredible, thought it was going to be a ridiculous price but hey presto i was pleasantly suprised to see them going on ebay for little over £20  i shall pick one of these up


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## bugz000 (Sep 1, 2015)

KeepingItLight said:


> Some flashlights use a low-voltage cutoff circuit to completely turn off a flashlight when its Li-ion battery voltage is too low.



thanks for the great advice  these do have a "step down" of a sort - first off it won't go into it's highest mode, then later on as power really does get low, it starts blinking twice every 10 seconds or so until it just switches off completely

reading that post, it seems dodgy and un-necessary to run 2 or 4x CR123A (and moreso to put rechargable in), 18650 has significantly higher runtime which is what i need  

the Panasonic 3400MaH seems to leave the others standing when it comes to runtime so i'll definitely see about picking these ones up


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## bigburly912 (Sep 1, 2015)

bugz000 said:


> reading that post, it seems dodgy and un-necessary to run 2 or 4x CR123A (*and moreso to put rechargable in*), 18650 has significantly higher runtime which is what i need  the Panasonic 3400MaH seems to leave the others standing when it comes to runtime so i'll definitely see about picking these ones up



Sir, an 18650 IS a rechargeable li-ion battery.


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## Rick NJ (Sep 1, 2015)

How about FastTech.com? They have a good selection and they seem to be reputable. They are not always up-to-date with their descriptions but they have at times shown their own tests figures such as "Manufacturer Claim 1234mAH FastTech tested: 987mAH" (I made up those numbers).

Anyone with experience with their cells? I have a enough recovered 18650 to use, but for curious, I am thinking about getting a couple of new 18650 to see how it compares against my recycled ones.


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## ScottFree (Sep 1, 2015)

d88 said:


> I can vouch for http://www.flashaholics.co.uk/ . I bought from them a few months ago, quick and efficient service if I remember rightly.



My personal choice for flashlights as well. Shopped with them for years. They also have a lot of the Maxpedition gear as well.


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## bugz000 (Sep 1, 2015)

Bigburly912 said:


> Sir, an 18650 IS a rechargeable li-ion battery.



indeed it is, i was making a point that RCR123A aren't always direct replacement for CR123A and even then they don't quite match the same performance as CR123A - which in the long run works out less "profitable" for my torch as 18650 has higher runtimes regardless of CR123A or RCR123A

hope this made sense


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## more_vampires (Sep 1, 2015)

Yeah, you'd think RCR123a would be required to be a 3v direct replacement. It would make more sense...

Untold mountains of flashlights have met their fate due to this voltage incompatibility. 

WRT power density and the mah, 18650 is where it's at.


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## KeepingItLight (Sep 1, 2015)

bugz000 said:


> It seems dodgy and un-necessary to run 2 or 4x CR123A (*and more so, to put rechargeable in*); 18650 has significantly higher runtime which is what i need.





Bigburly912 said:


> Sir, an 18650 IS a rechargeable li-ion battery.



I am pretty sure the OP is referring to RCR123 rechargeables. 




bugz000 said:


> The Panasonic 3400MaH seems to leave the others standing when it comes to runtime so i'll definitely see about picking these ones up



You might also take a look at the *Sanyo/Panasonic NCR18650GA Protected 3500mAh*. It has a bit more capacity, and it is rated for a 10A continuous discharge. It is selling right now at Mountain Electronics for $10.15.


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