Heads up on 18650 Panasonics

dks · **on:** March 02, 2012, 10:55:59 AM

http://www.focalprice.com/EB0048G/18650_Panasonic_Liion_Battery_Green.html

good price, for me at least.

They look protected, compared to the also new cheaper standard ones:
http://www.focalprice.com/EB0049G/Panasonic_36_V_3100_mAh_18650_Battery_Green.html

By the way, I ordered on of these:
http://www.focalprice.com/EB0039S/Panasonic_2900mAh_18650_Battery_with_Protection_Grey.html

a few days ago... should have waited a bit ...

mvyrmnd · **Reply #1 on:** March 02, 2012, 11:09:02 AM

They do indeed look protected, and are quite cheap.

Those grey ones scare me with only kapton tape covering the +ve protection connection...

Protected is nice, but I wonder at what current do they cut out... Will they supply full 2C (6.2A)?

My guess is no.

dks · **Reply #2 on:** March 02, 2012, 11:15:58 AM

That is why I ordered 1 only.

I have some ultrafire(ish..) and some old Netbook pack ones that I am using, but wanted to try something better. If they work OK I will order at least 3 more.

mvyrmnd · **Reply #3 on:** March 02, 2012, 11:23:46 AM

The bare cells will be brilliant, no doubt. It's the obviously cheaply added protection circuits that concern me.

dks · **Reply #4 on:** March 02, 2012, 11:34:07 AM

I posted a question there about it.. now we wait..

Lets keep it a secret;I do not want the CPF people buying all of them

jekostas · **Reply #5 on:** March 04, 2012, 06:07:04 AM

Maybe I should replace my scavenged Sanyos one day.

Nah. Certainly not a bad price, though.

dks · **Reply #6 on:** March 04, 2012, 10:37:20 AM

They appear to have tested them here:
http://budgetlightforum.com/node/5269?destination=node%2F5269&5091_name=16

In the 2nd page, when the reviewer removes the blue outside plastic cover they seem the same to the ones sold on focalprice, though the protection used could be different..

They seem to claim that 2A was the maximum allowed current.. again I have no idea if these are the same cells or if the PCBs are the same.

There is also apparently a new version out that takes 11A before cutting out: http://budgetlightforum.com/node/7879
so maybe the ones at focalprice are the newer ones..

dks · **Reply #7 on:** March 22, 2012, 07:13:02 PM

I received my 2900mAh protected Panasonic and it seems to be quite decent.
It is however significantly longer than my normal 18650 batteries and thus does not fit easily in the Ultrafire C8 I have, or my cheap adjustable charger. (I had to charge it sideways to avoid more damage to the bottom part of the battery)
It came at 3.6V and was charged to 4.23V before the charger stopped on its own.
The battery stayed cool throughout.

When used in the C8 it produced 2A.

In the pictures you can see how much more it sticks out of the C8 compared to the other 18650. You can also see the denting made by the cap of the C8 (which was actually sprung too) and the charger to the battery bottom.
I decided to use it in the romisen which has two large springs inside and can accommodate the battery easily.
I was going to order some more of the protected Panasonics for a new 2x18650 light I am getting but decided to wait and see if they will fit first.

dks · **Reply #8 on:** March 23, 2012, 07:45:38 PM

Got my new Ultrafire WF-139 charger today, which easily accomodates the protected battery.

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