Experciences with the Acebeam 21700 battery cell with built in powerbank feature

[Gino88]

Hi Guys,

Recently I discovered the following flashlight related product; it's a 5100 mAh 21700 Lithium battery cell with a built in micro-USB charging and what makes it really interesting it that it also has a built in powerbank feature which you can use with the supplied cable.

Charging rate is quite slow (5V/1A) but the idea carrying a powerfull flashlight in my pocket that can double as an emergency powerbank for my Phone, camera of other digital products seemed really interesting to me. However I do not particularly like the AceBeam flashlights, now the AceBeam 21700 battery seems quite similair to the 21700 cells of more popular brands like Felix, Olight and Nitecore.

However I do notice that some modern flashlights like for example the Fenix PD36R use USB C for charging or Olight used their propieraty magnet cable and they explicitly say you can only use the supplied battery or their own brand. Now I think these batteries might be interechangable but I was wondering if anyone has any experience with using different brands of battery cells in their flashlights. And if so, will all charging methods still work?

Looking forward to any replies,

[comis]

Hi Guys,

Recently I discovered the following flashlight related product; it's a 5100 mAh 21700 Lithium battery cell with a built in micro-USB charging and what makes it really interesting it that it also has a built in powerbank feature which you can use with the supplied cable.
(Image removed from quote.)
Charging rate is quite slow (5V/1A) but the idea carrying a powerfull flashlight in my pocket that can double as an emergency powerbank for my Phone, camera of other digital products seemed really interesting to me. However I do not particularly like the AceBeam flashlights, now the AceBeam 21700 battery seems quite similair to the 21700 cells of more popular brands like Felix, Olight and Nitecore.

However I do notice that some modern flashlights like for example the Fenix PD36R use USB C for charging or Olight used their propieraty magnet cable and they explicitly say you can only use the supplied battery or their own brand. Now I think these batteries might be interechangable but I was wondering if anyone has any experience with using different brands of battery cells in their flashlights. And if so, will all charging methods still work?

Looking forward to any replies,

That's a nifty product, just don't know how reliable it is in real life.  Personally, I don't own any batteries that has to use proprietary charger.  It's too restrictive for my own taste.

I do use my nitecore rechargable batteries with my Fenix light from time to time, only because I also use nitecore chargers and I figure they seems to know what they are doing.  But generally, I use primary most majority of the time(no charging, less chance for any accident), but when I do, I only use Fenix and nitecore which I've learnt to trust.

[Stefano]

Sorry, I not have experience with this battery format (I not have yet bought any 21700 lights) but I recommend that you choose carefully, I know that some batteries are protected and others are not with a notable difference in height.
Not all chargers manage the 21700 protected by their height.
21700 is a good format, I recently bought a powerbank (Poweradd brand) which uses this format.

Do you want to buy a 21700 flashlight or would you buy it just because you like the idea of a "dual use" battery?
If you want to stay on a popular format like 18650 look at Xtar and Nitecore brand chargers (one or two slots version) many models can become powerbanks on a single slot or on both.
Recently Xtar made a specific model (model PB2 (portable battery charger with power bank function) But there are also other models that on a single slot can serve as a powerbank.
Nitecore models that offer this function are the "F" series (models F1, F2, F4), some of which are also used outdoors by hikers and are also suitable for working with solar panels.
Sorry for any bad translation.

[Gino88]

Thanks for the responses, my idea was to buy a 21700 flashlight because of the high capacity and the model I have in mind (the Fenix PD36R) has also a USB-C port which many older models do not have.

My reasoning was that ofcourse I can bring a seperate powerbank or a seperate charger with powerbank functionality but this means carrying around another device. I rarely use a powerbank so it's more for an emergency, that's why I really liked the concept of a dual use flashlight/emergency powerbank.

In the meantime I think I have found a solution that works even better. Because I read the AceBeam cells are not of bad quality but they do have less protection built in then Fenix cells.

I found this device that is called the Folomov A1 and there is also a Nitecore version called the Nitecore LC10. These magnetic cables with a built-in microchip can both charge and discharge almost any size Li-ion battery. It is actually perfect for my use I think.

[spudley112]

I like that Folomov device...seems like a great idea. I have one of the Olight chargers that is similar, but it doesn't allow it to be used as a powerbank.

I have the Xtar BD2 smart charger and it has the ability to be used as a powerbank. I have used it to charge my Asus tablet before so it puts out pretty good power.

[GregS]

Just bought this battery, as a spare for my Acebeam BK10. It seems to charge ok, but it simply will not work in the light! The original battery (which appears to have identical specs, but no USB port) is still working fine. I have contacted the supplier and am awaiting their response.
I measure 4.15V across the terminals, which indicates that it is fully charged.
The light on the battery stays green after I have unplugged the charger - is that normal?

Just btw, I like the BK10. I don't have a lot of experience with different lights, but I think it is possibly very efficient in terms of the usability at low output levels. I'm getting by quite nicely on the Low setting most of the time, and it lasts 16 hours at that setting!

EDIT: Just btw, the battery is able to charge other devices fine.

[GregS]

I'm confident I now know what the problem is - the BK10 is very sensitive to the length of the battery. The negative contact is made around the inside edge of the cap, and this new battery (made by the same bloody company!!!) is slightly longer, preventing the cap from being screwed on far enough in order to make contact.
Even with the original battery, if I unscrew the cap even a TINY bit, it stops working.

Due to this problem, I cannot recommend the BK10. It's a shame, because as I said, I quite like the light otherwise.

Battery is currently undergoing a capacity test - will provide a length measurement soon.

[GregS]

Yep - just as I expected.  The new battery, with the USB port (the one being discussed in this thread), measures 76mm between the conductive surfaces of each terminal. The original one measures 75mm.  I've tried screwing the cap on really hard - still no go. The cell is simply too long for the BK10.
EDIT: if 76mm is considered out of spec for a protected 21700, then I suppose my complaint is about the battery, and not the BK10. I don't know if there is a spec for this.

[GregS]

Received a response from Acebeam. They admit that the USB version of the battery is longer, and have advised me to use a standard 21700 cell instead. 
I have advised them to put a great big warning in the product description for this battery:
*** DOES NOT WORK IN THE BK10 ***

[Mechanickal]

That does not make any sense...

[Don Pablo]

1. Properly engineered flashlights should have long enough tubes and springs to accommodate slightly longer batteries.
2. If that USB battery is out of spec for a 21700 battery, then it can't be called a 21700 battery.

Sounds like either the BK10 is not well engineered or the battery shouldn't be called a 21700, strictly speaking. :-/

[enki_ck]

This might be a silly question, but as I've never handled one of those batteries with an usb charging port, I have to ask. Do you have to and can only charge them via the usb port or can they be charged on a regular battery charger too?