School me on 18650's and chargers

fast14riot

fast14riot

Joined
Oct 27, 2010
Messages
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I've got a few lights now that take or can take 18650, I've gotten by with the inexpensive 2300mAh unbranded batteries, and cheap single slot wall charger, but would like to get better cells and charging. A quick search showed that the LG HG2 3000mAh cells are one of the best, but I would also like a decent charger that doesn't cost too much.

These lights are not for work, or get continuous heavy use, just general house hold, hunting, etc.


-Xander
 
Any of the lights call for a high drain battery? If not I'd stick with protected battery. Ones that use a Panasonic NCR18650B as a core should be good. As a general rule avoid brands with fire in the name. Also don't just pick the highest capacity (mah) as they might not fit in your light. I'd avoid the LG HG2 as its not protected.

Orbtronic is a trusted brand. http://www.orbtronic.com

As for chargers
Nitecore digicharger
Xtar VC2/4
 
Not using protected cells now, but one of the lights can use 2x CR123 or 18650. They're not expensive lights, one is a shining beam s-mini, the other is a Chinese back up cheap light.

-X
 
candlepowerforums.com Awesome forum with more battery, chargers, and of course lights info than anywhere I know of.
 
Don't worry too much about protected vs. unprotected - most decent lights have voltage protection built into the driver. The HG2 is one of the better cells because it provides high amp draw and and high capacity. It does have voltage sag at in high drain setups (e.g. quads) but it's fine in most setups. If you need a dedicated high drain cell, try out Sony VTC4s. Protected cells limit your amp draw, but if you use cheap lights or lights with sub-1000lm output, it's probably okay (or preferred) to use them.

My charger of choice is the Xtar VC4.
 
My lights are not super high powered beast. I stick to proven Panasonic 18650 and a Nitecore D2 charger. I use the D2 on all my rechargeable batteries- 18650, AA, AAA, etc.
Bruce
 
I will second the Nitecore - I got the D2, the D4 might be a little handier if you routinely need more than two batteries.

I use CR123, but the Nitcore will smart charge the 18650's as well. It is well made and I like the features, and that it will not overcharge.

It also has a nice LCD display to keep you informed, not just dummy lights like some other chargers.

best

mqqn
 
I have mostly orbtronic batteries and I've been pleased with them so far. As far as chargers, I have the Nitecore i2 and i4 and also the Xtar VC2 and VC4. They should all be pretty affordable. I got a lot of my info from EDCForums but Candle Power Forums and Budget Light Forum would probably be the best places to get more info. If you can, try to find a charger that will take the larger batteries as well, such as the 26650. That way you'll still have your bases covered if you happen to get a light that uses larger batteries. :)
 
I've been doing some reading, lots to learn. Trying to figure out what I need and what will cover most all my bases. I'd really like to standardize my gear around a particular power plant like the 18650, but I will also have a large supply of AA sized batteries for my photo gear, so a charger that can do both (4 bays would probably be ideal).

Basically, there is so much I now know that I don't know:confused:

-Xander
 
fast14riot said:
These lights are not for work, or get continuous heavy use, just general house hold, hunting, etc.
Click to expand...

Do you use the lights that much or are you using rechargeable cells just for fun? I carry a light that uses a single CR123 and I get 1-2 years per battery. I carry a twin CR123 light for heavier duty use and it may still have its original batteries after 3 years. For the cost of a rechargeable battery and a charger I can probably buy 10 years of CR123s. Nevertheless I'm interested in the 18650s too, just for fun.
 
i as well use the nightcore D2,vary good charger for little bucks,i use the keepower's 16650 and AW-18650's)both also vary good battery's along with nightcore NL189-18650,i kind of gave up on the surefire 123A's because of there cost!:mad:
 
bdmicarta said:
Do you use the lights that much or are you using rechargeable cells just for fun? I carry a light that uses a single CR123 and I get 1-2 years per battery. I carry a twin CR123 light for heavier duty use and it may still have its original batteries after 3 years. For the cost of a rechargeable battery and a charger I can probably buy 10 years of CR123s. Nevertheless I'm interested in the 18650s too, just for fun.
Click to expand...

Well, frequency of use is low, but run time can be long, especially if I'm night hunting in the yard. My light drops high mode ad voltage drops, so after a while of using med mode I'll just swap out batteries. I tried using 123's for a while with it, and it wasn't worth the hassle for me. The convenience of having a fresh cell or two without throwing old ones away or having to just deal with no high mode and throwing away partially discharged batteries is worth it for me. I do know to not store them for long periods with full charge, and I do make sure to rotate at least once a month.

Still reading about them. The Xtar VC4 looks like a charger that will work well for my needs along with my heavy use of AA batteries for photography gear.

-X
 
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