Thanks - it wasnāt that far back, so I actually started with āAā and read everything after.
I really hope the final product will accept a wider range of battery lengths. Nothing to lose by doing that.
[quote=funkychateau]
[quote=teacher]
Its a balancing act between fitting shorter cells (how they were designed and sold by the original manufacturers) or longer button-top/protected cells. You always sacrifice some fit on one end of the spectrum for more on the other.
I would not group button top together with protected. A button top only adds 1mm while a protection circuit adds 4-5mm. Thatās a big difference.
The FW3A should fit flat top and button top (most or all, Iām not sure), but not protected cells.
Just made an account for this, put me down for a LH351D!
Edit: Put me down for an XPL instead!
Please put me down for 1 LH351D! Thanks!
From my highly non-technical & less than scientific research 
, my predictions for FW3A Battery Fitment areā¦ā¦
- Most all 18650 Flat Tops will work.
- Most 18650 Button Tops will not work.
This will depend entirely on the height of the 'Button Top' installed on the cell... but it ain't looking good for "button tops".. .
These findings are based on the stated Maximum battery length of 66mm for the FW3A. 
Since both pair of my calipers are hiding from me at the moment 
, the measurements listed below are taken mostly from LIION Wholesale & MTNā¦ with a couple from Illumn & IMR.
- LIION Wholesale
https://liionwholesale.com/
- Illumn
https://www.illumn.com/
- IMR Batteries
https://www.imrbatteries.com/
- MTN Electronics
Mountain Electronics
ā¦ā¦.
Flat Tops
- Efest 18650 3000mAh Flat Top / 65.02mm
- Efest 18650 3500mAh Flat Top / 65.25mm
- Hohm Tech Life 18650 3077mAh 20.7A Flat Top / 65.12mm
- LG HG2 Flat Top / 65.20mm
- LG MJ1 Flat Top / 65.0mm
- Panasonic/Sanyo NCR18650GA Flat Top / 65.30mm
- Samsung 35E Flat Top / 65.3mm
- Samsung 30Q Flat Top / 64.85mm
- Sony/Murata VTC6 Flat Top / 65mm
- Vapcell 18650 20A Flat Top 3000mAh / 65.0mm
_
Button Tops
- Efest 18650 3000mAh 18650 Battery - Button Top / 67.1mm
- LG HG2 - Button Top / 67.0mm
- LG MJ1 Button Top / 66.8mm
- Panasonic/Sanyo NCR18650GA Button Top / 66.8mm
- Samsung 30Q Button Top / 67.3mm
- Samsung ā35E Button Top / 66.9mm
So, in summary; there are plenty of flat top batteries that will fit the FW3A even āifā no button tops fit at all. 
Now I don't feel so bad about buying flat top 18650 cells! 
I wanted button tops, but couldn't find any for the cells I wanted.
Hi,
Please sign me up for one more light (for a total of 3 flashlights).
Thanks!
MOST Flat-top cells will work for MOST lights that claim to require button-top cells, if you put a blob of solder on the top of the flat cell top so it can stick above the wrapper.
disclaimer: I canāt prove this. I just think itās true. (and it probably is) YMMV :innocent:
Why make assumptions when Toykeeper has already said the FW3A was designed to fit both flat top and button top?
I think 66mm is the āsafeā number so as to assure fitment, but I bet it will fit slightly longer cells. Not 69mm-70mm protected cells, though.
Iām sure weāll hear more about what fits and what doesnāt fit later onā¦
Iām interested! Looks like a great EDC.
I've heard that as well.
Maybe I should put disclaimer in my signature that says I'm not a modder, and I do not solder.
Thereās something special about having an $8 flashlight that you modded with $80 in aftermarket parts.
It's never too late to start modding! 
Iām hoping itāll fit button-top cells, at least. Earlier prototypes did.
Iām also hoping things will happen quickly. But Iām hearing that LH351D may be delayed longer than expected, because they were apparently not ordered back in December when I thought they were. And it sounds like thereās some sort of difficulty in getting them. So Iām kind of wondering if it would make more sense to use SST-20 instead.
I know it has come up before, which is why I mention it, but what do people think of the idea?
Hereās a very brief summary of the biggest differences:
- LH351D has a wider, flatter, floodier beam. Probably more lumens.
- SST-20 has a narrower, throwier beam. Illuminates farther away.
Both can still have hit-or-miss tints depending on the exact bin used.
To be clear, XP-L HI 3D is still a āyesā. If I understand correctly, XP-L HI should be able to go to production as soon as the driver fit issue is worked out. The question is only about the LH351D version.
Iām not making any āassumptionsā at all. You left out, in your quote; the part that qualified what I wrote. :person_facepalming:
āThese findings are based on the stated Maximum battery length of 66mm for the FW3A.ā
Yet you sayā¦. āI think 66mm is the āsafeā number so as to assure fitment, but I bet it will fit slightly longer cells.ā
Soooā¦ā¦ which of us is speculating & making assumptions??
Iāll take your bet too, if we can agree on an āupper limitā of length.
It may very well take a bit longer battery/cell. But what I wrote was simply written based on the stated maximum length of 66mm for the FW3A.
Personally, I donāt care either way. But I thought someone might find the data useful. Maybe they will, maybe they wonāt.
My vote is wait on LH351D, so people have the option of throw or flood.
Yea, my $11 ZY-T11 clone quad mod:
- quad MCPCB from MtnE, quad 10621 optic (MtnE I think), 4 LH351D's from MtnE, alum S2+ spacer sanded down, 2 brass screws
- CK OSHPark driver, Blue BeCu spring, SMD parts, wires
- UCL lens
- light pipe from DigiKey, switch from Digikey/Mouser
- ohh, and can't forget one copper penny, ~1978
Just shipping alone? Yikes! Makes you wonder...
I would, of course, want the XP-L version as soon as it can be done. Next, i would say do the SST-20, if it can be done sooner. Then, do the LH351D, when the good tint emitters are available. I think a lot of people would really like the SST-20, and probably plan to make that swap anyway. I would personally get one of all three, and then a second one of whichever I like best.
:innocent: