When to use IMR?

[mfruit]

I saw in the Trustfire Mini-01 review thread that using an IMR 16340 will yield brighter results (at expense of very short run time).

Is there a way to forecast when this applies?

Will using an IMR in a UF2100 or RC-T602 II make it any brighter?

Thanks!

[Foy]

Hopefully, those more knowledgeable will chime in but I use IMR's sometimes just to see what a particular light or drop-in will do, mostly for testing purposes. It's a different chemistry and you'll want to confine their use to regulated lights only.

One of those bad boys in a direct drive light and your amps may run away, all the way to poofsville.

askmehowIknowFoy

[Bort]

@Foy

askmehowIknowFoy

okay, i’ll bite

[Foy]

I was measuring amps on old Mr. Silver (L2, I think) with a Solarforce SST-50 drop-in and let go of the probes while yelling like a girl when it suddenly shoots past 7 amps. Thought everything was okay, put an unprotected Panasonic in, turned it on;

Poof-then-blue.

It would come on but the light was really blue and maybe 20 lumens, tops. Erik still has it. He said it couldn't be fixed so I told him to keep it. I actually didn't tell him the above story but he still knew I did something stupid anyway. It was the second time he had fixed that module for me. I blew it up the first time (fried some wires loose, I think) by feeding it 8.4 volts. (working voltage: 4.2v)

I guess some of this has nothing to do with IMR's.

derailFoy

[E1320]

@Foy

I was measuring amps on old Mr. Silver (L2, I think) with a Solarforce SST-50 drop-in and let go of the probes while yelling like a girl when it suddenly shoots past 7 amps. Thought everything was okay, put an unprotected Panasonic in, turned it on;

Poof-then-blue.

It would come on but the light was really blue and maybe 20 lumens, tops. Erik still has it. He said it couldn’t be fixed so I told him to keep it. I actually didn’t tell him the above story but he still knew I did something stupid anyway. It was the second time he had fixed that module for me. I blew it up the first time (fried some wires loose, I think) by feeding it 8.4 volts. (working voltage: 4.2v)

I guess some of this has nothing to do with IMR’s.

derailFoy

Usually XMLs just go poof but the SST-50 still glows blue for some odd reason………weird.

I use IMRs for 14500 XMLs or 16340 XMLs that pull over 2 amps which would be unsafe to do with a Lion battery.

[Slewflash]

IMR batteries have a different chemistry, and are able to handle extremely high current (amps).
Although they have reduced capacity some lights run brighter with them due to the battery being able to cope better with the current.

[Firelight2]

@E1320

…
I use IMRs for 14500 XMLs or 16340 XMLs that pull over 2 amps which would be unsafe to do with a Lion battery.

Agreed.

I use IMRS for high current 14500 and 16340 lights. My recollection is that protected ICR cells are only safe to 1.5 amps, whereas IMR cells in that size are safe to around 5 amps.

Since I tend to favor small EDC sized high-current lights, most of my lights are fed exclusively IMR batteries.
*+
Examples of lights I run on IMR cells+*:

1. Modded Sipik Sk58 with 2.8 amp driver and neutral XM-L T6 neutral. Run on IMR 14500. Max output probably 550-600 lumens.
2. Niteye EYE10 with XM-L U2 emitter. (probably around 2.5 amps) Run on IMR 18350. Output approx 660 lumens.
3. Jetbeam RRT-01 with XM-L T6. (probably around 2.5 amps) Run on IMR 18350. Output approx 550 lumens.
4. Eagletac D25c clicky with XM-L T6 neutral. Runs unregulated direct drive at max power on IMR 16340. Output probably 600+ lumens.

[MattSPL]

I’ve a 2.8A p60 drop-in. It draws 2.8A from a Panasonic hybrid IMR - cgr18650ch, but only 2.4A from a protected Panasonic 18650.

[Chicken_Drumstick]

@Horst Horstmann

I prefer IMR/INR cells in general.
The only ICR cells that I’m owning are some smaller cells (10440, 14500, 16340) that I’ve bought earlier this year and I use them only in flashlights that draw less than 2A.

What exactly is an INR cell? Thanks.

[nofearek9]

if you need 14500 for 3+A or 18650 with 4-5+A
i am using IMR for my moded xeno with 3,4A driver and my shiningbeam Romisen RC-T601 II XM-L U2 which go more than 4A

[lieber_Scholli]

@Chicken Drumstick

@Horst Horstmann

I prefer IMR/INR cells in general.
The only ICR cells that I’m owning are some smaller cells (10440, 14500, 16340) that I’ve bought earlier this year and I use them only in flashlights that draw less than 2A.

What exactly is an INR cell? Thanks.

It is Li-Ni-Mn-Co…Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide

BU-205: Types of Lithium-ion

[Chicken_Drumstick]

@lieber Scholli

It is Li-Ni-Mn-Co…Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide

BU-205: Types of Lithium-ion - Battery University

Thanks. So they are a safer chemistry than ICR’s then. In laymans terms what advantages do INR have over IMR?

[mfruit]

@nofearek9

if you need 14500 for 3+A or 18650 with 4-5+A
i am using IMR for my moded xeno with 3,4A driver and my shiningbeam Romisen RC-T601 II XM-L U2 which go more than 4A

So if I pop a IMR into my Romisen RC-T602 II U2, it should be brighter than with a regular li-ion 18650?

Also, anyone have opinions on brands? Are AW IMRs worth the extra bucks over someone like bestinone.net?

Thanks to everyone for the responses!

[nofearek9]

i dont have equipment to measure it and didnt test it night but normal keeppower 18650 in the Romisen RC-T601 II U2 is around 3A so i gues that extra Amper should be more light.
edit
i did today measurements with the t601
with keepower 18650 3100mah i get 3,5A and with AW IMR 18650 2000mah 4,5A

[mfruit]

Cool. Thanks for the info.

Ended up ordering a range of IMRs from bestinone to play with. Hopefully I’ll be able to see the difference.

[efestjone]

Thank you for trust efest.

Sorry, our website bestinone is under constraction now, please choose all imr batteries from here www.powerwholesale.net , please just feel free to contact us for calculate the best shipping cost.

[hank]

Where do you get Panasonic IMRs?

[torchythebatteryboy]

@Chicken Drumstick

@Horst Horstmann

I prefer IMR/INR cells in general.
The only ICR cells that I’m owning are some smaller cells (10440, 14500, 16340) that I’ve bought earlier this year and I use them only in flashlights that draw less than 2A.

What exactly is an INR cell? Thanks.

The first letter denotes the battery type L= solid Lithiun, I= Lithium Ion
The second letter denotes the cathode material, N= Nickel, M= Manganese, C= Cobalt
The third letter denotes the shape R= round (cylinder)

Generally IMR batteries will have a lower resistance which allows them to produce more current and less thermal build up.

[BetweenRides]

I use IMR 14500 in my modded Balder SE-1 because Chicago X told me to. Little sucker is bright as hell. 'Nuff said.

[pounder]

I use the panasonic 2250mah IMR or whatever it is in my sunwayman t20cs…with a regular cell at full charge it’ll pull 2.1a then decrease to 1.6a at 4.07 volts or so…with the panasonic it’ll pull 2.1 at voltages at 3.8a…