I have a ‘Cree type’ knockoff, flashlight, got a couple on EBay 2 years ago, it works perfectly, it is an ‘UltraFire’ flashlight, a small one, the light is adjustable.
BUT everytime I recharge the battery, ( It has a 5000 MAH Lithium Ion one), I got 2 batteries with 2 flashlights, it is very powerful, but the light of course it eats up power FAST. So when I recharge the battery, it flashes red, during the entire charge cycle. I leave it in there for a day, and when i take it out, it is charged….but the light never turns green, or turns to a constant red. Whats up? Anyone know. IF I remembered the seller I would email them, but I dont.
Anyone know whats going on? This flashlight also is the one that will also run on 3 ‘AAA’ batteries as well, using a round adapter that goes in the flashlight, instead of the big Lithium battery.
It has that tiny ‘Cree’ light bulb in it, the little square that looks like a circuit board? That if I focus it tight enough, i can see its shape projected on the wall,it is so clear. Or it lights up the entire backyard. So…any ideas?
those batteries are junk, if it blinks red you can put it to recycling, the new ones are only a bit better
Quality batteries have usually 5-10 times more real capacity and only labeled half capacity, 3000-3400mAh for 18650 are top end batteries
http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Common18650comparator.php
If the size of the battery is 18650, the capacity of 5,000 mAh is FAR overstretched.
But sellers label them as they see fit. That does not say anything about the actual capacity.
It’s like buying a 200mph speedometer for you old truck: it won’t go any faster with it.
You also might benefit from buying a decent charger. There are special deals for Lii100 as low as $1.99.
Because now you really don’t know who is fooling you the most: the battery or the charger.
I bet if he sees someone with a decent EDC that has >1000 lumens with charging function with quality battery
he will just trash or gift the junk light, battery and charger he das
The included battery in such knockoff flashlights typically have poor quality and may even be a fire risk . The stated capacity is highly overrated, it’s likely about 2000mAh if lucky.
The charger included may also not terminate at the proper voltage.
The recommendation you will get here is getting a proper battery and charger from a known source and stop using the battery you have currently.
Some of the trusted sources in the USA are www.imrbatteries.com, www.illumn.com and www.mtnelectronics.com
For the battery I would recommend you a protected battery as they have protection against overcharging and accidental overdischarging. 3500mAh batteries like the Sanyo 18650GA have the highest capacity but the protected versions may be too long for some flashlights, but any reputable battery 3000 mAh or more will be quite suitable for your needs.
If the flashlight have springs on the driver (positive side) both flat top and button top batteries will work. If the driver is flat you will need a button top battery.
For the charger I would recommend a XTAR MC1 USB charger, so you don’t have to wait for shipping from China.
They are being nice above. Essentially junk light, really crappy battery with almost no REAL capacity. There is NO 5000mA 18650 battery. It probably is a few hundred mA, which is why your ‘powerful’ light goes through the battery so fast. Ultrafire is a known poor brand, potentially even dangerous.
Best bet, pay attention to the advice above. Get decent batteries, a good light, and a really good charger. Don’t cheap out, especially on the charger and battery. Those are the basics of a good light system.
Rather than go shopping for a non-garbage light, a decent charger, and a battery that doesn’t double as a pipe-bomb, get a Sofirn light kit that includes the charger and cell. Their cells (2800mAH) are quite good, reputedly a rewrapped 30Q, a cell that’s on the better side of good.
Or if you want to go a la carte, get something like an S2+, LK charger, and a panny-B or sanny-A for higher-capacity but lower drain cells, else a 30Q, VTC5/-5A/6 for lesser capacity but higher drain.
But ditch the cell you got. Now. I got laptop pulls from a brick of a battery-pack that work better than one of those you’d get as a kit battery.
Here… you want a real light?
https://www.amazon.com/Sofirn-Flashlight-Rechargeable-Waterproof-Emergency/dp/B075VRL9GD
(Nice deal, I just ordered me another one, haha.)
Damn you Lightbringer! I wish you hadn’t posted that :person_facepalming:
Apparently one per customer, so need to try later for another one. :smiling_imp:
—
Haha, did!
Were 4 left in stock, now only 3, so hurry!
well the battery gets charged but the light just keeps blinking red.
Dunno what charger you got, but it could have timed out trying to top it off, could have hit its top voltage (in CV mode) and the cell keeps drawing power instead of tapering off… who knows.
Unfortunately, crap + crap + crap = crap.
Seriously, if you don’t want to just throw out the kit you got, gift it to someone you hate and buy yourself a good light + cell + charger.
It sounds like your charger is detecting a fault. It could be the charger, or the battery itself. Maybe try cleaning the contacts on both the charger, and batteries with alcohol .The folks here have given you some good advice. Those Ultrafire batteries are known to be defective. I thought I had saved a picture of one that someone had torn apart, but I can’t find it. It had a smaller battery stuffed inside the 18650 case. If it claims to be 5000mah, it is a lie. Honestly, I would toss them.
As far as the light itself, I have bought a few of them and they seem to be alright. There are much better lights out there for little more money.
The one Lightbringer posted is one of them. A very well constructed, super bright light, with a quality battery.
And there is only 1 left :innocent:
Here’s some reveiws and comments from one of the best the community has.
Batteries with ridiculous ratings
Disassembly of some UltraFire batteries
FWIW, I got an Ultrafire with a light. It claims to be 5000mA. When I finally got a charger that could test capacity it came out at 850mA. I use it as a ‘junk cell’ tester. It’s now ~ 450mA with very little use. That’s worse than a AAA cell.
There’s a whole world of cool stuff out there at pretty reasonable cost if you do a little homework. It’s worth the time and effort.
You are wrong
crap + crap + crap = Pipe bomb you better trash
C8F first generation with high drain cell used to die within minutes
“Doc, it hurts when I do this.”
“So don’t do that.”
It’s fine to use a lower-drain cell. Keeps it alive.
I still have mine, use it… eh, fairly regularly out back… and it’s still alive.
Perfectly fine to use a panny-B or even a laptop pull (as I do). No one says you have to cook it to death.
red blinking, you would have to read your charger manual
it probably means the charger has a fault, or thinks the battery has a problem - too discharged, gets too hot during charge, capacity too low, shorted…
wle
Yeah, those bottom end chargers can have all sorts of issues. I got 2 orders of what should have been decent Thorfire protected batteries and charger. Brand new, one of the batteries appeared completely dead after one test charge. Turns out the solder joint on the protection circuit broke. Thorfire made it good and sent another complete “identical” kit.
I say identical because the chargers were different for both of them. The cells were also different. One charger the red charging light was dead. But, once charged the green ‘full’ light would come on. The other charger the red and green lights were reversed. At first glance they looked like the same charger but checking more closely they weren’t even the same brand.
Combine questionable chargers, with even more questionable batteries and you really have a hard time telling what’s going on unless you invest in better equipment. You need equipment to check your equipment…. :person_facepalming: