Sorry to contribute questions without adding any knowledge of my own. Feel free to ask me anything about soccer/cricket/European languages/British cryptic crossword puzzles and I will try to add some value of my own!
I found your forum yesterday when I was looking for a robust headlamp for hiking in the dark.
It’s been a wild couple of days. I had no idea that budget lights were such a passion for people but I can fully see why now.
Buying the headlamp seemed easy. I needed robust and cheap and the Boruit RJ - 02 seemed to easily fit the bills along with the added of mystique of not knowing exactly when my purchase would arrive.
It was only after paying Gearbest that I realised that getting a battery was going to be far from easy or cheap.
I am definitely sold on the idea that the battery should be “protected” - unless one of you tells me otherwise.
I get the strong message from the forum that I should buy a battery from one of the famous brands.
But I only ever wanted to pay about 15 bucks for the head lamp in the first place.
1. Do I need to buy two batteries rather than one?
2. Unfortunately I’m not able to use liionwholesale.com or MTN Electronics due to my location in the United Kingdom. Do you happen to know of a reputable cheap battery seller here? Or could I go to Gearbest (or similar) for the battery as well (I’ve no idea which batteries are fakes)?
3. I like the look of these however although they’re not a famous brand: Amazon.co.uk
I’m sure their capacity isn’t nearly as good as Panasonic for example, but Amazon customers seem happy with them. And if they are duds, Amazon are pretty hot on customer service.
If I do buy them, how do I check that they’re not duds apart from experiencing them failing on a rocky hillside while hiking at night?
Protected / unprotected can be quite an involved debate. Personally, I use a protected battery unless the flashlight has a protection circuit built in (not a low voltage warning that causes the light to flash, but actual low voltage protection that will turn the flashlight off if the battery gets too low). I have the Boruit RJ-02 and I don’t believe it has actual low voltage protection, so I use a protected battery (specifically the protected version of the Panasonic 18650B that CM2010 recommended). If I’m not mistaken, a protected battery is also protected against overcharging if you will be using the built in charger in the RJ-02.
HI,
And welcome to the fanatics pages.
We’re all mad here. (About torches and other things.)
Personally I reckon the battery’s are the main items to buy “better”
Me. Mainly Panasonics, LG. Protected and Un.
A good charger is critical. There is one recommended on here. but it is a “Budget” item.
Me, I have both a 2 and 4 cell XTAR. VC2\4. (Having a coke can. and multi single\double battery torches.
VC4 basically for home. VC2 for single\double, and car charging.
(Everybody has their own choices)
If you know anybody with laptops and spare (older) battery packs.
One of them stripped out. will give you 6 or 8 x 18650’s. Mainly LG or Sony. I have LG cells here from a 5 yr old laptop. Used regularly for over another 4 yrs. Still give 99% power with 95% charge.
Keep them charged NOT drained.
You going walkabout, preferably take a spare. specially if buying the cheap battery’s.
