In the next days I plan to order the TN40S which I was eyeballing for long time. In some review video I saw that this draws around 14 Amps in turbo mode. However the manufacturer recommends using protected cells. To add to the confusion, in the teardown of the battery pack of the pack version, the cells were Panasonic protected NCRs, 3400mAh. But these deliver around 6 Amps, how is that sufficient?
For most of my lights I would go with 30Q’s or perhaps Sanyo GAs. What would you recommend for max performance and runtime of the TN40S?
It uses 4 x XP-L HI emitters for a total of 4400 lumens. This means a single 18650 powers one XP-L HI for 1100 lumens on turbo. Current should be a bit over 3A (per cell). So I think the 14A is the total required current when you have the four cells parallel. This is not the case I believe; I thought the cells were 2S2P. So I think if you do a current measurement you would get ~7A (divided over two rows of cells means each cell “feels” 3.5A).
Anyhow, NCR18650B should be fine, although I personally don’t see a good reason to use these these days even for such a light. I’d go with something like Sanyo GA or Samsung 35E. You can also just use the classic 30Q or any similar cell.
Button tops are my preferred cells, as I can use them in most of my other flashlights.
Here is the measurements of the Amps, I cant tell if they do it right: TN40S Amp draw
My question is whether to go for high drain (15 Amps minimum) or hi-cap (GA’s 3500). I would like to squeeze as much runtime of the cells as possible, but also reach maximum brightness. Not that with some cells the max turbo will be 3000 lumens only.
Wow, yeah I remember this video; I’m puzzled how this is possible, but ah well. Sorry I got my figures messed up. Regarding cell choice, I would go with 3500 mAh 10A cells if you primarily use the light in high mode or lower with an occasional/regular burst of turbo. But if you primarily use turbo, I’d go with a 30Q or similar cell.