Hello BLF! I have been lurking for the past two weeks and just received my first budget light setup in the mail this morning. I purchased a WL-502b XM-L T6 with two ultrafire 3000mah 18650's and a cheapo chargerfrom an eBay vendor for $24. I thought it was a decent price considering it shipped from NY and got here in 5 days. The vendor, yallstore, turned out to be tmart.
The best news is that the UF 18650's appear to be genuine, not the fakes I've seen posted here. They tested out at 3.87 and 3.88 volts respectively upon arrival. They are currently charging, but powered up the new torch briefly without a problem. Capacity remains to be seen, but so far I am impressed with the total package. If you're in the market for a pair of these batteries, tmart is selling pairs for $5.97!! I'm ordering some more for backups.
Anyways, just wanted to say hi. I'll edit in some pics of the new setup in a few minutes here.
Excellent first light choice! Is that a multi-mode light? And do you have a multimeter to check the current you are able to pull with that drop-in/cell combination? I think you'll enjoy the XML if you aren't familiar with the abilities of modern high-power LEDs... You will definitely want to wrap the drop-in with aluminum foil to help with heat sinking; 10 watts of XML in a P60 makes a very nice hand-warmer...
Its a 5 mode light, I'll check the draw at the tailcap later tonight when my batteries are fully charged. Thanks for reminding me about the foil, I don't want to burn this thing up before I get to put it to use!
Just tested the draw at the tailcap, and unfortunately this driver isn't what I expected (which also means this light could be a lot brighter!). Here are the results.
High: 1.40 amps
Med: 0.70 amps
Low: 0.14 amps
I'm not sure if I want to replace the driver in this drop-in, make my own, or just find another drop in for it. For now I think I'm content with the output, but I definitely want more soon.
Yes, these are the same batteries. I read through that thread on CPF last week and I though the consensus was that he overcharged the batteries. I can't remember exactly though. The charger I have does in fact completely stop charging when the batteries are full (both batteries came out at 4.17 volts) as tested with my DMM. I understand the risks involved with Lithium batteries, especially when multiples are used. If I ever end up buying a multiple lithium cell light I will invest in higher quality batteries.
I have also read about Sony 18650's exploding, so even good name brand batteries can be dangerous in the right conditions. I do appreciate the warnings given out on this and other forums, as this hobby can be dangerous, but I know the risks and I am comfortable with these batteries.
Edit: Just skimmed through that thread on CPF again. This is what I was referring to. Over discharged and NOT protected. The ones that came with my setup are protected.
He received cells which where marked as protected cells but in fact there was no protection circuit He was not experienced enough to difference between protected and unprotected cells ... The cells where over-discharged the day before. That's the reason why they got warm during the charging time. They where already damaged at that point.
It was advertised as an XM-L, but no I'm not sure. Any good way to identify the emitter?
Am I sure? No, not totally! The packaging (shrink wrapped cover) on the battery indicates that it is protected. It says "short circuit and over current protection." it also says "rechargeable battery with re/discharging protection circuit"
What's the easiest and safest way to test if that circuit is there and functions? I would like to avoid tearing apart tha packaging.
An XM-L is easy to identify. It clearly has six segments as shown on this page.
As regards the draw of the light, the leads on your DMM seem quite thin. That could be making the amp seem low. Having said that its not unusual for generic XM-L drop-ins to be only driven at 1.4A. If you do switch drivers than the favorite around here is this one or if you're happy with 2.2A then this one.
BTW welcome aboard BLF. Which, as another member recently suggested, really stands for Buying Lights Frequently.
Normally you can see where there is a disc (the protection PCB) under the wrapper at the negative end.
As your light is a single cell and you have a DMM I wouldn't worry too much. As long as you check the voltage regularly when charging and don't exceed 4.2v and equally don't discharge the battery in use below, say, 3.2v, I think you'll be as safe as any of us.
Just never use them in a multi-cell light just in case.
Well I would say they aren't protected then, because there doesn't appear to be a PCB on the negative side, that's too bad. Good news is that it's definitely an XM-L.