Panasonic NCR18650A (with PCB) from FocalPrice

So, if they're lying about one of their batteries, what are the odds that they're lying about some or all of their batteries?

They are protected, the problem is the description as far as I can see.

In buyincoins got the same batteries, look at the white and red ring on top of it (+) and compare to the unprotected.

Here you also got the link to the ones at buyincoins, where by the way they are cheaper if you buy only 1-2 units.

They are, but not by manufacturer.

The latest batch of batteries I got from BIC appeared to be really bad. Blue Ultrafires rated at 2400 mAh were 220 in real. And 3600 protected UFs only 880 mAh. I'm not buying another battery from BIC. I guess FocalPrice green Panasonics are genuine but maybe with untuned circuits.

Yes you are right, I did not get you.

There isn't any cell manufacturer as far as I know selling protected cells, they are always unprotected, they are protected by the companies who re-label.

The similarities here is is ULTRAFIRE, not BIC. You can buy UF batteries from ebay, Manafont, DX etc and most likely you'll get the same junk.

The first batch I had from them (talking about 2400 ones) were way better. They now sell uberly inexpensive but apperantly junk cells under UF brand. I have always avoided UF cells but were surprised I had good luck before.

FocalPrice has really good prices if bought over 3 pieces. I really wonder how my ones will measure. As the OP says, they will more likely be genuine. Maybe I'll get their 2900mA Panasonics too.

I feel they are genuine just from the measurements given by ada_potato if we take as a true value the 3100mAh of the panasonic, compared to his trustfire flames gives us the trustfire flames are 2254mAh which sounds to be true on the old batches of them.

I have just seen this same panasonics at CNQG, the price is a lot more expensive, but at least they have published its resistance, being ≤45mΩ.

Here you got the link:

http://www.cnqualitygoods.com/goods.php?id=1495

I bought two of these cells at CNQ and will add two discharge curves later when I'm home.

They published something that is absurd, they cannot be under 100mOhm. The cell alone has 80-90mOhm and "standard" mosfets will add 25-38mOhm, from 4.5V to 2.5V

45mOhm could be the resistance of just the protection pcb.

But you are right, it's useless to claim this would be the total resistance of the protected cell.

From my tests, I believe the unprotected 2900mah panasonics to be genuine. They do seem to bulge out very slightly in the middle, though.

Flashlights are only a realy small niche for li-ion batteries. Most of them are build for laptops and nowadays for e-bikes. They need unprotected and Panasonic, Sanyo, Sony, LG etc. built them.

AW, Redilast, Xtar and other brands build a protection and wrapped.

I think the Focal, BIC Sanyo and Panasonic batteries are genuine (the MarsFire have only the wrong mAh in the titel and the description). Manafont sell them, too (they do not name mAh):

http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/sanyo-protected-18650-high-capacity-rechargeable-battery-1pcset-p-9322

@ada-potato:

2 weeks aren't slow for a asian shop - it's fast. With dealextreme or kaidomain you offen have to wait 4 weeks.

Here is the 2A discharge curve for the first cell:

The charger monitor programm unfortunately crashed while discharging the second cell. So there is just a picture of the charger display. I twas discharged with 2A too:

The cells did match pretty good. But I think you have to discharge them down to 2,5V to get better mAh results.

I'm digging the clear re-wrap.

I like that too. It's cool to clearly see the used cell.

Looks good - May pickup few.

How is the wrapper compared to TF flames?

That discharge does not look right for a fully charged NCR18650A cell, at 3 volt I would expect around 2600 mAh with 2A discharge.

That is what I got for all NCR18650A batteries I has tested. The problem can be either the battery, the charger or the discharger.

I know your excellent battery tests. :)

I expected the difference of roughly 500mAh to be the result of not discharging them to 2.8v but to 3v.

But it might be a combination of the charger not charging them to 100% and showing a little to low results in discharging. So take the above discharge with a grain of salt.

I will get a better charger and we'll see. You can't do anything wrong with an iCharger 206B, right?

As you can see on my 3V bar chart the capacity must be around 2600mAh at 3 volt discharge, this is 500mAh less than the full 3100 mAh rated capacity.

You could check the charger with a known NCR18650A battery (if you have one) or with a voltmeter and ammeter.

iCharger is good, but you might still have to check the calibration.