Thanks. Here’s the actual break down in intelligence: “because we couldn’t figure out what it was for, we just assumed it wasn’t for anything.”
OT
This is the first time I have ever heard Musk speak. It so often happens with famous rich people that no one can give them bad news, like, “I am sorry, Mr. Jackson, Propofol is not something you can have; it requires an anesthesiologist to administer, you have no valid need for it; it would be illegal… so, no.” Someone should tell Musk, and make certain he understands that it matters, that he can’t speak for sh!t, and that he should actually put effort and time into improving that, as doing it well can be learned, and it would benefit his enterprise immensely. The worst thing a smart person can do is assume they know everything, and then surround themselves with yes men with no ability to tell truth to power.
True, compared to vehicle demand, power tools won’t drive this. And these cells certainly won’t be showing up in your average drill kit. But they’d be great for cordless lawn mowers and other large tools! That kind of application should provide at least some incentive to mainstream this size of cell.
Soda can lights with 150k+ lumens are perhaps within reach with Elons new cells. My 10-20k lumen lights get slightly warm fast, 150k would be akin to holding molden lava?
The Q8 has those big honkin’ springs for the individual 18650s, to make sure even different-length cells are firmly smooshed up against the top ring.
Ditch the springs and that insert as well, a small group of nubbins right on the end-cap to make contact with the negative end of the cell is all that’s needed.
Hell, a sprinkling of a few belleville washers, a crimped/bumpy/crunkled thin sheet of Cu, anything shallow but that makes good electrical contact, is all that’s needed.
At least it’s a start. Any mfr could make a variant of the tube to fit one of those donks, bored out and marginally longer if needed.
Was gonna add, the SD05 SD01 also takes 4×18650 and has a 1-piece body, no end-cap! So the cloverleaf board is pretty much dropped down the hole and pressed into place. Same dealy, but no worries about another cap and another set of threads. Might even be thicker stock that can afford to be milled down a few more mm.
Academic, though, as no one seems to actually have one of those cells to measure exact length.
There’s no way a soda can light with one of these cells will do 150K Lumens. My guess would be 40-50K but could be more. Depends on the performance of the cell really.