Test / Review: Orbtronic 18650 3100mAh (Black)

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=orbtronic

¬¬

Yeah but they are out of stock, I meant if they were available on another site...

Pity, back to DX...

Thank you again for all you do for us.

I posted this in HKJ's CPF thread on these cells, but found out today that it had been removed, with the message: 'Insider information removed AGAIN. Final warning RF UK'

This annoyed me as I had never seen any of my posts on the subject removed before, and had never been 'warned' or even told that it was deemed unacceptable to post useful information on who manufactures what cells in a clearly relevant thread. It is also hardly 'insider' information, as anyone could infer as much from looking at the reviews and confirm it with a quick e-mail to keeppower.

Anyway, here is what I originally posted, just so the info is still out there for those who want to look for it:

Keeppower make Redilast cells. They claim to assemble to a better quality than AW cells, but of course that would need to be independently verified.

The recent 'newcomers' to the market are all dealers selling re-badged keeppower cells as Redilast have now been doing for a while.

Orbtronic, Callie's Kustoms, intl-outdoor (latest version), Xtar and more are all assembled by keeppower afaik. Eagletac may not be, but I wouldn't bet against it.

Effectively, you have nothing to lose quality/performance wise by simply choosing the cheapest of these brands. You will get the same thing.


Aftermarket service and the feeling of supporting someone more closely linked to the CPF community of course are unrelated to this and whether they sway your decision is entirely a personal choice.


Bottom line is: The two pack of keeppowers via ebay are currently the best value 3100 based cells out there, from the best (or equal best) manufacturer. Although in my opinion, the Xtar 2600s (sanyo based) for $13.50 a pair direct from xtar via the BLF long-term group buy is by far and away still the best value deal out there for any li-ion cells.

Yes, I noticed you had your bottom smacked on the other side, you bad boy. Wondered what it was all about. Giving out useful information to potential customers - whatever next on a forum. The AW mafia are gunning for you. Buy the cheapest? How very dare you! Thanks for re-posting here.

I just received 4 Keeppower 3100 batteries from the (solitary) eBay seller in China. Best offer of $21 for 2 was accepted, and they arrived at 3.63 volts and look OK so I'm a happy bunny. I would post the link, but I might get banned

Problem is I have nothing to put them in ....yet.

The "rules" on CPF is sometimes very strict and mysterious. I can see that you try to get banned on CPF now.

I'm not really trying to get banned anywhere, I appreciate both this forum and CPF and the wealth of information in both of them. I just can't let myself allow content to be continually removed/unfair bannings etc to go on without at least a reasonable level of questioning.

I think the moderators there are reasonable people underneath it all, they are just working within a weird set of social norms at the moment. It doesn't need a massive argument about everything they do, but I think questioning unfair actions taken by them will at least cause them to reconsider what they are doing and why they may be doing it, and ultimately whether they think it is reasonable behaviour from a moderator on a public/open forum. Hopefully this can lead to a better forum in the future for everyone, even if it does mean I get on and off forced periods of not contributing to it in any way myself.

Trying to discus a moderator decision in public, that is usual a very good reason to get banned on CPF.

Not here! :Р

Here's the link for anyone interested: http://www.ebay.com/itm/270965512744

Yes, I realise it can lead to suspension. I have amended the wording of my reply slightly to make it seem less aggressive:


'Final warning'? 'Again'?

I have never seen any of my posts on this information (which were limited to relevant threads only, and not intended to incite anything), removed before. I have also never received either a 'warning' or even any suggestion that it was inapropriate to post such information in threads within which the readers are clearly looking for it to help inform their decisions on what to purchase. Please let me know when you have done this before and why you did it, you can do this via PM if you wish.

The information I posted is not what I would describe as 'insider' anyway. It could be inferred from the reviews themselves and it then confirmed by anyone with a simple e-mail to keeppower.

Please let me know your opinions on why this information which will allow readers who are looking for it to make the best judgement on their purchases should be banned from CPF threads? I don't see how selectively removing it does anything other than devalue the usefulness of the thread as a source of information.

Also, please bear in mind that it's not as if I benefit anything from posting it here, other than feeling like I've been of some help to others.



Hopefully it will not be seen as an unreasonable comment, as it is not intended to be. I can imagine it will be removed and I may get a suspension for questioning something but hopefully it'll make them re-consider their position on the matter.

Thanks for almost taking one for the team, RedForestUK. Appreciate the 'insider' info!

I decided to add one more question to the comment, and have sent the moderator in question a PM to the same effect:

One final question; if posting who assembles the different cells on the market at the moment is not allowed then where do you draw the line? Is posting what base cells they are made of allowed? It is common knowledge that Panasonic make the NCR18650a cell which all of these are based upon, but you haven't deemed fit to censor that information. How is providing information about the IC and where the final cells are assembled any different to that?

I would like to know how he justifies selectively deleting this information, and in who's interests he feels it is in to do so.

However, I suspect you're banging your head against a wall... I can see that all of your followups have been summarily executed.

I appreciate your 'insider information'.

Just remember that sacred cows (AW, anyone?) make the best burgers.

It's not going so badly behind the scenes. I am in contact with one 'silver moderator' who is investigating what has happened and why my posts have been deleted and seems quite conciliatory about it all. He put across the point that often they work according to complaints from other members, so that could be a reason behind it, but he will look into it. My comments in that first thread were removed, but that is what I expected and I have not been banned or suspended. I have put my points to both the moderator who originally took the action (with no response) and to the one who has been in contact with me and is being very reasonable about everything.

The information is still out there, well here to specific. Also, I don't think that behind the scenes at CPF they all agree that the moderator who deleted my original comments made the right decision. Hopefully my posts will be re-instated in time (although I would guess that is unlikely), but I think my points about it have hit home somewhere.

... with apologies to Monty Python...

Rogers: I've been told Unforgiven nailed your head to the floor.

Stig O'Forest: No. Never. He was a smashing bloke. He used to buy his mother flowers and that. He was like a brother to me.

Rogers: But the police have film of Unforgiven actually nailing your head to the floor.

Stig O'Forest: (pause) Oh yeah, he did that.

Rogers: Why?

Stig O'Forest: Well he had to, didn't he? I mean there was nothing else he could do, be fair. I had transgressed the unwritten law.

Rogers: What had you done?

Stig O'Forest: Er... well he didn't tell me that, but he gave me his word that it was the case, and that's good enough for me with old Unfo. I mean, he didn't *want* to nail my head to the floor. I had to insist. He wanted to let me off. He'd do anything for you, Unforgiven would.

Rogers: And you don't bear him a grudge?

Stig O'Forest: A grudge! Old Unfo. He was a real darling.

Rogers: I understand he also nailed your wife's head to a coffee table. Isn't that true Mrs O'Forest?

Mrs O'Forest: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Stig O'Forest: Well he did do that, yeah. He was a hard man. Vicious but fair.

Ha ha, well I wasn't actually talking about unforgiven. He was the one who deleted my comments etc. I posted what I said a few comments above in response to his deletion and also sent him a similarly worded e-mail condemning his actions.He has not responded to me however.

The moderator who is being reasonable and I am in communication with is a different one. He is looking into it and trying to ascertain why my comments were deleted. Evidently however as I posted in no uncertain terms that I thought that unforgiven's action was indefensible in the thread, and have also put this to unforgiven and the other moderator, yet I have not been banned, there is some disagreement behind the scenes as to whether unforgiven was right. I will ask for clarification on what the other moderator has found in a few days after my final exams are over.

Just to make it clear though, I am in no way saying that I feel unforgiven's actions were acceptable. I am simply stating that I have not been banned despite questioning them (which normally happens very quickly) and am in contact with a different moderator who seems conciliatory to my side of the situation and is 'investigating' hopefully independently and without bias. He is the one who has been reasonable.

Yeah.. except they dont sell to countries where they have dealers. For example in Germany I'd have to pay at least 21$ for a pair!

Well, RedForestUK, I imagine it's pretty hard to ban you. Your reasoning is always just so damn reasonable, after all. ;)

Which Xtars are made there? they all seem to have different MOSFETs than those of Orbitornic, Redilast, IOS, on the 3100.

Actually CPF is kind of annoying for the fact that US dealers keep bumping up their products there, not only for the fact that moderators delete information that has not been paid to exist. Lately some of these dealers have come to BLF.