Take a break…come back to it later. In the meantime enjoy the heck out of the lumens you have and don’t worry.
Main takeaways so far are that chargers are generally more accurate/trustworthy than the circuitry in the lights themselves, but the multimeter is the real truthteller, even the cheapies. So use, charge, rinse and repeat, don’t sweat it. You have good equipment in the charger you picked, the cells, and the lights.
This one is WILLINGLY drinking the kool-aid! Run while you still can!! Run!!!
Whoa! Absolutely not! No breaks! You gotta push push push, right on through! Push push push! All the way, all the time, right on down the line!!
See??
Flashlights are pretty simple devices. A LED, switch, battery, and driver (or not, some just have a resistor). They really only get complicated when you start delving into the realm of driver circuitry, resistor modding, boost/buck/linear/FET, ser interfaces (Anduril, Narsil, 4-mode, 5-mode groups, etc) different types of optics (reflector, Carclo, TIR, aspheric) and the eccentricity of various LEDs, types, binning, CRI, BBL. Most of us don’t concern ourselves with those too much and focus on the basics. I fall in the middle of that chaos. You will find a common ground the deeper down the rabbit hole you go, and strike a balance.
Stick with the basics. Those links are all good resources, or flashlight wiki. CRX on here has a great guide. You can also check out 1Lumen.com for detailed flashlight reviews.
An 18650 will work where an 18350 does with the appropriate tube. Manker to my understanding doesn’t use proprietary cells like Olight or Nitecore does so any 18650 should work. If the Manker came with 18350 button top cells, then you’ll want to use 18650 button top cells.
Electrically, they are all 4.2 volts, so no need to worry about destroying anything. Drivers also have low voltage protection that shuts down the light when the battery gets to about 2.7 to 2.9 volts.
Yep, no problems…you can interchange those 18650 in all your lights, and you can use the 18650 in the 18350 lights.
The secret here is Voltage. Since these are all the same lithium-ion magic sauce, they all have the same basic chemistry and voltage even though they may be in different sizes or rated mAh capacities. They call them 3.7v “nominal” these days (way back in the day it was 3.6v but they’re basically the same thing). As you know, most rechargeable batteries come off the charger with a full charge that is a somewhat higher voltage than the nominal number. Like for these it’s 4.2v standard rather than 3.7. And for NiMH, which is nominally 1.2v, they’re usually 1.45v off the charger.
When baking bread, you can use different size loaf pans. Same thing with the lithium-ion here……18650 is a standard loaf pan, 18350 is a shorter pan, and 21700 or 26650 are just larger pans…but the same bread baked in them.
Where choosing a battery comes in to play is just when you have high drain lights (i.e. the drivers in those lights allow higher amounts of juice to flow). All three of these lights are not really high drain even though they can ask for a fair amount of current from the battery. Let’s say you had a light with a hotrod driver that wanted 10 or 12 amps instead of the usual 2-5 amps….in that case you’d either pick a battery that could deliver, or you’d get much lower performance all around from a standard battery (less light, more heat (working harder), much shorter run time). So it’s like the high drain bread has caffeine in it. Ha.
If you want to pick apart the particulars of those batteries, you can learn more when you’re ready for that (understanding capacities vs. current, those nice graphs, etc, etc). But the two batteries you show here are fine for almost all lights. If you ever end up with a hotrod light then maybe you’ll want something slightly different, or if you want a tiny bit more run time then you could also buy a battery that’s slightly different. But those are fine. (I actually have both of those, one each, that came in a Sofirn SC31 Pro and the Wurkkos FC11…I usually use a couple other favorite cell models instead but I’ve used both of these a fair amount just to see how they did - no complaints and they perform very decently.)
When you see the voltage stats for a driver or for an emitter, those are different sorta, but the lights are still based on that normal 3.7v that lithium-ion gives us. But all of these parts play together in an electrical circuit design. It only gets weird when you see these proprietary cells of various kinds but they’re still doing basically the same thing. Standard parts are nice.
Pardon me if this is tooooo basic, but I’m wondering if looking up a very simple introduction to electricity would help you out? The basic definitions and examples of voltage, current (amps), resistance, etc. Doesn’t matter if it’s talking about A/C or D/C for just learning that part.
Awesome!
Well…no, multimeter can’t measure or test for the CDR on a cell…not by itself. That takes some more equipment and the know-how to set it all up. This is when the people that can put all that together for us really shine…like HKJ and Mooch and several others. With a multimeter you can check voltage. Some will have a setting to measure DC Amps up to a certain amount (usually a max of 10A) and you can use those to get a rough idea of how much current the light is using on various settings (at the tailcap, usually…but what the LED actually gets will be slightly different).
Even when the battery wrap might state amps or maybe say it in a different way with “watt hours”, it doesn’t tell you much about the battery’s performance under load even if they aren’t lying about it to begin with. 
So you look at the reviews - or rather, the tests - for cells and you can see how they perform. It’s not uncommon for a cell to say it’s 35A but in reality it might only do 20A before it falls on its face. Some hold true, some just don’t….the tests with the handy graphs tell the truth. You can compare those results with the amps that the light will draw - either from reviews/tests that have measured that, or from manufacturer statements where those are available. So your light’s driver might let it pull 6A on turbo? Most any decent battery will do that…BUT…some batteries may do it better (less voltage sag…means it will maintain higher outputs for longer and usually will get you the full rated capacity vs. cells that can’t hold the voltage under larger loads. This is one of the big differences between quality cells and cheaper cells).
There is a general relationship between capacity and amperage performance. Mostly we see that the cells with higher mAh capacity just cannot handle the higher amp draws very well. So like the Samsung 35E with 3500mAh is a great cell, I think rated at 8A continuous, and it can hold its own, but at current draws near that max it may have a bit shorter run time and not give you it’s full capacity. It’s just part of the chemistry and construction. Newer cells are closing the gap but it’s still a general rule. Comparing with their 30Q which has “only” 3000mAh but can handle higher current draw….well, it’s a better choice if a light can draw 8A or more, and if much more than that then the 35E would be a poor choice indeed. So…generally more amp-ability means lower capacity. At lower currents, however, sometimes it’s a washout and they can actually perform close to the same…depends on the cells being compared and the currents asked of them.
Basically I think you can just ask…does this light need a high drain cell? If it can pull 6A or more, then that answer is probably yes. And if so, then just pick one up like the 30Q, or a Sony VTC6, or similar. If not, then most normal cells are fine. And you can run the high drain cells in the lower draw lights as well (possibly with shorter run times but that’s not an absolute even if the mAh capacity is lower).
It took me awhile til I was comfortable and understood basics of electricity, too….and then a little electronics on top of that. I could understand it, I just wasn’t terribly interested until one day I really needed to know, and it gave me a bigger reason to be interested. And repetition never hurts for learning. So learn bits and pieces, come back to it again later if it’s just not sinking in right away. I think that’s probably what most people do unless they’re immersed in a course. The more I started to learn the more I saw how MUCH there was to learn. It’s incredible really. And that can be with “rough” electricity for machinery or basic supply, or with fine and ridiculously complex electronic circuit designs. These guys that design drivers and firmware are amazing….the guys that design laptops and operating systems…geez. I’m glad I can understand mostly what is going on in a vehicle these days….
Dude, your jumping like crazy. Your charger that went to 4.2V then stayed there was charging by voltage to about 80% then went to 100% by charging by current.
Normal behaviour, its called the CC/CV lithium ion charging algorithm, which is how all lithium ion batteries are correctly charged.
Normal and safe.
The 4.3V reading was likely read high by an uncalibrated light.
You have some decent flashlights, enjoy them.
A decent brand multimeter is a good idea if you want to be a higher level enthusiast. But its not needed.
I recommend if you do buy one get this from Canadian Tire on sale.
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mastercraft-digital-7-function-multimeter-0520060p.html
I suggest taking the lights you have and testing them inside and outside at night, try the different levels, test the throwers vs flooders, presumably you have a few different tints. Just spend time using your lights in different situations to get a feel for the hobby.
I have done some interesting and crazy stuff, i have gone in to the woods on trails at night without streetlights to test my flashlights, i have done nighttime geocaching, i have used lights to light up rooms instead of lightbulbs in the house, i have tested runtimes for emergency uses in case of power outage (i’m also a bit of a survivalist), i have gone into the wilderness with a few lights, i have done car repairs, house repairs with the lights, i have given away lights to others (1AA is great for the average person), i have helped people do things like cover pools or do construction work at night, i have figured out what lights need to be kept in strategic places, the car has 5 lights, one in the house can be found in patch black by feel (which i have needed once), and so on. Heck i have come up with new ideas for lights, in my family photo (link) the bulbs with wire and inverter lives in the car, i can change a tire or do repair work in the middle of nowhere.,
Heck, i once shined my Cyclone C88 at Niagara Falls at night (wasn’t enough throw but i didn’t know till i tried).
In one case someone posted on BLF that they used their high lumen light to help firefighters during a house fire while they were a spectator and the firefighter said point it higher to where they needed light.
So there is a lot to enjoy in this hobby. But the longest journey begins with a single step.
That’s the spirit…
Dewd, people are trying to help you, and you’re getting frustrated, even lashing out at those who were in fact taking lots of time to try to help.
There’s no such thing as “drivers with springs are bad, drivers with nubbins are good”. You can buy a light and as long as you don’t toss it into a bonfire, you should be good. But you can hurt yourself if you abuse it. Eg, flick it on turbo and toss it into a box of oily rags and then go for a nap.
People buy these lights every day, and you don’t read/see on the news of someone blowing his face off because he “abused” a light. Go with it.
Yeah, accidents happen. Screws fall out all the time. The world’s an imperfect place.
First suggestion.
Stop buying lights for a few months. Test and use the ones you have. Find out what you like and what you use the most.
Do not worry about what others think. Use your experience in making decisions. Again go out in the dark and use your lights. Find the short falls and things you do not like about them and see what others are saying.
Next worry less about the batteries. If you bought a reliable smart charger, charge the batteries when they seem low.
Learn how ever you can in how to use a multimeter. Use it to check your batteries.
Think about what you like in a light. write it down. Keep your notes for 2-3 months before making your next purchase.
Take your time and read up on what is out there. You are not going to learn everything about flashlights in 2-3 weeks.
Don’t rush out and be the first to by a light because it has this one cool thing. If it is that cool the light will be around for a long time. (Can you look up the oldest post for the BLF Q8? it has been around for what 4-5 years now and still one of the most recommended soda can lights out there.)
Hobbies are meant to be enjoyed. Slow down and enjoy the journey, do get caught up in the BUY! BUY!! BUY!!!
Keep all the lights you have right now as you do like wine, whiskey, guns, Exwives, and other collectable things. The ones you get after educating yourself over time will be better choices. You will also find that over time your tastes will change. As an example I used to love nothing but throwers. If it was a flood I would not even think about it. Now I rarely even look at throwers and have a nice collection of mules.
If you are going to trash them all because you do not understand the purchases you made, that is kinda back on you, and sounds more like an impulse control/maturity issue. Recommendations can be a tricky thing. Kinda like buying guns, knives, sports cars and camera gear. You have to consider your source. Ask around for others that are in your area. You might be surprised who is, they might even be able to help you, before you go dropping money on lights you either don’t like or do not need.
Yeah I kinda rambled around there, but you are trying to learn or buy everything that is the best over night and you just can not get there from here. Learn to live and learn with your mistakes and you might find hobbies can be fun and enjoyable.
Wellp, forgot to whom it was referring, but one comment came off like, “Duuuuh, not like I didn’t bother to try looking it up myself. I’m not that lazy.” or something like that.
And people have conflicting opinions. Some people like throwers, others like flooders (see previous post). Doesn’t mean one’s wrong and the other’s right. And yeah, they might sound conflicting, but that’s why you can’t just stick a hose in your mouth and turn on the spigot just because you feel a little thirsty. Either way, you’ll end up choking.
CRC… Are you serious???
YOU are making this much, much, much harder than need be if you just want to have flashlights and use them.
Take a deep breath or a hundred and just use your lights.
And please, stop tell us as well as YOURSELF how stupid you think you are. Quit running yourself down, it serves NO purpose. If you always are telling yourself that, your self image has to suck.
So STOP doing that……
Relax & use your lights….
Then use them & quit worrying about things that DO NOT matter.
Stop taking everything you read as gospel.
Get a simple understanding of the most Basic BASICS & stop worrying about anything else.
Use & enjoy your lights CRC.
Aw man…s’alright, chill. The lights and cells you have (and charger) are good….use ’em, enjoy ’em, rest assured that there are no worries or risks in mixing and matching what you already have.
I can be awfully dang….verbose….hope that hasn’t confused you more when I’ve posted.
The threads and comments you referenced above? I read through a bit but generally that was talking about a new-ish few emitters that people were getting to know and testing out…and as enthusiasts a lot of us will push things to failure (or close) just to see what they can handle. That’s one way that we have achieved brighter lights instead of just taking what conservative manufacturers throw our way or where the data sheets may say to stop. Over time that’s benefited the whole industry and we all learned in the process.
So they were checking out those emitters, seeing what happens when they get more amps than maybe it was said that they were good for. In that process people use different types of drivers, etc, etc.
They were mainly referring to direct drive (i.e. totally unregulated energy). That means all the battery can give going straight to the emitter. It’s like filling a water balloon with a high pressure hose fully opened up, instead of slowing down the flow.
Not all emitters can handle that, so we close the valve on the hose a little - that is usually done with the electronics design in the driver, but things like the size or length of the wires to connect things, the spring types or sizes, all come into play. Choosing a cell CDR for this isn’t a smart approach but it’s another factor.
BUT…what you need to know is that these are tinkers playing around with assembling their own parts and lights. When you buy a flashlight from a manufacturer, they’ve done all this tinkering already and are selling a product that should work as intended, safely and dependably. Meaning that they aren’t going to pair a full-open-hose with a balloon that can’t handle much pressure before bursting. The lights you have are well within smart limits, and that’s true no matter what battery you put into them. Like I said, sometimes you see a little performance differences in one way or another but those aren’t going to create any safety or durability problems in 99% of lights you buy assembled/complete. When you start to mod and swap and build your own race cars, that’s when you need to know a bit more about what is going on.
Cross that bridge IF and WHEN you come to it CRC.
Just use what you have and stop worrying about what might be in the future.
IF, as you said; you DO NOT want to get into the “hobby end” of flashlights stop worrying about the advanced stuff.
Again… get a Basic understanding of the BARE BASICS and stop worrying about anything else.
IF you ask 5 different people a question most likely you will get 6 different answers unless the question is about BASICS. Then you will only get 2 or three different answers. Lol
IF a light requires an 18650 battery, put an 18650 battery in it and USE IT.
Those drivers are tailored a bit to suit the emitters. Like the Cree XPL and SST emitters and such can handle current quite far above their datasheet “absolute max” ratings…we know this from testing and experimenting. But the Nichia emitters (or just about any UV emitter for that matter) can’t quite do the same, so drivers for those will be limited to what they can handle. This can still be done with direct drive/FET with the choice of chips and such.
Now as a hypothetical example, if you buy a powerhouse light where the driver is delivering 8 or 9 amps to the SST emitter that comes stock in the light, and then later on you decided to swap out that emitter for a Nichia or a red emitter (which are known/tested to not handle nearly that much energy before failing), then you’d officially be tinkering and would roast those emitters soon or right away. But as you buy the light in stock form, generally you’ll never see that happen.
Remember, the electronics control the flow. The battery is in the circuit but usually it’s going to limit performance rather than increase it appreciably to the point of hurting anything. This does assume that the driver is designed to limit somewhat - either the max current or by temperature limits (step down or shutoff)…and/or if those are absent that the user has the good sense to turn it off before the aluminum melts. Most lights won’t let you get anywhere near the point of damage to any component no matter what cell you use.
The flip side there is if you had a powerhouse and it needed a battery to deliver a good amount of juice in order to achieve it’s lumen output of 4000 or whatever. In that case, if you put a lesser battery in there, you’re most likely just going to see less light/lumens because the battery can’t provide what’s needed. Won’t hurt anything at all because in effect it’s under-driving rather than over-driving, although sometimes the battery will get warmer than normal because it’s working so hard (and that’s generally safe…sometimes it’s not good…but again, in a light light that you’ll want to buy a good premium high drain cell anyway).
When you put a high drain cell into a light that doesn’t ask much, nothing happens….you get the same light output as you do with a normal cell. And keep in mind that most cells can happily deliver 6-8 amps with no problem. The majority of lights won’t pull more than that, but if they do then you want a better cell.
You don’t have to know every detail about how they work. Heck i don’t know every detail about how it works, but i basically know what i need to know. And some of my knowledge is out of date and i’m still rocking some almost 10 year old flashlights.
I have given flashlights to muggles, they know nothing except replace battery when drained.
BTW muggles are non flashlight enthusiasts.
What you need to know is if your flashlight gets so hot you get burned there is a problem. You can ask us if that happens. Most have temperature regulation around 50C which is hot to hold but won’t really burn you but will feel hot.
You have a charger and its a known brand so should be fine. Use it. Some of your lights have built in charging. Use that as well.
You have many lights of different types.
You don’t need to know about drivers or charge voltages, or noctigons and whatever. If/when you are ready to learn more you can ask one question at a time and absorb it by responding to the answer and getting more information on that one question until you understand it.
But at this point all you need to do is charge your batteries, play with the lights and recharge when the battery is empty.
Absolutely the best thing you could do right now. 