Test/Review of Keeppower IMR18650 3500mAh (Black) 2015

HKJ · October 9, 2015, 6:58am

Keeppower IMR18650 3500mAh (Black) 2015

Official specifications:

Capacity min.: 3400mAh
Capacity typ.: 3500mAh
Nominal voltage: 3.70V
Charge voltage: 4.20+/-0.05V
Standard discharge cut-off voltage: 2.50V
Standard charge current: 1000mA
Charge termination current: 50mA
Standard discharge current: 3400mA
Max. continuous discharge current: 10A
Max. pulse discharge current: 20A

This is a high current, high capacity and unprotected cell (Keeppower also has a protected 3500mA cell)

There is perfect tracking between the two cells.
My result is below rated capacity, some of the reason is probably because I terminate charge a bit early (100mA instead of 50mA) and do not discharge to 2.5 volt, only to 2.8 volt.

Conclusion

This cell is designed for higher loads, but it has capacity enough to be a resonable cell at lower loads also.

This is a very good cell.

Notes and links

The batteries was supplied by Keeppower for review.

How is the test done and how to read the charts
How is a protected LiIon battery constructed
More about button top and flat top batteries
Compare to 18650 and other batteries

will34 · October 9, 2015, 7:13am

Thanks for the review HKJ!!

Seems like a good alternative to the 30Q for sub-5A applications. Am I wrong to believe this is based on a NCR18650GA?

1dash1 · October 9, 2015, 7:27am

HKJ:

They almost look like flattops. When stacked do they make a good connection?

Rolz · October 9, 2015, 8:51am

Thanks for the review HKJ. These look to be 18650GA. I received 3 x 18650GA today. Charging them up now

shadockan · October 9, 2015, 11:08am

And ’ due to the same I had read somewhere .
That is the NCR GA under the label of Keeppower.

Unfortunately , not that I remember reading ……….

I did not like that he calls the company IMR .
This battery is not IMR, nor HYBRID of the team INR / IMR.
It is a hybrid battery of the team INR // NCR or otherwise NCA.
Not related to the IMR who writes the label .

Wrongly ………

cajampa · October 9, 2015, 11:15am

They look like GA’s to me on the outside markings.

I really don’t like this “fake” 3500mha cell trend, the GA isn’t a 3500mha cell at least i have never seen anyone get close to 3500mha from them.

Why not just be honest Keepower and label the 3400mha cell, 3400mha

Olight even sells the GA as an 3600mha cell……… J)

shadockan, good point about the fake IMR label, that is also bad…….why make up something like that? If they want to get across that the are 10A cells by claiming they are IMR then just label them 10A instead.

light-wolff · October 9, 2015, 12:23pm

Protruding top and markings on bottom identify this cell as NCR18650GA
.
The datasheet says:

- Rated Capacity: 3300mAh (0.67A discharge at 20°C)

- Capacity (Minimum): 3350mAh (0.67A discharge at 25°C )

Capacity (Typical) 3450mAh (Reference only)
It’d probably be better to call it a 3400mAh cell.

akhyar · October 9, 2015, 12:42pm

I’m still OK if they labelled it as 3500mAh as the rated capacity is from Sanyo/Panasonic datasheet itself, so I’d would just give Keeppower the “benefit of the doubt”, but labelled it as “IMR” is just gross misleading

HKJ · October 9, 2015, 1:25pm

Keeppower asked me not to say what is inside the battery.

Yes.

shadockan · October 10, 2015, 4:19pm

I saw once again the Keepower with misleading information on the label
I do not remember how many mAh wrote the tag , but under the label had the Panasonic NCR 18650 BE.
The label wrote 20A .

cajampa my friends , do not know why it is doing with these batteries.
On INR / IMR, the labels always write the truth.
Those INR / IMR I buy from the manufacturer, is actually very good performance and so the company has my confidence.
But why write false information to INR / NCR …… I can not figure it out ……

Several years now the name Keeppower, is one of the strongest names in the trust issue.
It has no need of this, in order to sell.
But the main mistake is not that.

I am user of electronic cigarette and I see people who are looking to find batteries with many amps.
If one sees that the battery is 3500mAh and yield 20 amps, then surely believed he had found the ideal battery for 0.1-0.2 Ohm resistors.
There are many who do such resistors for use in mechanical mod and seek to find such batteries, but unfortunately few people will look if it is really what they write on the label.
In electronic device, there is a board, and so there is a security system.
In mechanical mod if I do resistance 0.2 Ohm, then I will have 17 to 18 amps and the battery becomes stressed.
The temperature will increase and the cell to become dangerous .

*Here is my objection to the company . The rise of temperature in the cell.
*
I hope to stop companies to baptize their batteries with forces that do not possess.
So there will be greater safety during use.

light-wolff · October 9, 2015, 6:13pm

Funny, when anyone with 1 eye and an internet connection can spot it anyway.
.
IMO the reason they won’t tell it is only because then they can use different cells if they want.

HKJ · October 9, 2015, 6:30pm

I agree that is a good reason not to specify a cell, but I am not convinced that is the reason Keeppower want to keep it secret. My guess is that any dealer that want to know what cell is inside the battery they order will get the correct information.

Calmaja · October 9, 2015, 7:03pm

shadockan:

I saw once again the Keepower with misleading information on the label
I do not remember how many mAh wrote the tag , but under the label had the Panasonic NCR 18650 BE.
The label wrote 20A .

cajampa my friends , do not know why it is doing with these batteries.
On INE / IMR, the labels always write the truth.
Those INE / IMR I buy from the manufacturer, is actually very good performance and so the company has my confidence.
But why write false information to INE / NCR …… I can not figure it out ……

Several years now the name Keeppower, is one of the strongest names in the trust issue.
It has no need of this, in order to sell.
But the main mistake is not that.

I am user of electronic cigarette and I see people who are looking to find batteries with many amps.
If one sees that the battery is 3500mAh and yield 20 amps, then surely believed he had found the ideal battery for 0.1-0.2 Ohm resistors.
There are many who do such resistors for use in mechanical mod and seek to find such batteries, but unfortunately few people will look if it is really what they write on the label.
In electronic device, there is a board, and so there is a security system.
In mechanical mod if I do resistance 0.2 Ohm, then I will have 17 to 18 amps and the battery becomes stressed.
The temperature will increase and the cell to become dangerous .

*Here is my objection to the company . The rise of temperature in the cell.
*
I hope to stop companies to baptize their batteries with forces that do not possess.
So there will be greater safety during use.

In the label it is 20A pulse, 10A constant. I don’t think you smoke using constant method.

Rufusbduck · October 10, 2015, 4:30am

Quit smoking, buy flashlights instead.

light-wolff · October 10, 2015, 8:43am

But still the German dealer akkuteile.de first listed it as “quality Samsung cell”.
It just generates confusion and speculation.

shadockan · October 10, 2015, 4:51pm

Calmaja:

shadockan:

I saw once again the Keepower with misleading information on the label
I do not remember how many mAh wrote the tag , but under the label had the Panasonic NCR 18650 BE.
The label wrote 20A .

cajampa my friends , do not know why it is doing with these batteries.
On INE / IMR, the labels always write the truth.
Those INE / IMR I buy from the manufacturer, is actually very good performance and so the company has my confidence.
But why write false information to INE / NCR …… I can not figure it out ……

Several years now the name Keeppower, is one of the strongest names in the trust issue.
It has no need of this, in order to sell.
But the main mistake is not that.

I am user of electronic cigarette and I see people who are looking to find batteries with many amps.
If one sees that the battery is 3500mAh and yield 20 amps, then surely believed he had found the ideal battery for 0.1-0.2 Ohm resistors.
There are many who do such resistors for use in mechanical mod and seek to find such batteries, but unfortunately few people will look if it is really what they write on the label.
In electronic device, there is a board, and so there is a security system.
In mechanical mod if I do resistance 0.2 Ohm, then I will have 17 to 18 amps and the battery becomes stressed.
The temperature will increase and the cell to become dangerous .

*Here is my objection to the company . The rise of temperature in the cell.
*
I hope to stop companies to baptize their batteries with forces that do not possess.
So there will be greater safety during use.

In the label it is 20A pulse, 10A constant. I don’t think you smoke using constant method.

Ooops, my mistake.
But the big issue remains.
It is not ΙΜR or INR/IMR .
It is INR/NCR.
In my opinion , this is the big problem.

Rufusbduck
I quit smoking five years ago .
I’m steamer , not smoker .

The batteries , not only for lens.
There are people who need it for e-cigarettes and electric bikes …………… like me for example.

BigLEO · October 12, 2015, 12:43pm

imr is recognized as “high drain batteries for E-cigs”…of course for these smokers who donnot know what IMR real means

shadockan · October 12, 2015, 12:58pm

Power Efficiency .
But most importantly of all , is that the IMR is safer batteries .
The same as for hybrid INR / IMR, but the IMR is higher with smaller mAh however .

light-wolff · October 12, 2015, 4:34pm

AFAIK, here is no real IMR anymore. The have been superseded by “mixed” chemistries.
Who knows a modern “pure” IMR, i.e. LiMn2O4 spinel ?

shadockan · October 13, 2015, 3:43am

Exactly. Rarely will now see IMR battery.
I think one of the new IMR is the LG HD2.

The greatest IMR that I know , is the Sanyo RX.
I think there is no greater IMR in mAh.
The AW IMR formation use a cell at the new 18650 of 2200mAh, but I do not know if it’s true IMR cell