I suspect they are crap..
I think PK cell will be better though, probably similar price.
But i don’t know.

I have some Sanyo 14500 and i’m not disappointed so far!
I would suggest these Efest (Purple) for higher drain!
http://www.mtnelectronics.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id...

You can check how they compare to Sanyo on HKJ tester:
http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/CommonSmallcomparator.php

Also, I recently bought some Sofirn 14500 cells (900mAh) and they have the estimated capacity:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Sofirn-2-Pieces-set-14500-900mAh-Li-ion-...LED-Flashlight/32840564123.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.MZcgQY

Majoroverkill wrote:

SWEET!! I am glade I checked your post before I made my purchase. Thank you MascaratumB!! You ROCK

Glad it helped in some way

For high drain, i think the best are still ‘WindyFire’ 14500.
http://www.windyfire.com/windyfire-imr-14500-650mah-37v-10a-discharge-re...
HKJ test: http://budgetlightforum.com/node/33434

Jerommel wrote:

For high drain, i think the best are still ‘WindyFire’ 14500. http://www.windyfire.com/windyfire-imr-14500-650mah-37v-10a-discharge-re... HKJ test: http://budgetlightforum.com/node/33434

Hum, I went to heck the differences on HKJ test, and the Efest Purple (vs Windyfire IMR 14500) actually seems to perform better on 3A, 5A. On 7A it has a bigger initial drop, but it holds on a bit better on runtime! On 10A, the Efest seems to have some juice while there is not data for the Windyfire!

Really?
I didn’t know that.

Hmmm… Let’s see:

Wait, i’m editing, i can’t get the pics to show due to stupid “%” symbols in the links….

Jerommel wrote:

Really? I didn’t know that.

Yup, I was surprised as well! I went to check it about a month ago, before ordering some things from MTN. At first I was searching and comparing the Windyfire with the Sanyo. But then I saw the Efest (Purple) on MTN and went to check some info for those!

According to HKJ tests, it is very consistent on lower and higher Amp draw, and it seems to be the best with higher amps. I then ordered 2 of them for some flashlights I wanna use/mod. Let’s see how they behave!

They have less capacity than the Sanyo, Sofirn and eventually PKCell, even though HKJ points them to be close to 700mAh, but their performance seems better even in lower Amps

Well, looking at the graphs from HKJ, the WindyFires have a little less voltage sag than the Efests, but it’s quite close.

(still trying to get the pictures in my previous post…)

Jerommel wrote:

Well, looking at the graphs from HKJ, the WindyFires have a little less voltage sag than the Efests, but it’s quite close.

(still trying to get the pictures in my previous post…)

Yes, true! The sag is bigger on the Efest, but they apparently will last longer in runtime! Am I correct? ‘Cause I’m no expert on this so I’m just attempting to interpret the data

The Efest also seem to be “under-rated” having about 700mAh, instead of the 650mAh advertised! So it is also good

Efest IMR 14500 (650mAh, Purple) vs Windyfire IMR 14500 (600mAh)

2A

3A

5A

7A

10A

Yes you’re correct.
I bought the WindyFires for high discharge about a year ago.
They perform well on 3 Amperes with a SST-40 LED in a Solarstorm SC01.
It seems the Efests would perform similarly, maybe 30 seconds longer..

(edit) thanks for the comparison pictures.

So the benefits of the WindyFires only show above 4 Amperes and only when they’re more than half full of charge.
Interesting.
I should pimp my SC01 further with a 5 Amperes driver.. or just skip the driver altogether..

Jerommel wrote:

Yes you’re correct.
I bought the WindyFires for high discharge about a year ago.
They perform well on 3 Amperes with a SST-40 LED in a Solarstorm SC01.
It seems the Efests would perform similarly, maybe 30 seconds longer..

(edit) thanks for the comparison pictures.

So the benefits of the WindyFires only show above 4 Amperes and only when they’re more than half full of charge.
Interesting.
I should pimp my SC01 further with a 5 Amperes driver.. or just skip the driver altogether..

Thanks for helping me understand this
I heard about the WF sometime ago, but being a “fire” battery, I never knew how good it was till seeing HKJ tests. But then seeing the Efests, made me go back and I ended up ordering 2 of them as well! Maybe for those 30 seconds

Hum, you use the stock driver or a different one with the SST-40? It draws more than other types of LEDs, right? (like the XPL / XPL-HI…)

Also, did you mean :

Quote:

So the benefits of the WindyFires only show above 4 Amperes and only when they’re more than half full of charge.

Quote:

So the benefits of the Efest only show above 4 Amperes and only when they’re more than half full of charge.

I was a bit confused now, sorry
Over 4Amps, the Efest seem to have better perfomance and the sag is quite similar, being constant, without abrupt drops!

MascaratumB wrote:

Jerommel wrote:

Yes you’re correct.
I bought the WindyFires for high discharge about a year ago.
They perform well on 3 Amperes with a SST-40 LED in a Solarstorm SC01.
It seems the Efests would perform similarly, maybe 30 seconds longer..

(edit) thanks for the comparison pictures.

So the benefits of the WindyFires only show above 4 Amperes and only when they’re more than half full of charge.
Interesting.
I should pimp my SC01 further with a 5 Amperes driver.. or just skip the driver altogether..

Thanks for helping me understand this
I heard about the WF sometime ago, but being a “fire” battery, I never knew how good it was till seeing HKJ tests. But then seeing the Efests, made me go back and I ended up ordering 2 of them as well! Maybe for those 30 seconds

Quote:

Hum, you use the stock driver or a different one with the SST-40? It draws more than other types of LEDs, right? (like the XPL / XPL-HI…)

Quote:

Also, did you mean :

Quote:

So the benefits of the WindyFires only show above 4 Amperes and only when they’re more than half full of charge.

Quote:

or

Quote:

So the benefits of the Efest only show above 4 Amperes and only when they’re more than half full of charge.

Jerommel wrote:

The Efests are very expensive from where i’m sitting.This could be interesting though: https://www.nkon.nl/rechargeable/14500-16340-18350-18490-18500/energic-1...

Rated 13 Amperes, which i don’t believe.
Could be the same cell as Efest or WF.

Hum, I know that I just ordered 2 of them because I ‘had to’ order somethings from MTN and I took advantage of the shipping to get them! Otherwise, they are expensive for!
Even from NKON, I purchased 3×18650s a while ago and paid more for shipping than the final value of the batteries… But maybe NKON can get some of the Efest or Windyfire! For you, living there and even for other countries it would be nice to have that option around here on Europe!

Hum, the Enercig seem to be a nice alternative, maybe having only a little less capacity!

I wish there was a similar cell on the 14500s as the Aspire 1100mAh…More capacity and still able to put some current out of it

Jerommel wrote:

I don’t know, i have always hated the stock driver because of the low frequency PWM. So i put in a flipped upside down Nanjg 105 driver with an Omten 1288 switch on top of it. (had to stack 2 of the 7135 chips on top of the other 2 to make room for the switch). It fits in the pill after some butchering, but only just. Reverse clicky switch, so no parasitic drain when off. 3 Amperes, or actually 2.8 Amperes (8x AMC7135 = 8× 0.35 Amperes = 2.8 Amperes).

Hum, guess I never seen that mod!! Have any pics of it or posted it somewhere around? Would like to learn from it if possible
Being a side switch it must have been a bit troubling! But for your numbers, it must have ended well

Jerommel wrote:

The Efests seem to be just as good as the WindyFires with high currents when they are 50% depleted (or 50% charged). So the Efests have a more steady discharge curve (and last a little longer) but the WF is a little better in the beginning.
If both were available for the same price and shipping cost, i probably would choose Efest.

I think a light should also work just as well on a half full cell. That’s why i dislike FET DD drivers. But also 7135 drivers have their disadvantages, because they give you a default voltage drop of 0.2 Volts.
This can be compensated with a low Vf LED like the SST40, but it would have been better to use a FET DD driver like the LD25.

Oh, now I got it! Had to go to HKJ graphics again to check what you meant! The beginning of the discharge gives the Windyfire a small advantage, but then the Efest gets better on runtime, on the “last 50% charge”!
I’ll see how mine behave when I get them Despite I don’t have means to measure it!

Thanks again for the explanations

I didn’t take pictures of that mod.
Yeah, it was a bit of a challenge…
Had to change the switch boot too, because you have to press deeper for the switch to ‘click’.
I use this peculiar TIR in it:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/YMWO-20-High-quality-Led-lens-CREE-Lens-Size-20×18-07mm-5-degree-Clean-Surface-PMMA/32612075843.html
It projects the LED chip with the centre lens section, you can count the dots on the die, it’s quite a large projection.
And the outside is the internal reflector, which adds the rest of the LED light to the beam.
The beam is ugly and has some serious rings around it, but it works very well in output numbers (which i can not measure..)
I guess the SST40 die is larger than what the optic is intended for.
I hope to score some Osram Synios soon, that may be a better choice for this thing.
So it’s a far from perfect light, but still very bright for the size.
Maybe i’ll post it in ‘what did you mod today’ some day, with some pics of the intestines.

PS: The LD25 is a FET CC driver, not DD (i edited it now)

Jerommel wrote:

I didn’t take pictures of that mod.
Yeah, it was a bit of a challenge…
Had to change the switch boot too, because you have to press deeper for the switch to ‘click’.
I use this peculiar TIR in it:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/YMWO-20-High-quality-Led-lens-CREE-Lens-Size-20×18-07mm-5-degree-Clean-Surface-PMMA/32612075843.html
It projects the LED chip with the centre lens section, you can count the dots on the die, it’s quite a large projection.
And the outside is the internal reflector, which adds the rest of the LED light to the beam.
The beam is ugly and has some serious rings around it, but it works very well in output numbers (which i can not measure..)
I guess the SST40 die is larger than what the optic is intended for.
I hope to score some Osram Synios soon, that may be a better choice for this thing.
So it’s a far from perfect light, but still very bright for the size.
Maybe i’ll post it in ‘what did you mod today’ some day, with some pics of the intestines.

PS: The LD25 is a FET CC driver, not DD (i edited it now)

I went to check the driver and saw there the reference to CC, so I perceived it was a “mistake” Also, I am not familiarized with that driver but is seems quite nice! Most of the drivers I’ve been using are Biscotti drivers…

No problems with the photos, I was just curious about that kind of mods, as I am not aware of how to make them! Well, nor most of other “fundamental mods” being done around here… Lol

Never seen that TIR before! Seems quite…strange, but having that big “body” it must certainly reflect a lot of light!!

Ahah, if you post, I’ll check those! These mods are part of BLF history, they must be documented

Thanks once again!!

I like the LD25 because it’s simple.
3 modes (low – medium – high) and hidden strobe, no fuss with programming groups and all that jazz.
But it’s a FET driver, so less voltage drop than 7135 drivers, and it’s not too expensive.
All parts are on one side, so you can punt a switch on the other side if that’s what you need.
The low mode is a little low i.m.o. (i think it’s 5% i prefer 10%).
Medium mode i think is 30 or 35% which is good.

Yeah, documenting. I don’t always have a camera near by.
I have many mods in progress. Too many actually..
…in fact, i think i have more lights in pieces than working…
And, always waiting for parts of course..

Hmm.. What was this topic about again?
Meco 14500.
Probably crap.
PK cell are probably better, they seem to perform similar to the ‘good old’ Sanyo 14500, but are a lot cheaper.

Jerommel wrote:

I like the LD25 because it’s simple.
3 modes (low – medium – high) and hidden strobe, no fuss with programming groups and all that jazz.
But it’s a FET driver, so less voltage drop than 7135 drivers, and it’s not too expensive.
All parts are on one side, so you can punt a switch on the other side if that’s what you need.
The low mode is a little low i.m.o. (i think it’s 5% i prefer 10%).
Medium mode i think is 30 or 35% which is good.

Yeah, documenting. I don’t always have a camera near by.
I have many mods in progress. Too many actually..
…in fact, i think i have more lights in pieces than working…
And, always waiting for parts of course..

Hmm.. What was this topic about again?
Meco 14500.
Probably crap.
PK cell are probably better, they seem to perform similar to the ‘good old’ Sanyo 14500, but are a lot cheaper.

Forgot to answer (trying not to derail more this thread)
Thanks for reporting on the driver. I’ll be needing one that has only one side occupied, due to the pill’s shape. Maybe this can be an option! Or maybe I’ll opt for a BLF A6 driver as it has more options

And I know your pain to have things around home, pieces pieces pieces, and flashlights to help you find where they are

On topic again

Yup, didn’t noticed the PKcell curves before! They seem pretty nice! But…I’ll keep my Sanyos, Sofirn and the soon arriving Efest
Buying many AA/14500s in a year made the collection grow

Thanks Jerommel