Hi folks,
18650.UK just launched their own unbranded line of protected cells so I fancied checking them out, much cheap option compared to say Keeppower for feeding hungry LT1s!
I am in no way connected to 18650.UK, I bought these for my own use. £5.45 each, but don’t forget the BLF10 10% discount.
I think these are assembled in the UK, the information is printed under the clear wrapper, and the blog post seems to say they are assembled here.
The battery is an LG MJ1 3500mah 18650 sized cell fitted with a protection circuit board and button top. I forgot to measure the size but will add at a later date (the Sanyo for comparison was 70mm)
The outer wrap is clear so you can see the cell and all parts which is nice.
The button top is under the insulating washer and wrap which is nice. I did manage to pull it off with pliers, but in normal use it is unlikely to fail. Some of the batteries have several spot welds so the button top is well stuck on!
Stripping the battery down reveals the + strip which is welded under the button top and runs down to the PCB at the – end. What is really nice to see is kapton tape on both sides of the strip fully insulating it from both the cell wall, and the torch body in the event the outer wrap got damaged (Keeppower for comparison only use tape under the strip and its loose under the outer wrap). The wrap seems pretty tough, had quite a job ripping it off.
The PCB sits in a plastic cradle which insulates it from the cell. There is a metal plate soldered to the back of the PCB which is nice. It appears to have two mosfets and a DW01 generic protection chip. I would guess it’s good for about 5A with the two mosfets.
Overall seems well made, voltage when supplied was 3.6V which is normal for cells in storage. According to the date stamp on the cell it was made September 2018. The cell is also printed with the required information for UK sales.
These will be a good set for an LT1 lantern
