18500

Just build a little franken-light based on a FiveMega 18500 C body. Pretty happy with it, very classic feel. Still working on finding a “perfect” driver as I want good li-ion performance but still usable on AA in an emergency. Anyways, this got me thinking. There are a fair number of AA/14500 lights out there, and many 1x18650/2xCR123. Is anybody making 18500 lights? With the latest cells you are seeing 2300mAh which isn’t far off from 18650 performance. And with some manufacture resources it would surely be possible to design a halfway decent wide range driver that can utilize both the 18500 cell and a AA. Cell spacer isn’t 100% requirement (depending on springs and contacts used) but can be easily accomplished with o-rings or a simple plastic sleeve so that really shouldn’t be a significant impediment.

I think I’ve seen 18500 bodies for the Jaxman E2L and the Lumintop FWxA lights. Not sure if there are others, though didn’t malkoff offer a 1.5 body that would work that way at some point?

There are not many 18500 hosts out there. Besides Jaxman and LT you also have/had (?) the 18500 tubes of the Emisar D4 and D1. Not sure if they are available.

With a Convoy 17mm driver, suitable for AA and Li-Ion you may get the possibility to build such kind of light, eventually using one of Jaxman’s 18500 tubes.

Recently I used one, but to convert an Convoy S2+ into a shorter light still using 18650 cells: What did you mod today? - #9723 by MascaratumB

Jaxman only has the gray tubes currently, but you may try to get one and make such AA/18500 light using a Convoy or Jaxman host.

There is also a bike lights brand, Towild, that has some lights using those cells, but they are side switch lights, so I am nor sure how moddable they are.