This post confused me on first read. You say you wouldn’t want to use your edc for more than 2 hours. Then, you wouldn’t buy any 21700 light because you wouldn’t use the capacity. I initially read that as 2 separate points but I think you intend them to mean the same thing. It highlights how differently we use our lights.
Certainly, on a typical need basis I can make an 18650 last weeks or months. I can get by with a minimum amount of light. On a recent 6 night camping trip I had an AA headlamp and 18650 light and didn’t exhaust a single battery of either with lots of use.
On the other hand I like going for walks in dark, solitary trails. 20-50 lumens is enough for almost anything I do. Maybe less. However, even 1,000 lumens doesn’t eliminate the creepy factor. But 3,000 of those units and I feel quite comfortable and let’s me explore some of the open spaces. I don’t need to do that but I can and I like it. And I like going out for hours. I can go through equivalent of several 18650 on a single walk.
Those of us with arthritis and other mobility problems have to keep the weight we carry down to a reasonable level, so I am actually needing to change from carring a 18650 light to carrying a single AA light. I might finally get a successor to my Zebralight SC52 XM-L. I’m looking at the SC53w. The cells larger than 18650 are definitely not a possibility for me for me now.
I’m liking my Rovyvon E300s Nichia as a home-based light - it is powerful and well-made, but too heavy for carrying on a commute.
Am I wrong to think that maybe 21700 is not as great as I had hoped? I jumped on the Thrunite TN50 but no one else is doing a multiple 21700 form factor. So far the Acebeam K75 and Acebeam K30 GT is perfectly fine with 18650 batteries. The BLF GT70 is also fine with 18650 batteries. I’m starting to think that the 4x21700 is a bit too thick, and the 21700 is only a huge advantage when used by the thousands of cells in a massive battery pack in the Tesla Electric Car? Ha-ha. Maybe the manufacturers outside of Thrunite hasn’t caught on yet. Or maybe the 18650 is perfect and the 21700 is just a little too big for a 4 times form factor; for flashlights? Why has no one manufactured a 3x21700 flashlight yet? -the thoughts of a flashlight aficionado.
Why does there have to be a one-size-fits-all solution? We have different battery sizes for different applications and preferences. This is a good thing.
You are so right, Rayoui. I think it’s just the recent releases of the excellent Orbtronic 3120mAh 30A-40A, Sony|Murata VTC5D, Samsung 24S, and other fine 18650 offerings have kept me captivated. Cheers!
21700 isn’t enough of a size-dump from 18650 to make it worthwhile. Just enough to make it too big for EDC, but not enough to give a good boost to capacity. Yuck.
If you look at popular battery sizes, they all have a decent jump in size and capacity. AAA, AA, C, D. There’s a clear distinction in form and purpose. For lithium-ion, there’s already too much overlap. 21700 just makes that worse.
I like that I can buy a bunch of 18650’s, and use them in tons of lights. I don’t want a slightly different battery size for every light.
Then you don’t have use them. Like I said, different sizes for different applications and preferences.
21700 cells can provide much higher current than an 18650 while still maintaining high capacity. This is important for lights using boost drivers or throwers with very high-current LEDs. Good luck properly driving an SBT-90 light with a single 18650 cell.
For lights that I use around the yard or on the trails, I prefer the size of a 26650 or 21700 light to an 18650 light. Seems to fit better in my hand and the extra capacity doesn’t hurt. That said, my EDC lights are almost exclusively 18650. The 21700 is simply too large for a pocket light (though I do occasionally pocket carry my M2R Pro).
I think the question to ask is what’s driving the existence of legacy and new liion cells? Our hobby isn’t driving the bus. We largely take what the industry churns out and adapt that that. It’s probably a different answer across cell sizes.
I get Walking In the Light’s point. If its no longer pocketable then it might as well be significantly bigger. I doubt such a thing will exist because they’re not being developed for single cell devices; this is a secondary use.
Do vaping and flashlights make a significant impact on these battery innovations? I’m just wondering out loud.
I do not vape but I bought my batteries online from vape items vendors. All my 18650 Enooks were advertised first for vaping, except for the XTAR with PCB which was advertised for flashlights. I’ve considered “recommended-21700 battery” flashlights. But 21700s are much more expensive than 26650s. So I ended up with five 26650s and zero 21700 for my Sofirn SP33V3. Local market prices played a big role in my choice.
As long as there is a profitable market for these different battery sizes they will remain.
All (decent) “vaping” or “flashlight” batteries are rewrapped LG or Samsung or Panasonic cells which are exclusively made for electric cars and other electronic appliances.
I can assure you that nobody working at the R&D facilities even thinks about their applications in vaping or flashlights.
Molicel marketing department actually looks to care . On the other hand in most other companies the legaldepartment is the only one that cares about vaping. Flashlights just don’t register (probably for the better).
I EDC the Olight Seeker 2 Pro, (with a clip) and I do not even feel it in my pocket. I wear 5.11 and other pants like them, so it is easy to carry stuff. Glock, knife, light, phone, wallet, keys, etc.
Cheers!
