Battery purchase stategies?

TheIntruder · 2018-08-02T04:13:47.000Z

Do you practice battery purchase strategies? According to specific need, or standardization?

Let’s say one is just starting out in this little hobby, with only a small collection, but still with the opportunity to rationalize the battery arsenal for full efficiency and flexibility.

Like Southwest, which only flies B737s, one is going to restrict the fleet to 18650-powered lights.

But sticking with one form factor still requires other choices.

The C8 with a DD calls for a high-drain cell like a 30Q to be its best. But the other lights in the fleet have more modest needs, and might benefit from higher capacity cells, like a Panny B. Or something like a GA may be a good compromise between drain capability and capacity, and would seem to be a more flexible choice that can do duty in all.

In this scenario, the choice seems to come down to Samsung 30Qs or Sanyou 18650GAs. Is it better to just standardize on 30Qs (and sacrifice those 500mAh), or GAs (and sacrifice that extra bit of drain, but still within needs), if the overall aim is to avoid “specific cells for specific lights,” for someone who doesn’t envision building and arming a full flotilla?

Or is this just overthinking things?

Lightbringer · 2018-08-02T04:18:29.000Z

Unless you actually plan on running down cells ’til LVP kicks in, you’ll never miss those 500mAH.

Swib · 2018-08-02T04:31:32.000Z

I think you’ve answered your own question. The 30Q is a great battery for high drain applications. If you have flashlights with currents of 3 amps or less then the higher capacity of the GA will be your best bet.

Aleister · 2018-08-02T08:38:04.000Z

I do practice battery purchase strategies.

My battery size of choice is 18650, most of my lights are using this battery format

- I am using unprotected Sony VTC6 flat top for all my ecigs

- 30Q unprotected for all my med/high drain flashlights

- NCR18650B unprotected are used for powerbanks and other low-Amp applications (e.g. low Amp draw flashlights, lanterns etc)

NCR18650B protected are used primarily on one cell / two cells flashlights with low Amp needs (eg Fenix TK35, Solarforce L2P XP-G/XM-L)

After much in-brain back and forth, I gave up and started, also, buying 26650 flashlights and a few cells, but I haven’t standardized this format yet. I am currently trying Keeppower and Golisi IMR and I plan to get some Liitokala to try next.

Also, I changed my plan a bit the last few months. I, now, “marry” cells with flashlights and keep some spare matched cell groups (one cell, pair, three, four). Before that plan change, I kept groups that I was using to any light (e.g. 4-battery set no 5 wasn’t “married” to MT07S and I would also use it to MF01, or Q8, or…). I will use a group to another flashlight if needed but only if I really need to.

StuG_IV · 2018-08-02T10:18:58.000Z

26650, hey, you over there, d4s!

Cereal_killer · 2018-08-02T10:47:54.000Z

I think if you only buy high discharge cells you’ll be limiting the usefulness of your lights, let me explain a situation I recently ran into…

Were at work looking down a manhole cover watching for water flow. I have my super hot rod S41 with a 35E, I needed to hand the watching for water dutie off to a coworker while I went upstream of us and did some stuff. I had to give the guy a 2 minute safety instruction on how not to use the light (just turning it to the highest mode) and then worry about it the whole time I was out of sight. I mean he absolutely had to have a light, we get paid to complete jobs after all…

Now days, if I choose to EDC that light to work it gets a NCRB, that one change (35E to NCRB) makes it so I don’t have to worry about handing the light off to anyone else, like a easier to use muggle mode.

WalkIntoTheLight · 2018-08-02T11:41:50.000Z

I mostly use Samsung 30Q’s, because they’re a good general purpose cell for just about everything.

I use Sanyo GA’s in lights that I want a bit longer run-time, and are single-emitter lights (so less than 10A drain).

I use Sony VTC6 in high-drain lights. They’re slightly better than 30Q’s, though in practice I doubt it matters.

I still use some old laptop cells in some lights that I don’t run at max output. Though, this is really just “because I can”. I should probably just use 30Q’s in these.

TheIntruder · 2018-08-04T04:38:10.000Z

Lightbringer:

Unless you actually plan on running down cells ’til LVP kicks in, you’ll never miss those 500mAH.

WalkIntoTheLight:

I mostly use Samsung 30Q’s, because they’re a good general purpose cell for just about everything.

Appreciate the different perspectives.

In the end, those two resonated loudest, so more 30Qs it will be.

While the 30Q gives up a bit of capacity, it is still a relatively high capacity cell. It also has a higher current drain reserve, and conversely, can take higher current during charging, and thus be put back into service more quickly, compensating for the lesser capacity. Durability seems to be a wash, though a recent thread suggests the Samsung to be superior in practice.

In short, it seems to be a more capable and forgiving (flexible? robust?) cell than the GA, with the exception of capacity…

WalkIntoTheLight · 2018-08-04T10:38:35.000Z

TheIntruder:

While the 30Q gives up a bit of capacity, it is still a relatively high capacity cell. It also has a higher current drain reserve, and conversely, can take higher current during charging, and thus be put back into service more quickly, compensating for the lesser capacity. Durability seems to be a wash, though a recent thread suggests the Samsung to be superior in practice.

In short, it seems to be a more capable and forgiving (flexible? robust?) cell than the GA, with the exception of capacity…

Yes, generally the higher capacity a cell has, the less robust it is long-term. (From the same era, of course.) It’s like that with regular Eneloops vs Eneloop Pros.

It really depends if you need that extra capacity. If not, go with something a bit less than the current leading-edge in high capacity. 3000mAh seems to be the sweet spot, right now.

I prefer the 3500mAh for one particular use, but for everything else 3000mAh is fine.

We may be seeing the peak of 18650 cell capacity, if EV companies choose the standardize on a larger format like Tesla is doing.