Hello! Just had a quarter day long hypoglycemia, it's 21:40+ and my late lunch is still over the table. Soo frustrating… :((
You mean Morón air base, with acute accent I guess. Because without it, LoL! So you were in the USAAF? I respect warfare issues, although I think there can always be better solutions.
I have to ask, do you have access to some battery spot welding machine, or can you hire the services of some keen battery expert colleague? I ask this because if you were to turn those 16500 cells into protected 16500 cells, your problem would be solved. Found a merchant in AliExpress selling protection board sets for 16650 cells, this can be used for 16500s you just need to give the attached wraps a 15 mm or 19/32" cut out:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32965141794.html 4 variants available. If I were to choose, I think I'd go with a flat cap kit. All of them should work, but bear in mind these are designed to be installed on regular flat top cells, and so in this case you would better get flat top 16500 cells.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32803180199.html This is another 16650 protection board sets sale link from the same seller (combines shipping). I am posting it just because there is 10 mm polyimide tape for sale, which is important imho (the protection sets are less desirable, only button tops and just a single wrap included).
When a protection board kit with N-channel MOSFETs is installed on a cell, cells are double-wrapped. The board's B- is spot welded to the cell cathode, and its P+/B+ input is connected to the cell anode with a thin nickel strip which goes along the cell body on top of the base wrap. It is very important to ensure perfect insulation of this nickel strip from the cell body, as the cell body is negative and the strip is positive. Thus, it is good practice to lay a strip of polyimide tape over the wrap along the body, and set the nickel strip over it. Once the protection board is set above the cell cathode and connected/welded to anode and cathode, the cell is then wrapped again after a new top is installed.
It can also be possible to install a protection board kit with solder (low temp preferred) and steel flux. I've soldered lots of cells building small battery packs. But I guess this is another story. LoL 22:30+ already…
Yeah, good luck managing that blood sugar. I’m diabetic myself.
Oh brother. Back to square one with these batteries for this flashlight?? Maybe I should sell it. Lol
Yes, Morón smarty pants. Yes USAF. Seville is very beautiful. I got to spend a full day there but that was it. Got lost on a bus. Couldn’t find anyone speaking English and I nearly missed my ride back to base.
I really don’t know anyone that welds. Someone would probably charge me more than it’s worth. I like to say “not enough juice compared to the squeeze”.
I mean there’s lots of talented people around here. Would it most likely have to be someone experienced with batteries specifically?
LoL! Yeah it can be challenging to go through an unknown city, especially if you can't speak the local language. I would probably need a notepad and a ball pen if I were to go to some of your cities, just in case. Written language is one thing, but to master spoken and heard language I'd need some practice.
Back to the T3, well, could you measure its battery tube internal diameter?
16.74mm inner tube diameter, you can then be fairly sure that 2x KeepPower P1750Cs will fit inside. They're ≈3mm longer than 3x CR123As, but no big deal. Problem solved, I think.
Nothing to say about the EBLs other they must be good cells.
Wired4Speed, I really can't take a decision for you. However I am perfectly sure that the fellows at NKON, which I know are real battery wholesalers, know what they're doing. In any case, drop the fellows at Illumn an email, because that “17mm” really means nothing, imho. They've just stuck that number because that is the way KeepPower is dubbing the cell, 17500. But I am sure it is a 16ish millimeters wide cell which has been a small little bit thickened because of the double wrap and conductive strip. Ask them, I am sure they can tell you if the cell is at or below ∅16.74mm.
I will also say that it is ultra quite likely that KeepPower is using this same Vbatty ICR16500 cell Henrik reviewed, if only maybe from better OEM batches (Vbatty is a rewrapper, not a cell OEM). 16500 is a super rare format, and with a market that limited and low demand I really doubt other OEM besides Heter is making them.
So you were in the USAAF? I respect warfare issues, although I think there can always be better solutions.