So is the battery larger, or the L6 smaller?
Recently I bought a silver L6, and the Keeppower 5200 batteries that I have in my slightly older black L6 do not fit. I got frustrated, and just put in some 18650’s. I was actually about to finally order a couple more KP 26650’s, but now I’m worried about them fitting. Anyone else have this problem?
Ohhh boy. I just placed my first order for an L6 yesterday. And ordered a couple Keeppowers (from Banggood) at the same time. It probably doesn’t matter, but what vendor were your batteries from?
Curious about this as well:
Got my L6 today and I just can’t believe how bright it is. And how big it is. It looks smaller on pictures 
Best light I had before was C8 and this is so much brighter I have no words for it.
Mostly its the batteries that got larger. Last batch was around the 26.4mm size and this one maxes at almost 27mm.
It might make a difference. If banggood still has stock that was purchased before about January ish they may be just fine. I had to wait about 2+ months to get this stock. What’s really lame is I ordered a whole bunch extra so I could stop running out. Being out of the KP cells was holding up shipments of the L6…. Such is life I guess. :student:
I have calipers now, so I’ll have to take some measurements. I seem to be having the opposite problem, in that my older KP’s don’t fit my newer L6. I guess I won’t know for sure until I take measurements. By the way, I ordered my KP cells 11/29/16 from illumn.com, my black L6 from Gearbest on 11/11/16, and my silver L6 from Gearbest on 1/26/17
Yeah, I think I’ll just wait until Simon someday redesigns the L6’s dimensions so it fits most 26650 cells. It’s hard enough to get any li-ions at all because of the “hazardous air shipping” monkey talk.
That’s a pretty big increase in the cell diameter. Makes me wonder if they’re double wrapping them. EVVA was doing that for a while on protected button tops. It was wrapped once to add the button top and then wrapped again when they added the protection circuit. That was making their cells too fat for many of my convoy lights. In that case Richard contacted EVVA about it and they started single wrapping them for him.
Maybe I can work out something similar here. Matt, did you buy your cells from Banggood using the link they setup for the L6? I can have the Banggood rep talk to the KeepPower rep to resolve this going forward.
Also please let me know if you’re seeing variations in the ID of the Convoy tube. I’m not worried too much about a difference of 0.006 in the ID but if we’re seeing problems with cell fitment caused by variance in Convoy manufacturing I’d be all over that. Shoot me a PM if you want to discuss any of this in more detail.
Oh wow. I just received 4 protected KP from Illumn that measure 26.72mm - 26.75mm. My previous (shorter length KP) measures 26.25mm. They all fit my 3 lights, but just barely. Requires a ramrod to shove them in on my newer Clear L6’s (from Banggood this month). But have more room in a older black L6 (1st with logo, I believe)(which I bought from Matt many months ago). Lengths are still ok, 69.57mm (new) vs 69.39mm old.
Edit
PS. Measured including the metal strip running up the side.
PSS. Latests non protected KP, also from Illum, measure 26.25mm including label.
PSSS. The fit in the new Clear L6 is tighter at the tailcap end than at the headstock end.
What are your battery tubes measuring?
Hmm… that makes me wonder if they are indeed double wrapped now. Any way to compare the wrapping on your old and new ones?
My tubes are
Clear = 26.79mm & 26.83mm (Opposite ends)
Older black = 26.89mm
As far as rewrap, not that I can tell, looking under top or bottom fold over. But if a stock wrapped battery has a new tail & positive button added, then re wrapped, I wouldn’t neccesaily see that.
My cells are not from banggood. I messaged Keeppower about it, but if you can talk to any other dealers that are having this issue so they will speak with keeppower that would be awesome. The more people they hear from (hopefully in a nice way) the better our chances of having this resolved is.
The variations in the body tube are all within reason. I mainly posted this here because Convoy users are the ones who will be most effected by this. I would not object if Simon wanted to add a few thousandths of an inch to the ID moving forward, or some length, but don’t see the light as being the problem.
My first one measures about 27.12mm The newer about 26.87mm Slight variations of those numbers can be had if the calipers are turned.
Hmmm 26.87mm (1.058”) 
Ok, here are my amateur measurements (at their widest point):
L6 clear:
26.88mm (battery entrance end)
26.85mm (driver end)
L6 black:
26.90mm (battery entrance end)
26.95mm (driver end)
Keeppower 26650 5200mah (2)
26.86mm
26.90mm
These cells fit the black L6 like glove, but are too tight on the clear. I could probably force them in, but I’m afraid they won’t come out.
I ordered my KP cells 11/29/16 from illumn.com, my black L6 from Gearbest on 11/11/16, and my silver L6 from Gearbest on 1/26/17
This 26650 cell vs. L6 dilemma is frustrating to me. This is not out of any disappointment with Convoy but in how to approach a “solution”. The problem is mostly in the variance in cell lengths and diameters from one manufacturer to another and even within the same manufacturer from batch to batch. In 26650 cells the length in a 2-cell inline configuration like this, the stacked cells can easily vary by 10 mm or so. This means from a design standpoint you pretty much have to choose an optimum cell or just one in the middle of the size range and allow a ton of spring to compensate on each end. This is not a simple task and there is no one solution that will please everyone. Statements that one will just wait until Simon fixes the problem are not fair or justified IMHO. I don’t say this to call anyone in particular out, just to make all aware of the complexities involved.
I very much appreciate, respect and enjoy my role as trusted advisor to one of my favorite flashlight manufacturers. So, in a case like this new cell diameter issue what do I do? If I ask him to make the I.D. larger for all L6 going forward then we will have complaints of battery-rattle. I will certainly bring this up to Simon and we will discuss what might be done.
The scenario being described here is the curse of the budget flashlight world. There are literally NO manufacturers of the lithium cells we use that intend them for use in flashlights or even individual sale. Lithium cells provide the power we enthusiasts need and now insist on so there is certainly no going back, yet we are reliant on aftermarket companies to add things like protection circuits and button tops in many cases. This is exactly why I reached out to BG and asked them if they could source the exact fit cells we need for the L6 directly from KeepPower.
If anyone ordered from the BG link I have in the OP then I may have a chance at resolving this but from other sources I have no say whatsoever. I do not at all discourage shopping elsewhere for cells but in this case I can only do so much.
As always, feedback will be taken in and I’ll do what I can.
Cheers y’all
Would it be a bad idea for the user to hone the inside of the battery tube out? I think I still have one of those 3 armed drill powered brake cylinder hones.
If you have the equipment and the skill go for it. It’s an excellent solution. :+1:
And unless someone beats me to this response this will be post number 4000 in this thread! 
If you started with an enlarged ID, then smaller diameter batteries could always be compensated for by inserting rolled up layer(s) of paper shims.
I wanted to try out the impressive looking Shockli 26650 5500mah until I found out it was 26.7 mm +/- 0.2mm.
Actually I’m not one for sloppy battery tubes and at 26.87mm Regular batteries are sloppy! You want to use oversize batteries, look at it as a chance to custom fit the tube, which I love doing!
Really all you need is a High Speed Variable drill and 1/4” rod from Home Depot or what ever, sand paper, a hack saw.
Make a Flapper!!
I like a custom smooth fit to my weapon lights and even after single point boring I flap out the bore to fit, adds a bit of drag to the cells, helps with recoil, slows the cell (s) from slamming into the driver, that and limiting travel of the cells using rubber bumper (s) at the driver end or both ends, depending on the tube length and cells. Even my Combat lights/flashlights, ever drop a light on the bezel end and have the cells crush or bottom out the driver spring, called coil bind, I have…… once!