Any idea why Astrolux S1 listing on banggood says not to use NCR18650B. I thought that was a good battery…
BLF A6 listing does not say that…
I see no reason you couldn’t use an NCR18650B, but with that battery you won’t get it’s full potential. So you would get longer run time but less brightness on turbo, a better choice would be an 18650GA.
However to achieve maximum output on turbo in the S1/A6 you need a battery that is capable of delivering higher amperage, or a “high drain” battery.
In the A6 listing it shows that recommendation: “(INR18650-30Q 3000mah suggested)”
This battery:
Or if you’re in the US and want it sooner:
or
These are also comparable to the 30Q:
https://liionwholesale.com/collections/batteries/products/sony-vtc6-3000mah-15a-30a-battery-genuine-tested-flat-top-wholesale-discount?variant=28023263057
https://liionwholesale.com/collections/batteries/products/lg-hg2-18650-battery-genuine-tested-20a-3000mah-flat-top-wholesale-discount?variant=5886497194016
I also notice the S1 is available in USA warehouse (not sure if you’re in the US?) and also in stock in the 3D tint if you want Neutral White.
The BLF A6 is also Chinese, as Dman7777 said the Astrolux S1 is made by the same people who produced the BLF A6. They just re branded it and added it to their line, (which by the way is Banggood’s own “In House Brand”) Same as they did with the BLF X5/X6 (Astrolux S3/S2)
I have the BLF A6 in 3D, but if I wanted another one today I’d order the S1 because it’s in stock in US warehouse and available in 3D tint.
Super helpful. I will order the S1 today. Don’t want to deal with slow boat from China.
Should I go with protected battery for this?
It is interesting to see that Samsung batter is rated at 15A and that’s what IMR shows. But banggood uses 20A in its title (like overstated lumens on Chinese flashlights).
Something I should have added is all the batteries I’ve listed are UNPROTECTED, so you will need to be aware of the safety risks of using an unprotected battery, lots of info on that here if you search the forum, but mainly be sure you don’t run them down too far during use. Also use a quality charger so you don’t risk overcharging them. Best to use a DMM/voltmeter to check their voltage often and keep them topped off. I try to not let mine get below 3.5v, and NEVER below 3v. Also it’s very important to be careful not to leave the flashlight turned on by accident.
Of course there is much more to be said about Li-Ion battery safety, protected or unprotected. Use the search words “battery safety” here on BLF and you will find a ton of information. Here’s a good resource thread: Lithium-ion battery safety 101
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You could use a protected battery in the S1/A6 but again you won’t achieve maximum output on turbo. The protection circuit limits the amperage draw to around maybe 5-6 amps max. None of the really high drain battery’s are fitted with a protection circuit because it would defeat the purpose.
As far as the 20A rating on Banggood in the title they are probably referring to pulse not continuous, I’ve read pulse is typically considered to be around 30 seconds, if you look in the description in Banggood under “specifications” you will see the 15A spec: “Max. continuous discharge: 15A”
On my A6 I really can’t see much difference in brightness between a 30Q and a 18650GA, maybe if I had two of them I could notice a difference side by side, but I think the main reason is the springs are not bypassed on mine, so the GA possibly supplies enough amperage for mine.
Why doesn’t someone make a high discharge protected battery that cuts off at a higher current ? Seems to be a market for one .
It appears there is. The 5-6 amp cutoff I was referring to was for most run-of-the-mill protected batteries. After re reading what I wrote I began to remember seeing ones with a higher cutoff, so I had another look at Liion Wholesale’s listings and found they have two that apparently have a 12-13A cutoff, although the cells themselves are rated to deliver 10A max continuous:
“These are manufactured with a very high quality Seiko PCB with AO MOSFETs for 12-13A high current cutoff (most PCBs will not allow this much current)”:
Protected LG MJ1 3500mAh 10A 18650 Button Top
Protected Panasonic/Sanyo NCR18650GA 3500mAh 10A 18650 Button Top
It appears if you want a protected cell that can still deliver up to 10A these will do it. So it may be true that these would deliver maximum output in an off the shelf A6/S1?
Maybe someone more knowledgeable on the subject will chime in here to confirm. I haven’t tested it myself but I recall reading a stock A6/S1 will pull around 5 amps max with a high drain cell. Even though a regular Panasonic 18650B can provide 5 or 6 amps, something about the lower internal resistance of the high drain cells like 30Q, HG2, VTC6 etc. will actually provide more current at lower voltages than what a regular 18560B will do, in effect giving more brightness for a longer time period as the battery discharges.
I would also like to know if these protected 10A MJ1 and GA with “12-13A high quality Seiko PCB with AO MOSFETs” would provide performance equal to an unprotected 30Q, HG2, VTC6 in hot rod flashlights that pull less than 10 amps.
Got the S1 today in the mail and used it with Panasonic NCR18650B. Definitely like it a lot better than S2+ (which is an excellent flashlight too). I think I am going to dedicate the NCR18650B for S2 and get a high drain battery for S1.
Questions:
- Out of VTC6, 30Q, HG2 what is preferred or are they essentially the same?
- Since I also got the sort tube, any recommendation for a 18350 high drain battery?
- I don’t like the clip that came with S1. The two end pieces are sharp and protrude bit too much; almost poke into pant pockets. Are there better clips?
- Is low voltage protection on S1 pretty robust? I don’t want to keep taking out the batter to check for voltage.
- Does the mode memory reset when battery is removed?
Thx for all the help.
Thx for all the help folks.
That was fast! Glad you like it. Once you get used to the UI it is very convenient to be able to navigate back and forth across the brightness levels. You have to practice the ‘short half press’ and ‘long half press’ on the switch. There are also quite some configurable options. See the UI diagram.
1. Yes, pretty much the same. It almost boils down to which better deal you find out there. I’m a bit partial to 30Q’s but it’s probably just because i like the pink wrapping - lol.
2. The best 18350 we’ve had was the Aspire 1100mAh but they seem to be discontinued. Similar cells have come up but at a much higher price. Before the Aspire one ‘good’ cell was an Enercig 18350 (grey) 700mAh. There sure are others, but none with the Aspire capacity - AFAIK.
3. no idea
4. Not sure since i usually top off my cells after each use. I think the light blinks and steps down so you get a hint of low voltage. This light has no parasitic drain, so the cell inside will not drain doing nothing. I think there is a battery check feature in the UI… not sure - getting confused with all the various UIs. It should blink out the number of volt and 1/10th of volt. Check UI diagram.
5. Unless you set it to have mode memory, it defaults to starting on moon mode. I haven’t used mode memory, but since turning off the light is the same as removing the cell i assume it won’t affect the memory.
Thanks . I was looking around and found those same cells . A little more expensive than panny-bs . Does a 8x7135 Convoy C8 benefit from a high discharge cell ?
No, because it only pulls 2.8A. For my 8x7135 and fully regulated lights I use a Panny B or GA for the most capacity / longest run time. For some of my fully regulated lights with lesser draw I’ll use lower mAh rated cells or laptop pulls (2000-2800mAh).
I only use High Drain cells like 30Q in lights that have a DD mode (Direct Drive).
I was surprised too, paid $2 extra to get it from NJ warehouse.
The Li500 charger that I ordered from Ali before Christmas has still not arrived yet.
Don’t think I am going to bother with memory model. I like that flashlight starts in the lowest mode and I can switch to turbo mode with a long press.
These are real nice but “only” 800lm. 
I just got this one with triple Nichia 219C (5700K): Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com
Bright and floody, great tint!
The Cree cool whites are actually 900lm, 300lm x 3. The Nichia versions are 720lm. 240lm x3. As per details in the description.
Ah, I see now, thanks! First it shows 800lm under Item specifics, but further down under Product Description it shows 720lm.
How does this compare to BLF A6?
I haven’t read into the details of D4…is there a TLDR version of how it is able to get 4K lumens?
No long explanation needed… Simply four Cree XPL emitters on direct drive on a high drain battery. The light has a good construction too, allowing maximum current flow (low resistance springs, good contact between body, tail cap and head, thick wires to the leds…).