For the guys looking for a short Protected battery, I believe that these should work for you:
http://www.illuminationgear.com/EagleTac-18650-3500mAh-Li-Ion-Rechargeable-ET18650-3500mAh.htm
http://www.illuminationgear.com/EagleTac-18650-3400mAh-Li-Ion-Rechargeable-ET18650-3400mAh.htm
http://www.illuminationgear.com/EagleTac-18650-3100mAh-Li-Ion-Rechargeable-ET18650-3100mAh.htm
the 3400 looks better than the 3100 at all amperage’s. good find
http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Common18650comparator.php
I just noticed that the Eagletac 3100mAh is:
Availability: OUT-OF-STOCK
-Chuck
another option
http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Fenix%2018650%20ARB-L2%202600mAh%20(Black)%20UK.html
3400’s in stock. Just ordered 4
http://illuminationgear.com/EagleTac-18650-3400mAh-Li-Ion-Rechargeable-ET18650-3400mAh.htm
Thanks for posting this info guys. I have a message into May at GearBest to see what we can do on their end.
Just received my lights today. I knew that the light was going to be small, but it was even smaller then I had expected.
It appears to be quality made and threads are nice and smooth. Played with one a little in the house during the day and so far it looks good.
The only gripe so far is the artifacts that I can see in the reflector. I believe it is dirt and smudges that are on the LED dome that is being magnified by the reflector. I seems all four of my lights have this in some form. No big deal, but it looks dirty.
I just received mine today. I like them a lot! However, my reflectors are not perfect either. Actually, one is very nice with a tight circular hot spot. One is ok, I’m not exactly sure what’s going on. But the third one I need to try and fix somehow.
When shining staight against the wall, it looks like I am shining a multi emitter light. The edge of the hot spot is formed by a overlapping circular pattern. It’s not the emitter. I cleaned and cheched it under a microscope. So I think it is something about the base of the reflector that is causing this pattern?
Just got mine today, 15 days from ordering on "America Direct Express" shipping option ($1.58). Real nice quality - same as others said: smaller than I thought, compact and light.
I noticed the LED centering piece is not the same as pictured in the OP - it's still black, but has a higher profile, overlapping the LED's white board. I'd suspect it's blocking some output, while the one shown in the OP from the samples of 8/22 is a low profile style.
Overall quality is excellent - love the SS bezel, threading is excellent, feels comfortable in your hand. I'll probably be swapping the driver and testing if that centering piece is ok.
Keep in mind that with the dome on, emissivity angle is 125º, not likely that bit of height on the centering ring is causing issue and it might even be preventing some ringiness in the beam profile. Once we de-dome, all bets are off. 
Dale, there is no reason for you to feel or say “sorry”. You and the others who spend so much time on these GB for our benefit deserve nothing but praise.
True, it is a minor bummer to not be able to use protected cells and for some that might be a deal breaker. It is what is.
Personally, I have a couple of brandy new AW IMRs in the charger as we speak. Yes, it adds yet another layer of complexity to my EDC systems as I now have to be more careful, but, again, it is what it is. The ancillary benefit to the shorter tube is now I’ll have some performance gains in this light- as well as some others I own- thanks to the new cells.
As they say, “All’s well that end well.”
All of that said…
Like J-Dub, I’d be willing to pay a few more bucks in order to get tubes long enough to handle the typical protected cell; assuming, of course, that they could make them with the same threads. 
Assuming the standard version has the same threads as the BLF version it would seem they would just need to make a small run of the standard D80 tubes provided they did not also shorten the tube for the current production standard D80.
What I said was tongue in cheek, but in retrospect, I’m not really 100% confident they could get it right.
What I mean is, the budget light hobby sort of accepts a “Life is like a box of chocolates… you never know what you’ll get”. They were already making lights with a long tube, but somehow, the tubes became shorter. Is that how it is typically done? I mean, will my next new truck come with only three wheels?
yeh, almost sounds like they really dig making extra parts.
They've already made us shorter tubes,,,why not longer too?.. (tongue in cheek of course)
Again, I do not have mine yet but......
So the tube is 2mm shorter. Why does everybody have to think it is deception? Maybe the host manufacturer made a mistake and cut them 2mm short. That does not mean that Lucky Sun did anything. Sometimes that is tech way things go and since we cut them down to the bone to begin with - it does not mean they have the margin to change anything.
At the moment I am looking at what protection circuits are available for batteries
I’m not saying they are actively trying to deceive us. It could be an innocent screw up, something intentional, or… who knows.
What I’m saying is that most manufactured items don’t generally have different dimensions from one end of a production run to the other unless there is a reason; like a new generation or model. How would we feel if the next Enellop AAs we get are 3mm shorter than standard? Would we chalk that up to “poop happens” or would we question that?
I just bought this light. Do you guys think I should go for short (but very expensive) protected cells or high drain unprotected ones? I got a couple of protected KeepPower 3500mAh and Panasonic NCR18650B ones, but they will not fit.
Iam kinda new to unprotected cells, I don’t have any experience with them. So my question is: will this light give me ANY sign that I should charge the battery?
I got a multimeter but when I’m outside I really don’t wanna carry it with me … :bigsmile:
Long before the cell is in any real danger, the output is so horribly low you’ll know it’s time to charge the cell. Like, you’re trying to use Turbo and the output is less than moon mode. You’ll know.
The retaining rings were once very nice, multiple holes for a tool to be used, easy, nice contact. But during this group buy Lucky Sun changed them for some reason. And they changed the brass post on the driver. The wires, the names of their employees, the dogs collar, moved to another city, got new pin numbers on their credit cards…. Ok, some of that might be rhetorical but I think you see what I’m saying…. they made a lot of changes.