Hello everyone! I am glad that i decided to continue on this forum than on one…other….!! Although
i was not a member, I was buying only after your reviews!!
So, my first question:
I have a fenix pd35, tk22 and hp25. I had an old kodak charger for my batteries but after an accident, i lost it and my batteries. I would like, if possible, to guide me for buying a good 18650 battery (maybe a pack of two or four?) and a charger. I would like to charge the 18650 batteries and my energizer AAA for the hp25 if possible. What do you recommend? I found the Fenix ARE-C2 4 Channel Charger with a pack of two Fenix ARB L2M 18650 batteries (2300mAh) for 69$. Does it worth it? Should i buy only the batteries and try an xtar? Note that i need a charger that is ok for a 220v power supply.
You would get much more bang for your buck by getting a Nitecore Intellicharger i4 and some Panasonic protected batteries: either the NCR18650B (for the longest runtime) or the NCR18650BD which will stay a little brighter for longer (has a flatter discharge curve).
Edit:
Of course, if you are experienced with Li-ion batteries and comfortable with charging them before they’re dead, monitoring charging, etc., you might consider unprotected cells, which opens up a whole ’nother world.
I was once big fan of 18650B, but nowdays i think that cells are overrated for many powerful flashlights. They have big volt drop above 3/4A drain, and are almost 2x more expensieve then 18650PF BD are not worth it generally as well, + 14$ for 300 mah +? no thanks.
I agree that the Panny B’s are not much good at high currents, but none of the lights LightLupus mentioned draw more than 3 amps, so I thought the higher capacity might be useful for him especially in the lower modes. Also, where are you getting your prices? RMM has all three and they are within a dollar or two of each other.
Problem being i recharge when my cells are at 3.7/3.8v and if you see the volts drop on B vs PF, you will understand that capacity means nothing for high power flashlights the B is down to 3.7 faster then PF, so actually you need to recharge B cells faster. B are only good if you use lower output modes, and you are not worried about turbo performance of the lights.
I talk about prices from Banggood and protected B vs unprotected PF…
So, thank you all very much. I will go for the nitecore d4 (charger), but still i cannot decide on a battery pack. I have no experience with Li-ion batteries and i am afraid of going with unprotected batteries. What should i do? I have also heard a few good things about eagletac 2600mAh that LanWolf mentioned.
Can someone who has a fenix pd35 tell us if the batteries you mentioned will fit? I also found XTAR 18650 protected 3,7V – 2600mAh Li-Ion for 8.95 (german ebay).
I have to admit that I will use the power mode some times in a week (2 or 3) when i have to pass under the storage room of the factory that i guard.
Those are both reputable, but they are a tad more expensive than a generic protected ncr18650b with a good Seiko pcb. Also, like dazed1 mentioned, you might be better served with a Panasonic ncr18650pf or bd especially if you use your lights a lot on high (turbo).
