i am converting these to li-ion.have standardized on 25r,he2,he4,whatever high rate cells i find a deal on.
the charger gets a tp4056 board for 2 cells.but now its usb powered so you can charge your packs anywhere you can charge a phone and with the same cable.
its simple to do and the parts are cheap.
i gut the pack by grinding off the rear corner then pull the cells out.heating the cap makes it easier to pull off.carefully pry off the contact at the + end as you need it.
i slide a sharp knife in between and pry.work it from different sides till the welds give up.its important this part not get damaged.
i dremel the weld points flat and knock the plating off around them.this helps it take solder.
now is where good soldering equipment and skill come into play.i solder the contact cup to the + side of the 18650.you want it straight and on center.
work fast to avoid damage to the cell.then solder a short length of heavy wire to the - end.i rough up the area i solder to make it wet easier.i tin it which takes about 2 seconds with my iron.tin the wire and then quickly reflow the 2.
cell stays cool.
drop it in,center the contact in its hole,and solder the wire to the inside of the tube.secure the cell with 5 min jbweld or ca/zip kicker after stuffing bits of foam in the space.
i peel the label and boldly label these as li-ion and put the cell type on the end cap.
i use a red paint pen but something visible is fine.i fill the lower groove in the cap too.
now eliminate any unmodded chargers you have so family members wont try to charge these packs with them.i mark the converted chargers with the same pen.
while laptop pulls are ok for the flashlights high rate cells are best for everything else.the wizard in particular seems to be rather demanding.
This needs pictures BADLY. My brain went fuzzy on what you are doing about twenty words in.
- 1, pics of first cut, B+ disconnect, etc.
i will post some on the next batch.
Youtube I think had a video showing a “door” cut in the side with a Dremel, a flap might be a better description, but he gutted them and put in a single 18650.
That could be done too but I dont want the added resistance of a holder.
Still I might set a few up with a good holder as a makeshift charger for bare cells and to run less demanding things like the snakelight or flashlight.
Guy didn’t use a holder, he soldered in the 18650 and charged with a hobby charger and clips to the normal contacts.