Review: Ultra Fire UF-980L

LED Flashlights – General Info 18650 Flashlights
181

has anyone use unprotected Panasonic NCR 18650 on this 980L? what's the current showed?

I was told that the recent 980L can only draw 3.5A on high mode which is similar to UF-C8?

Be very careful with unprotected or IMR cells in this light is direct drive and has drawn as much as 7 amp. Please use a multimeter to test how much your particular batteries will feed it. I use Protected Trustfire Flames because they only deliver 3.5 amps which is optimal to prevent damage to the driver or the emitter.Unprotected Trustfire flames deliver 4.5amps which is way to much and will damage the emitter or the driver.
Here is a picture of an unprotected Trustfire flame reading on the 980L. I am sure the Panasonic is a way better battery that will deliver way more amperage so be careful or you will destroy your new light.
182

damn... so, it is not recommended to use unprotected battery, such as the panasonic i mentioned above?

i own 8pcs 18650 and all are the panasonic unprotected

183

Get a multimeter and put a battery in the light and test it, they might be OK. There is no way of knowing without testing.

184

i think i shall get a multitester... btw, those,who are using unprotected battery on 980l, are getting more than 4A??

185

I will tell you a little trick I did. I soldered a spring from a drop in onto the back of the driver were the battery connects. The added resistance limits the amount of amperage the driver can pull, so the battery in the picture above only pulls 4.0 amps which is the high end of acceptable amperage.

See the spring in post 169 that is what I used.

186

good idea.. the thicker the spring, the more resistant it is... it will lead to evern lowe current :)

187

The opposite is true.

If you want to reduce current flow, you need a thinner conductor, which has a higher resistance than a thick one.

With unprotected, capable batteries, I suggest you first try with one that's partially discharged and see what you get.

188

E1320,

I'd appreciate a link to the Unprotected TrustFire Flames 18650 you mentioned above, because I'm unable to find them on DX.

Thanks.

( ... unless you fabricated them yourself Wink )

189

I got them from Manafont by mistake I ordered the protected ones and they sent the unprotected by mistake.

190

Thank you E1320, but either I'm blind or Manafont got them at that time by mistake themselves.

No trace of them now (in 18650 size).

191

NO !!..that's absolutely wrong ..it's the exact opposite . bigger wire lets more current thru ..smaller wire or spring adds resistance and allows less current..

Even I knew that one.... :P

192

:) i was wrong.. hhehehee

193

I'll add this again for new readers... DON'T use IMR's! I killed my 980 with one.

Rich

194

panasonic is NCR, not IMR

195

The NCRs (2900 and 3100) are capable of very high current. In fact > 6 amps in my DD triple XM-Ls.

In my UF-980L they get about 3.6 amps only though. Yes even the NCR18650A 3100s. I am sure my meter has somewhat high resistance, and i am waiting for my Uni-T UT58E to arrive.

196

it means with ncr18650, it would go beyond 3,6A ??

197

Within the same brand and technology, a lower capacity battery should have less internal resistance than a higher mAh one.

Is this true?

198

I'm not really sure...but with this light there is no use going so high because of heat, the lux just drops crazily after turn on. Very fast. With the DRY triple XM-L, at least you get a minute of more or less stable output. Some reported over 4 amps, i can only get over 3 amps. Maybe driver differences or something.....so there is no guarantee.

Get some other light which does 2.5-3A, i can tell you the Fandyfire STL-V6 smokes this both in lumens and absolutely has it for breakfast/lunch/dinner for throw. Same price too (DX throws in free *registered* air mail)

199

Heh heh...this i really don't know. So many variables.

200

I don't think that's the case. If the anode-->cathode has some set resistance per unit area or whatever, more of it in parallel lowers resistance.