I’m about to buy the nitecore tm16gt from the groupbuy Here assuming we get a decent price soon. My question is what batteries are suitable for this flashlight? This will be the highest power flashlight I own so I was wondering the estimated current draw will be based on tm16. I own several Panasonic protected NCR18650b’s in button top rated for 3400mah, 2C. Will my batteries be fine or do I need to buy higher amperage batteries? Thanks.
those batteries should be fine - thats what I plan on using myself
Thank you! any other comments welcome, would any other batteries improve the performance of this light? As far as I’ve researched the Panasonic NCR18650b’s have one of the highest energy densities out and that’s why I purchased them.
you may end up with slightly better performance with high drain batteries - but its not worth buying another set of batteries for IMO - you will never see a difference in brightness without instrumentation to measure light output.
If this light is anything like the other tiny monsters - each led is driven at around 2.2-2.6amps - easy for standard panasonic ncrb to handle 
That pretty much sums it up then, thank you.
if and when you do need more batteries - there are good sales that happen a few times a year from overseas vendors (if you are comfortable buying overseas that is)- just be sure to watch the forums
I owe TM16 and its turbo mode take advatnage of high amp batteries( mie is dedomed and modded up to 5500lm): the best i have found are Samsung 30Q button tops( those are hard to find in EU)
I don’t mind ordering from overseas. I’ve been lurking around in the forums and I know what everyone says about gearbest but that’s where I got my NCR18650b’s for $4.50 a cell recently. Also the Samsung 3000mah INR18650 - 30Q (15amp cont.) can be had for around$4.50 from gearbest Here and the Panasonic 3200mah NCR18650BD (10amp cont.) for around the same price Here. I know shipping is horrid most of the time but honestly I don’t mind waiting for something when i can buy it half off and I don’t necessarily need them right now.
I’m using the NCR18650B protected button-top for my stock TM16 and they work just fine, so for TM16GT, I think you should be fine too.
The TM16 only take button-top cells, so maybe TM16GT will be the same too.
I’ve also tried Keeppower IMR3200 button-top, which is based on NCR18650BD cell, and through my naked eyes, I don’t see any different in max output, although theoretically the IMR3200 should be brighter in Turbo as it is rated for 10A continuous.
Maybe on Lux meter, there are differences, but for everyday use, the 18650B should be good enough
I have just recently ordered 4x KeepPower protected 3500mAh ones for my TM16 that should arrive soon.
They are protected with a low internal resistance and can up to 10A discharge. They are quality batteries with a high price. I paid 14.45€ each at a officially German authorised dealer of KeepPower’s (akkuteile.de).
To be honest, I should have just bought some Panasonic NCR18650B’s… I indeed thought the 10A discharge would make a bigger difference in output. But well, now it’s too late. Got some great cells but haven’t got the flashlights to really get the maximum out of the KeepPower’s.
I have ordered 4xNCR18650B but also 4xNCR18650GA. The GA:s will be probably be good for turbo mode!
Did you find ncr18650ga button tops or will these fit as raised tops?
Flat tops but I plan to solder a blob to the positive terminal. I got them from this site for 20€+4.5€ which seems like an okay price
I could bite myself in the ass for buying 4x KeepPower protected 3500 mAh’s (Sanyo NCR18650GA) for ~60€… I feed my TM16 with them, no doubt that they work great. But Im getting used to unprotected cells and like them more and more. The choice is much bigger and they are much cheaper.
60€ does seem a bit on the pricey side. But on the other hand you are supporting your local economy and if you manage to actually bite your own ass you are probably some kind of physiological enigma and could make it up for the lost money by living on a circus or something? 
They may cost a bit more but unprotected cells are never a bad idea in a series multicell arrangement like the TM16, especially if you’re leaving the batteries in the light.
Better read what you wrote again, Mark… I think that you meant to say something else.
Thanks!
-Chuck
Yea, they are quite expensive… but quality, for sure!
Still I think you can’t go wrong with unprotected ones, even in a multi-cell flashlight. As long as you don’t over charge or over discharge them. What shouldn’t be a problem with a quality charger and if you catch a eye on the output decrease of your flashlight.
Laughed hard about the biting the ass part :bigsmile:
Waiting for it
The issue with high drain cells for the TM16/TM16GT isn't making the light brighter, it's better performance in Turbo mode. Both lights are unregulated in Turbo mode, and regulated in all the other modes. At drains approaching the protected cell cutoff point, ICR cells will sag their voltage as they struggle to keep up with the demand. This results in faster dimming of the light and shorter run times. INR/IMR cells don't have to struggle to provide enough current so they remain more linear in continuous Turbo mode use. If you only occasionally use Turbo and/or only use it for short periods of time, there really is no need to use INR/IMR cells. The standard ICR protected cells will work just fine.