14500 USB Chargable Cells?

JHZR2

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Anyone have some? What brand?

My ultra Tac light came with a Li-ion 14500, which charges via a micro USB. I like it a lot.

All the brands seem fly by night, mixed reviews, not sure what is good or not... and safe.

Also, most have a dc/dc converter in them to make 1.5V. Not opposed to this approach, but would prefer to have 3.7V cells.

Any recommendations?
 
Are you looking for ones that have USB port built-in? These are usually repackaged cells, so it's hard to tell what is truly inside, another words, it's a c_r_a_p shoot. They also typically have less capacity because the charging circuit and port take up some of the available space. Also, most of these don't handle high current well, which would be the main reason for one to use li-ion cells in flashlights. Otherwise, if you're not going to utilize high current, then just stick to NiMH cells as most of these flashlights support both Li-Ion and NiMH.

With that said, these ones tested reasonably well:



They are slightly longer than usual, so make sure you have room in your light to accommodate them.


If you want reliability from a reputable manufacturer, Sanyo makes good 14500 cells, but they don't have a built-in USB port, so you need an external charger.
 
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Comparsion of 2A current handling: Vapcell INR14500 P1409A (USB) vs Sanyo UR14500P. As can be seen, there is a lot more voltage sag with the USB-equipped cell:
Screenshot from 2021-02-10 12-03-38.png


Now, if you want something that can handle even more current, then this Vapcell H10 is even better than Sanyo. H10 can handle 5A reasonably well:
vapcell_vs_Sanyo_current2A5A.png


Link to the comparator:
https://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/CommonSmallcomparator.php
 
Are you looking for ones that have USB port built-in? These are usually repackaged cells, so it's hard to tell what is truly inside, another words, it's a c_r_a_p shoot. They also typically have less capacity because the charging circuit and port take up some of the available space. Also, most of these don't handle high current well, which would be the main reason for one to use li-ion cells in flashlights. Otherwise, if you're not going to utilize high current, then just stick to NiMH cells as most of these flashlights support both Li-Ion and NiMH.

With that said, these ones tested reasonably well:



They are slightly longer than usual, so make sure you have room in your light to accommodate them.


If you want reliability from a reputable manufacturer, Sanyo makes good 14500 cells, but they don't have a built-in USB port, so you need an external charger.

One came in my ultratac flashlight (the light you have too). It works great, so I’d like one for my headlight too. While I don’t mind ones that regulate to 1.5V, I’d prefer ones that just are 3.7V. The usb is just for charging, not regulating the output, and Im willing to give up a few mAh for the convenience of using any usb port I can find.

DCFD5FA3-D4AB-4371-9064-97DFA278E708.jpeg
 
Which headlight do you have?

As far as the A1, I prefer the mode spacing when using 1.2V NiMH instead of 3.7 li--ion. This way I get a proper 1 lumen moonlight mode.


Modes:
When use a 14500 battery, the brightness can be Low(20LM) - Medium(280LM) - High(600LM);
When powered by AA battery, the mini light gives out Low(1LM) - Medium(30LM) - High(220LM)
 
Which headlight do you have?

As far as the A1, I prefer the mode spacing when using 1.2V NiMH instead of 3.7 li--ion. This way I get a proper 1 lumen moonlight mode.

ThruNite TH20 520 Lumen Headlamp Flashlight - Lightweight Waterproof IPX-8 with CREE XP-L LED Headlamp for Indoor & Outdoor Hiking,Camping, Cycling - NW
This one has infinitely variable brightness.

I have a lot of NiMH. Sometimes it’s nice to have more brightness, and I can dial it down as needed. No modes.
 
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