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Its time for me to replace the battery pack for my cree light. Currently it uses 4x18650 8.4v 6600mah battery pack.
So when looking for a replacement do I need to buy exactly the same spec? Are there any advantages to buying for example a pack consisting of 6x18650?
Or is it ok to buy a pack with 4x18650 with a higher voltage or greater mah?
Hoping someone can offer answers and advice please.
Thanks, Nathan
Either:
a) buy from a reputable (uk) source like mtbbateries.co.uk, torchy, etc.
b) buy a solarstorm box, individual cells (panasonic are the best, samsung are far cheaper and almost as good except for max current which most lights won't get near) again from a reputable source), and charger.
a is simple, b will last in the long term as cells won't go out of balance which is usually what kills runtime.
Voltage wise, stick with 7.4V, sometimes gets labeled as something else.
mAh wise, reputable batteries might be trustworthy, Chinese stuff is bull****.
The number of cells, do you need more runtime?
Are there any advantages to buying for example a pack consisting of 6x18650?
All else being equal, you should end up with 50% longer run time than with a 4 cell pack (of the same voltage).
Or is it ok to buy a pack with 4x18650 with a higher voltage
Depends what you mean by higher voltage - the nominal voltage of lithium cells is 3.7V, or 4.2V fully charged. So you see the same packs being rated at 7.4 or 8.4V (there's no difference in reality). If the voltage is significantly higher (say 11.1, 12.6, etc.) then it's not suitable for your light.
or greater mah?
No problem.
Finding a reputable source is key - there's *LOTS* of rubbish on ebay.
Thank you both for your answers.
I've taken on board about buying reputable stuff but still not sure whether it's advantageous to buy batteries with a larger mah? What does the mah mean?
Thanks, Nathan
mAh is capacity so yes, bigger is better, provided you can trust the numbers.
1000 mAh means it will do 1000mA (1 amp) for 1 hour or 500mA for 2 hours, 2A for half an hour, etc. So if you know what current your light draws you can work out how long it will last.
If you've already got a pouch, then this is a superb battery.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Panasonic-18650A-7-4V-6200mAh-Li-ion-battery-Magicshine-Bike-Light-2S2PX-US-/222369217257?hash=item33c63cfae9
It's the best of all the ones I've had either oem or aftermarket.
He (Hunk Lee) does lots of others too. including 6-cell and 8-cell. You wont go far wrong if you stick to Panasonic cells. Hundreds of good reports and measurement on the bike-light-specific forums.
Check that he can put a suitable connector on for your light.
Alternatively, if you want to deal with someone reputable in the UK, then https://www.mtbbatteries.co.uk/ is who I would go to.
Torchy on ebay, recently bought some of his yellow wrapped 3400mAh batteries. Huge run times and a genuine 3400mAh capacity. I run them in 4x solarstorm box, rewired to remove the redundant USb connection.
About a tenner each but worth every penny.
Yeah, on the subject of capacity, for chepa batteries it's just made up, same as chinese lumens. So it's pretty hard to compare really but Hunk Lee's stuff is good.
Torchy on ebay, and again the 4x Solarstorm cases. I have the older cases without the USB.
I also use an Xtar charger when needed (to balance the batteries) along side the normal plug in charger.
Torchy is your man, I have this and recommend it.