What are Redilast Protected 18650 batteries used for?
Currently, our Li-ion line of batteries are primary used in high end flashlights.
What makes your batteries better then any other company that makes protected Li-ion cells? Quality. We don’t use random battery companies that offer the lowest price per cell. We use only high quality, well respected manufacturers. All of our 18650’s are made by big brand name companies in Japan. All of our cells use the industries highest quality IC’s, which are made in Japan.
What kind of charger do I use to charge Li-ion cells?
Any quality Li-ion charger that terminates properly at 4.20v±.05v. A charger that follows the recommended CC/CV (Constant Current, Constant Voltage) charging algorithm is highly recommended. It is also recommended to keep the charging current <1C of the batteries capacity.
Why use Li-ion over other battery chemistries such as Ni-mh, Ni-cd or Alkaline cells?
Li-ion cells have the highest energy density of any rechargeable battery chemistry that is mass produced. Li-ion batteries also hold their charge very well, and have a very low self discharge rate. Li-ion cells also have a 3.6/3.7v nominal cell voltage which is equal to the voltage of 3x Ni-mh or Ni-Cd cells. This voltage is also the average (vf) or driving voltage for most single LED’s, which makes them ideal for flashlight use.
Why do my protected cells read 0.00v?
If a cell voltage is brought below its threshold (2.75v) for most cells, the IC should disconnect the negative battery terminal thus not allowing the cell to be further discharged and damaged. If you pop the cell on a charger for a few minutes, you should notice that the cell voltage should read somewhere around 3.3v. A cell may also read 0.00v if it was short circuited or the current exceeded the threshold on the PCB (usually set for 2-3C discharge).
Can I use Li-ion cells in other electronic devices?
There are very few electronic devices that use bare li-ion cells (cells that are not in a pack). The main use for bare Li-ion cells such as (18650’s, 18500’s, 14500’s RCR123’s) is for use in flashlights. Some electronic devices such as cameras can use CR123’s and RCR123’s. Even if a Li-ion cell will fit in another electronic device, it does not mean that it is compatible with the device. For example, a 14500 Li-ion cell will fit in just about any device that uses standard AA’s. But the voltage is 3x as high and may damage the electronic device, if it is not designed to accept Li-ion cells.
What is the difference between various Li-ion chemistries? (LiCo, Lifepo4, LiMn / IMR?)
The LiCo chemistry is the most popular Li-ion chemistry and is used in 95% of consumer grade notebook computers. LiCo stands for Lithium Cobalt. Lithium Cobalt cells are more dangerous then Lifepo4 and LiMn / IMR cells if they are not handled properly. LiCo cells have the highest energy density out of any mass produced Li-ion chemistry. LiCo cells usually have a max recommended discharge of 2C (2x the actual capacity of the Li-ion cell). LiMn / IMR cells are usually used in high current devices such as power tools, or high current flashlights. These cells usually only have about 60% the capacity of the same sized LiCo cell, but they can be discharged at a very high rate (typically 10C). Lifepo4 cells are often regarded as the safest Li-ion cell. They are very tolerant to abuse such as overcharging and overdischarging. Depending on the cell size and construction they can also do very well in high drain applications such as power tools or EV’s (electric vehicles). Some Lifepo4 cells can be discharged at a continuous rate of up to 20-30C! Lifepo4 cells have a lower nominal voltage — usually 3.2v or 3.3v. Because of this, they require a different charger then standard LiCo / IMR cells. Lifepo4 cells also usually have the lowest energy density — about 50% the capacity of LiCo. Another advantage to Lifepo4 is the long cycle life of up to 2,000 cycles!