Okay...you recover old cells from laptops. Fine. Been done by lots of people. Actually some chargers are rather small but whatever makes your day. In your post you didn't mention any of what you said related to your cycling. Personally when I ride if I'm using torches I want to use my newest / highest capacity cells. Of course if you carry along a bunch of older back up cells I'm sure that can work as well.

Research Breakthrough for Advanced Lithium-Ion Batteries
 

Scientists at Nanyang Technology University (NTU) have developed ultra-fast charging batteries that can be recharged up to 70 per cent in only two minutes.

The new generation batteries also have a long lifespan of over 20 years, more than 10 times compared to existing lithium-ion batteries.

This breakthrough has a wide-ranging impact on all industries, especially for electric vehicles, where consumers are put off by the long recharge times and its limited battery life.

With this new technology by NTU, drivers of electric vehicles could save tens of thousands on battery replacement costs and can recharge their cars in just a matter of minutes.

Commonly used in mobile phones, tablets, and in electric vehicles, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries usually last about 500 recharge cycles. This is equivalent to two to three years of typical use, with each cycle taking about two hours for the battery to be fully charged.

In the new NTU-developed battery, the traditional graphite used for the anode (negative pole) in lithium-ion batteries is replaced with a new gel material made from titanium dioxide.

Titanium dioxide is an abundant, cheap and safe material found in soil. It is commonly used as a food additive or in sunscreen lotions to absorb harmful ultraviolet rays.

Naturally found in spherical shape, the NTU team has found a way to transform the titanium dioxide into tiny nanotubes, which is a thousand times thinner than the diameter of a human hair. This speeds up the chemical reactions taking place in the new battery, allowing for super fast charging.

Invented by Associate Professor Chen Xiaodong from NTU’s School of Materials Science and Engineering, the science behind the formation of the new titanium dioxide gel was published in the latest issue of Advanced Materials, a leading international scientific journal in materials science.

Prof Chen and his team will be applying for a Proof-of-Concept grant to build a large-scale battery prototype. With the help of NTUitive, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTU set up to support NTU start-ups, the patented technology has already attracted interest from the industry.

The technology is currently being licensed by a company for eventual production. Prof Chen expects that the new generation of fast-charging batteries will hit the market in the next two years. It also has the potential to be a key solution in overcoming longstanding power issues related to electro-mobility.

“Electric cars will be able to increase their range dramatically, with just five minutes of charging, which is on par with the time needed to pump petrol for current cars,” added Prof Chen.

“Equally important, we can now drastically cut down the toxic waste generated by disposed of batteries, since our batteries last ten times longer than the current generation of lithium-ion batteries.”

The 10,000-cycle life of the new battery also means that drivers of electric vehicles would save on the cost of battery replacements, which could cost over US$5,000 each.

Easy to manufacture
According to Frost & Sullivan, a leading growth consulting firm, the global market of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries is projected to be worth US$23.4 billion in 2016.

Lithium-ion batteries usually use additives to bind the electrodes to the anode, which affects the speed in which electrons and ions can transfer in and out of the batteries.

However, Prof Chen’s new cross-linked titanium dioxide nanotube-based electrodes eliminate the need for these additives and can pack more energy into the same amount of space.

Manufacturing this new nanotube gel is very easy. Titanium dioxide and sodium hydroxide are mixed together and stirred under a certain temperature so battery manufacturers will find it easy to integrate the new gel into their current production processes.

Recognized as the next big thing by co-inventor of today’s lithium-ion batteries
NTU professor Rachid Yazami, the co-inventor of the lithium-graphite anode 30 years ago that is used in today’s lithium-ion batteries, said Prof Chen’s invention is the next big leap in battery technology.

“While the cost of lithium-ion batteries has been significantly reduced and its performance improved since Sony commercialized it in 1991, the market is fast expanding towards new applications in electric mobility and energy storage,” said Prof Yazami, who is not involved in Prof Chen’s research project.

Last year, Prof Yazami was awarded the prestigious Draper Prize by The National Academy of Engineering for his ground-breaking work in developing the lithium-ion battery with three other scientists.

“However, there is still room for improvement and one such key area is the power density – how much power can be stored in a certain amount of space – which directly relates to the fast charge ability. Ideally, the charge time for batteries in electric vehicles should be less than 15 minutes, which Prof Chen’s nanostructured anode has proven to do so.”

Prof Yazami is now developing new types of batteries for electric vehicle applications at the Energy Research Institute at NTU (ERI@N).

This battery research project took the team of four scientists three years to complete. It is funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF), Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore, under its Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) Programme of Nanomaterials for Energy and Water Management.

I remember Nanotechnology for Li-ion batteries being talked about some years ago. This seems to be "THE" big breakthrough that provides for super fast charging but there still remains room for improvement as far as "increasing capacity" ( from the article I read ). Of course it might be many years before any of this filters down from the focus on "Electric Car Batteries" but eventually it will happen. Will be super nice to ( one day ) be able to charge your phone or laptop in 5-10 minutes. Also will be nice to have batteries that in some cases will never need to be replaced ( due to age ).

Anyway, if all this moves along as expected it will revolutionize the auto industry and effect any product or service having to use electricity. Imagine pulling into a McDonalds, parking your car and charging your car's battery at the same time. ( "I'll have a Big Mac combo, diet coke, ten piece Mcnuggets and a "Mediumcharge #2" to go"...;) )

Sony VTC or LG batteries

I see the brand 'EBL' gets a lot of positive reviews on Amazon, and is relatively cheap. Doesn't sound like a name brand?

P.S. I just found the cheap batteries I bought had the words "Sheef [sic] life around 10 years" :D

One Amazon reviewer of the EBL 3000mAh 18650 claimed he only measured 2200mAh from the cells. Why buy these when you can buy other cells for a 3-$4 more per cell and get 33% more capacity.

EBL also sells AA and triple A's. The AA's claim to be 2800mAh and the LSD rating appears not be according to one reviewer. Still some of the AA's did measure close to 2700mAh. Others were not as good, more like 2500mAh. According to the reviewer the Low Self Discharge claim was bogus. If true that is not so good and negates the higher capacity rating. If the AA's/AAA's were true LSD they would be worth looking into.

Thanks for the comments.

(Hmmm, it seems one reason for the many positive reviews of EBL is that, according to some reviews, the seller requested customers to write reviews, and sent them free replacement when they saw a negative review and asked them to revise the review...)

The wrappers of the cheap ebay batteries that I bought have got some torn chip (see picture, toward the top of the batteries). May be caused by dropping on the ground. Is it dangerous? Never had this happen to my previous cheap batteries (these will be the last cheap generic ones I'll ever buy).

P.S. While I'm browsing for 18650 batteries, most of them say "high drain". I suppose for flashlights used as my headlight, low-drain is desirable in order for a full charge to last longer? What should I be looking for that is indication of low drain? (I use the Skyray King flashlight with 4x18650. Very bulky and heavy, but very bright and much cheaper than bike-specific headlights)

Likely most of the people in the Amazon reviews don't have the ability to measure the actual Ah rating of the cells. As long as the cells work, they're happy. When looking for reviews on batteries look for people who are able to list the actual measured Ah ( or mAh ) rating.

About those cheap ebay 18650's; First things first, there is no such thing as a 5000mAh 18650 cell. Likely the seller is just recovering used 18650's and covering them with his own cheap wrapper. Actually this is not unusual and is a known practice from people who like to sell cheap batteries. If they claim these are "high drain" they must be referring to how well they can be flushed down the toilet.

About your Sky King Flashlight; once again the people who sell these routinely over rate the lumen output. I guarantee, your flashlight is not 8000 lumen. More than likely the output is in the 1500 to 1800 lumen range. I should also mention that there are actual cheap Chinese bike lights that are designed using the same 6-9 multi-emitter arrangement and like your lamp they only output so much light ( even though the ads will almost always claim more output ). This is not to say that your lamp ( or other like lamps ) won't work as a bike light. I sure they will but I have to wonder how you manage to mount it to the bars since it is so big. http://www.bikeforums.net/vb/cache/ds.jpg No torch mount I know of will mount a lamp like that. If you have a photo of it mounted to your bike I'd like to see it.

I used to buy those CREE XML headlights with 4x18650 battery packs, but after the batteries died I had to buy whole new light kit, as the battery packs sold separately sometimes didn't have compatible cable connectors with the light I had, either too wide or too narrow. Here is a pic of how I mount the skyray to the handlebar using ball bungees and the carrying strap the came with the flashlight.

Well, not the prettiest arrangement but I guess it gets the job done. ;)

Yep, some of the cheaper Chinese bike lights don't use the same connectors. Most do use the typical MS ( MagicShine ) type connectors. Some use a variation of the MS's that use a threaded sleeve. Still you can use the lamps that use the threaded with the normal type MS's only the connection won't be a secure. I probably own about a dozen cheap Chinese bike lights. Never had a problem with using the cheap lights with the better batteries I own that use the typical MS connectors.

Since you use the Sky King flashlight ( torch ) for your bike you might consider using just a simple single emitter torch for the bars ( or two if you feel the need for more light ). A lot of people who use torches for bike lamps ( like myself on occasion ) have been very happy with the ( very popular ) Convoy S2. I see the Convoy S2 being sold on a lot of Chinese websites. Gearbest sells these and even lets you choose the ( Cree ) emitter tint and the power rating of the driver. The torch itself is well made and includes two mode menus ( 3 mode and 5 mode ). Price on these are very low because everyone sells them. I've seen them on sale for $10 but average price is more like $15. I own two myself. Anyway then all you need is a nice bar mount ( something like this ) and you're set. No more fussing with bungee cords. BTW those mounts are similar to the ones I have. Adjustable cam-type clamps on these mounts work great. You can use the cheaper rubber / velcro mounts but those tend to vibrate and shake when going over rough roads or trails.

Passing thought; If you want a better mount for your Sky King you might try using a large hose clamp, drill a hole in the clamp and stick a flat head screw in it. Then use another bolt to tighten it all the way so it doesn't wobble ( use washers and some Locktite if it helps ) and then see if you can find a Go-pro adapter that will work with a typical Go-Pro bar mount. I don't know if it will work because likely the Sky King is quite heavy so it still might vibrate or shake but I figure it would look a whole lot better. :thumb: If it does work you have a nice tilting mount and a much easier to remove bike light.

Thanks for the tips of using hose clamp to improve my crappy unsightly mount :p (always thought aesthetic concerns belong to the elite pros :D).

I'm not sure how bright the Convoy S2 is--is it more like a being-seen rather than to see? The Skyray on High mode is very bright, but also gets very hot. I may get a Convoy S2 if it's brighter than the other cheap flashlights.

If you purchase the driver with the most output ( 8 x 7135 chip ) and the brightest bin Cree LED ( > 6000K "Kevin" ) the highest mode will be close to 900 lm. Right now Gearbest is using the XP-L Hi emitter. I recommend getting one with XM-L2 and using an OP ( textured ) reflector. These work very well on the bars. Medium mode is likely around 300-325 lumen, more than enough for riding on the road at a medium pace. Nothing wrong with the XP-L Hi. The Hi will likely have a bit more throw but the beam pattern might be more narrow depending on which type reflector they are using. Not sure they give you a choice anymore but if they do you want a textured reflector to help spread out the beam.

Don't let the Gearbest opening ads fool you. The opening ad's are listing these as 450 lumen. This is a typing error which is not unusual on the GB website. If you are getting the 8 x 7135 chip driver that is the maximum setup for the emitter driver. The one I bought from GB is using an Xm-L2 and is neutral white ( uses the 4B 4500-4700K emitter ) I prefer NW because I use the torches for back-up while Mt. biking. NW beam tint brings out more color in natural terrain. On occasion I'll do a "torches only" ride if I'm starting in the day and finishing at night ( one on the bars, one on the helmet ). I use only the best batteries and so far ( using the highest modes only for the fastest sections ) I've yet to run out the batteries on my typical 2hr night rides ( even though I always carry back-up cells ).

Thanks, I'll keep these in mind when ordering (never knew the Gearbest site before). Re color, the Skyray also seems to have white and yellowish tints but pretty random as to which one gets.

I know this thread is about 18650 batteries, so I'll just make a mention that I was interested in another flashlight, the NITECORE EA41 which uses 4xAA batteries. I would like to compare the brightness and weight of it to the Skyray.

The Convoy S2 is bright enough to ride with and see well ( IMO ). Everyone has their own standard of minimal light. Mine is ~300 lumen and about what the S2 provides on medium mode. That's generally enough light to ride at a medium pace. At that setting it does not get very hot. All lamps and torches get warm or hot in their highest outputs. That said I've used torches for minutes at a time on high and as long as I'm moving at a good pace they don't over-heat. I'm not saying the S2 is brighter than other flashlights. I'm just mentioning it in passing as an inexpensive choice that works well and gets the job done. Your Sky King will likely be brighter than standard single emitter torches and have a wider beam pattern but only because it's so big. At some point you have to decide if the brighter / wider output with crapping mounting solution is worth having the larger lamp. Now if you still want something self contained that is quite brighter than a standard torch, has two emitters for a wider beam pattern and uses replaceable 18650's you might want to check out the ITUO Wiz 20.

The Nitecore EA41 you mention is interesting. It should be smaller than your Sky King but I couldn't find anywhere they were listing dimensions. Once again if you buy something like this you still have to find a way to mount it to the bars. The clamp type bar mount might work with the EA41 but since I don't know the diameter of the unit I can't know for sure. I'm not sure if I believe the runtimes listed on the EA41. I find it hard to believe a Cree XM-L2 on high is going to run longer than an hour using 4 x AA's. They might have done the tests using nonrechargeable Lithium AA's. Back in the day my old Dinotte 200L used 4 x AA's and that only ran two hours on high using standard NiMh AA's ( it was only rated for 200 lumens ). Today you have some better AA's but still...

Maybe you guys should swap emails, or... just get a room. The topic is Li-ion cells not lower end lights.

Gearbest also sells new, legitimate Panasonic NCR 18650 B cells that hold a full 3400 mAh.

You can get get good reliable 18650 batts at your local vape shop. They tend to have reliable wholesale vendors and do a great job of kicking the counterfeits (fakers) out. Their livelihood is on the line so, they'll be the best source of legit batteries whether they are LG, Sony, Panasonic, IMREN, ETC.
I VAPE and I use dual 18650 mods. Alien 220(my main mod) Clieto 120 at 115 watts, Segelie 150, IPV4
If your Bike Light or other device uses 2 or 3 batts at a time, keep them "MARRIED".
Mark them "1a 1b" 2a 2b" etc to keep them from cheating (1A + 2A). You''' get better performance and life out of them.

Sony Batteries
 

I'll go with SONY VTCs batts

or LG batteries which I forgot to mention

Why are we resurrecting dead threads? Just go to Fry's and get some Tenergy's.

Sony

I bought a pair of Orbtronics 3500mah batteries. My understanding from the CP forum is that these are the real thing. My experience with them is that they last on a charge for a lot longer than the cheap-o batteries that come with all the lights. They are Panasonic internally, with their own protection circuit. These are among the most expensive ones out there, but they are worth it. I took my bike out with a battery that I thought would only last another half hour and lasted the entire ride for an hour. I never seem to run these down.

I don't understand pulling used batteries out of a laptop. The reason so many laptops get discarded is that the batteries have run down and no longer hold a charge. Replacement batteries cost more than they are worth, and replacements are suspect too. I bought a replacement for a Macbook, and it wouldn't last more than an hour on a charge.