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Good source for 18650 batteries?
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Mark Roberts
The 18650 batteries that came with my XHDATA D-808 radios (2 of them) have turned out to be lousy. Even when the radios are not in use, they discharge very rapidly. This is true even though I have tried different makes of battery. The stock XHDATA battery has been slightly better but still not great. So here's my question - does anyone on this list know of a good source for these batteries? Amazon has been a bust for me. Thanks! |
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keith beesley
Mark, I found a set of 4 or 5 on ebay that came with a bonus wall charger and a super-bright pocket flashlight, for around $12.00. Sorry I can't provide more details but my purchase history doesn't go back that far. Good luck, Keith Beesley
On Saturday, May 22, 2021, 09:18:37 PM PDT, Mark Roberts <markrobt@...> wrote:
The 18650 batteries that came with my XHDATA D-808 radios (2 of them) have turned out to be lousy. Even when the radios are not in use, they discharge very rapidly. This is true even though I have tried different makes of battery. The stock XHDATA battery has been slightly better but still not great.
So here's my question - does anyone on this list know of a good source for these batteries? Amazon has been a bust for me. Thanks! |
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Paul B. Walker, Jr.
Careful with batteries you buy on ebay, they can be imposters/fakes/junk. I have been using nitecore 18650 batteries for years and have no problems, and theyre based/at leats mostly made in the US., Paul
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Dave613
Suggest looking for a name-brand item, Tenergy is an example or one of the flashlight brands like Nitecore - as another poster mentioned. In Canada www.batterycanada.com has Tenergy, if in US might try Nitecore website, they seem to have a good selection. In any case look for a cell with protection (against overcharging/discharging etc.). A name-brand 18650 probably won't be the cheapest available, e.g. a Tenergy 3500mAh from BatteryCanada is ~ 25% of the price I paid for my D808.
Dave. |
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radiojayallen
Beware of battery draining while the radio is off. I have had two radios which did this and in both cases the radios were defective...replacements cured the issue. The test is to take the battery out of the radio and see if it still discharges.
This seems a more likely scenario than several batteries which self discharge on their own, FWIW. Jay |
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dave_m1ctk
The best long lasting 18650 is the LG MJ1 but not easy to find at least at a good to reasonable price On Sun, 23 May 2021, 14:30 radiojayallen, <radiojayallen@...> wrote: Beware of battery draining while the radio is off. I have had two radios which did this and in both cases the radios were defective...replacements cured the issue. The test is to take the battery out of the radio and see if it still discharges. |
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Mark Roberts
Thanks, Jay (and all). I have suspected that for some time. However, I keep reading the glowing reviews of the XHDATA which do not mention this problem at all. When I change out batteries, I do see variations in battery life, but not enough to really solve the problem. I bought my two units about three months apart, from the same reseller in Israel. It's possible that reseller had a bad batch, but it doesn't add up for me. While a very good radio (AM and FM), the rapid discharging (2 to 3 weeks at most) is very frustrating and I'm about ready to junk the radios. I also have the Digitech AR-1780 (also two units), which is almost the same radio except that it uses ordinary AA cells, and neither unit has the rapid discharging problem. On Sun, May 23, 2021 at 6:30 AM radiojayallen <radiojayallen@...> wrote: Beware of battery draining while the radio is off. I have had two radios which did this and in both cases the radios were defective...replacements cured the issue. The test is to take the battery out of the radio and see if it still discharges. |
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dave_m1ctk
Just to say my xhdata d808 has the same issue so must be a common fault. I wouldn't mind getting the digitech but at almost twice the price with the new annoying 20% vat added on everything bought outside the UK it puts me off somewhat! On Mon, 24 May 2021, 05:14 Mark Roberts, <markrobt@...> wrote:
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vbifyz
My PL-880 started draining batteries while off recently. Before this began, the battery would stay charged for months if not used. Now there is 15mA constant discharge current. The worst part is that it doesn't stop when the voltage is below 3V, killing the cell. I had to throw away 2 cells before I realized what's wrong.
As for the source of 18650 cells, the best source for me is tested cells from discarded laptop batteries. 73, Mike AF7KR |
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Paul Blundell
I wonder if people remove batteries when their radios are not in use? I have started doing that as I have more radios than batteries at the moment. Paul On Tue, May 25, 2021 at 2:01 AM vbifyz <3ym3ym@...> wrote: My PL-880 started draining batteries while off recently. Before this began, the battery would stay charged for months if not used. Now there is 15mA constant discharge current. The worst part is that it doesn't stop when the voltage is below 3V, killing the cell. I had to throw away 2 cells before I realized what's wrong. --
Paul |
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DX Pedro
That's actually works nicely. I do that in my radios and also in my
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old car that I drive only on special occasions. From my experience, it actually prolongs battery life // pedro andrade On Tue, May 25, 2021 at 12:19 AM Paul Blundell <tanger32au@...> wrote:
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radiojayallen
For radios I use with any regularity I don' remove the batteries...too inconvenient. I only had the two radios which drained batteries fast while off (they would be down in a few days) were both defective and replacements eliminated the problem, so this shouldn't normally be an issue. With one such radio the audio amp was staying on all the time...the cause of the second one (a PL-990) is yet to be determined but I am waiting for an answer on that from the seller. The replacement PL-990 doesn't have this problem).
To be clear, digital radios do use a small amount of power to keep the clock running but this kind of drain should take a long time to show up so if you use the radio even once a month you shouldn't notice it. Jay |
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Jorge Garzón <iberiaDX@...>
As Jay pointed, I don't remove batteries but havevin mind that I do not have dozens of radios to use. I have a couple of them, a Panasonic RF-2200 and a Grundig Yacht Boy 300, both with batteries always in place. I switch them on at least 15 minutes a month. Everything run smooth with no drainage at all and batteries are still wealthy after a year!!!
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Paul Blundell
Thanks Jay, I have found that my TEAC PR130 seems to draw down the batteries a bit, even when turned off. Paul On Tue, May 25, 2021 at 10:10 PM radiojayallen <radiojayallen@...> wrote: For radios I use with any regularity I don' remove the batteries...too inconvenient. I only had the two radios which drained batteries fast while off (they would be down in a few days) were both defective and replacements eliminated the problem, so this shouldn't normally be an issue. With one such radio the audio amp was staying on all the time...the cause of the second one (a PL-990) is yet to be determined but I am waiting for an answer on that from the seller. The replacement PL-990 doesn't have this problem). --
Paul |
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Mark Roberts
Totally agreed about the drain from the digital clock. The XHDATAs that I have require recharging every two to three weeks even if they are not otherwise used. That's why I think there's a problem. The other radios with a clock display can last months. When I can, I use metal-hydride batteries. One other downside of lithium-ion batteries: At least in the United States, you're not supposed to put anything with such batteries in checked luggage on an airplane. On Tue, May 25, 2021 at 5:10 AM radiojayallen <radiojayallen@...> wrote: For radios I use with any regularity I don' remove the batteries...too inconvenient. I only had the two radios which drained batteries fast while off (they would be down in a few days) were both defective and replacements eliminated the problem, so this shouldn't normally be an issue. With one such radio the audio amp was staying on all the time...the cause of the second one (a PL-990) is yet to be determined but I am waiting for an answer on that from the seller. The replacement PL-990 doesn't have this problem). |
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radiojayallen
It would seem to be a problem with your specific radio not the model in general because mine does not exhibit this kind of drain. I can leave it for a month with no problems.
FWIW, Jay |
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Phil Pasteur
I use lots of 18650 batteries and have purchased from lots of different sources. I like to get Japanese cells from Panasonic, LG, or Sony. They are labeled accurately and usually you can find hard test data for them online.
These folks: https://www.orbtronic.com/ are a real good source. They carry real brand name batteries along with some they rebrand. But they usually tell you what is under the wrapper. Pricing is good and they do run sales from time to time. Customer service has always been great as well. |
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