Saber Forum

Hey guys... quick question... I see that the trustfire batteries used & shipped with US Li-ion setups are 14500 3.7V 900mah. Is there any reason that you cannot use a higher mah rating 14500 size battery to get longer run time out of your saber?

Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/14500-Rechargeable-Batteries-Model-14500-Flashlight/dp/B00KIJ96R6/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1455072703&sr=8-19&keywords=3.7V+lithium+ion

Seems like it would be a good upgrade for $12... 2000mah vs 900, same size, same voltage (which is what I assume needs to be the same).

In reply to my own post... it looks like the limiting factors will be finding a quality cell that actually puts out the correct voltage (the one I linked has some remarks that it does not), and also making sure that the cell has built in circuit protection (for under voltage cutoff, etc).

So I suppose it's possible... just have to keep my eye out for some good brands / recommendations. :)

Whatever you do, exercise caution. I'm no electrician, but my understanding is that Li-ion batteries are not the most stable when everything is not the way it's meant to be in your setup.

Bumping this.

Any more input to using higher mah rated batteries?  In the RC world, higher mah batteries really effect the flight times I can get out of a model.  Anybody tried using 2,000+ mah batteries in their setups?

Yes.

http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=26812.0

Except that's replacing the battery pack on a stunt saber.  I don't see that working with an emerald driver with sound.  I'm referring to using the existing battery pack and buckpuck and simply using higher mah rated li-ions.

I'm guessing that's not something most of us would be willing to risk a saber over.

Personally I'm happy to replace the batteries that experiment with something that might fry my board.

I would be HIGHLY skeptical of any 14500 battery claiming to have a higher capacity than 900.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_battery_sizes#Cylindrical_lithium-ion_rechargeable_battery

Yes, this -- if it DOES have a capacity higher than 900 mah, it's going to be unprotected.

Having said that, I was just researching batteries myself and found that the Nitecore 14500s have been reported to have one of the better actual capacities -- I just received some in the mail, and while I don't have a voltage meter to test them properly I am planning to give them a side-by-side test in my stunt saber to see how much run time I get compared to the batteries US ships their saber's with.

I agree. That being said, from an electrical standpoint, if the mah is the only variable, there should not technically be an issue. However, I don't know enough about this type of battery, to say whether they would output the sam amperage (some can be "high-drain"), or what other variables there might be.

The problem is there are cheap knockoffs - which is dangerous.  Should have made that clear in my previous post when I said to be skeptical; that's what I meant!  Sorry!

I've seen ones labeled as Trustfire that say they have higher capacities.  But there are inconsistencies on the label that make it clear its not a real Trustfire.

Yeah, there are a lot of knockoff batteries floating around (and many which are relatively safe, but have the capacity wildly overinflated). Buy only from reputable sources, and if the price seems to good to be true, it probably is.

A friend of mine (who I trust to know about these things) says it gets worse than that: sometimes the knockoffs are only barely functional.  Enough components to register a 3.7v drop, but since it's mostly filled with sand, it discharges in a few minutes.

I figure it's slightly more expensive for me to order new Trustfires from US, but US has a huuuge interest in making sure they're getting high-quality ones, so okay, I don't mind the slight markup if they're doing all the research for me.  :)

Yeah, the forged batteries can range anywhere from completely useless to downright hazardous. That's definitely the more egregious crime, though I get more than a little annoyed at companies that market batteries with a capacity of 15,000 mah that are really only 20 mah (okay yeah, I'm a fan of hyperbole, but my point stands).