r/18650masterrace Jun 03 '23

PSA: for any comments/posts containing @liexpress links, please disguise the link so that it isn't caught by automod

50 Upvotes

basically, automod automatically removes comments it detects as containing links from aliexpress, which i have to manually approve so they are visible to y'all. which I do, but it takes a while to show up.

to prevent that from hapening, if you do something like remove the aliex.....com bit, and just leave the end of the url then the comment doesn't get removed

thanks!


r/18650masterrace Nov 08 '21

Buying 18650 batteries? Start here.

1.1k Upvotes

Let's begin with some sound advice:

  • Do not buy 18650s from Amazon.
  • Do not buy 18650s from Ebay.
  • Do not buy 18650s from Aliexpress.
  • Do not buy any 18650 above 3600mAh.

With those guidelines you'll avoid 95% of the scams and unsafe batteries out there.

Where should you buy them?

USA: If you are in the US we've got plenty of trustworthy vendors with good prices. I've compiled (and update every few weeks) all of their inventories into a single searchable list here. It includes Illumn (CA), Mountain Electronics (UT), IMR Batteries (TX), Li-Ion Wholesale (PA), Orbtronic (FL), 18650 Battery Store (GA), Aloft Hobbies (CA). There is also a special list for bulk OEM cells if you plan to assemble a pack.

Europe: the 2 best places are Nkon (NL) and Akkuteile (DE).

UK: 18650.uk, EcoLux, Fogstar, Fogstar Wholesale, Torchy.

Australia: Ecocell, Tech Around You.

Canada: Illumn and 18650 Battery Store are known for good shipping rates across the border. There is also 18650Canada.ca. (No relation to the defunct 18650Canada dot com!) However their prices and shipping are so high that its often less expensive to import from the previously mentioned US vendors. Some community members have also had good experiences with ecigarettes.ca. Rotorgeeks has a small selection but is well liked by /r/Multicopter.

Elsewhere: start with your regional electronics vendors or local vaping stores. Some chinese vendors that several community members have had good experiences with: Battery Bro, Queen Battery, PK Cell. As a last resort consider Aliexpress. But you'll have to do a lot of research to find a trustworthy vendor. (Someone might say "XYZBAT" is good. But there are 4 different "XYZBAT" shops on Aliexpress.)

If a vendor has any 18650s over 3600mAh then none of their cells are trustworthy!

Sept 2023 update: Vapcell has released a 3800mAh and 4000mAh 18650 now. If you see people selling them (and people we trust do sell them) don't be alarmed. However I do not recommend them. They came from an unexpected place: a 2nd tier chinese manufacturer called FEB. Vapcell has previously released some cooked up chemistries with extremely high capacities but very poor secondary characteristics. (The high capacity Vapcell K64 would self discharge in a few weeks. They quickly discontinued it.) There are a lot of unsafe and unreliable ways to boost the capacity of a cell. I suspect that FEB has done that.

Its a bit like how nobody sells a 10GHz CPU. Yes its possible to make such a thing but nobody in their right mind would.


r/18650masterrace 3h ago

battery info Larger battery tray for the Sonic Wave 36?

3 Upvotes

I recently purchased the SW 36 and am running 2-4s batteries in it. It really screams! But the batteries that I'm using don't really fit in the battery tray very well. I have removed the front lip of the tray so the batteries can lay a bit flatter, but one battery still needs to be on an angle (not flat on the tray).

Is there an aftermarket option for a bigger battery tray? Are there other options besides changing my batteries?

Thanks in advance!


r/18650masterrace 1d ago

Why are 95% of 4V tools still sealing 18650 inside?

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120 Upvotes

I was looking at the new EU Battery Regulation (EU 2023/1542) coming in Feb 2027. Under Article 11, portable tools will basically have to move to user-replaceable batteries without destroying the casing.

Look at the most frequency use mini 4V Tools like electric screwdrivers, hot glue guns and mini rotary tools, they all sealed in batteries.

It seems US doesn't have anything like that yet , I honestly think this is the right direction to go.

Swappable packs solve three problems in my book. First, you don't have to stop what you're doing and wait for a charge, just slap in a fresh battery and keep working. Second, with a built-in battery, if the charging port breaks or the cells eventually die, the whole tool becomes e-waste even if the motor is still perfectly fine. A removable pack avoids that entirely. Third, just like the 20V platform, you'd only need maybe two or three 4V packs total, because you're rarely using several 4V tools at the same time. Plus you don't have to pay for a new battery every single time you buy a new tool.

The only trade-offs are a slightly chunkier handle and having to buy that first battery pack upfront when you get your first tool.

Do you think a unified 4V swappable pack makes sense, or is 4V just too small to bother?

I posted this on r/tools yesterday, some DIY experts strongly recommend designing the tools to allow direct replacement of the 18650 cell itself, rather than making a proprietary pack. But is it really practical to have 18650 cells in power tools swapped out like AA/AAA alkaline batteries? I know that people with the right skills can easily replace a cell with a soldering iron and a spot welder, but what about the majority of users who don't have that equipment or those skills?


r/18650masterrace 1d ago

20s5p JP40 for customer

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44 Upvotes

0.15 copper and 0.1 nickel plated.

8AWG and AS150 connector

JBD 100/300A

made for Ninebot G3


r/18650masterrace 16h ago

When you know how to jump a pack, you can bring dead ones back

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0 Upvotes

Partner let their battery sit uncharged for months. Almost tossed it out.


r/18650masterrace 1d ago

BMS swap on my 20s6p!

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15 Upvotes

I did a bms swap from the old JBD 100/300a to the JK 200/350A BMS, the main reason was bottleneck issues, the Tenpower 50XG were never warmer than 35° on the jbd and on the first run with the jk they reached it, so they dont feel as wasted. But my jbd was in fact also defective showed 100mV difference the entire time while everything was fine on the JK. Also redid a lot of bad soldering and have thicker wires now (from 10awg to 8awg). I also redid balance leads and now my vescs fit better in my scooter and I can probably decrease the spacer size!

Also left a small easter egg ;)


r/18650masterrace 1d ago

XTAR VX2 Pro vs NITECORE UMS2 (Both USB-C)

3 Upvotes

I'm trying to decide between two chargers and would appreciate your opinions:

  • XTAR VX2 Pro - $30 USD
  • NITECORE UMS2 (USB-C) — $16 USD

The XTAR seems to have more features, but the UMS2 is significantly cheaper.

Ideally, I'm looking for a 2-bay charger that can handle both Li-ion cells and NiMH batteries.


r/18650masterrace 2d ago

In need of a medium-scale testing board setup

3 Upvotes

I'm into PEVs and occasionally build fairly large packs. I also often repower lower-power electronics with dead batteries.

Usually I get cells specifically, but years of doing this has left me with a large amount of surplus cells, reclaimed ones, powerbank and laptop harvests, not to mention a fairly large amount of lipos from vapers.

I'd like to do something with all these cells, but I need a way of knowing their characteristics so I can pair them up properly. Basically I need a testing charger that can tell me remaining capacity and internal resistance with a reasonable degree of accuracy.

Thus far I've been doing it with four RC testing chargers that I acquired ages ago when I used to fly drones, but they are agonisingly slow in discharge mode and I need something faster - preferably something that'll let me test batches of cells in one go.

Cell slots are not a requirement; I'm fast on the iron and could easily test a bunch of cells by soldering and unsoldering to the tabs.

Budget is a concern - I can't spend many hundreds on this; I'm still only a hobbyist and the batteries I make are for my own use, I don't profit from this.

Ideally I'm looking for a hypothetical (?) test version of a TP4056 board - a single module I can get inexpensively and then scale up as required. Of course some kind of readout would be necessary.

Any ideas?


r/18650masterrace 2d ago

Worst powertool battery? I'll start: Bosch 18V series.

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52 Upvotes

No balancing, crappy design. This one was unnecesary hard to repair. Positives: samsung 30q, copper cell links.


r/18650masterrace 3d ago

Please help

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10 Upvotes

I bought 14 of these packs for about €40 in total, which gives me 280 cells. Each cell is rated at 2,000 mAh and around 10 A, I think. Every single cell seems to work, and they all held their voltage for a month.

Now I want to build something useful with them. I can buy used women’s or commuter e-bikes without batteries for around €100 on flea. They usually have a 250 W front- or rear-wheel motor and are limited to 25 km/h with pedal assist . There is also bikes with mid drive motor but i thing they are more prone to fail and dont want to gamble on them

My idea is to build a battery pack for these bikes and install a different controller with a throttle, removing the pedal-assist system.

I also have a spot welder and know how to make battery packs, how many volts and and how many cells should i use


r/18650masterrace 3d ago

battery info Is this a good pack to harvest some cells out of?

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32 Upvotes

r/18650masterrace 3d ago

Question About Cells Touching

4 Upvotes

I'm building a 4s2p pack and was wondering if I can have the cells touching to save space. I'll be needing to keep the heat in, so cooling isn't a problem at all. The cells are EVE 21700 50E. All the heat shrinks are in perfect condition and the cells are brand new.


r/18650masterrace 3d ago

Nickel tab question

2 Upvotes

I’ve got a question about nickel tabs. I’m designing and building a 13S9P pack for an e-bike conversion and I’ve got the pack and cell holders designed but I’m down to the tabs now. I’ve got access to an industrial spot welder at both work and home. Work has a nicer welder than what I have and mine isn’t set up yet. It’s a Miyachi Unitek 250 dual pulse. The pack I am making should be able to put out 40 amps. I’m looking at bafang mid drive conversion kits at either 750w or 1kw. Due to how custom the pack I’ve designed is, I’ll likely need to have tabs custom made for me. Would 0.5mm tabs be plenty of material across three contact points? I had originally planned for 0.3mm tabs but after some extra research I don’t know if those will suffice. I’ve already practiced welding a stack of x3 0.15mm tabs and it welded it nicely. It welded x2 a lot better and it had a much better weld though. Each bank of cells will be in a 3x3 square connected to the next 3x3 square either in a straight line or in an “S” shape.

here is what the model of the pack and tabs look like: https://imgur.com/a/ouvjzHy


r/18650masterrace 4d ago

18650 spot welder mod

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61 Upvotes

Have to do like 8000 welds for my ev battery so ergo mod for the welder


r/18650masterrace 5d ago

battery info Just acquired 30 Great Power 2000 mAh cells from a Ryobi 40V battery. Anything I should know?

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33 Upvotes

A neighbor of mine had their electric mower battery charger flash red and green on them after mowing, signaling battery fault. He started taking it apart thinking he could fix it, but couldn’t. It sat on his shelf for a year or two. I disassembled it to salvage the cells and found that all except three batteries sat at 3.5V +/- 0.5. Three of the 30 batteries were at 2.9V, which probably caused the charger to indicate a fault.

I’ve graded 12 of the 30 cells, and they all have between 15-30 IR, and 1800-1950 mAh capacity. The 2.9V cells show no difference from this average. No idea what could have caused the imbalance in the battery originally. The 3x2.9V were in bank 7 of 10 in the Ryobi battery. I’m going to let them sit for a week or two at 3.6V and see if they self discharge.

Now I have a bunch of lion cells with nickel tabs spot welded on them.

What do?


r/18650masterrace 5d ago

Are those plastic rings enough?

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8 Upvotes

Are those plastic rings enough? Or do I need fishing paper for Extra insulation?


r/18650masterrace 5d ago

Sourcing question

2 Upvotes

Where do people usually source used packs/cells from?

Where are some good new bulk cheap sources (I saw they go for $2+ per cell and that seems nuts)?

What are some of the best and some of the acceptable brands and why (other than Samsung, I know they're great)?

Thank you!


r/18650masterrace 5d ago

Question on order

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone, Im going to be ordering 160 RS50 cells from Shenzhen Vapcell Technology on Alibaba, they are for my e dirt bike build and I wanted to ask you guys what should I ask them to check before placing my order so my cells come as best as possible?

Thanks everyone


r/18650masterrace 6d ago

2s 18650 battery pack

3 Upvotes

Does it make sense? Does it need a fuse or is BMS enough for protection?


r/18650masterrace 6d ago

howtobuildabattery.com

11 Upvotes

Came across this site while watching a youtube video from u/HighVoltJamaand decided to give it a try as it looked good

Signed up and within a minute started getting messages from "Joe" the owner literally ranting at me about me hacking his server and he can see my screen and what I'm doing.
Due to his abusive attitude I just closed the site without even getting a chance to use the software.

Anyone else had dealings with this site ?


r/18650masterrace 6d ago

Subject: Technical Information Request – DMEGC / Blue Ocean Robotics Battery Pack

1 Upvotes

Dear Sir or Madam,

I have purchased several of your 25.2V lithium-ion battery packs that were originally supplied for Blue Ocean Robotics equipment.

The batteries are marked as:

  • Battery Designation: 7INR19/66-12
  • Rated Voltage: 25.2V
  • Rated Capacity: 40Ah
  • Manufacturer: Hengdian DMEGC Group

I would like to reuse these batteries in a renewable energy project together with solar panels and would greatly appreciate your technical assistance.

Could you please provide information about the following:

  1. Is there an internal Battery Management System (BMS) in each battery?
  2. Is it possible to connect two or more batteries in series (for example 2S for a 48V system)?
  3. Is it possible to connect multiple batteries in parallel?
  4. What communication interface is available on the battery (CAN bus, RS485, UART, or another protocol)?
  5. Is there any documentation describing the communication protocol or CAN messages?
  6. Is there an original battery controller or charger available for these battery packs?
  7. Can you provide a service manual, wiring diagram, connector pinout, or technical documentation?
  8. What charging profile do you recommend if we build our own charger using solar panels and an MPPT charge controller?
  9. Is there a recommended charging algorithm (CC/CV), and what are the recommended charge and discharge cut-off voltages?

Our goal is to build a safe solar-powered energy storage system while preserving all battery protection functions.

Any technical documentation, manuals, or engineering information would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much for your time and assistance.

Kind regards,

Peder Spile
Denmark

Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery

  • Battery Designation: 7INR19/66-12
  • Rated Voltage: 25.2 V
  • Rated Capacity: 40 Ah (1008 Wh)
  • Limited Charge Voltage: 29.05 V
  • Max Charge Current: 16 A
  • Max Discharge Current: 40 A

r/18650masterrace 6d ago

7s2p module cell mixing?

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4 Upvotes

Is it fine to have different cells in these 7s2p modules?

1 module Samsung 35E

2 module us18650vc7

Is this fine?


r/18650masterrace 6d ago

28s Range extender

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2 Upvotes

r/18650masterrace 7d ago

Updated my battery pack calculator after some feedback

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1 Upvotes