I will be more than happy to help. My authority is irrelevant. Important is the correct info.
Let's just say I used to work for a Panasonic-like company.
1. Sanyo, or Panasonic doesn't even know who the Joyetech is.
2. Sanyo, or Panasonic never made any protected 18650 single cell battery. Simply because these cells are not intended to be sold as individual cells.
3. Sanyo never made NCR series batteries. It is Panasonic from the very beginning starting with NCR18650 -2900mah, NCR18650A - 3100mah, and NCR18650B - 3400mah
4. Sanyo use different prefix, and one of them is UR not NCR. Highest capacity that Sanyo recently made is 3000mah UR18650ZTA, but charging voltage is 4.35V so very few chargers exist for 4.35V cells.
5. Your question about "why protected battery is not longer for xx.xx mm?" was absolutely right, and correct.
This is only one of many Panasonic NCR18650B reviews done by battery expert:
Test of Panasonic NCR18650B 3400mAh (Green)
His final conclusion:
"Conclusion
This is genuine Panasonic cells and cannot get any other rathing than very good, but remember that they are unprotected!"
I absolutely understand that you are trying to help, and do not get this personally.
This battery is the best no doubt about that, but correct info will help building much safer community.
I am just a geek.
I'm quite the Geek myself, and this is why I kept Probing for answers. Apparently, I raised enough questions, and was finally able to put them in a way that made sense, that I got the Attention of Chris, who, though he didn't actually put it in these words, seemed to be scratching his head between what he's been told by Joyetech, and what I presented him with - much the same stuff as you. He wanted to get a Joyetech Packaged 3400, and compare it to one from some place like Orbtronics, and I believe that this is exactly what he's doing.
Yes, I've seen that Review, and most other "Review" web sites seem to quote the same one. And that Review was part of my arguments against the 3400 mAh with Chris, and several others who would not take the time to talk about it with me. Plus, I
have the Samsung ICR18650-26F Specs Sheet (Datasheet), straight from the Samsung website. It doesn't say what the ICR18650-26F
U might be, but I always assumed that the "U" meant Unprotected.
So, my question then becomes, if Joyetech is packaging these Batteries in their eVic Starter Kits, and they truly are Unprotected Batteries, then I have to return to my original assumption that the eVic Control Head is what's doing any and all Protection.
And if this is the case, then might we still be better off with the Batteries that Joyetech Ships, as opposed to an IMR? If for nothing else than not to have our Warranty Voided for using something else. But an IMR can Safely deliver 10 Amps, while a Li-Ion can only Safely deliver much less. This has been another area of speculation on my part, for why the eVic needs to know the mAh Rating of the installed Battery, so it can limit the Max Output Current, according to that mAh Rating. I figured the Control Head would limit the IMR current to the Li-Ion 2600 (or now the 3400) Safety limits. I had thought that since the IMR could deliver 10A, that this might overpower the Control Head if something went wrong.
Or does this even further increase the importance of using an IMR, because it actually CAN
Safely deliver more Current if something goes wrong, like a Short, and the Control Head can't turn off the Battery. With a Li-Ion, we'd have a very dangerous situation.
This 3400 mAh Panasonic is quite attractive for it's extra run time, as compared to the highest IMR Rating of 2250 in the Panasonic Hybrid INR (which gets Excellent Reviews). But if a 3400 mAh Battery is Unsafe, then IMR (or INR) it is. Then again, what about any Warranty issues, if Joyetech learns that an IMR was used? What's a Mother to do? (Yes, I can be a Mother F'er at times).
In summing up, are you recommending that any eVic users buy the Panasonic 2250 Hybrid LiNiCoMn CGR18650CH?
Or that they stay away from the eVic altogether?
Thanks
BTW - I
do think it's relevant, who you are.
....Authority
IS relevant. But I'm willing to listen.