test alleged NCR to confirm NCR without opening it?

[veganvap]

I bought two 18650 NCR 5000 mAh off ebay, some off brand ones for like $10, but the pictured showed them like this with the white label saying NCR and all that stuff on the label about discharge and short protection
10x 5000mAh 3 7V 18650 NCR Li ion LED Flashlight Torch Rechargeable Battery Pack | eBay

I got them today and they're solid blue and don't say NCR or even IMR etc. They just say 'Good 18650 5000mAh 3.7V acce-mall.com'

I checked that site but don't see any 18650 battery category, just cameras, laptops, camcorders, powertools, I didn't' check the whole site, but I guess I can email them, but I don't think they'll be able to tell me for sure what I got.

These are for a headlamp, I told the seller to keep the included headlamp cheap batteries and bought separate NCRs just in case something wants to go thermal or blow up while strapped to my head I have the safe batteries. I can easily open a case against the buyer and get these for free which I might, but I went though all that trouble learning about batteries and stuff to make sure I got NCRs. Is there a way with like a multimeter or something to actually prove these are NCR?

 

[Silver5656]

do you plan on using these in a mod? it says low discharge rate which means you most likely wont be able to sub-ohm....... and honestly i've seen some batts that have a 2amp discharge rate which would mean on a fully charged batt you could only use it at like 2 ohms

 

[Stosh]

Checking the batteries from your link, I don't see anywhere they are described as being IMR type chemistry. Also being 5000 mah, it's much more likely they are ICR type, low drain and not at all suitable for vaping, even if they are NCR brand.

Ebay seems to be one of the worst places to source batteries from, just judging from the number of threads about bogus, counterfeit and crap cells received from there. I can't say from personal experience as I've never bought batteries there, or would.

 

[Ryedan]

These are for a headlamp, I told the seller to keep the included headlamp cheap batteries and bought separate NCRs just in case something wants to go thermal or blow up while strapped to my head I have the safe batteries. I can easily open a case against the buyer and get these for free which I might, but I went though all that trouble learning about batteries and stuff to make sure I got NCRs. Is there a way with like a multimeter or something to actually prove these are NCR?

There is no way that I know of to tell what those batteries really are. If they really are 5000 mAh, as Stosh said they are ICR which are the ones that vent with flame. An explosion is just a quick burn. You could run discharge tests on them at various amp rates and that would help you figure out what kind of performance you can expect, but you still would not know what they are.

Ultimately though, you are buying batteries from a Chinese company located in China at $2.25 a piece that you plan to strap to your head. Good batteries cost three to four times that much. IMO this is a recipe for disaster.

 

[veganvap]

yeah, as noted, these are not for vaping, they're for a headlamp, a flashlight that straps to your head. I didn't want IMR, I want NCR because they have the safest chemistry, I was just saying that the ones I received don't say NCR or even IMR or anything on them, I know all about the bogus Chinese batts, but figured I'd be okay as long as the actual battery said all those things on it like the ones in the link do, like 'NCR' and 'overcharge and short protection' etc.
I'm opening a case as not as described and getting these for free, but now I'm stuck with some POS batteries and have to reorder. The headlamp is taking forever for delivery from China anyway though. Thanks.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

There are no rechargeable 18650's that are genuinely 5000mah (to the best of my knowledge). There is lots of junk being sold on Ebay claimed to have this capacity, but they are fake. They could be anything under the wrapper but they are very likely bad quality.

The highest capacity 18650 I do know of is Panasonic NCR 3600mah which are rare, or the more widely available 3400mah. Redilast, AW, Xtar, Orbtronic etc. do versions of these with protection circuits - ideal for a lamp or vaping at moderate current levels.

 

[veganvap]

yeah, I knew not to expect 5000mAh, but figured something labeled as 5000 would be more than something labeled as 3400 for a cheap generic battery, but I expected them to at least say NCR and the protection circuit. I messages the seller for a refund without opening a case, if I have to, I'll open a case.

 

[veganvap]

So which NCR 18650s should I get? I need 2. Shipped from China is okay. Some say No PCB etc, I'm not sure if they're even genuine. One says can store up to 3+ months, so if I store it charged for over 3 months and never use it, it might never be able to be recharged? It's for a flashlight remember, but if it can throw it in a 100W box mod if needed, that's a plus, but don't base the purchase on that, just let me know if it's possible. thanks
ncr 18650 | eBay

 

[Stosh]

Something like this would work well for a flashlight, NCR18650PF 18650 Panasonic Rechargeable Li-ion Battery Flat Top good safety, mah, and from a vendor that you can rely on not shipping a bogus rewrap.

It wouldn't work for 100 watt mods, but would be fine for lower power applications.

 

[Ryedan]

So which NCR 18650s should I get? I need 2. Shipped from China is okay. Some say No PCB etc, I'm not sure if they're even genuine. One says can store up to 3+ months, so if I store it charged for over 3 months and never use it, it might never be able to be recharged? It's for a flashlight remember, but if it can throw it in a 100W box mod if needed, that's a plus, but don't base the purchase on that, just let me know if it's possible. thanks
ncr 18650 | eBay

You're not getting this veganvap. When buying from Ebay, Amazon, or somewhere in China, if you don't know for sure you can trust the supplier you don't know for sure you're getting the battery that the wrapper says it is. Illumination Supply, RTD Vapor, Orbtronic, Battery Junction and a bunch of other known suppliers are trustworthy.

If you want a battery for 100W use, you'll likely get lower mAh to get the amp draw. For your flashlight we need to know what the amp draw specification for it is. If you can't figure out the amp draw it needs give us a link to the light and someone will probably be able to help you.