Thread: Batteries

With regard to buying batts if you're starting out get a few off trademe to get yourself going. Good batts = panasonic, orbtronic, sanyo, samsung, xtar, nitecore - NOT NOT NOT ultrafire which is crap). Buy 2600+ mAh, though 3000+mAh work best in XML grunters like the Maxtochs for best runtime.

Then contact Terry at Maxtoch (Amanda's helper - she's off at mo having just had a babe) and cost out a batch of Maxtoch 3100 batts by surface shipping. Maxtoch 3100s are relabelled panasonic 3100s and very good. Group buys and bigger orders = better price per batt. Ask also for the slimmer wrapper 3100s to fit all past and present Maxtoch torches as lots of guys here run the earlier model SN/2S etc and they are all very good. Maxtoch should prove more reliable than FastTech - though they also have been good in the past. And stay well under the $400 total Customs limit (this includes freight costs) for the package as NZ dollar fluctuating alot lately.

Email: amanda@maxtoch.cn This gets to Terry also at present. So if you want some good Maxtoch batts, join with few others and email Terry for a bulk price. Then see how that breaks down per batt - if its viable or not. Delivery time by ship is about 25-40 days? Am also checking with a USA supplier to see if we can get them here cheaper than trademe.

Note: if you're getting ready as we are for bunny shooting season keep an eye on your old batts/trustfires. Quite alot seem to die around 2-4 years, and this can make you think its yr torch malfunctioning - giving poor runtimes, switch problems etc. We've had 3-4 older trustfires let go lately giving 'torch fail' symptoms. So check your batts well - with a voltmeter if necessary. If your torch stops working properly, swap in other cells. If still a problem try a different charger as cheap chargers can have a slot die too. Trustfires 3000s = genuine 2550-2650 mAh - good for the buck, but not as good as panasonic for runtime or reliabiity. Panasonic 3100 and 3400 best I know of.

Here's a thread on ultrafire fakes: http://budgetlightforum.com/node/27603 The 5800mAh ones sell for $5US ex China.