New guy,and you're scaring me.. Advice?

[A.O.]

Ok, new guy here so bear with me. Been reading here and doing my research, learning some stuff and getting scared all at the same time. Been doing flashlights a long time, multi cell CR123 Surefires for maybe ten years or so.I just ordered my first Li-ion flashlight, a Fenix TK75 to replace an old spotlight that just recently died. Also ordered a Nitecore i4 v2 charger and 4 Tennergy 18650 batteries ( off of ebay ). I've been using rechargeable Tennergy AA & AAA batteries for a while and they seem like good ones to me... HOWEVER.. After reading here, using LI-ion batteries is a whole new ballgame. Previously I throw the batteries in a charger, add them to my stash of charged batteries and when I need a set, grab them and put the used up batteries in the charger.. and the cycle goes on and on.. no problems, no issues.. Come on.. its just flashlights and batteries, right? NOW I've entered the world of Li-ions, and all things are no longer the same, batteries are different, chargers are different, people test their batteries before and after charging, and still they blow up on occaision!!! So other than all the stuff I've been reading here, is there any great/good advice you can give to a Li-ion newcomer? Will the batteries and charger I ordered work or are they going to blow up in my face? Do I need to get a different/better charger and use only "protected" batteries in this light? And how the heck do you start a new line/paragraph on this forum so I don't write in a big block like this? :eek:(the enter key wont do anything)

 

[SilverFox]

Hello A.O.,

Welcome to CPF.

Enter key works well for me so there may be a problem with yours...

Batteries store energy. Stored energy can be dangerous. Li-Ion chemistry stores more energy than Nickel chemistry, so it has the potential to do more damage.

A very crude example would be comparing the difference between riding a bicycle and running into something and driving a car and running into something.

Just as there are more rules involved in driving a car safely there are more rules involved with using Li-Ion batteries safely. If you follow the rules you should be OK.

Tom

 

[StarHalo]

It's good that you're worried, just put that effort into learning the proper safety and handling procedures of li-ions and you'll be fine. Correctly maintained li-ions are actually safer than 123 cells, so make sure you've got your rules down. And you'll need a multimeter (which you should be using to pair 123 cells anyway), definitely not-optional; and not expensive, Harbor Freight sells a $5 model that's a perennial flashaholic favorite for battery checking.

 

[A.O.]

My enter key works everywhere else.. I'll have to play around with it I guess. And what are the rules?

 

[A.O.]

Thanks Star.. I do have a multimeter.. Rules? Between 3v and 4.2v and all the cells reading the same yes?

 

[StarHalo]

You should keep the cell voltage between 3.6 and 4.15v; you can if needed get down to 3v, but that's less than ideal for cell longevity. That means checking your batteries from time to time even when they're working fine so you know where you are relative to that 3.6v mark. And check after charging [allow a few minutes for the cells to "cool"] to ensure the charging process went smoothly.

Check the voltage of new 123 cells to pair/group them, mismatched 123s are much more dangerous than li-ion cells. This also means you should try to avoid running multi-123 lights all the way to death, since one cell may die earlier than another, causing a mismatch.

 

[lightcycle1]

Really new to this myself in was in the same boat you are several months ago.
Buy good quality protected cells.
I use nothing but Eagletac and AW.

Use a multi-meter. I bought a nice one at Walmart for $20.

Get a good charger. I have a nitecore i4 intellicharger that's been flawless.

I use single cell set ups only.

Watch the discharge voltage don't let it drop below 2.8-3v.

Don't overcharge above 4.1-4.2v.

So far so good.



Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2

 

[schizeckinosy]

+1 on single cells. I was going all aa and aaa NIMH, but then the lure of 18650 was too much. I am getting rid of all my dual cr123 lights as I switch to all rechargeables (They all have the small tube that will not fit 18650), and slowly getting some single 18650 lights to replace them. Almost all of the horror stories I have heard involve multiple cells, and one cell reversing another - then :poof: or worse. I also have a multimeter, and got a charger with a built in voltmeter as well. I also made sure that I got a NIMH compatible charger just in case one of my kids puts an eneloop in it so it will not go :poof: as well!

 

[A.O.]

Well to the thought of the single cell 18650 light... To late, I just received my Fenix TK75 today and it takes 4 cells... did I mention I jump into thing with both feet? Now awaiting the Nitecore i4 V2 charger and 4 tennergy batteries.. don't know if they are the protected ones or not..:huh:

 

[lightcycle1]

+1 on single cells. I was going all aa and aaa NIMH, but then the lure of 18650 was too much. I am getting rid of all my dual cr123 lights as I switch to all rechargeables (They all have the small tube that will not fit 18650),

Dude no need to get rid of the 2 cr123 lights. Just get some 17670 cells. 1 of those will safely replace 2 cr123 and fit in any body a 123 will.



Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2

 

[Capolini]

Ok, new guy here so bear with me. Been reading here and doing my research, learning some stuff and getting scared all at the same time. Been doing flashlights a long time, multi cell CR123 Surefires for maybe ten years or so.I just ordered my first Li-ion flashlight, a Fenix TK75 to replace an old spotlight that just recently died. Also ordered a Nitecore i4 v2 charger and 4 Tennergy 18650 batteries ( off of ebay ). I've been using rechargeable Tennergy AA & AAA batteries for a while and they seem like good ones to me... HOWEVER.. After reading here, using LI-ion batteries is a whole new ballgame. Previously I throw the batteries in a charger, add them to my stash of charged batteries and when I need a set, grab them and put the used up batteries in the charger.. and the cycle goes on and on.. no problems, no issues.. Come on.. its just flashlights and batteries, right? NOW I've entered the world of Li-ions, and all things are no longer the same, batteries are different, chargers are different, people test their batteries before and after charging, and still they blow up on occaision!!! So other than all the stuff I've been reading here, is there any great/good advice you can give to a Li-ion newcomer? Will the batteries and charger I ordered work or are they going to blow up in my face? Do I need to get a different/better charger and use only "protected" batteries in this light? And how the heck do you start a new line/paragraph on this forum so I don't write in a big block like this? :eek:(the enter key wont do anything)

Welcome!!

I am relatively new in regards to Lithium Ion batteries, the chargers, voltage meters , ect.

I also have a TK-75. I strongly recommend that you use "Protected" batteries for it.It is a powerful and great torch. I also have a voltage meter which is a good idea to check the batteries after use and after re-charging[I have never forgotten to do this!]so you can see how the cells are holding up and if one seems to be noticeably weaker for whatever reason.I also have the Nitecore I4 chargers and they seem to work well. That being said, they[ I have Two] are only a month old! So far so good!

There are a lot of knowledgeable people on here that we can learn from.

That is all that I can add.

Ciao,,,, Roberto,,,, "Capo di Capo" "KEEP LIGHTING UP THE DARKNESS"

 

[TEEJ]

On SOME devices, the site doesn't seem to recognize the return key...so you have run on paragraphs, etc.

My laptop can't do returns here, the desktop can. My old Droid could not do returns, the new S4 can.

:D

As for the Li-ions, its like gasoline. You KNOW its explosive, you have read stories about cars and planes blowing up and fiery crashes, Molotov Cocktails, etc....but, after a while, you are used to it,and you do not get nervous at the filling station.

You don't smoke while refueling either though, but, you incorporate these safety "rules" for gasoline in daily life, and, the same way, the cells become incorporated into your routine.

:D

 

[A.O.]

On SOME devices, the site doesn't seem to recognize the return key...so you have run on paragraphs, etc.



You don't smoke while refueling either though, but, you incorporate these safety "rules" for gasoline in daily life, and, the same way, the cells become incorporated into your routine.

:D

What does that mean, run on paragraphs? I've tried everything but can only write in blocks here! And that's funny you talk about smoking while refueling, back when I was a pup working in a service station I used to pump gas with a lit smoke in my mouth all the time!:crackup:

 

[TEEJ]

What does that mean, run on paragraphs? I've tried everything but can only write in blocks here! And that's funny you talk about smoking while refueling, back when I was a pup working in a service station I used to pump gas with a lit smoke in my mouth all the time!:crackup:

LOL

Run on paragraphs because you can't put a line space after a paragraph...so you get blocks of text with no returns/line spaces.

It seems to be OS dependent for people's devices.


As for smoking....well, I suppose you survived the source of flames and carcinogens, at least so far. Hopefully, your run of good luck will continue with the Li-ions.

:D

 

[A.O.]

So if your enter button does not work here, how do you get spaces between your paragraphs? And I quit smoking long ago!

 

[A.O.]

Just ordered 4 Panasonic protected 3100 Mah batteries from Fastech..

 

[Up All Night]

Well, at least you can safely smoke while tending to your li-ion batteries. There is really very little to fear as long as you employ advice found on the forums combined with a little common sense.

As for your posting issue: If you're running IE 10 as your browser you can click on the "Compatibility View" icon, beside the refresh icon in the address bar.
I was having the same issue and that solved it.

"safely smoke"....sound oxymoronic?

:welcome:

 

[StarHalo]

Unprotected just means there's nothing preventing you running the cell all the way down to ~0v, where it will die and cannot be recharged. Protected cells have a safety feature that shut the cell off at around 2.8v, which is still low enough to modestly damage/reduce the capacity of the cell. Think of the protection feature like an airbag on a car; a good safety feature, but you should probably avoid using it.

 

[A.O.]

I thought "protected was that it shut the battery down if it got too hot also!

Ahhh.."change to compatable view" seemed to have worked, thanks UAN...

 

[blah9]

I have the exact same setup with my TK75. I have the same charger and (protected) Tenergy cells. So far everything has been going fine, and I always check the voltages before and after using them in the light. Sometimes one or two cells are at a slightly different level than the others, but not by much (usually ~0.01 V or less, maybe just a little higher once in a while when they are drained more).

I always wonder whether those cells are not as good though since I don't seem to see them recommended as often. Are they particularly bad in any way? Or do people just not recommend them because they have a lower capacity these days than some other nice ones have?