14500 discharge rate and shelf life?
- Thread starter hp20252
- Start date
Help Support Candle Power Flashlight Forum
Fallingwater
Flashlight Enthusiast
I don't know about primary CR123 cells, but LiIon (not LiFe) 14500s usually have 2C discharge rating, so if the cell is 800mah you can discharge it at 1600. Do keep in mind that manufacturers often exaggerate with the numbers.
By the way: this should go in the batteries-and-electronics board.
By the way: this should go in the batteries-and-electronics board.
Marduke
Flashaholic
I'm pretty sure he meant self-discharge rate, since it's also wanting to know about shelf life.
It depends on if the 14500 is protected or not, as the protection circuitry uses a bit of juice.
WadeF
Flashlight Enthusiast
I have AW protected 18650's, 14500's, R123's. So the protection circuit will slowly drain the battery? Does anyone have figures on their self-discharge rate?
Marduke
Flashaholic
A Li-ion self-discharges about 5% in the first 24 hours and 1-2% per month after. Adding a protection circuit increases the self-discharge to 10% per month.
Marduke
Flashaholic
"regular AA"? I assume you are referring to protected li-ion only. Better than others for self-discharge? Well, let's look. Is the self-discharge of protected li-ion better than _____
Alkaline? No
Carbon Zinc (Heavy Duty)? No, surprisingly
Lithium Primary? Double No
Old NiMH? Yes
NiCad? Yes
LSD NiMH? No.
Oh sorry, i should have been more clear. I meant regular AA like Alkaline. I am trying to see what kind of batteries i should use on one of my light. I think shelf life to me is more important. I want it to be able to light up even after a period of storage.
Marduke
Flashaholic
Depending on the light, there are very few that use both AA's and 14500's, as AA's are 1.5v, where a freshly charged 14500 is 4.2v. In reality, it's never a good idea to store batteries in a light, but rather beside it for long periods of time. For long term storage, lithium primaries are the best option, and for an AA light, LSD NiMH is probably best for semi-regular use. Also, alkalines (besides leaking) will not fair well in high-output devices in terms of brightness/runtime.
