Lights that dent CR123 battery nipples, is it OK?

[brucec]

I have a few lights that use solder blobs as the positive contact. Sometimes, when I change batteries, I notice that the positive battery nipple terminal is dented. Since I am mainly using primaries which are discarded after a single use, I haven't worried too much about it. My question is with RCR123, will repeated and irreversible denting of the positive terminal be any cause for concern?

 

[Turbo Guy]

Why not purchase cells with buttons instead of flat top that need to be or have been soldered?

Depending on the alloy soldercan be very soft and crush/indent easily. The only times I have added a nipple to a cell I used brass tubing.
The only times I have seen cells indented it was their bottoms / negative and this was caused by dropping the light on the end or using it for a striking instrument.

I would be a lot more concerned about the bottoms of protected cells and perhaps the safety vents and general cell health caused by the soldering depending on the skill level of the person doing the soldering.

 

[Kestrel]

I think the OP was referring to solder blobs at the PCB under the LED head, not on the individual cells. My Milky RS is like this, and I've purchased used cells that had a modest dent on them. I think when a flashlight is really short on interior volume, a solder blob could be used instead of a forward spring. (Less electrical resistance without the spring as well, the initial current in my RS is something like 2.7 amps.)
Sorry, no bright ideas here, I just try to be careful in tightening my lights down. Not.

 

[carrot]

I've never had dented nipples
on my CR123s. I would be a little wary because the nipples are also vents for safe discharge and I may be wrong but the PTC protection is probably also on that side.

 

[Kestrel]

I ran a thread questioning some dented LiIons I bought, I guess the protection circuit is on the other end:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?p=2846127#post2846127

 

[brucec]

Thanks for the responses, guys. Yes, by solder blob, I am referring to the light using a solder blob on the PCB instead of a spring for the positive contact. The battery is a button top AW RCR123. Regarding the battery, it looks to me like the button top is hollow underneath? The PTC should be somewhere near to the top of the canister part of the cell, right? Maybe mild denting of the button top is acceptable if there is nothing directly underneath it?

 

[VidPro]

Thanks for the responses, guys. Yes, by solder blob, I am referring to the light using a solder blob on the PCB instead of a spring for the positive contact. The battery is a button top AW RCR123. Regarding the battery, it looks to me like the button top is hollow underneath? The PTC should be somewhere near to the top of the canister part of the cell, right? Maybe mild denting of the button top is acceptable if there is nothing directly underneath it?

with the one your asking about it is generally ok. and it probably somewhat has to do with the build quailty of the cell, using lightweight/thin metals on the top there.

there is stuff under the nipple of very few batteries, like the ni-mh with the vent holes at the nipple, some of them have a pressure cooker release valve. that opens up when the gas internally get to high, a nipple dent in these would change that a LOT, but its not (usually) thin and weak either.

the li-ions RAW unprotected cells have anode disconnect under the flat head of them, push the "nipple" down far enough and it will ruin some stuff under there, generally a good one holds up with only minor denting and not getting close to the important parts..

most of protected li-ions WITH a nipple (instead of flat head), are a falsie , and they bend easily because they are cheap.

primary cells without any releif valves (no visable holes) have space before the electrolyte plate roll, and a minor dent in just the nipple is not an "issue", but still depending on what is happening, that might be "undue" pressure on the cell item, where is the spring , given huge pressure you could cause a short internally.

although what kind of general pressure is occuring to the battery , compression pressure, that has a cell denting like that? for example some Twisties and some consumers using them, can put a LOT of compression pressure on a Protected cell, or even primary, damaging it, just being generally carefull with a "vice clamp" twistie, is a good idea, not to overtighten to get it operating, mabey clean up the contacts so it connectes without so much clamping.

if your solder blob on the LIGHT item, was slightly bigger, and then flattened out a bit it would hit the "wall" of the nipple and quit collapsing the middle of nipple itself.

if the pressure is that high, watch out when you go to put protected cells in that you dont damage the cell protection itself, which could cause worse problems.

generally even with cheap nipples, like turbo said, they dont usually get dented, unless dropped or overpressured with a twistie, even with solder blobs.

 

[Benson]

if your solder blob on the LIGHT item, was slightly bigger, and then flattened out a bit it would hit the "wall" of the nipple and quit collapsing the middle of nipple itself.

Yeah, and that's something you can fix yourself, if you have a soldering iron. (If not, it's a good excuse to get one! ) Just add a little solder to get the blob the size and shape it should have been.

 

[Bullzeyebill]

Is your CR123 light a twisty and the pressure of turning on is causing the denting?

Bill

 

[brucec]

The light is a Haiku, which is a clickie. I asked Don and he said I could file down the solder blob a bit. I'm not that handy with a soldering iron, but I have an ambidextrous engineer in the lab with two Hakko stations (I think those are supposed to be pretty good). That might be a misappropriation of company resources, though...

I should have been clearer in my previous posts. I am seeing some denting of the primaries (Panasonic) whenever I change the battery. On occasion, I use AW RCR123s in my other lights. I haven't used the AW cells with the Haiku yet because I wanted to check with you guys first to see if there is any concern for small dents in the nipple with cells that will be reused a number of times. That's assuming that the AW Li-ion cells would dent like the Panasonic primaries. Who knows, maybe they won't. What do you guys suggest, file or solder? Thanks for all of the advice!

 

[VidPro]

because you already have enough Pressure i would go with removing material, instead of adding file.

if you reset the blob with solder to a wider connection, you still have to shave it down to finish, if you expect to fix the dimpeling .

also if your not so good with soldering, you have that minor issue of other things on the other side of the board, falling OFF the board if the items on the other side of the board get enough heat to melt thier solder too.

 

[mbassoc2003]

'Battery' and 'nipples'. Those are two words that really shouldn't be in the same sentence.

 

[brucec]

because you already have enough Pressure i would go with removing material, instead of adding file.

if you reset the blob with solder to a wider connection, you still have to shave it down to finish, if you expect to fix the dimpeling .

also if your not so good with soldering, you have that minor issue of other things on the other side of the board, falling OFF the board if the items on the other side of the board get enough heat to melt thier solder too.

I filed down the solder blob to a smoother flatter curve.

'Battery' and 'nipples'. Those are two words that really shouldn't be in the same sentence.

I hope the new blob will be gentler on the bipple.

 

[Bullzeyebill]

'Battery' and 'nipples'. Those are two words that really shouldn't be in the same sentence.

Somebody is watching too many "SVU" shows. LOL

Bill