Olight SR90 charging 'policy'

[Arif]

Hi all!

I've been a 'lurker' here for a few years on & off - and more recently I have the erudite and passionate community here to thank (nea - curse!) for multiple light purchases - most recently the Olight SR90. I happen to be a laser enthusiast too.

Before I get flamed for wasting your collective time with inane questions that will have been answered manifold times - I am after product-specific opinion/facts.

Ordinarily I would simply resort to the manufacturer for this information, and the instruction manual. However the former cannot even compose website copy in good English, & the latter does not quite clarify my exact question.

To earn 'self-initiative' Brownie points with you, I've even attended a course at the Battery University - from which I quote below:

No trickle charge is applied because lithium-ion is unable to absorb overcharge. A continuous trickle charge above 4.05V/cell would causes plating of metallic lithium that could lead to instabilities and compromise safety. Instead, a brief topping charge is provided to compensate for the small self-discharge the battery and its protective circuit consume. Depending on the battery, a topping charge may be repeated once every 20 days. Typically, the charge kicks in when the open terminal voltage drops to 4.05V/cell and turns off at a high 4.20V/cell

My question is: If my usage pattern of the SR90 is an hour or so each time, for 3 or 4 days of the week, varying randomly between half and full power - and where the rest of the time the light is left parked (i.e. most of the time) - then does anyone know if the charging system (I believe the 'balancers' might be contained in the tailcap) is as 'smart' as the one mentioned in the quote above? In which case I could simply leave it connected to the charger the whole time, & trust it to top up every 20 days or whatever it deems necessary?

The manual implies that it can be left unattached when parked, & maybe top up once a quarter to keep the battery pack in good health.

I can of course arrive for myself at the conclusion that 'no harm will come' from following the manual's advice -but I'm after specific knowledge and information on the matter, at the level of the Battery University article.

Opinions and erudition please!


Arif

 

[uknewbie]

One for the battery section really I would think, you may get more luck there.

I would doubt that it would apply a fresh top up charge after a set period like 20 days. Great if it was this smart but I would be very surprised.

There are a few battery experts about on here though...

 

[ti-force]

To the best of my knowledge, the SR-90 and SR-91 share the same battery, so I'm guessing they probably share the same charger, since it would only be an additional cost added to the SR-91 to make an unneeded change.

In the SR-91 operator's manual, it states that "it is advisable to never charge batteries unattended. Please charge your light or battery pack on a non-flammable surface and unplug the battery and charger upon completion of the charge cycle."

Now I'm sure this is mostly an attempt to keep Olight out of a lawsuit, but my opinion is to unplug it after each charge. I don't take any chances, myself.

 

[joe1512]

I agree. I would not risk it by leaving it on the charger. I doubt their charger is so smart that it has ZERO trickle charge when the batteries are topped off.

So even a bit of charge applied over a few days could overcharge the batteries.

 

[Arif]

Hey thanks guys.

I guess this is one of those situations where we simply do what the manufacturer suggests, and no more.


Arif