The maker of my new custom flashlight insists on using unprotected 18350. I have been using it for a while. I imagine it has tremendous draw with 3x XP-L. I am using Keep Power batteries as he recommended. However I just found out that they are protected! It is extremely bright. I would say in fact well over his rated 2,000 lumens. The batteries I "think" are 10 amp continuous discharge. Also it says average charge rate 220ma, max charge rate 1.1A. I have been charging them at 1A. They came with no instructions or description so I knew nothing about them. Am I running some sort of risk here, Both charging and discharging and if so what? Obviously I would not intentionally use the wrong type of battery. If these are not okay just kindly please tell me. I shall recycle them and obtain the correct ones! If they are okay to use as I have been then there shall be no reason to replace them but I do not understand this stuff. I am absolutely NOT looking for someone to say they are okay if they are not! Thank you
Protected or unprotected using wrong battery consequences?
- Thread starter nitebrite
- Start date
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Never mind anyways my bad. Apparently they are indeed unprotected after all. https://www.keeppower.com.cn/products_detail.php?id=567 ?
Only question I have remaining, other than decreasing cycle life is it okay to charge them at 1 amp? 220MA would take forever. Thank you
Only question I have remaining, other than decreasing cycle life is it okay to charge them at 1 amp? 220MA would take forever. Thank you
Given the specs, is 1A too high? Should I use 500MA or even 250MA? TBH I am an idiot, it is by flammable stuff so I do wish to reduce risk. Although this charger has every kind of protection there is. It is a Hobby charger for LI-Poly. I feel pretty safe with it. It is all metal and has a fan. It will shut down if you look at it wrong. Nonetheless, what is the best charge rate? It goes as low as 25ma to 10A! Thank you
DayofReckoning
Enlightened
From the specifications page on that cell:
● Standard Continuous Charging Current: 220mA
● Maximum Continuous Charging Current: 1.1A
● Maximum Continuous Charging Current: 1.1A
I would use the 500ma or 1A setting myself as if you have a 3000mah cell at 250ma it may take you 12 hours or more to recharge it from empty while at 500 it may take around 7 hours and 1A may take 4 hours. I'm guessing that charging isn't going to be what wears your battery out faster but rather the high drain of your light. A decent charger won't charge lithium ion at full rate it will taper off the fuller it gets.
If you have a spare battery then the lower rate would be less of an issue. What would probably help lengthen the light of the battery would be to use the higher output modes more sparingly as those higher discharge rates probably heat up the battery as much or more than charging it as 10 times the current is flowing in a short time over a 1A charge rate.
If you have a spare battery then the lower rate would be less of an issue. What would probably help lengthen the light of the battery would be to use the higher output modes more sparingly as those higher discharge rates probably heat up the battery as much or more than charging it as 10 times the current is flowing in a short time over a 1A charge rate.
The batteries are only 1200mah. I guess I will use 250mah to charge because I have 20 of the batteries. Those little high end 3x 219c or 3x xp-l lights are unusable in turbo for more than 2 minutes anyways. No reasonable human could hold it that long(hot). If they could, by the third minute the lights thermal protection will shut it down. I imagine that is quite frankly dangerous with the battery and electronics. Luckily I really have no need for more than 500 lumens in rare circumstances. These things will hit about 2400 lumens on max setting. I am not even sure why they put that option as it is rather useless. Both in functionality and necessity. If I need a search light I grab a much larger light that can run for hours at 3000+ lumens without any issues. Well not exactly sure on that but certainly my Dominator UDR will do the job. It is stupid that a 6 ounce flashlight has the output of a 12 pound flashlight IMO as it is useless. I usually charge batteries at 1/4 of their mah. I do not mind because I have plenty of batteries and don't even really use them that quickly. These little lights are mostly jewelry more than flashlights. Serious lights are dual fuel for that very reason anyways. So you are not left without light. A CR123 does not have the amps to drive these little things. Well, as long as I think of them as 500 lumen lights..... Anyways, to end this story I will charge them at 250ma I appreciate the feedback. I would just as well have charged them at 1A.
WalkIntoTheLight
Flashlight Enthusiast
IMO, you're less safe using a slow charge while you sleep, than using a fast charge while you're awake.
I agree with this, I usually take things off chargers when I go to sleep and then put them back on when I wake up just to be more safe.
I also don't leave things on chargers when I'm leaving the house for more than a half an hour or less as I like to keep an eye on things never know if something will act up if you get an unexpected power issue. I once had a weird power issue where I was getting 60v and only a few lights would work which had me stumped for awhile and took a few hours for the power company to sort out.
I'm not sure if this would cause a charger to malfunction probably just have it not working at all.
As I said this is not an "ordinary" $40 charger. There is a monitored smoke/heat alarm directly above it with all 3 kinds of sensors. We have a generator. However my only stupidity is it is in a closet full of clothes. However I feel pretty safe. I mean, only God knows when you might crash your car. I would say the likelihood of this going wrong is probably statistically less. I know "famous last words". Seriously, other than the closet it has a lot better protection than most people charging LI-Ions do I would gather. Not sure. I was not worried about my charger though! I simply did not know if these batteries were "protected". For some reason Hanko back in the day in the manual said exactly "DO NOT USE PROTECTED BATTTERIES IN THIS DEVICE!". Why? I have no clue. As it turns out though, am all good. Mine are indeed unprotected. As for my charging situation I feel safe with it. Even if it may be "fools gold". I know you are all going to say, the closet, Fine. I will bring it in the garage. It is -15 outside.
