Streamlight Strion - Trouble Recharging

[eswau]

I've owned my light for well over a year and went to recharge it this week - after a period of non use of 4-5 months, and can't get it to recharge. When I put it in the recharger I get 3 long light beeps and 2 short ones. The light should stay steady while recharging but doesn't.

Has anyone ran across this before or have any idea of what is wrong?

Thanks

 

[Colorado Fatboy]

Did you try and just leave it on he charger for a while? There is a low voltage cutoff point in the battery. Once it reaches this it shuts down so the battery won't over discharge. It may need to sit on the charger for a while before it kicks back in.

Just a guess!

 

[Brighteyez]

CF is right. And the fact that it has sat idle for 4-5 months may have something to do with it, though LIon batteries do have a relatively low self-discharge rate.

The Strion battery is a protected battery that should prevent the battery from being overdischarged, but that doesn't protect you from over discharge if the battery is low to begin with and then allowed to self-discharge. Do you have some means of checking the voltage on the battery? Like a VOM or multimeter?

 

[dw51]

I ran into a similar situation with my Strion a while back. Leave it on the charger. It should come out of it.

 

[fire-stick]

I think Lithium Ion only self discharges at about 5% per month so if you had it fully charged and let it set for 5 months that would mean it's about 25% discharged.

I have a strion and it's set on the shelf for months on end and I try to charge it and it wont take a charge. (because it's still charged enough not to take a charge)

Also you might try twisting the tail cap a half or a full turn while it's on the charger (not enough to make it come on) It works for mine sometimes. I guess it helps it get a better contact on the upper battery connection part. Also maybe you could take the battery out and see if the battery rings are clean.

Or maybe you could check the voltage on the battery. You don't even have to take out the battery just check it through the charging terminals. Maybe it just doesn't need charging.

Also the "3 long light beeps and 2 short ones" is probably the charger topping off the battery.

I've also found that using it on and off through out the day (maybe 5 mins) isn't enough use to get it to be able to take a chatge.

 

[eswau]

Also you might try twisting the tail cap a half or a full turn while it's on the charger (not enough to make it come on) It works for mine sometimes.

Thanks everyone. I had it on the charger for 24 hours before I wrote the email but I ended up "fiddling" with it - including twisting the endcap and it seemed to cause it to get a better connection in the charger and the light went solid and then did charge the light.

 

[Brighteyez]

Whew! That's good to hear, those Strion batteries are expensive to replace.

Thanks everyone. I had it on the charger for 24 hours before I wrote the email but I ended up "fiddling" with it - including twisting the endcap and it seemed to cause it to get a better connection in the charger and the light went solid and then did charge the light.