testing 3.0V RCR123A

glenda17

Enlightened
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Feb 16, 2008
Messages
279
I recieved a package of the Tenergy 3.0V RCR123A's from battery junction. My Fluke measured them at 3.8V's out of the package. I put them on the charger anyway and it took 3hrs before the light went green. The charger also is from battery junction. Also I tested the voltage after 10 mintues of high on my P2D Q5 and the voltage was still 3.8V.

Do you have to apply a load to measure a 3.0V RCR ?
 
If the 3.0 V RCR's have a voltage dropping circuit, then you probably have to apply a load before the regulator cuts in.
 
there are 2 types of 3V style of rechargable lithium (li-ion)
one is regulated back (probably simply and cheaply)
one is different chemisty Li-Fe-PO
tenergy could potentially sell either one of them
i think BatteryJunction sells more li-fe-po 3v than regulated, cause he was talking about it.

http://www.batteryjunction.com/rc375reliba.html

anyways, which is it? they can Both be classed as a sort of li-ion, and both can be called 3V, but a li-fe-po4 shoud probably say on it on the side.

IF its one of them, then it charges to 3.6-3.8 or so, discharge starts at about 3.6v and it should work ok in most lights that were using lithium primaries, cept the reduced capacity Vrses tossaways. stop discharging around 2.4-2.2 .

so they list the cell as a "nominal" 3.0 , but its really pumping about 3.6V into your usual light, which is a helluva lot better than 4.2v which is outside the RANGE of most of the low voltage current control drivers.
(umm so this is good, and it should work great in a single 123 light thing)
and
you got the 2 cell light which uses a higher voltage current control, which usually means that, even a li-ion would work without problems because the 2x123 drivers handle more like 9v.

a lithium primary starts its voltage as high as 3.3,
this li-fe thing about 3.8.
a li-ion starts at about 4.2 and can provide a good 4.0 in lights.

trying to determine the "capacity left" from the voltage of those is going to be quite difficult , they dont droop much. they spill out thier juce strongly then drop like a rock after the capacity is gone.

gee what does that mean? your all set, everything should work fine, put away your meter :)
 
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I bought this deal from All-battery.
http://www.all-battery.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1877

2 of the batteries were nearly dead on arrival.

I charged up these 2 dead batteries over a period of days using the included charger and then discharged them on my CBAII at 700mA. Capacity measured was only ~360mAH for one and 280mAH for the other.

I have another pair of these LiFePO4 cells on the charger (these were not DOA) and will repeat the discharge tests and post the results this weekend.
 
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