Using slightly depleted 123 primaries

[Jim Holzemer]

I'm aware of dangers of mixing new & old as well as types, etc. As I have a good number of barely depleted 123's, I wonder if it's ok to pass these along to buds for their use.
Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated.

 

[Marduke]

Only if they are used in single-cell lights.

 

[Fallingwater]

Warn them not to use them in applications requiring more than one cell and they should be ok.

 

[greenLED]

The safest use for those would be in low drain, single cell lights.

If you have a battery tester (not a DMM/volt meter), you could potentially match the remaining capacities on those cells and use matched pairs. The chances of your non-flashaholic (?) buds actually using the matched pairs as intended are dubious, though... :shrug:

 

[Illum]

If you have a battery tester (not a DMM/volt meter), you could potentially match the remaining capacities on those cells and use matched pairs.

from ZTS testing cells of various remaining capacities I found some cells to vary capacity through multiple testing intervals...usually pretty close but some are :green:
heres some examples:
used surefire1 40:60:100:60: "click" :60
used surefire2 60:40: "click" :60:60
used streamlight1 20:20:60:40:60
used streamlight2 80:80:100:80:100

the more you test an old cell you'll fine the more fluctuations it possess
from what I've tested for the two surefires on my desk....I would say its fine to use them in a 2xcr123A light, but I wouldn't recommend it for something like direct drive incandescent, where high currents are being consumed while the cells aren't perfectly balanced