L7 / 8AX question

CQB

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 2, 2004
Messages
236
Location
BC, Canada
hi there!

quick question:

My L7 is a couple of years old already. I was considering placing it with the charger and its cigarette plug-in adapter thingie into my bug-out-bag in my truck. I would also pack the two battery sticks as well - B90's.

I am aware that these NiCd batts have a fairly high self-discharge rate and if left alone for a while, will eventually be without a charge. I was thinking if I needed them I would plug in the charger, charge the first B90, then when fully charged I would then insert the charged batt into the L7 while charging the second B90, etc.

I was concerned if leaving the B90's in a bag without charging them would damage these batts in any way, etc. I think I read that some types of rechargeable batts need to be constantly charged and if left to discharge at too low a level they will become damaged and useless...

(And yes I also would have packed normal flashlights with the typical disposable 123s, AAs, AAAs, etc... and not rely solely on a rechargeable solution for my emerg auto lighting needs.)

Any thoughts is greatly appreciated.

please & thanks!
CQB
 

Size15's

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 29, 2000
Messages
18,415
Location
Kettering, England
The 8NX/8AX/L7 like the 9AN are intended for daily or regular use.

NiCad batteries will 'self-discharge' if left unused. I suspect that if they are not used in a year they will not be damaged, but, if the battery sticks are not used and recharged often it may take several use/recharge cycles to return them to peak performance.

It would seem that the L7 is not ideal as a flashlight for irregular and infrequent use. It would be better to choose a flashlight with SF123A batteries that can handle being left unused for perhaps years at a time.

If you do feel the need for a rechargeable solution then perhaps a "Pila" battery and recharger for an L4 would be a more appropriate solution. The L4 could have SF123A's in it and the Pila rechargeable solution could be there ready to be used (plugged in and charged up) if the situation arises.

Al
 

CQB

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 2, 2004
Messages
236
Location
BC, Canada
tks for the info Al!

i guess i'll keep my L7 rig for regular home use then. That and/or duty use... as it was designed for in the first place. :)

another quick ques: do you or anyone know if SF is going to come up with rechargeabes which use the newer rechargeable lithium-ions (ala SL Strion)? i am not a rechargeable battery guru... perhaps there is a reason the SF rechargeables are still using NiCd batts, which as far as I know, result in larger sized batts, etc as compared to the smaller R-lithium-ions... just curious.
 

SilverFox

Flashaholic
Joined
Jan 19, 2003
Messages
12,449
Location
Bellingham WA
Hello CQB,

I think Al has given you some good information, but to expand on it a bit...

NiCd cells that are going to be stored for an extended period of time are best stored in a discharged state. You can keep the for years that way. The problem is that when you want to use the light, you would first have to spend a couple of hours charging the battery back up. I don't believe this is very practical, unless your vehicle is breaking down for extended periods every night... :D

In duty use, you can not come up with a more robust chemistry than the NiCd cell. They tolerate overcharging quite well, you can run them into the ground, they work better in cold weather (not quite as good as Lithium, but close), and they are good for many more cycles. In my humble opinion, they are the best for rugged duty use. I am sure that when something better comes along, SureFire will use it, but for right now it is the best chemistry for the job.

Tom
 
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