Is it safe to EDC lithium battery flashlight?
- Thread starter Ageemos
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None of the above here moved to Flashlight Electronics - Batteries Included
For recommendations Check Looking for Reliable 18650 Batteries - Any Recommendations?
Also read Using Li-ion cells in LED flashlights safely - Norm
None of the above here moved to Flashlight Electronics - Batteries Included
For recommendations Check Looking for Reliable 18650 Batteries - Any Recommendations?
Also read Using Li-ion cells in LED flashlights safely - Norm
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ChrisGarrett
Flashlight Enthusiast
I do everyday, mostly 16340 (CR123A) size li-ions and I still have both of my testicles.
For your ZL SC62, I'd go with the 4.35v LG D1 3000mAh naked cell, or the LG E1 3200mAh version, but I'm a 'thrill seeker' at heart.
Chris
UnderPar
Enlightened
Absolutely! :twothumbs :twothumbs :twothumbs. I carry 3 light in my bag everyday with 18650, 16650 and 14500 li-ion batteries with no issues at all. For the SC62, I'm using the Panasonic 18650BE. HTH
StandardBattery
Flashlight Enthusiast
Just to be clear to avoid confusion in future posts; there are Lithium batteries of several sorts, an 18650 is typically a Lithium-Ion battery. While there are some variations in Lithium-Ion batteries as well, currently it's most important not to use just the term 'Lithium' to refer to them as that is usually used to refer to the primary non-rechargeable cells, unless the context is known to be different.
Derek Dean
Flashlight Enthusiast
Howdy Ageemos, and welcome to CPF!
I'd say that many CPF members EDC a light that uses a lithium-ion rechargeable cell. The deal is this...... they have the potential to be dangerous if handled abusively, so the key is to learn all about them and how to SAFELY handle, use, and charge them.
To me, the fact that you refereed to them as lithium batteries, rather than lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, tells me that you might need to spend a bit more time reading before making the jump. Hey, it's FUN to learn this stuff, and that's why we're all here, to learn new stuff and have fun.
Don't be in a hurry, get yourself a nice AA light to start with, maybe the Zebralight SC52. That way you'll have a GREAT pocket light and won't feel the need to jump head first into lithium-ion technology too quickly, and you'll also be better prepared to wisely spend your hard earned money.
The nice thing about the SC52 is that it will take regular common alkaline AA batteries, or for better performance you can use common, and safe, AA rechargeable NiMh batteries, like Eneloops. The kicker is that when you DO finally feel ready to start using lithium-ion cells, the SC52 can use those as well, with the bonus of quite a jump in brightness.
Here's another good source to learn about batteries:
http://batteryuniversity.com/
Have fun!
I'd say that many CPF members EDC a light that uses a lithium-ion rechargeable cell. The deal is this...... they have the potential to be dangerous if handled abusively, so the key is to learn all about them and how to SAFELY handle, use, and charge them.
To me, the fact that you refereed to them as lithium batteries, rather than lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, tells me that you might need to spend a bit more time reading before making the jump. Hey, it's FUN to learn this stuff, and that's why we're all here, to learn new stuff and have fun.
Don't be in a hurry, get yourself a nice AA light to start with, maybe the Zebralight SC52. That way you'll have a GREAT pocket light and won't feel the need to jump head first into lithium-ion technology too quickly, and you'll also be better prepared to wisely spend your hard earned money.
The nice thing about the SC52 is that it will take regular common alkaline AA batteries, or for better performance you can use common, and safe, AA rechargeable NiMh batteries, like Eneloops. The kicker is that when you DO finally feel ready to start using lithium-ion cells, the SC52 can use those as well, with the bonus of quite a jump in brightness.
Here's another good source to learn about batteries:
http://batteryuniversity.com/
Have fun!
yoyoman
Flashlight Enthusiast
Welcome to CPF. Part of the fun of this addiction is learning about different cell chemistries, emitters and UI. It isn't just about buying, although you may go through a phase were you buy something new everyday.
Li-ions are in cell phones and laptops. As you lean about li-ions, you'll learn what they do to help ensure safety. With practical safety measures, li-ions are not dangerous. Good quality cells and a charger are the way to go - don't save a few pennies or dollars by going with unknown, untested cells and chargers. I recommend HKJ's reviews on CPF and his site. Battery University, mentioned above, is another good source of information.
I suggest you start with a single cell light, either 1x16340, 1x14500 or 1x18650. Although li-ions get all the bad press, there have been several accidents with multiple lithium primary CR123 cells that were unbalanced or had other faults.
Li-ions are in cell phones and laptops. As you lean about li-ions, you'll learn what they do to help ensure safety. With practical safety measures, li-ions are not dangerous. Good quality cells and a charger are the way to go - don't save a few pennies or dollars by going with unknown, untested cells and chargers. I recommend HKJ's reviews on CPF and his site. Battery University, mentioned above, is another good source of information.
I suggest you start with a single cell light, either 1x16340, 1x14500 or 1x18650. Although li-ions get all the bad press, there have been several accidents with multiple lithium primary CR123 cells that were unbalanced or had other faults.
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Chicken Drumstick
Flashlight Enthusiast
The answer is No! - but only if you think driving a petrol (gasoline) powered car every day is also equally dangerous due to the volatile liquid fuel you carry in it.
BTW - you may want to check what battery chemistries mobile (cell) phones and laptops use.
mcnair55
Flashlight Enthusiast
Now I really do need a new Anorak,I suggest you read the instructions on the battery pack blister.
MidnightDistortions
Flashlight Enthusiast
I have been reading the dangers of using li-ions but overall it's whether you think they are safe or not. Li-ions are safe when handled properly, most of the problems with them are caused by heat, overcharging/overdischarging and direct shock/damage to them. With that being said, i probably have dropped my cellphone more times than i can count and the battery is fine.
One thing that i have noticed if you do start to see reduced performance, swelling or it doesn't quite work the way it was designed to do it's best to replace them. Risk is less likely to happen in those situations (except for swelling) it's mostly due to what i said in the first paragraph. With that being said, Li-ions do not give me much trouble. I prefer to stick with NiMH cells whenever possible though and keep my supply of Li-ions to a minimum. Easier to manage and they won't cause me trouble down the line. With that being said it's rare to have a problem with Li-ions and with proper care they are as safe as NiMHs. There are some cases where NiMHs explode, but that is pretty rare within itself. They however handle abuse better and the worst thing that happens is they lose their performance/capacity.
One thing that i have noticed if you do start to see reduced performance, swelling or it doesn't quite work the way it was designed to do it's best to replace them. Risk is less likely to happen in those situations (except for swelling) it's mostly due to what i said in the first paragraph. With that being said, Li-ions do not give me much trouble. I prefer to stick with NiMH cells whenever possible though and keep my supply of Li-ions to a minimum. Easier to manage and they won't cause me trouble down the line. With that being said it's rare to have a problem with Li-ions and with proper care they are as safe as NiMHs. There are some cases where NiMHs explode, but that is pretty rare within itself. They however handle abuse better and the worst thing that happens is they lose their performance/capacity.
The answer is No! - but only if you think driving a petrol (gasoline) powered car every day is also equally dangerous due to the volatile liquid fuel you carry in it.
BTW - you may want to check what battery chemistries mobile (cell) phones and laptops use.
That's comparing apples vs. oranges. The designers of laptops and cell phones have complete control over safety issues since they control the complete system design, using industry-standard safety mechanisms such as Smart Battery specs. But this is not true for (most) flashlights.
BillSWPA
Enlightened
A user of these other Li-Ion powered devices still needs to have some basic safety knowledge, for example, don't charge your cell phone under your pillow at night (yes, there are people who do that).
A properly designed device will terminate charging or power-down if thermal constraints are exceeded. They are supposed to be designed so that they can be safely used by a layperson with no special knowledge of Li-ion technology.
mcnair55
Flashlight Enthusiast
Well thankfully you are not wearing an Anorak and compliments of the season to you and yours.:twothumbs
WalkIntoTheLight
Flashlight Enthusiast
If you do that, you will die!
Of course, you're going to eventually die anyway, so it's your choice one way or the other. I wouldn't worry about it, especially if it's a single cell flashlight.
ven
Flashaholic
Its the main chemistry I edc ,be it ICR or IMR ..........issue free. After all,the rare issues tend to be around charging the cell and more with a specific brand/s and cheap chargers........
So answer imo is YES it is safe to edc obviously because if it wasn't........well i wouldn't :laughing:
So answer imo is YES it is safe to edc
obviously because if it wasn't........well i wouldn't :laughing:StorminMatt
Flashlight Enthusiast
I agree that the SC52 is a great light to start out with. And it is SO true that it's a light you won't outgrow in a couple of weeks. Even though I have lights that are brighter and run longer than the SC52, I often find myself grabbing the SC52 because, in addition to being small and convenient, it really has everything I need for the vast majority of situations. It even works quite nicely on night hikes. And when you DO decide to get into Li-Ion, a nice feature of this light is on-board low voltage protection. So you are not so chained to protected cells (which cost more and may not fit well).
Agree.... So, the user needs to understand and apply certain basic Li-ion safety measures where we can freely mix and match device/battery/chargers.
Not so sure about this, I believe it is still up to the user to understand enough to make sure they do not attempt to charge a cell that that has been over discharged, or put a 4.2V cell into a 4.35V charger, etc.
BillSWPA
Enlightened
A quick perusal of the safety subforum will reveal some incidents involving phones. The protection circuits in these devices clearly helps, but not in all cases. It is like the safety on a firearm - it helps but is never a substitute for safe gun handling.
To clarify, my remark refers not to flashlights but, rather, to the devices I was discussing just prior, i.e. devices like laptops and cellphones where the designer has complete control over the design of the battery subsystem. This can even guard against safety issues posed by counterfeit batteries, e.g. by requiring that the battery authenticate itself using secure protocols (e.g. SHA-1 is used in TI's bq26100).
