I’m considering an Olight S15R that will let me keep it sitting in it’s charger and grab it as needed for dog walks. I generally walk the dog without the light, only turning it on to inspect something in the dark. Then maybe every 10 walks will I get bored and really use the light.
Will leaving the light in the charger harm the battery over time?
Keeping the flashlight in the dock shouldn’t affect the battery life.
It’s designed to terminate charging when the battery hits 4.2V, although it’s been reported to terminate slightly early (4.13V). Early termination should actually serve to extend the life of the battery, albeit at the cost of not having 100% of the full charge available when using it.
Of course, this doesn’t take into consideration the long term consequences of storing a fully charged battery for extended periods of time. Whether you store a fully charged battery in the dock or store a fully charged battery outside of the dock, you’ll end up adversely affecting its performance if you don’t use it.
Yes. I decided to wanted the higher lumen S20R model instead of the S15R model that I originally posted about. I’m surprised the 14500 model doesn’t have higher output given the 3.7v it runs at. I would expect a 1.2v NiMH to put out 280 lumens and double that with the 14500…?
Ni-Mh won’t do anything bad even if you abuse them.
Li-ion on the other hand, can get very violent if you don’t treat them with respect.
You must only use quality brand li-ions, know how to use them safely and charge them safely. Li-ions can “vent”, which is rapidly venting toxic gas. They can also “vent with flame” which is when the venting gas ignites, at this point the battery is shooting out a jet of flames. Also if a li-ion vents inside a sealed container, like a sealed metal flashlight, the venting pressure can cause the container or flashlight to explode. But if you how to use them safely, the chances of any of that are very very low.
I have the S15R and use it a lot - the battery lasts a decent length of time, to the extent that you may well find that you don’t have any need to leave it standing in the dock the whole time. For me, I have my light standing head up on my bedside table. The charger base is safely stored with my knives so I don’t lose it. I’ve had the torch maybe a couple of months or so and have only had to charge it twice.