Comprehensive Battery Care Help

[Brett_H]

Sorry if this has been addressed before, but I have searched the forum as well as the internet and cannot find all the correct info.

Can anyone direct me to a comprehensive thread on Li-Ion battery care. I am looking for things such as; when is the proper time (in term of voltage) to charge 18650, 14500, 10440 and RCR123 cells, both protected and unprotected (if there are differences between the two). I have a decent DMM and all of my cells, including a couple fresh from the package, are currently right around 3.75V. I also have an Olight protected 14500 which was in a light and stopped working. I get a 0V reading from the DMM which is concerning Would this be the protection circuit working to prevent over-discharge or rather a bad cell?

I would love to write something up which could be pinned here for reference, but I obviously lack the proper knowledge to do so. Any help would be appreciated.

[CRX]

Check the battery section in the link below, might be useful.

[Brett_H]

@CRX

Check the battery section in the link below, might be useful.

Wow! This is a wealth of information! Thank you, I will definitely check this out.

[Ronin42]

I dont intend to sound like a smart A$$ and I intend no offence.

This easy. What do we know. We know we own them not the other way around. So:

1. use them until it does not perform as you prefer. Then recharge.

I have never seen a light that had performance I “prefered” but had dangerous low voltage. I did not say usable what I said was prefer.

In case of an emergency where you need to run it lower, well by definition that is an emergency.

Lower storage voltage (nominal mid point), cooler temps, and smaller recharge cycles provide more usable life then the opposite.

Thats it. Done. Simple.

[1dash1]

I posted this earlier:

BLF decision

Carlagamer: Most of the flashlights being discussed are powered by li-ion batteries. Are you familiar with the hazards posed by them? (Fire, explosion, fumes, eco-waste, single cell vs. multi-cell applications.) http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?280909-Ultrafire-18650-3000mA-exploded http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?340028-Flashlight-Explosion 18650, how dangerous is it for a newbie like me? My 14500 battery explosion, with pictures Light catches fire bur…

[Lightgecko]

I think it goes without saying to avoid *fire cells like the plague.

[Brett_H]

@Ronin42

I dont intend to sound like a smart A$$ and I intend no offence.

This easy. What do we know. We know we own them not the other way around. So:

1. use them until it does not perform as you prefer. Then recharge.

I have never seen a light that had performance I “prefered” but had dangerous low voltage. I did not say usable what I said was prefer.

In case of an emergency where you need to run it lower, well by definition that is an emergency.

Lower storage voltage (nominal mid point), cooler temps, and smaller recharge cycles provide more usable life then the opposite.

Thats it. Done. Simple.

Well, thanks for the comments, but it doesn’t appear to be that simple. I was using my Olight protected 14500 in a Xeno E03 and the performance was very much at a “preferred” level when the light shut off and the battery subsequently reads 0.00V. Any suggestions?

[CRX]

Recharge it

[Brett_H]

@CRX

Recharge it

Thank you! That is what I was hoping to hear. However, having read about the potential dangers of over-discharge and charging, I was not certain if I should just simply “recharge it”.

[Pulsar13]

Protected cells will show 0V when “empty”, it simply means the chip has cut off the battery from discharging further. Internally, the battery may be at 3.0V or 2.7V depending on the protection chip.

So yes, since you’re using protected cells, just recharge it.