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Do all flashlights slowly discharge when not in use? (kbin.social)
submitted 2 years ago by DickPuncher@kbin.social to c/flashlight@lemmy.world
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I was thinking about buying a wurkkos fc11 as my first flashlight but it said they recommend untwisting it in a review to avoid making a connection so it doesn’t discharge while not in use. Do I need to worry about that with all flashlights? I was planning on keeping it in my backpack so I have it whenever.

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[-] dmenezes@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago

Mechanical switch lights like the Convoy S2+ do not have any parasitic drain. But be aware that the batteries themselves have some self-discharge, Li-Ions are the worst at something like 5 percent in the first 24 hours and then loses 1–2 percent per month. Protected Li-Ions are even worse at 4-5% per month.

If you need to keep them stored for long periods, get an AA-compatible or dual-fuel flashlight and use Eneloop batteries for rechargeables, or Lithium primaries if you don't need/want to recharge.

[-] Adair21@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago

To add to this, if you are going to store your Li-ion batteries for any period of time then you should charge them to 3.7v instead of a full charge. This will extend the life of the battery

[-] dmenezes@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

Good tip, but the OP should be aware that when at 3.7V they have only ~50% charge in them, so remember to also pack a spare or two (at the same voltage) to have the same total runtime.

[-] parrot-party@kbin.social 3 points 2 years ago

Should be closer to 60% but still, it's not in a long term ready state. Long stored batteries should be recharged before use.

[-] SiteRelEnby 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

In general, recharging them before use is better - if you're preserving battery life as much as possible the ideal profile is to charge them to ~4.1V, use until ~3.5, then store at 3.6-3.7 until charged for next use, ideally minimising time sitting at full. Going below 3.4ish takes progressively more out of the battery life.

[-] friftar@feddit.de 2 points 2 years ago

Worth mentioning that some chargers offer a storage option, charging to exactly 3.7V.

On a charger that doesnt have this, it can be difficult to monitor it closely enough to get that exact voltage.

[-] unpunctual_bird@lemmy.world 6 points 2 years ago

Li-Ions are the worst at something like 5 percent in the first 24 hours and then loses 1–2 percent per month

I still remember dealing NiCad's 10-20% per month, li-ion was some space-aged future tech dream back then

[-] dmenezes@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

Oh man, don't even get me started on the NiCads. My beloved old Ti58C calculator used a pack of them and it was actually what killed her :-(

this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2023
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