Lithium Ion Rechargeable Batteries

[pidster]

Are these available in common (AA, AAA, C, D and 9V) sizes - I have been looking to get a nice set of rechargeable batteries for all my flashlights and portable electronics since I have at least 20 alkalines heading to the dump each month from all the stuff I use. I was intending to go with NiMH but it just occurred to me that all the modern cell phones, higher end power tools and basically any higher end cordless gadgets are using Li-Ion batteries, yet I have never seen them in the universal battery sizes. Are they available, worth looking into, and if not, why not.

 

[turbodieselfreak]

I've seen them in cr123 size, but not the common household sizes. I'm guessing that NiMH satisfies most consumer needs. I have a neighbor who is heavily into the r/c flying scene, he tells me a lot of those guys tranport their lithium packs in approved boxes. Apparently when those packs fail for whatever reason, they can create quite the impressive fire. Maybe we don't see the lithium rechargeables in more common sizes due to safety concerns. The rechargeable cr123's I saw were a bit pricey, but did include a charger. I have work equipment that still uses nicads (recent manufacture at that), in addition to NiMH, but only one piece of equipment which uses cr123 or Li-ion packs interchangeably. Most of my cordless power tools use nicad or NiMH. I have a rechargeable r/c helicopter I use to drive my dog nuts, it's powered by a Li-po battery-they also have issues. I'd say go NiMH and be done with it. If nothing else, they're supposed to be environmentally friendly.

 

[chevrofreak]

They're available in AAA, AA, and D size, but are the wrong voltage. Lithium Ion cells are 4.2v when charged. They will instantly destroy most devices if they're substituted for a 1.5v cell. Ni-MH are much safer for the average consumer to use. Get yourself a good independent channel charger and some low self discharge Ni-MH cells.

 

[Colt45ws]

I have found that my LED flashlight does not like rechargeables. Within 45 minutes to an hour or so of run time it will cut down to low power mode almost right after turning it on. They just dont last for some reason..

 

[OilNerd]

Did you consider low self-discharge NiMH batteries (sometimes called pre-charged)?

They hold their charge over time (usually about 85-90%) after a year, depending upon brand, and work well. They're commonly available in AA and AAA sizes. Other sizes can be mail-ordered, but they get expensive quickly.

 

[chevrofreak]

Originally Posted By: Onmo'Eegusee
I have found that my LED flashlight does not like rechargeables. Within 45 minutes to an hour or so of run time it will cut down to low power mode almost right after turning it on. They just dont last for some reason..


What type of cells, and what flashlight? Ni-MH usually runs many times longer than alkaline in a flashlight due to the power demand.