Is it the batteries or is it my Spartan?

[snoutke]

Hi there,

Got my DL 1W Spartan for two months now. Also got a pair of Tenergy RCR123A 3.0V 750mAh Rechargeable LiFePO4 Li-Ion Batteries (the yellow ones) for the same time. I have been using my Spartan and batteris once a week, hence been using it for something like eight times or so.

The problem is, that recently I noticed that the batteries die faster and faster compared to what I am used to.

The Spartan works, but it seems that it is weakening quickly.

I want to believe that it's the batteris that are not as strong as they were before and not that the Spartan diode weakened.

So how will I know if it is the batteries or if it is my Spartan?

TIA.

 

[Coherent Light]

Best way to tell is to buy some new batteries as it's most likely the batteries and not your diode.

 

[snoutke]

Thanks Coherent, but if it is actually the batteries, how come that they have become defect at such a short time?

I recharged them maybe 8 times or so, while it says in the description that they have a Life cycle of 1000 times (Traditional Li-ion: 500 times)?

Did you encounter with a similar problem before?

 

[Coherent Light]

Tenergy like most Chinese batteries are a crap shoot as to the quality and longevity IMO. Sometimes You win and sometimes You lose. I have a few different CR123s that all perform differently, so it's luck of the draw.

 

[X FLY]

Its probably the batteries. If you have a multimeter check the batteries voltage when they need recharging. If any of the batteries go below 2.2V they are probably dead.

 

[snoutke]

The batteries voltage when they need recharging is 2.5 - 2.6v. When I finish charging it's 3.5 - 3.6v and when I use it the day after (I always charge them a day before I use for my own reasons), they are 3.2v.

 

[Coherent Light]

They should be ~4.2v when fully charged not 3.6v. Your batteries are bad.

 

[X FLY]

They should be ~4.2v when fully charged not 3.6v. Your batteries are bad.

His batteries are LiFePO4 batts not Li-Ion so 3.6v when fully charged is normal. If they would be Li-Ion then they should be 4.2v when fully charged but quickly drop to about 3.7v after some use.

 

[snoutke]

Frank from DL told me that I have to condition the batteries before use, hence meaning I have to fully recharge and fully discharge them for 4 to 5 times.

If I didn't do so when I just got the batteries, can I do it now, or is it too late and my batteries are already irreversibly bad?