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I'm not sure if this is a silly questions since I have not seen it asked before but, what would the shelf life be of a rechargeable 123a cell? I know the standard batteries have a shelf life of 10yrs. But if I were to drain a rechargeable cell and fully recharge it, how long would that charge last?
Depends on the cell. I wouldn't store RCR's at full charge for more than a few months. Store then at about 40% charge. I think it's at about 3.6-3.8v or right around there. Max voltage should be about 4.2-4.3v. Lithium battery shelf life and usable life goes down the longer they stay stored. Keep 24 primaries for shelf life and rotate 12 out every 5 years. Use the rechargable for everything else and you always have a few years worth of 123's.
Better yet, get a 16650 for dual cell lights and just keep one for every light +1 so you can keep a fresh one on standby all the time.
Fwiw, I have standardized to 18650 lights so I don't have to **** with 16340's anymore, mainly because beyond size, there's no standard for them and it is kind of a crap shoot on quality control, max amperage, and fit within certain lights.
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Originally Posted by nimdabew
18650s actually make more sense, thanks for the tip. I need to research the specific light (Streamlight HL-X) I'm considering to see if the body size will accept a 18650 now, the search continues lol