When deciding what light/laser to buy for my handguns, I was quite attracted to the Olight Baldr Mini. Its external charging system seems to be a major selling point, and initially it was attractive to me as well.
However, digging deeper I found that the manufacturer states a charged shelf life of only 1 month. Now, I'm sure that doesn't mean the battery goes "poof" after 1 month and nothing works. It likely means the battery has self-discharged to the point the Baldr Mini will no longer perform to specs (brightness, battery life in use, etc.), and it is probably a very conservative number.
Nonetheless, this did remind me of something I already knew: Rechargeable batteries self-discharge at a much faster rate than do non-rechargeable batteries of the same technology. Eveready states the shelf life of their non-rechargeable CR123 lithium batteries to be 10 years. The shelf life between charges of rechargeable lithium CR123 replacements will be much shorter. How much shorter, IDK. But, the stated 1 month was concerning.
But, if I am buying any kind of weapon optic or light or laser when the gun will be kept in a safe for the most part, I need to be able to depend on the batteries to work, whether it has been a month, 2 months, 3 months, etc., since I last had it out of the safe.
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The disadvantage of rechargeable batteries | Forum
Jeremy Blake
Apr 17 '24
Rechargable batteries are worse than useless on high intensity flashlights. Ok for weed whackers or cordless drills but that's about it.
Rajesh Rajpo
Apr 17 '24
I had a similar experience when I was looking for a flashlight for camping. I found this awesome one with all the bells and whistles, including an external charging system. But then I noticed it had a similar shelf life caveat. It made me pause and think about reliability.
Reminded me of a time when I needed my flashlight during a power outage, only to find out the batteries had gone kaput. Since then, I've leaned towards gadgets with longer shelf lives, or I make sure to have spare batteries handy. It's all about finding that balance between convenience and dependability.
Have you considered looking into a 3 7v rechargeable battery? They might offer a better compromise between longevity and convenience for your setup.
Reminded me of a time when I needed my flashlight during a power outage, only to find out the batteries had gone kaput. Since then, I've leaned towards gadgets with longer shelf lives, or I make sure to have spare batteries handy. It's all about finding that balance between convenience and dependability.
Have you considered looking into a 3 7v rechargeable battery? They might offer a better compromise between longevity and convenience for your setup.
The Forum post is edited by Rajesh Rajpo Apr 17 '24
