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
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
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
