CR123 batteries - safety related questions

[Codrut Popescu]

I am using a Buzz Pro, which is great and has many safety built-in mechanisms like: 3 vent holes, short circuit and over current protection, a in line diode that will heat up and melt off of the PCB from excess heat over 3 amps, plastic cap etc. But my concern are the Powerizer CR123A 650 mAh 3.7 V rechargeable batteries which I am using. 2 of them stacked in my Buzz. I have the following questions which I hope someone will answer:

- I am charging these CR123 Powerizers on a TrustFire TR-001 charger. I have measured the voltage of this charger and it is charging to 4.229 V. Also the charging rate seems to be 500mAh. Is this safe? The recommended figures are: not more than 4.2 V (sharp) and not more than 0.7C (1C = 650 mAh on my Powerizers).

- Can I charge these Powerizers in a Pila charger? It seems Pila is charging at 600 mA which is almost 1C, recommended figure is 0.7 C.

- Are there any higher quality alternatives to Powerizer CR123A 650 mAh 3.7 available?

- Is there any other high quality charger available for charging CR123 3.7 V?

- Since my Buzz Pro has already safety protection mechanism, if I buy another CR123 which as built-in protection, will it interfere with my Buzz Pro protection mechanisms?

Thanks

 

[Codrut Popescu]

Well, to answer my own questions:

- CR123 batteries are the same as 16340 batteries. Or, more exactly, the size difference between them is near enough as it makes no difference.
- The safest CR123 batteries seems to be LiMN and there are AW IMR16340 550 mAh IMR CR123 size LiMN Rechargeable Lithium Battery available if you want to play safest as a replacement for CR123 batteries. They can handle high amperage and are safe to use in series / multi-cell applications. These are not protected but they are so called "safe chemistry" cells.
- The TrustFire TR-001 charger is crap. It does not cut at 4.2 V sharp and after this it continues to do tickle charging at 40 mAh, which might lead to overcharging. It seems that all <xxx>Fire brands are crap in fact. You get what you pay for.
- The Pila can be used to charge 16340 batteries but this is not officially supported. However the charging voltage is cut at 4.2 sharp and there is not tickle charging.
- The best chargers available are hobby chargers and one option which I see as very good is a LipoCard 3 which is made in Germany. Very expensive but you get what you pay for. This type of charger can be connected to a computer and you can make analysis if you want to and you have total control. Also it requires the user to find a way how to connect the battery to the charger. You will need to buy also some clamps or find some other solutions.
- It is recommended to store the batteries in a protection bag

I hope this is useful for others too. If someone does not agree with my research please reply.

Best Regards

 

[Bozzlite]

Well, that's what I was gonna say. Glad you found the answer. Hope you can find a Pila charger. I think RTDvapor has some in stock. SuperTmanufacturing seems to be Out of Stock.

For some reason, Pila only guarantees their charger if you use Pila batteries.. Go figure. I'm sure that AW IMRs will work just fine. They can handle a charge rate of 2C, although that is not recommended for longest battery life.

You will need a 15mm spacer for the 16340's on the Pila charger.