Rechargeable Li-ion CR123a Batteries

[FG Lurker]

I've been doing more work with my Nikon R1 wireless macro flash system recently and it eats through CR123A batteries pretty quickly. It seems there are now rechargeable CR123A batteries around in two common types, 3V (standard) and 3.6V (for certain types of flashlights).

One such example would be these, which appear to be properly protected against overcharging and over voltage.

So, I'm wondering if anyone here (Coligny?) has experience with these sorts of rechargeables, and if so, how were/are they?

[Coligny]

I didn't use the rechargeable yet (despite their 3.6+3.6=7.2 standard RC pack value rating)

I still have the unsubtle approach of buying them by the bucket in China:

http://s.dealextreme.com/search/cr123.html?category=400

Charger here:
http://s.dealextreme.com/search/cr123.html?category=401

Beware some are known to be 1-2 mm longer and can cause problem if they are serially packed in your device.

[FG Lurker]

Thanks Coligny.

I noticed that some of them are an extra ~2mm long due to the protection circuitry. The Nikon SB-R200 flash units don't have a big enough battery bay to accommodate that as best I can tell.

I ended up getting 4 of those UltraFire batteries and a charger from that Yahoo seller. The specs in the listing say they are 33.5mm high which is the same as the disposable versions. They're only 880mah which doesn't compare all that well to the ~1400mah of the Panasonic disposables, but with two sets I should be fine.

I'll let you know how things go (and if I blow anything up...)

[gkanai]

I don't mean to be "Japanese" but you should be very careful about rechargeable Lithium-based batteries. They're very well known to explode if they're not made well or if the charger doesn't charge them properly.

FG is not the right place to ask about rechargeable CR123s. CPF is the right place:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com

[Coligny]

Great, after the "you're too stupid to operate geiger mueller counters, you WILL PANIC !!!!!!!!!!!"
Now the "you're too stupid to talk aboot LiPo batteries..."

Mind you, some wankers around here deal with unprotected cells on a daily basis as part of their hobbies... while not creating expert level knowledge it gives at least a little experience that can be shared.