Some years ago I was given a quite nice torch that also had a handlebar mount for cycling use. (I think it's this
http://www.canwelum.com/zoom-led-flashlights/t6-01.html)
It's sat on the shelf at home and is my "go to" torch for finding toys under the sofa or going out for an evening walk, and has been on the bike at times. My only gripe is having to rotate through all settings with the click button - it's annoying turning a torch on only for it to flash SOS out in morse.
Last time I thought it was getting dim it took forever to charge (battery and charger included in the package) and the charger LED never went from red to green so I just gave up after a day or so and bunged it back in the torch. This time the LED is green but flashing red. This has confused me.
Online research of the battery suggests that they are very good, hold their charge for ages if not used (I agree) and charge quickly (I've never found this to be the case). This isn't a normal Li-ion 18650 3.7v battery, but apparently has onboard electronics to protect it. Full charge is apparently 4.2v and at 2.75v it shuts down to protect itself.
I got the multimeter out. It was about 2.9v
. The empty charger was showing 4.26v. Monitoring the battery whilst being charged it rose to 3.43v over the course of yesterday. I obviously unplugged it overnight. Today it has risen to 3.72v (the rise from 3.70 to 3.71 to 3.72 has been about 4 hours). The LED on the charger is still flashing red/green. Battery is still cold to the touch.
So the questions for the jury are whether this charger or battery is stuffed, is this the normal (anybody else got one?) or where can I get a new one? The website above doesn't seem to sell to the public, and I cannot find any others. There are many 18650 batteries and chargers out there, but this doesn't seem the normal as it is 65mm long to cater for the onboard electronics. Also, should I stop charging it now, or wait until it hits the 4.2v mark?