Article about dangers of 18650

arow55 · 2019-05-04T22:01:08.000Z

In the Atlantic: MSN

BlueSwordM · 2019-05-04T22:05:40.000Z

Copying and pasting my comment again here:

See, this is why I hate some of these writers.

Rather than blaming Amazon and how shoddy their inventory system is, they blame it on counterfeit cells and people wanting modular battery packs/cells.

IMO, this is why stores like Illumn and LiionWholeSale are so important.

They actually test their cells, unlike the sellers on Amazon.

This is the reason I’m wanting a rule that a seller has to prove/test their cells to make sure they are legit for every batch, which would make it easier and safer for customers to buy cells.

arow55 · 2019-05-04T22:24:41.000Z

They said pushing the power density to limit is one problem. I use nimh and have come to prefer ones with less than maximum mah. They have advantages with # of recharges and also safety.

wle · 2019-05-05T00:34:19.000Z

The real problem is vapers, mechanicals, overdischarging, and overcurrent. A flashlight isn;t going to have most of those problems.
And we mostly don;t use the highest current draw cells, like, again, the vapers do.
It;s not even ‘mechanicals’ really, but hackers using the ‘mechanicals’ components in a hazardous way.

Dougiestyle · 2019-05-05T13:13:21.000Z

Batteries are stored energy, just like a container of gasoline. If mishandled, abused or damaged, either may experience catastrophic results.

M3CSL · 2019-05-05T13:16:47.000Z

good article, interesting read. thanks for posting.
I don’t think flashlights are “as” dangerous but we have to be cautious, obviously. A broken spring bypass could be enough to create havoc.

BlueSwordM · 2019-05-05T13:31:06.000Z

Yeah.

Any battery/energy source can catch on fire.

wle · 2019-05-06T10:57:26.000Z

M3CSL:

good article, interesting read. thanks for posting.
I don’t think flashlights are “as” dangerous but we have to be cautious, obviously. A broken spring bypass could be enough to create havoc.

how would that work?
the spring itself, is already a short
that part of the battery has ( at least the - side ) is not close to the + side to make a short
it (usually) cannot activate the switch or light…

?

wle

M3CSL · 2019-05-06T11:05:56.000Z

I was referring to the driver side spring bypass (wire) - which, in theory, could bridge LED+ to BAT- if the wire breaks off and connects to the driver ring or host? Wouldn’t that DD the LED permanently?

This is theoretical, of course. The likelihood of this happening should be very small, but the wires I use are long enough.

wle · 2019-05-06T11:10:41.000Z

seems like it would be more likely to short the battery …

(though that might also require the wrapping on the can (- side) to be breached somehow - i tend to use them even if they have a little shoulder wear)

whether or not there is a ‘driver ring’ near that wire, is not universal… right?
i mean it would depend on board design
if there are contacts on that side of the board, like component pins and whatnot, then the loose theoretical bypass wire, could short to any of them

or am i wrong?

a lot of lights do not have springs at the driver end, anyway, just a round pad for + and a ring for -

would the ones with springs, be more likely to expose other circuit points, to that side of the board?

wle

M3CSL · 2019-05-06T11:43:59.000Z

All lights are different, so there are probably “safer” and “less safe” designs out there. But most of my lights are Convoys and they all come with springs on both sides. My drivers are self-built and have BAT+/LED+ bypasses - so in a theoretical “broken driver side bypass” ~~the LED would be driven directly at 100%, I think.~~ I was wrong since nothing would happen afaik. LED+ against BAT- wouldn’t be DD.

If this BAT+ wire is NOT going to the LED+ but somewhere else on the driver, yes, that could be a short.

On all linear drivers I have seen there was at least the driver retaining ring and/or the driver ring which is equal to BAT- if the switch is ON. (I am sure there are plenty of drivers without a visible ring or some plastic part over it).

All in all - I believe flashlights are much safer than other electronics items with lithium cells? Is that correct to say?

wle · 2019-05-06T12:10:41.000Z

i hope so, i certainly use old and reduced-capacity/oldish cells without worrying…

i mean if the lights have undervoltage cutoff, and you have a modern charger, which will not charge undervoltage cells things should be ok.

i think the only really dangerous things are like i said, the vaping hobbyists that use ‘mechanical’ modifications incompetently
that will probably be outlawed sooner or later

though it really wouldn;t stop someone determined to do - well what is it the mechanicals add, that is so critical, anyway?

wle

VaKo · 2019-05-08T11:15:59.000Z

Good thing about UK laws is the seller is always liable for product faults.

G0OSE · 2019-05-08T11:22:45.000Z

VaKo:

Good thing about UK laws is the seller is always liable for product faults.

Providing they are bought in the UK, though that’s of little help if it blows the side of your face off or leads to a death somehow (fire etc) . No amount of compensation is going to cure those sort of things, though I admit they are extreme cases.