Dangerous explosion with 2 CR123A primary

[Overclocker]

It is unthinkable to imagine my friend "unwrapping" his two original cells and then "unwrapping" two new cells with the intent of combining two different cells.

not as unthinkable as you may think. just go watch a few foursevens reviews on youtube and watch them show off their spydercos to unwrap the wrapped pair

that's because most humans are conditioned to treat clear shrink wrap as something you have to peel off

i've even had some friends ask me if they should remove the clear shink wrap over their protected 18650, even if that would obviously spill the guts of the protection PCB. why? because from an early age we were all taught to remove the clear shrink wrap off of batteries

perhaps foursevens should start using a printed outer wrap with the words "do not unwrap". and pls don't make it clear!

 

[aus_sparky]

Hi,
As I am reasonably new to the LED torch world and lithium batteries, I am finding myself in a position of confusion. I can see by this topic, the hazards of lithium batteries and need to be treated with quite an amount of respect. I recently bought a torch that can run on the 18650's or CR123a (RCR). I would predominantly use 18650's to power my torch, but wanted the option that if my 18650's became flat, could use a couple of CR's. Going back to my confusion issue, I am reading about people having no issues with them at all and then on the other hand read this topic for instance. I was looking at purchasing Panasonic primary cells, but now dubious as none seem to be infallible. I guess I need a little guidance is what I am asking. Is there a guide somewhere to the correct safety and handling techniques or should multiple cells be given a miss.
Thanks, Rob.

 

[SilverFox]

Hello Rob,

When it comes to batteries nothing is perfect. Keep in mind that you are dealing with stored energy and treat it with respect. Li-Ion chemistry stores more energy per size than NiMh chemistry does, so when things go wrong the consequences and damages are larger.

If you purchase quality batteries you minimize your risk and Panasonic is a quality brand.

Just like with driving a car many people can drive for a long time and never experience an accident, many people can use these batteries and never have a problem. The purpose of this section of the forum is to alert people that sometimes things do go wrong. Also to point out that unlike driving a lack of skill is not a contributing factor but a lack of knowledge can be.

Tom

 

[inetdog]

that's because most humans are conditioned to treat clear shrink wrap as something you have to peel off

Once had a summer intern in a physics lab take several hundred envelopes of matched four-diode sets from HP for use in building fast sampling A-to-D converters and empty them all into one drawer labelled "Matched Quads".

 

[Rexlion]

Any energy storage device can sometimes malfunction and go poof. My friend had a common AAA cell blow the lens out of his single-cell twisty light. It's rare, but stuff sometimes happens.

 

[aus_sparky]

Thanks for the reply Tom, much appreciated.

 

[fordmechanic]

I posted in another topic about my roommate, cheap123s, a org. M6 guardian, and our cabniet. So now we buy only sf batts.........yea kidna expencive but we get them in bulk so their cheaper. Me a mechanic and him a Leo we burn some batteries

 

[PA86]

2 CR123s... The straight dope?

I've read here and there that there is some danger in using multi cell cr123 lights.

Is there validity to these concerns? What's the scoop?

Thanks.

 

[rmteo]

Re: 2 CR123s... The straight dope?

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...d-Close-Calls-The-dangerous-side-of-batteries

 

[Lighthouse one]

Re: 2 CR123s... The straight dope?

Not the Lithium cr123. When using the rcr123 ( rechargeable ) you must exercise a bit of caution. You should always use 2 batteries that are fresh off the charger..not stick a new one with one that is somewhat discharged already. This applies to any size li-on battery. On extremely rare cases a fresh battery and a near depleted one can cause an overheating condition. When charging, don't leave them sitting in the charger for long periods after they are complete. I charge mine in an old cake pan.

Don't be afraid of them...they are great batteries. Lots of energy for the size.

 

[rmteo]

Re: 2 CR123s... The straight dope?

Not the Lithium cr123.

?????? http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?330044-Dangerous-explosion-with-2-CR123A-primary

 

[StarHalo]

Re: 2 CR123s... The straight dope?

Yes, cheap primary 123s have proven themselves to be more dangerous than their li-ion counterparts. Make sure you're buying quality name brand cells, and use a multimeter to pair them by nearest voltage for best runtime.