1st time posting & battery safety question

I've been reading for weeks and weeks now and finally signed up and here is my first post! (all those CPF deals also gave me a bit of encouragement).

I have one safety question for the experts: One of my lights is the SF G2 which does not have the lock out tail cap (the new 2005 G2 states that it will have a lock out tailcap BTW). Since the G2 is often placed (ok thrown) into my briefcase, backpack, pocket, etc, I often open the light, invert the rear battery, and then close the light up tight. Does this pose any safety hazard? After reading the stickied thread about exploding batteries, I thought I would ask....

Nice to finally have a login.

Stephen
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thanks.gif

Welcome Stephen!

I often do the same thing to my G2's (negative to negative). It is a perfectly safe practice since it effectively interrupts the circuit.

It sounds like you have the two batteries touching each other bottom to bottom, or in other words, the negative ends together. Is there any way that the actual metal negative terminals can contact each other, or are they sufficiently recessed that this could not happen? If they cannot touch, I think you are ok. If they can touch and the light is turned on, then a reverse charge situation would result. That could have negative and unpredictable effects on the batteries and I would avoid it.

Good luck and welcome to CPF.

Good point Lurker, when I reverse the rear (tailcap) battery, the jacket creates a gap between both -ve terminals, physically interrupting the circuit.

Welcome to CPF Stephen!

It the majority of normal situations negative to negative SF123As in a SureFire should effectively break the circuit and disable the light. It is not an ideal solution. I personally do not recommend the G2 unless a Clickie TailCap is being used (these can be "Locked Out"). I can't wait to buy some G2's when they are released with LockOut TailCaps.

The solution in the mean while is to get a Clickie TailCap for it, or a better option is to get an E2e!

Al /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Do you mean the SF clickie tailcap or is there an aftermarket version that isn't so pricey?

perhaps using a peel off round sticker on the end of one cell would be a cheap temporary solution. I would put the cell with the sticker on it in the middle so if there is a tailcap wire spring it cannot scratch through it and complete the circuit.

Our G2 is packed away in the disaster kit so I can't check at the moment, but can't you lock out the G2 by unscrewing the bezel slightly?

Unscrewing the bezel does not work in all cases.

I refer to using a SureFire Clickie TailCap such as one in my photo below:

Clickies and Batteries

I considered buying the Z48 when I ordered the C2 - I probably would have if I would have known that it would also work with the G2. I have also searched around, and apparently there is a cheapo Garrity flashlight that has a clickie switch that will work on the G2. Too bad I am in Germany and not near an American WallyWorld.

Regarding Battery Discharging - this G2 has the BugOutUSA Luxeon drop in (love it after a bit of dremeling for the G2). Is it safe to run the batteries down down down since discharge rates would be somewhat slower than on a regular P60/61?

Stephen

Re: Clickies and Batteries

I put an O ring on my g2 between tailcap and body which stopped mt g2 from intermittent light ups on it's own. The only drawback was it would only activate with the momentary switch but i figured the extra safety was worth it.
I also have a streamlight luxeon jr which has a troublesome clickie from time to time. just this week i felt my pocket burning and it was turned on. I got it out of my pocket and pulled the batterys, it took a half hour for everything to cool down. so you gotta be watchful and carefull because there is a definite hazard there no matter what light you are using.