BigBlue overcharging battery pack?

[tbone1004]

OK.

I just did a google search on “Big Blue dive light explodes” and not a single link to any type of incident showed up. I would have thought if someone almost died there would be some sort of account about it.

most of the cave divers have heard about it, but the guy who it happened to is relatively quiet on social media

 

[Rick_C]

during or immediately after charger.
Not quite a bit, but has happened several times
Yes to serious injuries. One of them fairly recently almost died. The canisters don't have proper pressure relief built into them and the shrapnel when it quite literally exploded missed his femoral artery by a few mm's. Several surgeries and still recovering almost a year later.

Was it a canister light and the battery was charged while in the canister, or the battery pack was charged, then inserted into the light, then an explosion?

 

[tbone1004]

Was it a canister light and the battery was charged while in the canister, or the battery pack was charged, then inserted into the light, then an explosion?

canister. charged per the manufacturer specs, on the stock charger. shortly after the head was put on it exploded

 

[Rick_C]

Another note: On May 21, I emailed BigBlue about the Batcell battery pack being overcharged with a BigBlue charger. I also gave them the link to this thread and asked for their feedback. I have received no response.

 

[bamafan]

It was a can light and their cord / charging has issues. You unscrew the cord from the battery pack / can and screw on the charger. The connection always gets water in it no matter what you do. I would assume the light that exploded was used in salt water and the contacts corroded. The handhelds are a much better design. The battery isn't in a pipe while charging.

 

[tbone1004]

It was a can light and their cord / charging has issues. You unscrew the cord from the battery pack / can and screw on the charger. The connection always gets water in it no matter what you do. I would assume the light that exploded was used in salt water and the contacts corroded. The handhelds are a much better design. The battery isn't in a pipe while charging.

correct. That said, the root cause of the problem is junk battery/bms/chargers which caused the battery to go in the first place. The battery would have exploded regardless of whether it was in the canister or not, but being in a canister with no overpressure relief meant that the damage to his leg was that much worse

 

[tursiops]

most of the cave divers have heard about it

This one hasn't.
Ever since I was a little kid, it has irritated me when somebody says, "I know something you don't know and I'm not going to tell you! Nyaa Nyaa Nyaa!" Just sayin'.

 

[tbone1004]

This one hasn't.
Ever since I was a little kid, it has irritated me when somebody says, "I know something you don't know and I'm not going to tell you! Nyaa Nyaa Nyaa!" Just sayin'.

No one is trying to keep it secret which is why many of us know. That said, the guy it's happened to has asked that specifics don't get published, especially while the lawsuit is still in progress which is why the extend of what has been published has been " a big blue canister light exploded, it happened to a cave diver, and damn near killed him"

 

[Rick_C]

No one is trying to keep it secret which is why many of us know. That said, the guy it's happened to has asked that specifics don't get published, especially while the lawsuit is still in progress which is why the extend of what has been published has been " a big blue canister light exploded, it happened to a cave diver, and damn near killed him"

Earlier in this thread you mentioned BB explosions "has happened several times" so, do you have any other cases or additioinal info that you can share?

 

[tbone1004]

Earlier in this thread you mentioned BB explosions "has happened several times" so, do you have any other cases or additioinal info that you can share?

there are at least 2 other documented cases that have been brought into said lawsuit so I can't discuss openly. They were much less severe in terms of damage to the user, but were proof of poor design and component quality.

I have several BB backup lights, bit like all of the other cheap backup lights, the chargers immediately went into the trash and the batteries were recycled. I have rarely seen a UN38.3 cert with any of these batteries and certainly not with any of the BB packs, which also means they are illegal to fly and you are personally responsible for any damage that happens on a plane.