Cave Diving Backup Lights / Rechargeable Batteries

[Lorenzoid]

. . .
Tomorrow is my charging day for my Saturday cave diving trip. My can light and my Terics will be charged. I will do a quick voltage check on my backup light batteries and the spares.

Side issue here, but do you make a point of charging lithium batteries during the day for fire safety reasons? I have been charging overnight, but best practice on boats now seems to be charging lithiums only during hours when someone can keep an eye on them, so it seems prudent to follow that practice in our homes, too.

 

[Manatee Diver]

Side issue here, but do you make a point of charging lithium batteries during the day for fire safety reasons? I have been charging overnight, but best practice on boats now seems to be charging lithiums only during hours when someone can keep an eye on them, so it seems prudent to follow that practice in our homes, too.

Large batteries are charged not only during the day, but while at least someone is home. Small batteries like my Terics, my GoPros, or the one in my helium analyzer, I don't care, I don't see them as that big of a fire risk.

 

[Heka]

Side issue here, but do you make a point of charging lithium batteries during the day for fire safety reasons? I have been charging overnight, but best practice on boats now seems to be charging lithiums only during hours when someone can keep an eye on them, so it seems prudent to follow that practice in our homes, too.

I only charge batteries that are in the same room that I'm in (and awake).

I've almost burned a garage down with a 11.1V 2200mAh LiPo battery due to poor charging discipline. I'd like to add that i was just outside of the garage when the problem started and was able to act quickly

Of course LiPo has more potential to start a fire than Li-ion but at least I learned my lesson well enough.

 

[tbone1004]

you can charge the small ones in the fireproof bags. Put the chargers in there with the cord sticking out. Zip them up, plug them in, come back later. The big scooter batteries are a different discussion, but you can get canisters and small ones in there no problem.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KZQZBN2/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_nKvRFbV6AY7QZ

 

[Heka]

you can charge the small ones in the fireproof bags. Put the chargers in there with the cord sticking out. Zip them up, plug them in, come back later. The big scooter batteries are a different discussion, but you can get canisters and small ones in there no problem.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KZQZBN2/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_nKvRFbV6AY7QZ

Some of the bags are good some aren't. Of course any extra safety function is a plus but they aren't still 100% safe

Here is a video series about lipo bags/boxes, please don't buy the cheapest one you can find.

That being said, starting a fire by charging a Li-Ion battery with a quality charger is rare but because of my experience I'm more safety oriented than maybe I'd need to be.

 

[tbone1004]

@Heka I don't disagree, but it's better than nothing and the risk of them going quite that catastrophically with high quality cells and chargers is pretty darn low. The issue is when you use unprotected cells/packs and cheap chargers...

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

Innovation requires experimentation. I am experimenting with these rechargeables because people I trust @tbone1004 @rjack321 trust that the technology warrants their use.

Of course I will experiment with them as an additional backup light and I will run them through the paces. My suspicion is that I will be a convert.

 

[Brian G]

FWIW, from a reliability perspective, MSA firefighter SCBA gear uses lithium-ion batteries. The battery sits between the air cylinder and the firefighter's body to keep it away from the heat.

On a different note, Orcatorch makes some lights that have a twist-on "switch" if that's what you like. I have a D520 and it's a pretty solid feeling light. I like it better than Edd's Expedition light but they are both good. The nice thing about button lights is that almost all of them have multiple brightness settings so you can have a regular brightness light with a long runtime, or a really bright light with a shorter run time.

 

[vioch]

I've had a li-ion primary light for 12+ years and the battery is the least likely part of fail (in fact it never has). I've broken switches, globes, bulbs, igniters, and ballasts, but never had the actual battery fail.

For about the same period of time never had anything from the list except battery failures. Have to change batteries once per 4-5 years im my HID.

And no "charging days" for me)) especially for the lights (backup lights) I almost never use

 

[rjack321]

For about the same period of time never had anything from the list except battery failures. Have to change batteries once per 4-5 years im my HID.

And no "charging days" for me)) especially for the lights (backup lights) I almost never use

so you had 2 or 3 batteries fail in 12 years?

I'm on my third battery too. The first got wet in a storage bin and was ruined. The second was down to about 66% of its rated capacity and it was time to replace it. I'm now on my 3rd battery in this 21W HID. Other than the battery that got wet (on the surface), they didnt fail or ruin a dive.

By the same token I'm on the 2nd bulb, the second ignitor, 2nd ballast, and about the 5th cord. All of those failures required using a different light before I could actually dive.