Vintage Dive Light

[gcbryan]

For what it's worth I think the reason recharging in the light (without taking the battery out) can be safely done in some designs is because the gases can vent through the charging port (again if properly designed).

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Just so everyone will know that it is a real problem, I had a hyrogen gas explosion on my Subsea Mark 150 strobe, which used a 510 volt, alkaline battery. They do happen, and so there must be some venting. If I had opened the case before turning it on, it would not have happened. Hydrogen gas has a very wide explosive range, as defined by the lower explosive limit (LEL) and the upper explosive limit (UEL); these are 4% to 74% in air, respectively. It doesn't take much to make an explosive mixture in air. In my case, it blew the case apart, tearing off one of the hinged clamps and breaking off the epoxy that held it. I needed a complete new housing (the electronics were not in the housing, it only covered everything). It was also quite startling.

SeaRat

 

[AfterDark]

It is not a battery explosion, it is ignition of hydrogen gas and no, the case would not contain it, lol.

The magnetic switch was great on mine for four decades and was still working as intermittently reliable as it was intermittently reliable from day one, not the most reliable light.

If I ever needed a light to depend upon, which I did, the Bug Light would not be the one I reached for.

N

That's too bad you had a bad experience with yours. I used mine all the time, even camping. The switch would occasionally need to be cycled twice and the batteries had to be securely taped in. As time went on I put pennies between the batteries to improve the fit. Overhaul I was happy with mine. There's much better and lighter ones these days and this spring I'll be getting one, and a backup which I never had with the Dive Brite. The alunimin case on mine looks about 3/8" the plexiglass cover was custom made from 1" stock. That's pretty heavy construction though I'll admit to never seeing that type of explosion aside from the hydrogen bomb explosion At the Bikini Atolls. If its that big it's a good thing they went away I'll take your word for it, thamks

 

[Nemrod]

That's too bad you had a bad experience with yours. I used mine all the time, even camping. The switch would occasionally need to be cycled twice and the batteries had to be securely taped in. As time went on I put pennies between the batteries to improve the fit. Overhaul I was happy with mine. There's much better and lighter ones these days and this spring I'll be getting one, and a backup which I never had with the Dive Brite. The alunimin case on mine looks about 3/8" the plexiglass cover was custom made from 1" stock. That's pretty heavy construction though I'll admit to never seeing that type of explosion aside from the hydrogen bomb explosion At the Bikini Atolls. If its that big it's a good thing they went away I'll take your word for it, thamks

If there were an explosion, the Bug Light case would be shrapnel. This was only brought up due to the question about modifying lights to add a charge port. Alkaline batteries can off gas as well and they can also short and produce a great amount of heat, I shorted one of my Mod X lights once, it essentially melted rather than exploding though it was on the way to doing that also, in fact, my wife was really angry with me since this all happened on her coffee table.

I used to cave dive, I have this thing about lights. A few years ago, during a non cave dive cave dive, I had a triple light failure. If you need a light, you need it to work.

I do get nostalgic over my Bug Light, it's soft yellow glow cast across the sandy bottom, it's weight and size out of proportion to it's output, the cool emblem on the bottom, Light My World, that is why I sent mine to a good home where it can be appreciated.

N

 

[RickI]

Sorry to hear about the detonation and your Subsea. Those 510 V batteries were something else. That is one classic strobe. Are you considering replacing it? I still have a Subsea 150 but no longer use it.

Just so everyone will know that it is a real problem, I had a hyrogen gas explosion on my Subsea Mark 150 strobe, which used a 510 volt, alkaline battery. They do happen, and so there must be some venting. If I had opened the case before turning it on, it would not have happened. Hydrogen gas has a very wide explosive range, as defined by the lower explosive limit (LEL) and the upper explosive limit (UEL); these are 4% to 74% in air, respectively. It doesn't take much to make an explosive mixture in air. In my case, it blew the case apart, tearing off one of the hinged clamps and breaking off the epoxy that held it. I needed a complete new housing (the electronics were not in the housing, it only covered everything). It was also quite startling.

SeaRat

 

[Heavy water]

I have a Darrel Allen Dive Bright in the aluminum style as well as a Plastic
A few years back I bought the mag switches for them here in WV the guy toled me the Aluminum style was a copy of his. Does anybody know the real truth????