Please read re rechargeables ; possible fire condition

[TomMac]

This was posted recently and I thought it would be good to post a separate thread;

Warning to all !

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mkar wrote:

GTL battery light blue blasted and the camera got fire. Nice that netgear is replacing the whole unit.

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Sorry to hear, good to hear its getting replaced...

I do believe myself and others have mentioned the safety factor of cells with PCB ( over/under volatge protection ).

I also know that many of the china cells are crap compared to 'known' brands in both rating and quality.  The only thing going for them is the cheap price.

Using batteries with BUILT IN PCB are an added safety factor. 

( no other known info as to how, undercharge, overcharge, etc )

[TomMac]

Addtional info as follows;

Battery was fully charged and after charging we put inside the camera. It was fine, when we put the battery inside the camera. The camera took the first picture, thats when it exploded, with a loud tup sound. Then fire started. The fire melted the out side white plastic. I am using the same batteries(GTL light blue) for other 3 cameras, they are working fine. 

[PJMLAW]

Tom- You once mentioned you used an AC adapter on an Arlo.  Could you give me any specifics as I'd like to use AC adapters on 2 Arlos. I can find the Eagle Tac batteries but not with a companion charger.  Do you know where I can find the kit -Eagle Tac and charger together - to reduce the possibility of a fire?  A small fire in one of my Arlos would likely burn my home down.  Thanks. 

[RobertRosal]

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PJMLAW wrote:

Do you know where I can find the kit -Eagle Tac and charger together - to reduce the possibility of a fire?  A small fire in one of my Arlos would likely burn my home down.  Thanks. 

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Hi PJM,

I use the EagleTac's and like you only can find the batteries alone.  I have already had a non-PCB battery overheat on me and luckily I caught it before it did any damage to my cameras.

If you  want to safely recharge your EagleTac's or any 16340 rechargeables, I highly recommend the Nitecore D4.  It has all the safety features built in,

[PJMLAW]

Thank you, Robert. Were you using the Nitecore D4 charger on the EagleTac battery that overheated?

[RobertRosal]

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PJMLAW wrote:

Thank you, Robert. Were you using the Nitecore D4 charger on the EagleTac battery that overheated?

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Actually the battery that overheated were unprotected TrustFires and were not charged on the Nitecore D4.  The charger that was used was a charger I bought from Ebay.

EagleTac's are protected and I charge them with the Nitecore D4 and no problems whatsoever with this combo.

[Tats]

Scary stuff.  I have Ultrafire 2300mAh 16340/ CR123A 3.7v Li-ion Batteries that I charge using a Nitecore D2 charger on "low".  I definitely do not want it exploding or catching fire.  I haven't had any problems, but of course rather be safe than sorry.  Should I replace all these batteries with those like EagleTac with PCB?  Or, is charging with Nitecore on low charge enough to keep the Ultrafires from overheating/exploding?  (Some of these cameras are used outside in a building that can get really hot in the middle of the day.)

[RobertRosal]

From what I have read, using a high quality charger will help with non PCB batteries.  I have to admit though, I feel much safer using a PCB battery.

[Tats]

Robert,  Thanks for your reply.  I see that LightJunction has a battery bundle pack:

4 x EagleTac RCR123A (16340) 750mAh Protected Li-ion Rechargeable Battery   +$19.76

4 x NITECORE RCR123A 650mAh Protected Li-ion Rechargeable Battery   +$28.80

I believe you might have some NiteCore batteries?  Both are protected rechargeables.  Nitecores have a lower mAh.  Do you have an opinion on whether the NiteCore is worth that more more?

[RobertRosal]

I haven't tried the Nitecore yet but if you do, let me know how they work out.

[TomMac]

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Tats wrote:

Robert,  Thanks for your reply.  I see that LightJunction has a battery bundle pack:

4 x EagleTac RCR123A (16340) 750mAh Protected Li-ion Rechargeable Battery   +$19.76

4 x NITECORE RCR123A 650mAh Protected Li-ion Rechargeable Battery   +$28.80

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The only thing you have to watch out for is the variables allowed by the manuf's in the dimensions of the 16340 cells.

There is a +/- varience... some of the cells tried by a few were a very tight fit and/or didn't fit

[Tats]

BTW, lightjunction has a 20% off code for labor day.  I'll pick up the NiteCores and do a simple comparison with the Eagletacs. 

[RobertRosal]

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Tats wrote:

BTW, lightjunction has a 20% off code for labor day.  I'll pick up the NiteCores and do a simple comparison with the Eagletacs. 

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Looking forward to see how they hold up in your use.

[JamesC · Accepted solution]

We recently posted an article outlining best practices when it comes to batteries. For those involved in this discussion I encourage you to review the following article:

Remember these golden rules for your Arlo camera batteries

Thank you!

JamesC

[TomMac]

Tks JamesC.... good write-up

[RobertRosal]

Well done sir!