Sunday, November 30, 2008

THE TALE OF THE EXPLODING BATTERY

Dear readers,

If you ever buy a "sungun," a little nightlight for your camera, be certain to only use the AC adapter provided with the light, especially if it's a 10v or 60w light. Here's a cautionary tale for you:
I bought my little 10v at B&H photo and somewhere along the line I lost the AC adapter it came with. On a subsequent trip to the shop, the guys told me it was okay to use any AC adapter to charge the battery, as long as I didn't turn on the light. That, I was warned, would blow the bulb out.
So, in a comfortable frame of mind, I plugged your standard ac adapter into the battery pack for the nightlight and left it on my desk to charge while I was making dinner. A few minutes later, I heard a little pop followed by a little BOOM.
I returned to my desk to find it covered in black powder, and the remains of the battery pack. I spent the next two hours removing the powder and all of its contents from my computer, my desk, papers, and floor.
There's an old African proverb that says "Through mistakes, one becomes wise." If so, I'm on my way to Mensa.
But at least I wasn't in the room when it happened. If so, I'd probably have my eyes in bandages rather than having the opportunity to write to you wonderful people here.
Good night and good luck until we meet again.

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