9 Volt Batteries can burn down your House if stored inproperly - YouTube
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This is not the same, but Badger will understand. Others of you too... In the army we had a man pack radio, the PRC 77 set which later became the PRC125 set...or the other way round. It used the big square battery which was composed of dozens of smaller batteries resembling AA, C and D cells. All plain and set together they were joined at the ends by a soldered on metal tape. This gave them the power they needed to run the radios. Bring into the equation a very bored 18 year old doing observation post duty in Nicosia Cyprus (1975)...long hours with sometimes not much happening... One day he took one of these batteries and opened it up to see. Then joined up all the connector wires that hooked it into the radio...then set it on the sandbags and stood back to watch the wires glow red... Well a minute or so went by and there were the sound of small caliber gunshots in his (my) location. This is bad...the batteries had started to high order and were blowing the core out like a projectile. I didn't need a firearms simulator, there were lots around. I had to take a broom handle and disarm this thing under fire as the pieces were flying everywhere...it was now glowing. I threw it into the local wrecked buildings and took note not to play with batteries...
The commentator said that it only works with 9v batteries. Surely it'll work with lesser batteries too as we were taught this as a method of firelighting during our basic survival training and later as a sabotage method during advanced military training
True, but the 9Volt battery is the only one in common usage that has both terminals on the same end, making it much more likely to accidently short-circuit.I've used this as an emergency fire starting method for years and keep one in my kit when ever off-highway traveling.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Laidler
Ah, yes....., got that Bob
The larger six volt batteries like you use in some flashlights have two terminals on one end so they will do the same thing but even much faster. We were allowed to start fires that way all the back to Boy Scout survival trainings.
Thanks for the warning Doug & Jim! :cheers:
Funniest thing I remember as a young Cpl back in 74, we were issued with the replacement magnesium batteries for the 77 set but no disposal instructions. So after 2 weeks exercise in High Range training area in Townsville we had collected quite a tidy sum of expended batteries. On return to 3 Task Force Lavarack Barracks asked where we were to dispose of said batteries and told throw them in the industrial waste bin. Next day the contractor rolls up to empty the bins (they were chockers) first bin up and into the garbage truck compressor on and one almighty bang as they exploded. After the smoke cleared away there was nothing left of the compactor at all. Was even funny still as we were sent out to clean up the mess off the roadway. New disposal instructions were immediately issued said batteries were to only be disposed of by burial. :madsmile::lol: