What Not to do to an HID...

[akcaver]

Okay, dont ever forget to turn off your light after the battery dies during a dive, and then charge it and put it back in with the light accidently on and not notice cause its in a protective case...

http://cavediver.net/photopost/data/501/medium/DSC05171.JPG

[Tegg]

what light is that?

I think the more appropriate question is, "What light WAS that?"

[cavediver256]

Ouch !!!!! I have always been afraid that would happen to me.... At least it didn't start a fire in your gear bag l

[FW]

Andrew, I guess you need those light heads even more now. Sorry to see that happen!

[skip]

Many moons ago we were diving morrison spring and my buddy left her halogen cannister light on, took off her gear on a picnic table, and the light head caught the wood on fire and almost burned up her gear to boot! A quick thinking open water student from FSU grabbed her gear, while another scooped water to douse the fire. By the time she returned from the ladies room the fire was out and the gear saved! I was clueless, having retreated to the parking area to de-gear on the tailgate of the truck....

-skip

[Alan Owens]

Back in the day, I saw a person hooking up a 14 a/h AUL light with a banana connector, accidentally make both + and - across their wedding band. With gold being the conductor that it is, it only took a fraction of a second to blister the complete circumference of her finger. She bitched a little but we made the dive.
I guess that is why one pole is hidden. (We changed our connections and upsized wire back then to run bigger bulbs for certain dives)
Have a good time and a safe dive,
Alan

Once, my halogen light switch got bounced ON while driving back from a dive. It burned and melted a reel, and a wet suit. It was a costly mess.... Now, I ALWAYS disconnect the battery on my cannister lights.... call it paranoia... or experience.... :roll: Another benefit of disconnecting soon after a dive, is that if the cannister leaked, you find out about it immediately... possibly preventing worse more damage...

[Mike]

My problem is not remembering to connect the battery before the dive.
That is embarrassing.
I have gotten better at it, I thought.
Got into a sink Tuesday night, fired up the light....Damn!
I am pretty good now with a quick in water connect, but you have to have some kind of high ground to do it.
Luckily my buddy was patient.
When in cave country, just going for fills I have left it connected.
Might think differently now.

Mike M

[phreaticus]

...had a UK AquaSun (the PRIMO light in its day!) with a 150 watt projector bulb turn itself on in the back of a Chevy mini Blazer @ Ginnie in the early 80's. It started a blanket on fire, which was fortunately noticed by the wife/gf of one of my cavern students, who came running down to the basin @ Ginnie...where FORTUNATELY I was on the surface with the class. The words "your car is on fire" will get your attention! You never saw someome shuck a set of 104's so fast!
Ran to the vehicle and pulled the blanket out just in time, just a slight hint of smoke damage to the inner lip of the cieling at the tailgate. Thirty more seconds, and CARBEQUE!
I still have the milk crate that the light was in as a memento...melted side and all!

[Wizard]

I also have a fear of a light getting turned on. It gets disconnected when not in use. The light came with a cover but fearing it might get switched on without knowing I made a cover with an open end so in the event it got turned on, you can see the light burning. When I get fills It sometimes is left hooked up, but I put it on top of eveything so it maybe will be seen before meltdown occurs.

Those of you that know RBear and KBear know they just throw everything in the back of the truck until the next dive. Once, on the way from Peacock to Ginnie, they saw smoke in the truck bed. Ron now has a perfect 3" hole in the arm of his undergarment.

[akcaver]

Haha, Thanks for all the stories guys... I feel less like an idiot now :-D

[Dan Thoms]

OUCH!!!!!

[PerroneFord]

I feel your pain. I had charged my BRAND new 21w overnight, hooked it up to check it, and forgot to disconnect it. Put the light head in a coozie and packed it away. Drove down to Wakulla to get my dive buddy, and while packing the car, smelled something funny. Looked around and saw the light beaming from my bag. Oh damn. Took a look and teh front half of the reflector hood was all melted. :(

Light still works fine and focus is perfect, but I am much more careful now. Some lessons are learned the hard way.