Originally Posted by
Shadowex3
Alkalines are dry inside actually iirc, also I haven't seen anything remotely approaching the $8 charger that follows what's been said here to be safe, everything I've seen strongly suggests even if using pcb-protected 18650's to use a charger like the Pila. Short of going suicide-cheap with parts everything still adds up to the $50-70 range, I can get a magicshine for that much.
The usual wisdom on flashlight forums is to make sure your cheap charger is only on while you're around to supervise it. I don't know of any cases of one actually starting a fire. Wait - I didn't until this:
http://www.singletrackworld.com/foru...r-catches-fire
The general safety rules:
http://ant-supplies.co.uk/BatteryChargers.aspx
However due to the chemistry of lithium cells extra precautions are required due to the risk of fire.
Extreme care should be taken while charging them;
Never leave batteries to charge unattended.
Be sure the voltage and rate of the charger matches the batteries.
Whilst charging the charger should be placed in fire-resistant area.
Never mix lithium-ion batteries with other types of batteries.
The batteries should also be stored in fire-resistant area.
Do not store batteries so that they can rattle together where they
could short circuit against each other or other items.
Keep chargers and batteries away from children.