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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have no inside knowledge to answer to your
question, but I'll just venture a guess... <STRONG>Answer: </STRONG>R&D and
QA budget. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Companies who sell laptops, PDA's, cell phones,
etc. are typically huge companies with enormous R&D departments. Their
entire business is inventing new technologies. Part of their product
requirements for mobile devices are power systems that will support the product
x hours, weight less than y amount, etc. etc.... AND NOT CATCH ON FIRE! Sure,
all companies will put out defective devices periodically, but they have an
intensive development and Quality Assurance process that attempts to eliminate
all problems, especially user injury. They also have warehouses of lawyers
telling them they better not kill anyone!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>Disclaimer: </STRONG>The following is a
fictional account that I just made up out of thin air. (but I bet I'm pretty
close)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The RC industry is much easier to break into for
smaller players than the big industries listed above. Some of these players
innovate with new ideas, designs, etc., but many are just savvy businessmen that
see the opportunity to create a business by repackaging and reselling existing
technology. I'm not knocking savvy businessmen that repackage and resell, many
millionaires have been created from doing this in many many industries and it
takes a special person to see the opportunity and execute an idea to make a
business successful. I respect this ability.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>However, in the case of the RC battery industry
it's led to products being released that are unsafe due to virtually no R&D
or QA process. Think about how we got here, there were numerous individuals that
saw how ridiculously expensive NiCad and NiMH battery packs were and realized
they could get raw cells for a fraction of the cost. Why not buy some,
solder them together and make a business out of it? Numerous business
minded hobbyist did and ended up creating companies that specialize in selling
these packs, no harm done.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Selling NiCads and NiMH will generate a few extra
bucks, but it's not exactly a home run. The big win in business is being an
early adopter of new technology and becoming the leading name brand. Enter the
new lithium technology. Some very savvy business guys clearly saw this new
technology and figured they could build a business (or grow an existing
business) by offering the new miracle battery, so they did just as the NiCad and
NiMH guys did, gather information on the cells from the manufactures, do a
little testing, solder cells together and sell them. The only problem is, these
powerful cells also create powerful fires.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>End of fictional
account.</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Today there are some RC battery manufactures that
are offering circuitry to prevent overload induced fires, this is a great thing
and hopefully will eventually make lithium batteries as safe for RC use as they
are for the laptop I'm using to type this email. Others companies selling to the
RC industry still have no safeguards. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Are the safeguards used RC manufactures as thorough
as those used by the main-stream industries? I don't know, but I wish I
did. Are their testing procedures as rigorous as the big companies? I
don't know. Is the budget for safety as extensive? Is the brain power
working on safety in RC applications equivalent? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>These are all questions that I certainly can't
answer, but for our sake I'd hope the answer to all will eventually be
yes.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm sure I've pissed at least someone off with this
email, that's not my intention. This is just my "wild" guess as to why we're
where we are.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Keith Black</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=Rcmaster199@aol.com
href="mailto:Rcmaster199@aol.com">Rcmaster199@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=discussion@nsrca.org
href="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org">discussion@nsrca.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, May 09, 2004 9:37 PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Charging concerns/questions
with NMP Lithium Ion batteries</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2
FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10">I have tried to stay out of most of this
discussion but something is gnawing at me. I have asked this question before,
but don't believe I have gotten an answer. Maybe no one on the list knows
<BR><BR>Since Li-ion and Li-poly technology is widely used in cameras and cell
phones, and these are recharged all the time (in the home and without
special power supplies like separate 12 volt sources and such) with extremely
safe circuitry, why is it that the folks who offer these same battery types to
us, use charging circuitry that isn't so bullet proof???<BR><BR>Certainly
currents and voltages are different in some applications, but the chemistry is
the same. And Lithium metal will burn with ferocious intensity whether 20
grams are exposed or 10 times that amount. The heat is enough to burn your
plane or house either way.<BR><BR>Matt K<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"
TYPE="CITE">Subj:<B>Re: Charging concerns/questions with NMP Lithium Ion
batteries </B><BR>Date:5/9/2004 12:33:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time<BR>From:<A
href="mailto:kerlock@comcast.net">kerlock@comcast.net</A><BR>Reply-to:<A
href="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org">discussion@nsrca.org</A><BR>To:<A
href="mailto:discussion@nsrca.org">discussion@nsrca.org</A><BR><I>Sent from
the Internet </I><BR><BR><BR><BR>First off, I'm not looking for compassion.
That was a simple explanation as<BR>to why a guy who is normally cheery,
laughing and all smiles could go into a<BR>practically homicidal rage over a
smart a* comment<BR><BR>Secondly and most importantly, I'd like you to
explain to me, with as much<BR>detail as you'd like, how my position is
extreme in any way, shape or form.<BR>To me, an extreme position would be
"ban lithium batteries". I have never<BR>said or proposed any such thing.
I'd like to know how recommending caution<BR>and informing the uninformed
could POSSIBLY be viewed as extreme. Or is<BR>anyone even bothering to read,
or are they just glancing and knee jerking?<BR><BR>And I don't need any type
of apology, but thanks for the thought. I mean it.<BR><BR>-Mike<BR><BR>-----
Original Message ----- <BR>From: "John Ferrell"
<johnferrell@earthlink.net><BR>To:
<discussion@nsrca.org><BR>Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2004 10:12
AM<BR>Subject: Re: Charging concerns/questions with NMP Lithium Ion
batteries<BR><BR><BR>> We can always start over. I am sometimes guilty of
"picking on" someone<BR>> because their reaction is extreme. I see now
that I should investigate<BR>> conditions further to assure that what I
intend as good natured joking is<BR>> not taken as insensitive and cruel.
Fortunately, it was not I that was the<BR>> perpetrator this time, but it
could have
been.<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>