Topic: exploding microtracker

[spoogles]

so i was charging up my mt and it finished so unpluged it and went to power up.
as soon as i hit the power button i hear a woosh and flames and smoke shot out the sides. i threw it to the ground as acrid smoke filled my room.
ran to kitchen to get a potholder and by then my carpet had been charred. this is fucked up.
mt is shot as is my carpet and 4 gig microdrive. luckily my hand is ok,i guess i'll be on the phone to maudio on monday morning.
and no the power on my outlet is not inverted.

[Javier Cinakowski]

LMFAO 

T+

[shaggy]

Well, I guess one good reason to stay away, FAR AWAY from the MT.

+T for your troubles and injuries

[J.T.L]

+T for your troubles and injuries

...yeah.

 

[spoogles]

well i checked my microdrive and amazingly it has survived. so at least i didn't lose everything.

[KLowe]

+T..... for the holy shit factor.

I'm hoping for a recall and a better version of the MT as a replacement.  (maybe one with a fixed 2gb problem and an optical in)

keep us updated when you talk with the M-Audio folks.

[Patrick]

...and I was seriously thinking of picking one of these up in the next few weeks  

[rodeen]

Good lord!  I just plugged mine in an hour ago to charge it up.  Guess I better have the
fire extinguisher handy when I power it on. 

What version of the firmware were you using   

[Genghis Cougar Mellen Khan]

 

Stealthers crotching this thing have some balls, for now at least...  

I hope you can at least warranty that pop tart!  

edit: deleted stuff

[spoogles]

was using the newest firmware. had used it earlier in the day and had no problems. very scary. i'm glad i was home and it didnt happen while i was out. the fire was hot and had to extinguish.

[poorlyconditioned]

so i was charging up my mt and it finished so unpluged it and went to power up.
as soon as i hit the power button i hear a woosh and flames and smoke shot out the sides. i threw it to the ground as acrid smoke filled my room.
ran to kitchen to get a potholder and by then my carpet had been charred. this is fucked up.
mt is shot as is my carpet and 4 gig microdrive. luckily my hand is ok,i guess i'll be on the phone to maudio on monday morning.
and no the power on my outlet is not inverted.

Wow.  Craziest thread ever!

Seriously, could this be the danger of LiIon batteries everyone speaks about?  Who knows how it happened, but it seems like the only thing that could generate this kind of heat is the battery, right?

  Richard

[Chuck]

Holy shit! Wow! That sucks.
I can't wait to hear how this is  (or isn't ) resolved.
MicroTracker = the AD1000 for the 21st Century!

[Genghis Cougar Mellen Khan]

was using the newest firmware. had used it earlier in the day and had no problems. very scary. i'm glad i was home and it didnt happen while i was out. the fire was hot and had to extinguish.

Part of the 1.4.0 firmware update:

User Interface change:

While charging with the unit in the Application, the battery icon will contain the letters CHG. This will remain until the battery voltage reaches 100% and remains there for one hour. At that time, the CHG will be replaced with a plug icon (indicating it is plugged in and supplying power but no longer charging the battery). This one hour ‘timer’ will be reset only if power is removed for longer than 3 minutes (which will prevent the unit from overcharging if the power is removed and returned for short periods of time).

Apple recall: http://www.acmetech.com/extras/apple_recalls.html
Important Safety Recall - Rechargeable Battery for 15-inch PowerBook G4
Apple is voluntarily recalling certain lithium ion rechargeable batteries that were sold worldwide from January 2004 through August 2004 for use with 15-inch PowerBook G4 (Aluminum) notebook computers. These batteries were manufactured by LG Chem, Ltd. of South Korea.
The affected batteries could overheat, posing a fire hazard. Apple received four reports of these batteries overheating. No injuries have been reported. Apple urges you to stop using your battery and to order a replacement battery immediately. If you continue to use your battery, do not leave it unattended and check for signs of overheating.

HP recall: http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/laptops/hp-battery-recall-168937.php

Nikon: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0511/05110802nikonbattrecall.asp
Nikon has issued an advisory asking owners of cameras with the model EN-EL3 Lithium-Ion battery to return them for exchange. This battery was included with the Nikon D50, D70 and D100 as well as sold as an accessory. Apparently some affected batteries can short out and overheat. Nikon has published a list of 'lot numbers' of the affected batteries, at the moment we only have information from Nikon USA, if you live in other regions you should check with your local distributor.

I read in photo forums a couple instances in which Nikon cameras caught fire due to a defective EN-EL3 battery.

Also from wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion_battery

Warning
Lithium-ion batteries can easily rupture, ignite, or explode when exposed to high temperatures or direct sunlight. Never store them inside of a car during hot weather. Short-circuiting a Li-ion battery can also cause it to ignite or explode. Never open a Li-ion battery's casing. Li-ion batteries contain safety devices that, if damaged, can cause the battery to ignite or explode.

Is it possible the unit was sitting in direct sunlight?

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

+T and good luck with M-Audio. I hope they give you a new one and re-imburse you for a new microdrive. That sucks.

[neutrino]

Wow! Damn lucky you were not injured severely by that incident.

This is NOT an ironic incident, and you hear about it happening quite often to users of lithium polymer batteries - commonly used for electric radio controlled airplanes. These packs have a tendency to swell over time and can burst like you had the misfortune to experience. M-Audio better be real fuckin' quick to get you a replacement and who knows what else you may get out of them when they see your photos... That hand hurts real bad right?
db-