Dont remove the plastic top from the controller!

Nightwing · #1 11-03-2002, 04:49 PM

It just dawn on me about a possible safety hazard if you remove the clear top off of a ZZ or Bit controller.

Simply this. If its left off and the controller is left on while jamed in a pocket could cause a burn if the ends touch a coin or other conducting items. I think the resistor that limits the current may prevent this but not sure. At the least could damage the charging circuit.

Shacky · #2 11-03-2002, 08:38 PM

Are you sure? I thought the controller turns off the juice to those contacts when the controller is off. I can't charge my car with the controller off, so how much current is running through it?

Steve · #3 11-03-2002, 08:54 PM

at 3 volts? I can barely get the damn car to stay on the contacts when concentrating, I can't imagine a coin just happening to sit perfectly across both terminals. That plastic cover was the first thing I threw away.

catman25 · #4 11-03-2002, 09:10 PM

I THINK HE WAS JUST OFFERING A KINDLY WARNING..use some manners and say hey..thanks ..(and think toyour self who cares than to say it in a disrespectful way ..nightwing has done nothing but help us modders out so ..shopw a lil respect !

john · #5 11-03-2002, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Steve
I can barely get the damn car to stay on the contacts when concentrating,

LOL! That's realy funny.

But catman does have a point too, Nightwing is one hardcore electronics guy, and I'm happy he's here too. And I'm sure he'll see the humor in Steve's post too.

Thanks for the tip! Although I swapped out the stock antenna for a longer one. So the cover never shuts anymore anyway, but for double the range, I'll just be careful. in the future. Maybe I'll cut a lost in the cover so I can close it with the new antenna.

Nightwing · #6 11-03-2002, 09:43 PM

Sorry to scare anyone but it was just a warnning!

If it is off nothing should occure.

I Had a TI calc with changable battery packs that I forgot to slide it in a carrier one day and got both a burn and a nice hold in my pants . About the size of a quarter... Could not move fast enough to get it out of my pocket.

For this to possibly occure "you would need the unit on" but only a blink to triger the charging circuit. If it touching would heat up the touching object. If a coin would just heat up. If something thin could burn or catch on fire.

The caution came from thinking about the trigger transistor turning on the transistor that feed current to the contacts. If its making/breaking, may not get enough heat to do anything but could drain the battries.

If you have wired directly to the two AA battries to get enough current to the jack for charging could cause problems.

I dont mind anyone saying "you sure" or "your nuts."

This is proabbly about 2% chance but I remember trying to figure why is my pocket hot and how fast I jumped!

I wish they had did the layout that a MicroQ has. Jack on side with antenna on top. Oh well!

I know what you mean of getting that darn car on the jack. Its the pits!

Nightwing · #7 11-03-2002, 10:25 PM

PS: I may be absolutly crazy on this causing a problem also.

Shacky · #8 11-03-2002, 10:47 PM

Yes, my post was not to be disrespectful, but to tackle the theory like an engineer. If the batteries were rerouted to directly connect to the contacts, there is a definite need for concern. But with the electronics in between so that a car does not charge when the switch is off should mean there is no danger of the contacts carrying enough of a charge to get a metal bridge hot. The switch should break the connection to the batteries to prevent this from happening.

I've also done the battery in the pocket full of coins hop. You'd think I'd learn after trying to pickup some coins from a coin jar that I had dropped my AA batteries into.

Those pennies burn!

Nightwing · #9 11-04-2002, 12:07 AM

Shacky, I trully feel for you!

Being there before!

No disrespect taken!

Like the open, is this possible, that the forum offers.

Steve · #10 11-04-2002, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by catman25
I THINK HE WAS JUST OFFERING A KINDLY WARNING..use some manners and say hey..thanks ..(and think toyour self who cares than to say it in a disrespectful way ..nightwing has done nothing but help us modders out so ..shopw a lil respect !

Wow...I didn't mean to upset anyone. I thought the plastic cover was just a protective part for shipping. Kinda like the clear plastic thing that ships on monitors. Of course, throwing it away will probably cause a seagull to choke, which will upset the balance of nature in a way no one could ever possibly hope to understand. Anyway, the tip is well taken. As for putting things in my pocket, if the pliers, wire snips, gator clamps. cell phone, 2way radio, pda, pens, pencils, tape measures, paperclips, twist ties, binder clips, and countless little plastic vga port caps that I collect all day don't get me, that damn Zip radio would be the thing to roast my loins. Peace brothers.

go_zz_go · #11 11-06-2002, 01:17 PM

i read this at first and laughed but right now i was sitting here and had 2 spare aa batterys in my pocket and a handful of change,, well as luck would have the change shorted the batts and they got hot extremly hot and very fast

thanks for the warning sish now i have to laugh at myself

Nightwing · #12 11-06-2002, 01:52 PM

Hope you survive it! Really feel sorry for you!

Have heard if you short a set of 2ah AA metal bat they may actualy explode!