I agree on most points, but are there still chargers around that are not immune to reverse polarity and shorting?
Originally Posted by
ta04evah
That is true, however there's still that risk of shorting out producing a significant spark and an electric shock, it's not a pleasant experience being zapped by a charger, sure it may not harm you but still a hazard. I know it shouldn't happen but for some reason I received a zap from it, I no longer have that charger btw.
Also, what if you drop one of your tools and it shorts the terminal of the battery while it's charging in the car, that could also lead to the battery shorting out, which again could have dire consequences.
Cheers
StrangelRob.
I also had a similar slight zapping experience once, and thought the charger is bad, I measured the leads with a multimeter, but every point was at zero, so I put it down to the surface of the connector must be old and slightly gritty and cause the feeling in a purely mechanical way. I soldered on another connector and had never had such feeling since.
I can imagine making an accidental short while charging in a car, so I don't do that whenever possible. Only exception is a small car that has a terrrible mounting system, so if I don't have to wrench it, I leave the pack in and cover it with a towel.