petzl MYO Headlamps warning

Just come across the following on Amazon :

Product Safety Alert (Ref. eu001013) - MYO headlamps from Petzl
22 Sep 2008

This is to inform you that the manufacturer Petzl has issued a product safety alert in the US on the following items:
ASINs: (Amazon internal product code)
B0012RHN0K
B00110F4AO
B0009HMF4S
B0009HMF48
ASINs Titles:
Myo XP Head Torch - 2008 Edition
Petzl Myo XP Headtorch
Myo Belt 5 SB
Myolite 3 Head Torch
Due to advances in the performance characteristics of AA/LR6 rechargeable batteries (especially their higher output during discharge), they can in certain cases of intensive use, cause quality and safety problems with MYO-series headlamps.
When the headlamp is used with AA/LR6 rechargeable batteries, if a short-circuit appears in the cable connecting the battery case to the lamp, the cable can spark, melt, or catch fire. This poses a burn hazard to the user.
The number of reported incidents is very low, representing 0.004% of total MYO headlamps sold.
Nevertheless, this rate of incidence does not meet Petzl's standards of reliability and safety.
As a result, Petzl has decided to alert endusers and to take the necessary corrective actions.
This information applies to all Petzl MYOseries headlamps manufactured before the end of June 2008.
For these headlamps, only alkaline batteries should be used. Rechargeable AA/LR6 batteries must not be used.
Since July 2008, modifications are underway for currently available MYO headlamps to make them compatible with AA/LR6 rechargeable batteries.
Please visit the links below for more information of the recall notice:
http://en.petzl.com/petzl/SportNews?News=222
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08403.html

Please also notify any buyers of this recall and the actions taken in this regard.
We appreciate your support on dealing with this recall for the sake of maintaining buyer safety on our platform.

Hopey's going to be having kittens - he's got all those models.

wa hayy, how novel, coming to the end of a race and an exploding head as grande finale

Makes a novel change from that heart stopping moment when it flashes off to indicate the batteries are dropping to a lower power level - usually happens half way down a fast descent and it's just long enough to leave you airborne in the dark!

Cheers Epocian.. :)

Petzl have done this before though (I think with the Duo model). Makes me wonder if Petzl and Duracell are in fact one and the same company... ;)

PS - my Myo XP 2008 is virtually retired nowadays because I found it a very disappointing performer.

Anyone out there, used/seen/has the Petzl Ultra....worth the money????

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Originally Posted by Eric Postlethwaite

Hopey's going to be having kittens - he's got all those models.

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:eek:

Looks like I may have to change to black diamond now. There's another £50 quid gone, wifes gonna love that :D

IS this meaning we're going to have to send the headtorch back and they will fix it? They could have recalled them in summer when there was no need for a headtorch :rolleyes:

No I think you just have to buy duracell batteries.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hopey

IS this meaning we're going to have to send the headtorch back and they will fix it?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Graeme

No I think you just have to buy duracell batteries.

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Won't have to buy many of those and it'd be cheaper to buy a new headtorch.

With only 1 in 25,000 being returned then the chance of it catching fire I reckon are small.

I for one do not want to use normal batteries every time as it is a) bad for Environment and b) Bad for the Wallet. so I will risk it.

Means everyone who had one last year had the same risk and chance of it being theirs. Anyone heard of this happening to anyone? Risk is there and risk is small otherwise they would have recalled.

Well if it does catch fire it might make me run a bit faster :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hopey

Well if it does catch fire it might make me run a bit faster :D

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From prior reading, re-chargeable batteries, when freshly charged, can display an 'over-voltage' spike. If you were to fully re-charge NiMH's and leave them to stand for 12 - 24 hours, the problem should be avoided.
As I was navigating on leg 5 of Baggin's BG last Saturday, I thought that I'd better have something a bit more 'Kosher' than my botched and cobbled Lucido Coolight 7. So it was down to Ultimate Outdoors in Lancaster and a Black Diamond 'Icon' - a 3W focussed hyperbright LED and 4x 'standard' superbright LED's ( effectively a Myo XP & a Tikka+ in one unit). Needlesport stock them @ £49.99. U.O. have them at £39.99 and I got 10% off against my current YHA card - that's £35.99!;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alphin

Anyone out there, used/seen/has the Petzl Ultra....worth the money????

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I borrowed a Petzl Ultra for an overnight session back in August. You can read a brief bit about it here: http://blog.irunfar.com/2008/08/orsm-08-in-brief.html . It was absolutely stunning. I was with two other experienced trail ultra runners and we all thought it was obscene. Not sure that it's worth the money, but it's far and away more powerful than any other headlamp I've ever seen. On high, it was literally the difference between night and day.