No, i don't think you are over reacting. Cr2's (and any battery for that matter) should be used with caution esp. unprotected batteries. When batteries fail, they vent rapidly expanding gases to the atmoshpere. The problem is, devices prior to the Super T did not incorporate anyway in the device to vent these gases. I incorporated vent holes into the Super T specifically to address this concern and allow for the gases to safely vent from the unit.
I should also mention, in 3.7 volt mode, the Super-Six does take one 900 mah Protected 14500 battery.
I have to voice an opinion here that I haven't seen mentioned in any of the forums, including the battery "experts" on the flashlight forums. (the flashlight guys are even MORE serious about their stuff than we are about ours).
It seems to me that many people buy the protected batteries and breathe this giant sigh of relief afterward, as if they are some sort of panacea. Let's be realistic here. The battery manufacturers that we have to buy from don't exactly build Cadillacs. We've all had protected/unprotected batteries that fail in some way or another. Some refuse to charge to full capacity after a few cycles, some discharge rapidly and some are DOA. And, we accept this because we have to. The difference in protected and unprotected batteries is a small cylindrical chip embedded on the negative side of the battery and then wrapped in insulator. Do we trust this chip implicitly given how shoddy overall battery performance can be? I mean, the physical size of the same battery from the same manufacturer varies wildly. How could we possibly rely on a 20 cent chip if they can't even get the size right? There is no QC.
I think a protected battery gives *some* level of security. It is not a magic elixir nor should it be a deal-breaker when deciding on buying a battery operated device -- ANY device. As David points out, caution needs to be exercised with these things as with anything else. It's not unlike driving a car. *Listen* to the sounds of it when you drive. One knows what his vehicle *sounds* like. Sounds, vibrations, odd noises all provide clues as to whether or not the vehicle is up to snuff.
In the case of our PV and batteries... attention should be paid to a sudden variation in length of time that a battery charges. Does it suddenly feel warm during a charge, during operation of the PV? Is this charger making a noise all of a sudden? Make it a habit to physically inspect the insulation wrapping the battery before plopping it in your PV, checking for potential leaks. If one is rotating, say, 6 batteries and one of them takes twice as long to charge and half as long to discharge -- throw the damn thing away -- protected or not.
(I'll dismount from the soapbox now) LOL
