Deejay/Doug, your mention of the exploding battery reminds me of an industrial accident where lead acid batteries had been overcharging and thus gassing, the gas built up and was exposed to a spark causing some of the batteries to explode..! From a dull memory the gas given of may be Hydrogen.. One poor chap lost an eye in the incident and was sprayed with acid... Batteries can pack a LOT of power. Do treat them with a degree of respect.
