Hi sbslider. Congrats on diagnosing and fixing your light. I'm not sure I understand your question about not having to clean the connection. I just picked off the thread lock material, lubed the threads, and reassembled. I would recommend getting that thread lock material out of the threads as it is solidified now and may interfere with fully screwing the head back together.
Thanks for reporting your incidents and repair. That could help future 1A V3 owners.
Thank you for your insight ImA4Wheelr. I see now my post was unclear. I did manage to just pick off the old thread locker. Now I find that when I reassemble it with the head on tightly, it still behaves funny. But if I back off the head slightly, it works properly. So I think I don’t so much want to lubricate those threads, but maybe put some sort of thread locker back in to keep the head in place. I am guessing the connection between the body and head is not happy when the body tube is tightened all the way. Not sure how this connection is made, as I don’t have a magnifying glass or microscope handy at home.
I was considering just some silicone or seam grip that I have, but am open to other options and insights.
many thanks, Matt
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Hmmm, maybe one of your leads is getting pinched between the top of the driver and the bottom of the LED shelf when you tighten the tube down. The LED leads attach to the top of the driver and maybe there's a cold solder joint (weak connection that can disconnect under pressure).
If not that, your idea to "lock" the head but with something weaker like silicone sounds like a good idea. Keep in mind that the most popular type of silicone is acid cure which is corrosive to copper and certain polycarbonate plastics. There are two types of cures that are more nuetral to electronics. They are Alkoxy cure and Oxime cure. IIRC, Alkoxy cures are better than Oxime cures for copper and certain polycarbonate plastics. I don't know any commonly available Alkoxy cure products. GE Silicone II's product line are Oxime cure and are readily available. Here is one of those products:
I wonder how good hot glue would work.
As far as using silicone goes, I would try to put it just on the aluminum body tube and aluminum heat case, so I wonder if the fact that it is acid would be a problem there. I have also read about folks using nail polish in other applications, or also super glue. No current flows through this connection, so it seems like anything that would not damage aluminum and is somewhat removable would work. By the way,thanks for the recommendation on the silicone, might have to try that when next time I need some around the bathroom. Then I could use it for the light head too 
I am not excited about further disassembly of the head to see about pinched wires or cold solder joints, as my eyes are not the best and I don’t know how to take it apart any further. I have been wondering what materials are used for the connection between the body tube and the head piece for the cell negative connection. I can tell most of the contact area in the head appears gold plated (as all good connector pins are) but it is hard to see what is going on at the edge where the body tube connects. Did you by chance look at that when you had yours apart? I am tempted to take a look tomorrow at this under a microscope while I am at work.
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Shoot, I typed a long reply and it got lost. I have to be brief because I have to get to work
I don't know if the off gassing from the silicone will cause issues. Maybe put a small piece of copper wire, a dab of silicone, and a slightly moistened paper towel in a baggie to see if the copper corrodes. The moisture is needed for the acid cure silicone to cure.
Yes, I looked at that connection and I don't see how pressure could cause an issue. Maybe a cold solder joint between one of the 3 pcbs could disconnect when the driver flattens under the pressure of the tube. I think this because you mentioned the drop and then the problem.
Thanks for the response on the silicone. Hope you were not late to work on my account!.
Thanks for the picture of the connection, I was imagining those small fingers like you show. I considered maybe trying to lift up on them ever so slightly, but I now realize that this really should have no effect. I am sure I won’t get a picture but I will report on what I can see under the microscope today at that connection. I likely won’t do it, but just out of curiosity, how is further disassembly of the head completed?
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I think there is wisdom in your earlier decision to just lock the head in a working position. So please to don't take my posts as pressure to do anything you are not wanting to do to your light. I very much understand your concern with vision. It is a challenge for me too. The driver is this light has small components and is tightly packed on 3 different PCB's.
With that being said. The LED leads to this driver are on the top edge and easy to access after you pull out the driver. You may want to contact BLF member SnowWhite. He is a ThruNite rep and might be able to help you. I know ThruNite has replaced drivers that developed problems for couple members that I can recall.
https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/42140
You pretty much have the head apart. Just unscrew the bezel, pull out the reflector (be very careful not to touch the reflective surface, and unsolder the 2 LED leads (wires connecting driver to the LED base). Then pull the driver out the bottom. You will need a good hot iron with a medium sized tip to unsolder the wires because the LED base is copper and absorbs heat fast.
Best wishes on what ever approach you take and please keep asking if have any questions you may. You clearly have a good head on your shoulders and already had a good knowledge base before you even posted here.
Thanks for the feedback. I am definitely not feeling pressured to do anything, but I am interested in getting my light in a reliable, easy to use state and also understand more about how it all works. I definetly love taking things apart, but don’t want to do it without the right tools.
Thanks for the contact info also.
As far as unscrewing the bezel goes, are the two pieces the hex sided one and the smooth one with the clear glass? Sorry, my flashlight lingo is a bit lacking.
The bezel starts at the seam that is just to the left of the switch in the below picture.
Here is what you will see after you unscrew the bezel and unsolder the wires from the LED base. Unfortunately, it also appears to be thread locked. I should warn you that Red thread lock melts around the melting point of solder. So you will be taking some risk it you take it apart. I see the plastic LED isolator distorted some when I took mine apart.
Thank you for the detailed explanation and pictures. This is all been a great help.
I got a chance to examine the head under the microscope today. It looks like there is residue on the contact surface for the body. I was able to clean it with isopropol alcohol. Looks much better. Hoped it would work better, but not sure if the battery I just put in is good or not, and I only have one with me presently. I’ll get to check a for sure good battery when I get home. Only thing not working now is I don’t get any more lumens on the highest mode, which has never been the case. Suspect it is a weak battery. As I posted in a different thread, I am in the process of reconditioning some several year old Nimh batteries.
One thing I wonder about this interface is it is uncoated aluminum to either gold or more likely copper. What keeps this interface from being gooped up over time by oxidation?
I’ve just got an Archer 1A V3 and the rear switch seems more recessed behind the boot than I would have expected, this makes switching it on and off…temperamental. I quite often have to use the tip of my thumb or nail to get the switch to click.
Thrunite Direct are going to send me a replacement switch to try, but I was wondering if you’d seen this behaviour in your light?
Sanding down the rear washer may raise the switch up a bit, but I don’t want to start messing with it until I’ve decided whether I’m keeping it!
I have no trouble at all turning the light off and on, whether it be momentary or clicked on. The switch displacement for momentary is at most 1/10 or an inch, and for full on it only goes to about even with the recessed surface of the tail.
Hope the new switch fixes your problem, I still really like light.
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ditto on what sbslider said.
You may what to disassemble your tail cap and see if it has the following parts in the same order:
Thanks for the replies. I’ve stripped the tailcap down and everything is there and in the correct order.
The momentary activates at a reasonable level, but it just takes too deep a press to latch. I’ve compared it to the switch on the similar sized Fenix LD12, and that latches at a much more usable level.
It’s even possible that it’s working as designed, but I just don’t like it :person_facepalming:
Thrunite are on holiday until Feb 10th, and this was supposed to be a gift before then, so it look like it’s going to be an Amazon return 
ImA4Wheelr you did a good job taking the photos of the emitter in your review. Those are the hardest photos to do well.
Thank you 264. Your encouragement is much appreciated. :)
ImA4Wheelr I must say thanks for the nice review and the excellent pictures!
I purchased one of these lights in March and am having an issue with it changing modes without pressing the side switch, most of the time it will go to strobe and stay there.
I’m thinking I may have a bad solder joint between the e-switch PCB and the driver PCB.
I’ve sent an email to ThruNite Direct so hopefully they can help, because I don’t really want to mess with trying to open this thing up and deal with the red locktite.
If I have to though your pictures and review will make it a lot easier!
My experience regarding working with Thrunite has been excelent. I ended up returning my 1A V3 for a replacement unit, and the new works fine. I only had to pay shipping on my side, ~$2.50. Eva from TN gets back to me within a day whenever I have a question.
Your very welcome. Thank you for the feedback :)
You may want to contact BLF member Snow White. He's a ThruNite rep.
Quick question for the OP, how were you able to disassemble the side switch? The side switch on my rocks laterally forward and backward and it’s a bit annoying. Thanks.
