ThorFire Official Deals- Save 45% on 500 Lumen TG06S flashlight($9.89), 6th Dec 2018 Updated

Any solution found for replacing that “spacer” with something?

I could always make something, but don’t have tools.
Already made solution would be perfect.

Despite the issues with the current batch, I still like the VG10 and would be interested in placing another order. If I placed another order before the GB closes on 3/21, would I receive lights from the same batch with the bad LED spacers? Or could it be confirmed that I would receive units from a good batch?

Just curious…

Has anything happened as far as those who ordered lights through Amazon? Last PM left off with me offering the 2 order-IDs from Amazon (because how else can they know who ordered what, naturally), but got nothing in reply since.

Am I supposed to grex through Amazon under “contact seller” or raise a complaint (“product not as described”) or something? (The latter sounds kinda negative, so I’d want to avoid that unless specifically told by TF to go that route.)

Only reason I’m getting antsy is because I just got a new fancy card in the mail with the chip inside, and has a completely different number and everything, so if the offer is to toss me some bux to the old card on which I charged the lights, that’d be defunct once I activate the new card.

Sounds like kiba-ru might be able to make a quick killing with perfectly-dimensioned and drilled Cu spacers!

^

Hope you get resolution soon LB. Please keep us posted.

You could get 2 or 3 pre-1982 US pennies, clean them and pound them flat. Once you have them to the diameter you want, you can stack them to see if they get you high enough. If they are a little shy, reflow them to each other and that will increase the height some. If you don't want to reflow, thermal paste should do. If too tall, pound them some more and file the perimeter to get to fit in the head again.

Good question. Also, maybe ofter the remaining lights for sale as hosts. They will sell fast if the price is reasonable.

The dtp copper stars from KD might make good spacers. The di layer disolves in fuel from memory.

<sigh>

It gets even more fun…

I just got another 3 I ordered a while ago, never opened the boxes yet. Just for s&g I decided to do that, test them Just Because, as the first 2 I got worked perfectly.

First one seemed DOA. Took the 30Q from the VG10 I carry in my bag, so it’s known-good. Half-press the switch, nothing. Full-press the switch. Still nothing. Loosen then snug up everything. Hmm, unwanted TCLO? Unscrew the tailcap, take off the tac-ring, replace, press. Still nothing. Bugger. Press HARD, repeatedly. Aha! Momentary bright flashes! Random flickers and flashes, reminds me of the problem I had with one of my recent F13s. “Bypass” the switch with a key (cell to body), and it seems to work fine, nice and steady, good mode-switching. Seems like a bolloxed switch. Eyeball the switch, and it looks like one of the unscrewing-holes on the retaining ring is drilled out bigger, and someone let the drill-bit wander along the ring. Hmmm… Not Good.

Second one seemed to work fine.

Third one, a half-wonky switch, some “missing” and flickering. Not as bad as #1, but enough to make me nervous.

Okay, my confidence is a bit shaken. Damn! I figured a quick patch-up would get them working fine, but now I’m not so sure. Without replacing the switches (any heavy-duty FC Omtens out there??), I’m not sure I could put together reliable hosts.

Anyone else have issues with the switches?

The retaining ring on the finicky switch may be too tight. Had that before on the Square bodied SW in a TF. Think the spacer squeezes the SW body too hard. May understand when you open a tail sw and see the plastic ring design.

Do these group buy lights not come with spare switches and lenses?

TF offered to send me a replacement or refund. i want a good light rather than money of course. i specifically asked for a “normal” one, one without two spacers. and the next email i got from them telling me that the light has been sent out already. i hope they understand what “normal” means. fingers crossed.

Hmm, that jogs some memory for some reason… maybe those cheapie 3×AAA lights. Squeeze it too tightly and it stops working, that kind of thing.

Hmm, may be a blessing in disguise. Thinking about replacing the switch with the spare, I’m now wondering if one of those FC switches would fit into the tailcap of my (RC) ’502. That’d be totally tits!

Could also be the plastic spacer ring is upside-down. As said you will see what I mean when you get in there.
Another pet peeve of mine it to slice the nipple inside the rubber tailcap so it does not apply any pressure to the sw button. Especially on an omten 1288.

Hmm, it’s got the retaining ring, switch+PCB, “top-hat” spacer, and rubber boot. Everything seems to fit only one way.

Replaced everything, pressing on the spring while flicking the switch a buncha times, then liiiiightly putting the retaining ring in place, gently snugging it up.

Seems to work a bit better, but almost seems to have a NMM unless I let it settle down for quite a few seconds between mode-changes. Most disconcerting.

One thing I did notice is that this one tailstands perfectly, ie, the boot doesn’t protrude the 1mm or so like on my “good” VG10.

Also, there’s no “nipple” inside the rubber boot. Not sure if this one’s shaved down and why it sits flush vs protruding, as this is the first tailcap on a ’10 that I took apart (kinda tired to dissect another one, and got ’em all from the same batch anyway) so have nothing yet to compare it with.

Bugger, I thought someone else mentioned the nipple and umop apisdn spacer. Could’ve combined the replies… :smiley:

But nope, in this case the spacer’s like a top-hat, only one way to fit.

Inside of the boot might very well be shaved (got a bit of a “balloon” feel when first applying pressure to the boot), but can’t really be sure w/o something from a different batch to compare with.

Good idea. I will contact him when I measure precisely. :+1:

Have you tried bypassing the tailcaps all together to see how the lights work? Using a thick paper clip or something to connect the bottom of the battery tube to the negative of the cell.

I really having rarely have used the stock VG10 switches. The lights are much nicer with reverse-clickie switches. So I pretty much swap them before even using the light. Throw in a PD68 lighted tailcap board while at it. You need not bleeder resistor with the stock driver.

EDIT: Fixed typo

Me? Yeh, in msg 106. Only a key instead of paperclip. Worked fine, which is why I zeroed in on the tailcap/switch.

Probably the same issue in one of my F13s which goes wonky like that. Will (eventually) try loosening the ring and diddling with the switch.

Oh, lordy…

I just got back a reply through Amazon, basically “Can you describe the problem in detail?”, as if no one knows what’s going on.

I did specifically mention the thread on BLF, so that in case someone there knows the problem, I could short-circuit the multiple back’n’forth to find someone who knows about it. Guess not…

Why do I get the feeling this is going to end badly?

Whups, spoke too soon. Got a PM, just replied… :smiley:

When the problems became clear, we the Q-team were a bit worried and following this
Besides TF stepping up to correct things I think Barry/Thorfire understands the importance of a well executed Q8.

Personally when I read (long ago) what “marketing talk” Thorfire wrote for the then V2 of the VG10 I wanted one, they said something like “the tactical ring sucked so we adapted it” and this was so “un-marketing” I really liked it.
Got a VG10 from BLFer X3 and liked it a lot, it started to good relationship with Barry (I wrote a little review as response to a Dutch blog and Barry shipped the S70 and S50 to me for review, starting the whole review thing for me and making them a good candidate for the Q8.

My guess is that the people that manage amazon and those that post on here are different people and work through different channels. So the right hand not talking to the left hand is my first guess in this case.