Disassembled - but not as disassembled as it is about to be.
Engraving
It was quite bright when it worked - not at all sure that it is really intended to take a 10440 as it worked for less than a minute. Put a 10440 in it (The Trustfire protected ones are a little too long though they will work in it - they will be crushed if you screw the tailcap fully home). Saw that it did have 5 modes as advertised. Went and got an unprotected 10440, put it in, the light flickered once then refused to work with any sort of cell. Time to speak to DX.
Speaking of the engraving... Can it be "polished" away or it is hard engraved? The tailcap would need serious polishing too as it is quite rought to my eye. And (personally) i would ditch the toilet chain attached to it. :D
Otherwise it's quite likeable even if it just takes AAA's.
That's the one. The engraving is quite deep, it would take quite a bit of grinding to remove it. There is plenty of metal there though so it would be possible to grind it out.
Eventually managed to get the pill out. It is not a thing of beauty. We'll see what DX have to day before I do any more fiddling.
The threading only engages at the bottom, you don't actually have to unscrew it all the way out of the tube as I discovered when pushing on the base of the pill with a pen. I'd spent over an hour trying to unscrew it by then :(
The marks on the brass are from the scriber I used to unscrew the pill - the rest of it is just as it arrived at around 11am today. Not had time to get nasty with it yet. And won't till DX get back to me.
Goodness....it looks like you did some light gardening with that pill before taking the photos! That's pretty bad, even for DX's flexible standards. It doesn't look like you got the "square deal" that you wanted (pun intended). If it turns out that working with DX on a resolution will be too big of a pita, I have no doubt you'll be able to resurrect that torch (and most likely better than new in the process).
it is a real pain waiting up to two months of our life to get something we look forward to from Hong Kong to be frustrated and disapointed by poor quality control and sub standard goods
I just need to find a wealthy backer, Then I will tour China standing outside flashlight manufacturers factories shouting this mantra through a megaphone...
"Less is more!...at least when it comes to any form of writing on a flashlight body"
I will concede that it starts strongly and then get a little bogged down with details :)
). If it turns out that working with DX on a resolution will be too big of a pita, I have no doubt you'll be able to resurrect that torch (and most likely better than new in the process).
good man do you remember [ Jim will fix-it ] Don can too