The charging contacts on the outside of the tailcap are connected directly to the battery - there’s no switching to enable them when the charger is connected and disable them at other times, or even a diode to prevent current from flowing out through the contacts. It’s especially dangerous with the battery that comes with the H2R because there’s either no over-current protection, or over-current protection that allows a very large amount of current before it trips.
Zak, may I suggest that if you plan to pocket your lights with steel wool that maybe the H2R is not for you? I reviewed these lights, they are an awesome light for the purpose they were designed. Perfect, no… but with our included brains we should realize that this is not how they were intended to be used.
I carry one in my pocket with the deep carry clip and I just do not carry it in the same pocket as I carry my change. I also do not carry any of my lights in the pocket that has my change in it, this prevents scratches and other damage to the light. Could this be an issue? I suppose so, but there are many ways to prevent the issue and I am willing to do that for the output, and benefits that this light offers. I also carry other Olights and have since this charging system made it’s debut and have not melted one down yet. If it is a concern, slip a 5 cent tubing cap on the end and only open it for charging.
Just my 2 cents worth… only take it at face value. I like the charging system, could it be improved… maybe by limiting exposed current or by fusing the input…
The plural of anecdote is not “evidence” as they say. There are no shortages of people who will say they never had a problem with a car/appliance/etc that was subjected to a recall because of potential danger exposed through rare incidents. I believe this is the case here, If it is true that there is nothing stopping a significant amount of current passing between two exposed metal contacts right next to each other in the same end of a pocket/bag carry device which may easily be up against a lighter or aerosol then I say the potential for disaster exists, it is only a matter of time until something significant happens.
I will not buy a device like that, and I do not think it should be able to pass safety tests if it is as described in this thread.
I never understood why Olight didn’t keep their own charging system.
You can find it on the older models like S10R and S10RII and surely other like S20R ?
Positive and Negative were inversed, but more the interesting was that you can use any standard battery because the charging board was IN the flashlight.
That means that there was no live contacts once you undock the light from the charger…
They started to use proprietary batteries with double contact at the Negative end with the S30RII I think, which implies live contacts on the tailcap.
It should be mentioned in the manual (or on the box) though, maybe it is maybe it’s not. But I don’t think it is, since not too many reviews mention this (which is a shame). O-light should provide a cap with it for the price this light costs.
How come most people here don’t find this an issue? Olight is a big brand, I can find them locally here in sport shops, so people who have no clue about li-ion safety can buy this light and just put it in their pocket or toolbox. You might not find it a big deal but I believe it is a huge flaw. Until Maukka’s review of the light, I was unaware of this issue and until now I thought it was only isolated to the H2R. I don’t think people who buy this light locally are gonna search the internet to find this out.
This is marketed as a headlamp which will be placed on your head with the straps so that may be why their isn’t much of an issue for most people.
On the tail cap it does say do not short. Also the positive is recessed a bit so even if you have in your pockets with coins i think it would be fine no Aussie coins can fit that space. I know X3 is a big Olight fan i only own one light of there’s so i am on the fence here but i dont see it as a major issue. You could always place some electrical tape on one of the polls?
That’s like saying you don’t see faulty handbrakes as an issue, because you can always leave the car in gear or put a brick behind the wheel.
The chances are pretty low for something to happen if stored accordingly, but that only means it’s a matter of time before it does.
IMO I would rather have a regular tail cap for normal use and one for charging, but in that case they might just include their universal USB charger instead and ditch the in-light charging system. It works just as well and can handle any battery size.
I’m not a fan of in-light charging and never see myself using it, but I can can see why it is appealing to the regular non flashlight oriented consumer.
Keep in mind that not everyone that buys these lights will have the knowledge that some of us on this forum have. They may not understand that a 18650 battery can explode or cause a fire. I personally, think it’s kind of stupid to have a charging system on a flashlight that can cause a fire…that’s just a lawsuit waiting to happen.
I mentioned the live voltage in my review of the S30rII back in 2015. That’s posted on Reddit if anyone wants to go look it up. This isn’t a new issue. And no, its not mentioned in the manual. That’s probably the biggest issue with this — Olight is trying to be a mainstream brand, so you can’t exactly plan on the enthusiasts knowing better than to place this light in your pocket with loose change or whatever. You never know what the general public is going to do, but you should always plan for the worst. This design does not plan for the worst.
And they could prevent it with a 1 cent diode…
Very true, but this same charging system with the same issue can be found in all sorts of normal straight lights too. Being a headlamp doesn’t solve anything here.
Very true and I hope Olight is well aware of this. Makes me wonder why this haven’t been found out until now, the magnetic charging system has been around for a while.
wait what, the light dont have own circuit charging?, they just wire 2 pole of battery to the outside?, what the shitty design, THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, imagine you put this light to a pocket full of keys and coins, BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEND
i thought the magnetic charging is just connecting the light to 5V usb, now i just know that olight uses this stupid design
As a preventive I would use some kind of rubber cap on the tailcap to prevent any problem…even a piece of electrical tape would suffice.
I could see a potential incident if you heavily use it in metal dust charged atmosphere, where some partciles could grow between the two poles… like in metal workshop, with grinders and stuff
I don’t see any risk of shorting with coins, nor keys and in general daily civilian use (yes, I know those are Tools for some and should be able to be used like that)
As a side note, yes I DO like Olight products (having tested all their 2015-2016 models gives me a wide point of view on this brand) but I know when something is bad.
GOOD :
Their TIR optics are really useful for EDC/close range use.
Their thrower are seen as references (M2X/M3X), thanks to reflector quality and fine tuning (okay, green tint on the M3X-UT)
The S1 had a huge popularity among EDC forums, and the S2 was a best seller too.
They’re listening to their customers AND flashaolics, but 2300 lumens in a headlamp is too much IMO…
BAD :
However, the systematic use of proprietary batteries on the rechargeable models is irritating and the lack of compatibility between old and new charging docks (see my last pos) is a pity.
Their lanyards are fragile, or the lanyard holes are badly machined… I had at least two users that I gave Olight to that complained few months after that the lanyard had broke.
No high CRI option, even when a NW is available.
Their old UI was SLOW (S1, S2, S30…), like a full second between two modes when you had to hold the side switch…(new UI is faster, and still usable)
There was some problems with protected batteries on the S1R that were too easily trigged so the Turbo mode could barely be used.
It saves a lot of size and weight
RISK the safety for size and weight, i would stay away and never buy a product from a professional company like that
I find this a weak excuse. You don’t keep it on your head all the time. I like to tailstand my skilhunt, you won’t be doing this with H2R
in a moist environment while camping. I was very interested in this light until Maukka review (thank you maukka), but this light lost all it’s appeal for me. It’s a shame cause for the price you could get a nice gifting/intro package: Good output light, quality high drain battery and a charger. I know I would be pleased with a gift like that.
Good to know they mention it on tailcap, still a silicone cap should be no issue for Olight to provide.
Will it short in water? isn’t it IPX rated?
Water is not a good conductive… it won’t short even in sea water
It won’t short in sea water, but current will certainly flow. I keep my EDC light clipped in the same pocket as my keys and knife. Even if positive is slightly recessed, I can easily see a key causing a short with those exposed contacts. I see this as a major downfall in design, and an accident waiting to happen for the average consumer who doesn’t know about lithium cells.
I do see it being useful for a fire starter with steel wool however. It’s not a bug, it’s a feature!