Samsung 30Q Found Dead in my FW3TI/CU

I’m not sure if this is the correct place to post this but today I grabbed my FW3TI/CU to use it and it wouldn’t come on. This one has given me fits with the tailcap so that’s what I thought it was but then I remembered that I had gotten the tailcap perfect and locked it down last time I was having an issue.

The fact that I was getting nothing was very strange because I was 90% sure that the battery had been nearly full when I had last put it away.

Well, I pulled the battery and put a new one in and it came right on with no trouble so I figured the tailswitch had been pressed against something in my doorpanel (where I keep it) and ran there battery down.
I lock it out electronically wherever I put it in there to prevent that but maybe I forgot. Well, the strange thing is that when I brought the battery in to put it on the charge, it wouldn’t register on my charger.

All my 30Qs have come from Illumn except 1 that was purchased with my BLF A6 from Bangood. I should have marked that one but I didn’t so I’m not 100% sure that this isn’t it. There’s a pretty low probability but it’s not zero.

First question - Is it possible that a genuine Samsung 30Q could go bad so fast (a few months max)? I don’t think I’ve charged that battery more than once as I don’t tend to use that light very often for very long as I typically use a headlamp.

Second question - Is it possible that this is a counterfeit 30Q? I guess I can pull the wrap since it’s basically useless.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Chris

What is its voltage?

It’s not a protected 30Q is it? Like this one? . If so the protection circuit might have tripped.

Locking out an FW3A (or Cu or Ti) is not the same as a mechanical lock out with some “simpler” lights. With those lights, locking out is almost like taking the battery out. The FW3(x) has two separate conducting paths. After being locked out, you stll have the opportunity to use it on moonlight with a momentary switch. And mine has a hair-trigger switch. Maybe that’s what happened.
A few chargers have a revive mode, also called a 0-volt mode. Try one of those. Warning, (too) low voltage can cause irriversible damage to the battery, if the “dead phase” lasts too long. It’s a chemical process (read about dendrites).

Did the police question the other flashlights and batteries you own? I suspect foul play.

I’m guessing 0 because it doesn’t even register on my charger - Zanflare C4.

I will set the battery aside until my BLF charger arrives or bring it to a Vape Shop if I get impatient but I have at least 20 good 18650s (30Qs and GAs) left so no big deal I just want to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

No. It’s a regular 30Q with the pink wrap.

I understand and that’s what I’m thinking happened - that the switch got held down in momentary and it ran the battery down. There’s a bunch of stuff in my door panels that could have pressed that button, which is a hair trigger like yours.

I just thought Andruil had LVP but maybe it doesn’t work in lockout mode. Maybe @ToyKeeper can give us some insight because I’m stumped.

I’m going to use mechanical lockout from now on when it’s traveling and electronic lockout when it’s in my pocket.

I’m glad you got the joke. :smiley:

You can measure the standby current with a multimeter if you have one? E switch lights will always draw current even when of but generally should last longer than a few months.

I used the light less than a week ago and I’m pretty sure the battery voltage was right around 3.9 - 4.1 volts. I love the blinkies on my Andruil lights so that’s usually the first thing I do when I turn them on.

On closer inspection today, I found my glow gasket and Carclo Optic melted and fused to the MCPB/LEDs.

I must have forgot to lock it out and the button got held down. It must have an older version of Andruil because I believe TK made that impossible with the newest version. It ramps down if the button is held.

This was an expensive mistake as not only did it kill the battery but it also ruined the optic which has 3 trit vials and the glow gasket. :person_facepalming:

I’m going to order those Crown Caps for all my FW3x so this doesn’t happen again.

At least the mystery part of this has been resolved, though. A lesson to all to learn from.

I found my FW3A on in my pocket after hanging up my pants at end of day, several times, on low, before I developed the habit of unscrewing the head a half turn every time I put it away.

“Why are your pants glowing?” is not the best question a flashlight fan can hear from a stranger.

Fw3a has no lvp?

I guess not. Is there a way to tag someone in a post? I’d like to ask TK

’oogled that:

Interesting that the LVP failed here

From the heat?

should measure that bat with a DMM

if there is an issue with the LVP, thats pretty inportant

so whats the standby current drain

How do I do that? It’s a mule right now so I have access to the LED terminals. Just put my multimeter on them?