The There Are No Stupid Questions Thread

Post #1000!

(at the moment)

I have done some limited soldering & desoldering. Actually replaced NiMH batteries in a rechargeable shaver, and reconnected a loose wire on a speaker circuit board. But I’m not adept at doing this (need more practice). I do realize the need for a totally parallel cutting angle. My expectation is that if the cavity is shallow enough, it would be possible to do with the star still in place. I’m lazy! But if it’s challenging to get a proper cutting angle, removal definitely makes sense.

Yes, I do recognize the different form factors (FT03 closer to EDC, while SP70 is not) and the SP70 having tons more spill. I was thinking more about the effectiveness of the hotspots. Anyway, considering that I have an EA4 and a EC4GT for throwers, the FT03 is probably a bit of a duplicate (just 800 lumens more powerful). For a bit I was hung up on wanting Anduril (or NarsilM), but for a dedicated thrower, not as important. The SP70 UI actually seems decent.

Just taking the MCPCB wires on/off doesnt take much finesse at all and is some of the easiest soldering I’ve ever done honestly.

i have an LD01 that works Intermittently. the outer ring on the driver where the body makes contact when twisted seems to look scratched up. is it possible that this can wear down and prevent it working? how would one restore it? thanks.

A Fenix LD01? That driver does not have a retaining ring, right? The battery tube just screws against it?

It’s possible it can wear down the metal pcb traces (copper I think). More likely it’s just a bad contact somewhere else in the circuit.

Power goes through the threads, battery tube, tail cap, springs, etc. I would clean all those first. They can get an oxide coating that hurts the electrical flow adding resistance. If the problem really seems to be wear related on the driver traces you’d need to add a thin layer of solder on top. Some people will add a small blob of solder on 3 points and then file/sand them down so they are the same height and the battery tube presses down evenly.

Yes you’re correct, there is no retaining ring. its going to be a pain getting that driver out. i’ll try cleaning what i can first. thanks Jason.

Edit for Info: Its and older Twisty light

I’ve not yet done it. I see photos & videos where it’s very small wires in tightly confined space. Desoldering? Sure. But soldering the wires back on? I’m assuming you need tweezers & clamps carefully applied to help keep the wires in place as solder is applied. Maybe I’m just paranoid & should dive into it. Try out on cheap lights first. Anyway, I thought it was worth exploring alternatives.

You need a decently powerful iron because a lot of the mcpcbs are really good at soaking up heat plus that heat can transfer to the head. You need narrow long tweezers or some small tool that fits in there. I use a dental scraper. As you heat the soldered connections the wire might pop up or you might have move it to the side. Same for resoldering. You’ll need to hold the wire in place while you attach a blob of solder to the iron and reach in to attach it.

Once I remove the star I clean the old solder off, apply flux and put new leaded solder in it’s place. The stock solder can be unknown and might be poor quality. I put the good stuff on it. Once back in the light I use alcohol on a q tip to clean the excess flux and make it look nice.

Maybe someone can explain this to me, as I seem to be too dense to comprehend it.

Why is it that if I were to go to Amazon and buy X (coffee-grinder, bluetoof earmuffs, sock-hangers, anything), within a week I’d get inundated with emails from them that I “might be interested” in another X (coffee-grinder, bluetoof earmuffs, sock-hangers, etc.), as if one just ain’t enough?

Im new to flashlights and own a few.

What are the differences in drivers used in todays hi powered lights. I see FET, buck, boost, I don’t know what any of them mean, and why sometimes one is used over another. Help?

You must not have clicked the “don’t send me email promotions” box. I never get emails like that, yet I buy from them.

Mmm, maybe I should.

Some, related, things are useful. Like, buy bbq tongs and get recs for cookbooks about outdoor grillin’ recipes or something. But not 13 ads for more tongs.

Are you new to Google too? :wink:
Simple search took me all of 15 secs to find a few sites to help explain:

Flashlight WIKI Drivers

Reddit - Drivers - boost, buck, linear, FET, direct?

HTH

Wow, for some reason I did not see your post. Try this thread. Understanding the difference between Linear, Buck, Boost and Direct Drive drivers

Excellent follow-up Jason. It’s always nice to have some photos & diagrams. Using multiple sources definitely helps expand understanding.

I have One Emisar light. The K1 SBT90.2. Great light.

Question: How come no where on the light OR the box is Emisar inscribed? Never had a light where the manufacturer left that info. off of their product.

It’s technically not an Emisar, it’s a Noctigon. Hank at Intl-outdoor is behind both brands.

Yeah Emisar is lights with linear chips + direct drive, Noctigon is lights that use constant current or boost drivers.

If you can see the Internet.
the Internet can see you.

Someone is always willing to pay for every click and every mouse hover.
I wonder if someday some mogul will say:
You know, I’m not sure paying to collect all this data is really doing us any good.
Lets drop the whole thing.

24Hrs later the WWW collapses.

All the Best,’Jeff

I’ve got an SP70 with the 70.2 LED. I really like it.
It’s big and heavy and clunky.
If I was going on and extended S&R type of thing (which I never will I suspect).
It’s the one I would grab.
PWM is so fast you will never see it. Like 19K if I remember.

Being able to turn the light off with the side switch is a big plus over, say, the L6.

The only thing I don’t like is the position of the front strap attachment.
It’s right in front of the switch. The clip folds back and blocks the switch.
Also it makes the light front heavy. So carrying by the strap, slowly the light dips toward the ground.

Move the front connection point closer to the font fixes this.
Wish is was available in a warmer color. Warm works better for me outside.

All the Best,
Jeff