Newb: EDC, pocketable, without a magnetic tail cap?

[mike_mikey_mike]

I bought a ThruNite T1 thinking I could remove the magnet, but it seems to be glued in now.
I’m afraid to have a magnet on it because I keep it in the same front pocket with my money clip with credit cards.
I like the size of this light, but everything I look at with similar specs seems to also have a magnet.

If you folks have time, I’d appreciate any advice on what lights to look at.

Thanks

[mike_mikey_mike]

Maybe a Emisar D4v2 or Noctigon KR4 is the way to go…

[mike_mikey_mike]

No! That site seems very helpful—thanks!

[Correllux]

You could try to remove the magnetism from the magnet with heat. Most of the magnets in our lights are the lower end cheaper neodymium stuff which is fairly sensitive to heat. A more powerful cheapie soldering iron or woodburning iron in the 80W range will provide more than enough heat…use a chisel tip and poke it between the spring coils to contact the magnet directly. It does depend on the magnet quality but once you get much above 200F it will start to permanently lose strength and if you can get it a lot hotter it will lose it entirely. This could be done with a small torch flame from the outside/bottom as well but then you’re going to change the color of the anodizing (anywhere from tan to orange to grey depending on the anodizing) and of course you’d want to avoid reaching the melting/burning point of the aluminum itself.

Alternatively, you could also break it up with a punch and fish the pieces out. I can’t find a good detailed close-up view of the bottom of the tube to see how the magnet and spring are situated exactly. Looking at several of my mag tailcaps, two of them have the spring lodged inside of a groove, sitting higher and isolated from the magnet surface/bottom. The others have the spring just wedged down there and right on top of the magnet such that if you were to remove the magnet the spring would probably drop down and perhaps not be able to contact the battery anymore. But if you can tell how yours is, these magnets are quite brittle and simple to break up.

[mike_mikey_mike]

Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll give it a try

[Firelight2]

You could try cooking the tailcap. Enough heat will kill the magnet. But it might also uglify the anodizing if you cook it too long.

[elbakan1]

D.Q.G. Tiny
I think it’s still the smallest 18650 light.
Fasttech has it for 33 bucks less 10% with code Hallo2021
Cheers

[MascaratumB]

If you can use 16340 instead of 18350, check the On The Road flashligts, you can remove the magnets there.

[raccoon]

Thanks for signing up, mike mikey mike!

[wle]

@elbakan1

D.Q.G. Tiny
I think it’s still the smallest 18650 light.
Fasttech has it for 33 bucks less 10% with code Hallo2021
Cheers

i got one about 6 years ago and it broke within a year
TERRIBLE switch design, i am still mad about it
i actually had 2
they both broke their terrible switches

FW3A is a much better replacement
no magnet

[wle]

16340 is fun but the battery life is about 1/10 of an 18650

[Couchmaster]

mike mikey mike, curious - what did you decide?

For myself, I’ve been real happy with these 3 - Sofirn SC31 Pro, Emisar D4, and the Lumintop EDC18. Hornorable mention to Convoys S2, still arguably the best price/performance for the quality/price out there.

[Geuzzz]

Just use a blowtorch on the magnet. On the inside of the light. A short blast should be enough to kill the magnet.

[Firelight2]

@wle

@elbakan1

D.Q.G. Tiny
I think it’s still the smallest 18650 light.
Fasttech has it for 33 bucks less 10% with code Hallo2021
Cheers

i got one about 6 years ago and it broke within a year
TERRIBLE switch design, i am still mad about it
i actually had 2
they both broke their terrible switches

The DQG Tiny IV’s switch is mounted on the driver. It is a fairly standard type with 2 stabilizing solder contacts holding it in place, plus 2 more solder contacts for switch connection.

The problem is repeated pressure on the button can strain and break the 2 stabilizing solder contacts on the sides of the switch. If this happens, pressing the button causes the entire switch housing to tilt without triggering the switch. From the user perspective, the switch no longer works and there is no click no matter how hard you press the button.

Fortunately, this is easily fixed with minimal soldering skills.

• Unscrew the bezel and remove the optic
• From the front insert a toothpick or other narrow object and press the driver board out the bottom of the head.
• Note the switch with its 4 solder joints. Make sure the switch is in position and apply a tiny dab of solder paste to each of the solder joints on the switch. A little extra solder added to the side solder joints is the most important part as those joints are structural.
• Melt the solder on each joint with a fine-tip soldering iron.
• Reassemble.

The light should work normally again.

[Scallywag]

@wle

16340 is fun but the battery life is about 1/10 of an 18650

I need to grab some of these 8000mAh 18650!

[mike_mikey_mike]

@Couchmaster

mike mikey mike, curious - what did you decide?

For myself, I’ve been real happy with these 3 - Sofirn SC31 Pro, Emisar D4, and the Lumintop EDC18. Hornorable mention to Convoys S2, still arguably the best price/performance for the quality/price out there.

Thanks for all the input, I ordered an Emisar D4V2.
I also took a soldering iron, with the tip removed, to the magnet and that killed it. So now I’ll have two flashlights. One more than I need

[mike_mikey_mike]

@Correllux

You could try to remove the magnetism from the magnet with heat. Most of the magnets in our lights are the lower end cheaper neodymium stuff which is fairly sensitive to heat. A more powerful cheapie soldering iron or woodburning iron in the 80W range will provide more than enough heat…use a chisel tip and poke it between the spring coils to contact the magnet directly. It does depend on the magnet quality but once you get much above 200F it will start to permanently lose strength and if you can get it a lot hotter it will lose it entirely. This could be done with a small torch flame from the outside/bottom as well but then you’re going to change the color of the anodizing (anywhere from tan to orange to grey depending on the anodizing) and of course you’d want to avoid reaching the melting/burning point of the aluminum itself.

Alternatively, you could also break it up with a punch and fish the pieces out. I can’t find a good detailed close-up view of the bottom of the tube to see how the magnet and spring are situated exactly. Looking at several of my mag tailcaps, two of them have the spring lodged inside of a groove, sitting higher and isolated from the magnet surface/bottom. The others have the spring just wedged down there and right on top of the magnet such that if you were to remove the magnet the spring would probably drop down and perhaps not be able to contact the battery anymore. But if you can tell how yours is, these magnets are quite brittle and simple to break up.

I removed the spring and heated the magnet with a soldering iron (with the tip removed) for a couple minutes and that did it. The anodizing didn’t discolor and the magnet is dead. It can’t even hold a paper clip. Thanks for your help.

[wle]

@Scallywag

@wle

16340 is fun but the battery life is about 1/10 of an 18650

I need to grab some of these 8000mAh 18650!

prepare for heartbreak, either way
800 mah 16340 or 8000 man 18650

wle

[wle]

@Firelight2

@wle

@elbakan1

D.Q.G. Tiny
I think it’s still the smallest 18650 light.
Fasttech has it for 33 bucks less 10% with code Hallo2021
Cheers

i got one about 6 years ago and it broke within a year
TERRIBLE switch design, i am still mad about it
i actually had 2
they both broke their terrible switches

The DQG Tiny IV’s switch is mounted on the driver. It is a fairly standard type with 2 stabilizing solder contacts holding it in place, plus 2 more solder contacts for switch connection.

The problem is repeated pressure on the button can strain and break the 2 stabilizing solder contacts on the sides of the switch. If this happens, pressing the button causes the entire switch housing to tilt without triggering the switch. From the user perspective, the switch no longer works and there is no click no matter how hard you press the button.

Fortunately, this is easily fixed with minimal soldering skills.

• Unscrew the bezel and remove the optic
• From the front insert a toothpick or other narrow object and press the driver board out the bottom of the head.
• Note the switch with its 4 solder joints. Make sure the switch is in position and apply a tiny dab of solder paste to each of the solder joints on the switch. A little extra solder added to the side solder joints is the most important part as those joints are structural.
• Melt the solder on each joint with a fine-tip soldering iron.
• Reassemble.

The light should work normally again.

i could not fix mine
i think the switch broke, in addition to coming loose
i tried
i wanted to keep the light, i can solder, and i am cheap
but still i couldn;t fix it

wle

[Firelight2]

You can probably find a replacement switch on Amazon for a few $. Then swap switches on your DQG.

It should still be fixable.