Astrolux FT03 questions

Wrench · 2019-04-17T23:46:53.000Z

I got my Astrolux FT03 today and it has a rattle in it. Yes the 18650 adapter is removed. I installed a Keeppower 5200mAh cell and it still rattles. I dissembled the light down to just the head and it still rattles. Head disassembled down to the MCPCB same thing. Driver and lock ring are tight. Dual springs are solid. The USB port looks OK, works and is not loose. it’s not the switch. Any ideas short of compete disassembly or RMA?

Big_Sam · 2019-04-19T21:33:51.000Z

Hi, the only rattle I can find on my FT03 is the plastic spacer ring around the positive spring contact in the head.

Macka17 · 2019-04-19T22:46:59.000Z

Loosen the lock collar off. give it a coupla (not too serious) shakes,
Then lock down again.
Sometimes some items in things don’t bed down properly the first time.

Wrench · 2019-04-23T15:36:32.000Z

You were both right on the money. It would seem the lock ring is too deep or the washer is too thin. The washer sits lower than flush
in the lock ring so tightening down the ring or readjusting does not correct the problem. I’m thinking of ways to fix this and the easy way
would be to make the lock ring thinner so the washer is no longer below flush. Any better ideas? All I can say is there is some poor quality
control going on. By the looks of it you would think every FT03 would have this problem.

Lexel · 2019-04-23T17:51:48.000Z

Wrench:

You were both right on the money. It would seem the lock ring is too deep or the washer is too thin. The washer sits lower than flush
in the lock ring so tightening down the ring or readjusting does not correct the problem. I’m thinking of ways to fix this and the easy way
would be to make the lock ring thinner so the washer is no longer below flush. Any better ideas? All I can say is there is some poor quality
control going on. By the looks of it you would think every FT03 would have this problem.

if you look from thermal/electrical way to build such a light it makes totally sense to build it that the platic part is loose and the brass ring touches the driver
you can glue it down or remove if you like

the way it is build is OK as it is

Wrench · 2019-04-23T20:14:35.000Z

Lexel:

Wrench:

You were both right on the money. It would seem the lock ring is too deep or the washer is too thin. The washer sits lower than flush
in the lock ring so tightening down the ring or readjusting does not correct the problem. I’m thinking of ways to fix this and the easy way
would be to make the lock ring thinner so the washer is no longer below flush. Any better ideas? All I can say is there is some poor quality
control going on. By the looks of it you would think every FT03 would have this problem.

if you look from thermal/electrical way to build such a light it makes totally sense to build it that the platic part is loose and the brass ring touches the driver
you can glue it down or remove if you like

the way it is build is OK as it is

I get your point and it makes sense. It just seems funny for them to have made a product designed to rattle. No other light I own rattled out of box or ever for that matter.

Lexel · 2019-04-23T20:35:56.000Z

MF01/02/04 rattle the same way, noone ever bothered with it
most of thze flashlights simply have not such an insulation disk

Wrench · 2019-04-23T20:58:28.000Z

Lexel:

MF01/02/04 rattle the same way, noone ever bothered with it
most of thze flashlights simply have not such an insulation disk

Well I guess I’m just picky. I hate rattles!

PiercingTheDarkness · 2019-04-24T12:57:11.000Z

Can’t you just glue the spacer to the retaining ring?

Wrench · 2019-04-24T14:31:06.000Z

Funtastic:

Can’t you just glue the spacer to the retaining ring?

I can’t see why not although the spacer looks to be made of a material that does not glue very well. Example being Nylon. It’s worth a shot though. IMO Astrolux should have used a compressible spacer that would eliminate the rattle or added a thin compressible spacer in the stack.

deleted-200707 · 2019-04-24T14:37:42.000Z

Wrench · 2019-04-24T15:12:30.000Z

chinooker:

Good one!

AlexGT · 2019-04-24T15:27:14.000Z

ROFL For real???

Lexel · 2019-04-24T16:31:35.000Z

you could send Matemineco a box of bubble gum for the workers assembling the insulating disk
fresh breath and no more ratttling