I’ve been carrying a S2+ ‘shorty’ for a month and I’ve been absolutely loving it. However, two nights ago it fell out of my pocket onto a tiled floor and now exhibits some strange behaviour when loaded with either of the 18350’s I use with it. It may or may not turn on, it may or may not come on in either mode, and it may change its setting when it feels like - going straight from low to strobe unasked is a typical occurrence. In ‘shorty’ form, the light is unusable.
However, stick a 18650 in it with the long tube, and the light works perfectly normally. Almost. It does flicker occasionally, but it’s very usable. Mode settings prevail and it dials through the settings as it should.
I’m good at some things, but have no experience of pulling drivers and stuff apart, but still wonder if there is anything I can look at that might solve the 18350 behaviour. Any suggestions?
Alternatively, if I e-mail Simon, would a replacement head solve the trick - has anyone done this and what did it cost them?
Or is there anyone in Europe who knows what the problem is and might be able to fix it for me??
I’ve already ordered a replacement (in the same colour, I hasten to add, so Mrs Hook won’t notice anything amiss - though strangely a C8 might also have made its way into the package and I’m already practising excuses. I might simply say my M1 put weight on over Christmas and how could she not have noticed…… cough) so I will at least have a ‘shorty’ to play with again, plus the 18650 version in the other pocket - so all good there.
Thank goodness it was not a $100 flashlight - but then it’s crazy times we live in when a $18 flashlight can outperform a £160 light from a previous life, where we used them for work. Utter madness.
Sounds like driver board is loose. I suspect an intermittent ground. Try tightening the retaining ring for the driver board. Unless it was soldered in. Lots of these were soldered.
Come to think of it; the retaining ring for the switch could be loose too. Try giving that a tug. (it might be lefty-tighty btw.)
Apart from loose retaining rings at the switch and driver, it can be the shorty battery tube too, it carries the batt- electrical connection to the head of the flashlight. With the tail threads anodised, electrical connection depends on the the edge of the tube touching the inside of the tail section. So try if extra tightening the tail helps with the problem.
Done all three of those, no difference unfortunately, though I have ascertained it is not the switch at fault, anyway. I’ve unscrewed the driver right out for a close look and nothing seems loose externally. I haven’t opened it up, as I don’t have the tools. I just find it bizarre it only affects the 18350 batteries, whatever the fault is. On a 18650 the light works perfectly. I can see any fault with the anodising on the short tube.
Thanks for your help though, both of you. Any other ideas?
I had a similar issue once - dropped a C8 and the battery weight on impact compressed one or both springs too much so they could not go back to their previous state. They simply were smaller than before and some batteries (the shorter ones) were no longer making contact in the light.
If there are no other visible/measured issues I would put a spacer between the 18350 and see whether that helps.
A compressed spring was on my list, but it’s not the problem either. There’s definitely something wrong in the driver end of the light. The way it changes modes, rapidly and haphazardly, flickers and then dims and so on - it has to be in there. Alas, I lack the technical knowledge and tools to get inside the pill - I’m pretty sure the problem is in there.
But then, of course, it doesn’t exhibit the same faults with the larger batteries. Curses, it’s a strange one…
Try this…. Remove the tailcap in 18350 configuration. Connect -B to the body tube with a segment of wire. The light should turn on. Does the condition go away? (This test will weed out a bad switch)
Hold the wire as steady as possible to reduce flickering. With the light connected through the wire, press the battery forward and compress the +B spring. Does the mode switching behavior go away or get worse by exerting push force against the +B spring? (I am thinking there could be a cold solder joint that may have revealed itself from the drop impact and shock. Force exerted onto the driver and PCB flexing (??) could be causing the intermittent and random behavior)
Switch is good , and I’m not able to ascertain anything else though. Sigh. I’m sorry to be taking up everyone’s time and I’m very thankful for the help.
No loose connections at the driver and switch end? Only happens when you change the tubes?
Stupid idea, but perhaps just clean up the threads on both sides?
Some dirt/ too much grease perhaps might cause this problem, because it made it’s way somewhere else while dropping the light.
