Fix My Convoy M1 or Buy a New Light?  Advice Please.

Nalajr · 2018-03-13T01:13:28.000Z

Hey all,

I need some advice and help here. I have had a Convoy M1 light for a year or so. I like the light and it has been a pretty good light up until a month or so ago. Something started going on with the rear click switch button. When I would turn it on, about 1/2 the time it would flicker and wouldn’t produce usable light at all. Other times I would go to change the mode to a dimmer mode and it would do the same thing with the flickering.
I have never modded a light and I am not really interested on starting. With that in mind I thought I’d take the rubber cap off and see if there was something obvious that I could see and easily adjust or repair and get it working again. Well, things didn’t really go as planned here. Turns out for some reason or another the rubber cover tore almost immediately. The center of the rubber cover tore out leaving the “rim” still tucked around the edges of the switch. I went ahead and took the rest of the cap off and pushed in on the white switch sticking up and now nothing will work. No light at all on any mode. So now I am now left without probably my favorite light. I’d like to figure out a solution for this problem though.

The problem is that if I find someone that could or would fix it for me, just sending it to them and getting it back to me would cost at minimum $10 total and that’s not even counting the price the “fixer” would want to get it working for me. A new Convoy M1 costs about $22. I don’t know if that includes shipping or not though. Is it even worth fixing or should I just buy a new one? Is there another light(s) that would be good choices too that I could replace the M1 with? I’d like to keep the cost of any new light in the $20-30 range though.

What’s your thoughts and suggestions? What would you do?

Thanks for your time and help.
BD

g_sintornillos · 2018-03-13T01:29:07.000Z

The shortest way

https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10047923/9627747-switch-tail-cap-set-for-diy-flashlight-3-pieces

Instructions here:
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/lighted-switch-for-convoy-flashlight/330416_32843122324.html

Lightbringer · 2018-03-13T02:19:21.000Z

Hey, kewl, tnx! Would be nice to put a purple LED under the tailcap for my UV S2+…

ChrisGarrett · 2018-03-13T03:21:31.000Z

Lightbringer:

Hey, kewl, tnx! Would be nice to put a purple LED under the tailcap for my UV S2+…

Yeah, I’ve got 6 Convoy lights, two are S2+ with the metal switches, that I can’t get out for some reason, but my M1, M2, C8 and S2 can all benefit from these bad boys.

I’m about to do a FastTech order, so I’ll throw some of theirs in.

Chris

skinny_tie · 2018-03-13T03:25:28.000Z

g_sintornillos:

The shortest way

https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10047923/9627747-switch-tail-cap-set-for-diy-flashlight-3-pieces

Instructions here:
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/lighted-switch-for-convoy-flashlight/330416_32843122324.html

If your M1 has only two mode groups with either three or five modes then the lighted switch is fine, but if your M1 has the Biscotti firmware (12 different groups) you’ll need to use a normal switch unless you modify the driver.

Those blue LEDs are pretty bright - I find them too bright to use in a torch that I leave beside my bed, so depending on how you use your torch you may prefer an ordinary switch anyway.

If you want to get really fancy you can even get a new silicone switch boot in the colour of your choice when you buy the switch.

Replacing the switch is incredibly easy once you get it unscrewed. I usually use circlip pliers, but you can also use needle nose pliers, strong tweezers or even a couple of small screwdrivers.

skinny_tie · 2018-03-13T03:28:18.000Z

Lightbringer:

Hey, kewl, tnx! Would be nice to put a purple LED under the tailcap for my UV S2+…

Thanks for the great idea!

I’ve just seen that you can get them direct from Convoy with orange LEDs now. I’m going to get some orange ones to replace the blue in my C8 and L2, and put one of the blue ones in my UV S2+ too.