My FW3T arrived today, along with the glow gasket and button combo I ordered.
The glow gasket went in just fine, but the tail is different from my FW3A — the button, membrane with nubbin, and clicky won’t come out no matter what I do. I applied significant pressure to the button with my thumb and it wouldn’t budge. My FW3A tail comes apart with a couple gentle face-down raps on my desk.
Is the FW3T tail glued?
The newer ones have a retaining ring.
I can’t believe I missed that. Thank you!
First thing I did on my Ti model was take out the retaining ring and switch the button from my aluminum model. The button from the aluminum one is much more solid feeling and a more audible “click” when pressed. The switch from the Ti model is way too sensitive and hardly any “click” when pressed. Never put the retaining ring back in because I like being able to take it fully apart when I want.
The switch in my titanium model is much more consistent than my older aluminum one, particularly when being pressed off-center. I have a newer aluminum unit that has the newer switch too. The old one seems a bit mushy if I press it outside the very center of the button.
Can any of you savvy folks help a dummy troubleshoot?
I started with a perfectly fine 3D from the first run. I flashed the driver with the latest 219 hex. I reflowed with 219b’s. Now when I start screwing the head back on it goes strait to (I guess) turbo.
Same as this from earlier in this thread but I can’t fix it by massaging the driver/retaining ring.
Bad/messy reflow?
Driver damage?
How do I suss it out?
Instant Turbo?
Driver is being bypassed. Battery power goes straight to LEDs then to driver, then back to battery ground. So check that the negative side/wire of mcpcb is not touching ground. Then check for any part of the driver that might be grounded before the outer edge ground ring. There are 7135 chips and a FET that prevent u regulated current flow. Check that there is not stray solder shorting anything.
Or does it ramp up?
GUESS is that the positive wire to the mcpcb is shorted to the tube. Possibly he used too much heat on the resolder and the insulation melted in a place he can not easily see.
No, if the positive wire were shorted, there would be a spark, the light body would get red hot and battery might vent.
Since the led is turning on, it has to be the other side, negative wire side, that is going to ground somehow.
Understood. Still suspect melted insulation, probably under the shelf so he will have to take it apart to see it.
It doesn’t ramp up. But I think you’ve hit on the problem. I was sloppy on soldering the negative lead. Had to clean solder away from hole where the optic goes. I imagine it’s grounding there. Does that sound feasible?
Yes, if that negative wire solder is touching the bare metal mcpcb, then it will act like you describe. Hopefully the solder mask is still intact.
Then again, would the optic post fit while there was a solder trace there? I guess it would be possible. I’ll have another look at it tomorrow. I’ll check the (lead?) insulation, too. Meanwhile, any other theories are welcome. Thank you.
Yep—-maybe when you flowed the new emitters one of the neg sides is touching the center thermal part —the best thing to do after reflowing—check for shorts between + / and between each pole and the board itself—Always check for shorts between the + of the driver and ground after assembly —this prevents a lot bad things from happening —burnt driver-melted springs — etc
Yes, if you have a DMM you can check for continuity between black wire and the mcpcb that touches the body. Quick way to check. If no short, pull driver and check from black wire on driver to the far edge of driver. Trace things to look for short.
hmm. My TiCu now ramps to what I would call High, blinks and continues ramping to some new point… from there double click produces a small increase in light.
My Cu light, ramps to what I would call ‘normal High’ blinks and stops. double click produces the usual impressive jump to turbo.
they both put out the same light in turbo, it’s just that the TiCu ramps alot closer to that point than the Cu
hm
Did you set the high ceiling?
I’ll bet it doesn’t stay there long————- :smiling_imp:
I did not consciously set a ceiling
That is probably your problem. Set the floor and ceiling and there will be a difference, based on what you set. I usually go around 14 clicks for the ceiling.