Help with a spacer for mushy E07 switch

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
1

Any advice for making this E07 switch easier to press? There is too much ‘slop’, or gap between switch and rubber cover. I think it needs ~0.75-1.5mm spacer between them.

Maybe a pinhead drop of super glue on the switch + piece of plastic? Or rubber adhesive + something soft like pencil eraser to the cover? I am not sure how fragile the switch is.

I like most of the other side switches I have used (ROT66 g1/g2, Q8, SP36, D4). This one is too small & my finger cushion + rubber squish is too much slop to activate easily. I usually need to press with a fingernail. Not fun for ramping.

To remove the retaining ring, use a very small screwdriver from the inside circumference and twist to leverage up. I inserted between the rubber & ring, made sure it was under the ring, and gently twisted while moving along the ring (not pry like pry a nail). It gradually came up.

2

Good info. I was thinking the same. Maybe adding paper spacer in between rubber and switch?

3

They definitely need to improve the switch if there’s another model.

4

I have a pot of cheap UV-curing glue from Banggood that I used a few times succesfully to raise a e-switch button.

5

Do you think it could do >1mm successfully applied in many layers? Also, do you recommend soft or hard type of glue? And apply to rubber, or switch?

6

Apply to the switch, multiple layers works perfectly fine and goes very fast because the hardening only takes a few seconds if you have a bright uv flashlight. I used this stuff.

7

In the spirit of Old-Lumens contest I decided to do a noob write up. I hope it will help some of those disliked shelf lights with mushy, sloppy switches get some more use & gets people modding (:

1) Remove battery. Remove switch bezel. Either gently twist & pry (like Fireflies), or unscrew (like Astrolux, Sofirn).


Pay attention to which way the bezel faces. It will probably get dinged up from the screwdriver.

2) Use glue to make a spacer. I decided to try gluing to the rubber boot first. It seemed less likely to damage anything & easier to remove if I messed up. I used automotive gasket maker because I had it lying around. Something harder might be better. Wait until 100% dry.


You can see how much I used. This amount was fine. I thought it would be wayyy too much. It might be better to use something harder, like UV glue, or just use the gasket maker/other adhesive to glue something to the rubber boot.

3) Test fit the rubber cover. See if you need more/less spacer. Things might feel a bit different once the bezel is installed. Spin it around before putting the bezel back on, and find the spot that feels best (things might not be concentric). Put the bezel back on, make sure it is pressed all the way down! I used water pump pliers with plastic/thin cardboard taped around the jaws. Maybe a vise, or anything else that you can use soft-jaws with would be good. Don’t press on the rubber boot and be careful not to damage the switch.


Overall it feels OK. Not great, not bad. Before = 4/10, after = 7/10, @ the same as my ROT66’s, not as nice as SP36/Q8. I don’t hate it, I don’t love it. At least I don’t need to use my fingernail. Ramping is easy & it is easy to navigate Anduril. There is still ‘slop’, but it is ‘squish’. You can alllmost activate it by placing a straightedge across the switch & pressing. I still don’t think it would be easy or maybe even possible to use with gloves. Part of it is just the E07’s physically small switch diameter :frowning: It will never be a mechanical click :frowning:

I will play with changing things a bit more. I hope the pictures help the international members.

In the future I would change:
-use harder glue, or use glue to attach a harder spacer. I think the squish I feel is the squishy gasket maker. You can see in the picture how much I used, that should be wayy too much. I think it is just squishing & not pressing as much as I want. I was worried about using something too hard and damaging the switch membrane. It also needs to be heat resistant
-use more tape around switch to protect the light from scratches, and be careful with pressing the bezel back on.

link to album: https://imgur.com/a/ai8DOxd

8

Nice write-up nuemtol. That’s what’s fun (sometimes known as frustrating) about modding, you never know how things are going to turn out until afterwards. But then you can mod again to make it even better. Personally I would try to superglue a plastic spacer to the switch button.