I’m lost and may have messed up… attempt to repair flashlights.
Backstory:
I have three flashlights total and was having some various issues. I ended up figuring out how to disassemble and while trying to reassemble ran into problems… Isn’t this how a lot of people get started? Lol, anyways while attempting one of the “repairs” I disconnected and was attempting to reconnect the “bulb” and it stopped working. So that escalated throughout and I now sit with different parts and have been attempting to diy and figure this out.
I tried my best to take detailed enough photos that someone with experience may be able to assist with trying to figure this out. Ultimately based on what I believe I’ve figured out so far, with the soldering iron I have, I’m thinking the temperature may have gotten too hot and potentially destroyed the LED emitter, if I’ve been able to identify the past names. Any help is appreciated.
At this point I’ve ended up with a bunch of parts, and ultimately I believe I’ll have to get the solder paste to be able to reflow the connections for emitters to boards but I’m lost and out of my element here. I’ve also come to the realization that I’m missing a tool that would be immensely helpful and that would be a multimeter.
It’s kinda hard to help you troubleshoot 3 different lights at the same time.
Especially when we don’t know the original issue.
Those style light often have connection and switch issues.
You can bypass the switch on some of them with a piece of wire. If it works with the wire , you’ll know you have a switch issue.
A Multimeter would definitely be a good investment.
You can use it to test the emitters and see if the drivers are even outputting any voltage.
As for reflowing the emitter back onto the MCPCB, a hot plate and solder paste would be very helpful.
I’d definitely get a Multimeter first, what’s the point of reflowing a dead emitter?
in case it helps you wrap your head around the various procedures, tools and products used to change an LED in a light, here is an album that shows the steps I followed.
and here is a post that lists various products you could buy, to get set up to do future LED swaps
meanwhile, I suggest you start thinking about what lights you want to buy next
consider the lights you have as part of an educational Seminar, intended to help you learn what is involved in changing a flashlght LED.
At least now you have made a start on learning the disassembly stage
That’s how I got started! I’ve got a trail of fried drivers and dead LEDs in my wake to prove it.
Looks like you may have overheated the aluminum mcpcb in that 16 mm star the led mounts to and caused the solder mask to delaminate and lift the pad. If that’s the case, forget about fixing it. You need a new mcpcb. For the other, you can test the led with the multimeter on the diode check. Make sure you get a multimeter with at least a 3v open circuit diode check voltage or it wont work.
Also, using good quality solder is critical. It should be 63sn/37pb or 60sn/40pb in at least .025-.030. I use Kester 44 hypereutectic solder .030. Your iron should be at least 30w-45w. Adjustible tempersture is preferable. Too cool or too hot and you can ruin stuff from overheating. I use a t12 oled station i got off AE for like $30.
Continuity (I sometimes find the aluminium reflector shorting on the leads for the LED after I’ve done an LED swap)
Cell/battery voltage (important with lithium ions)
Functionality and polarity of LEDs (they only work one way around, I’ve had to re-solder a bunch of my mods after I wired up the LED the wrong way
Other car/house stuff like alternators, fuses, incandescent bulbs, switches.
I’d tend to agree with other posters that youd be best getting some “decent” lights- from the photos you e posted, it looks like you’ve somehow de-soldered the LED from the MCPCB, easiest to just order another LED already soldered on a board.
There also seems to be a driver board with no components(??).
It’s probably possible to fix these lights, but the cost of new LED and driver (and maybe new wires) outweighs their intrinsic value.
+1 for getting a good multimeter. It’s not too expensive and helps A LOT to diagnose everything having to do with electricity and electronics. I have this one and I’m pretty happy with it: Amazon.com
