Shining Beam Blaze repair

LED Flashlights – General Info 18650 Flashlights
1

Several years ago I bought a Shining Beam Blaze, but now I think the light is broken because it cannot change modes. The light is stuck in the high or medium mode - I cannot tell which without measuring the current. Before taking apart this light, I thought there was only one circuit board inside, but now I I realize there is at least two.

The end of the barrel can touch a trace on the circuit board to change modes. Loosen and then tighten the head to change the mode. Loosen the head and the light still functions as normal, but once the head is tightened to complete the connection again, the light will go to the next mode.

The board inside the head has two neg contacts. One of them is for power and the other is to signal a mode change.

The light changes modes by loosening and tightening the head. This disrupts neg contact between the trace and the end of the barrel. When the head is loosened, the light is still powered via neg conducted thru the battery barrel to the head via the threads. When connection completed again the light will go to the next mode. So there are two neg contacts on this board: one for power and one to signal mode change. The light should have four modes: 2A, 1A, 100mA or 30mA (forgot which), and 1A flash.

What do I need to change the two boards depicted here? It looks like I need to desolder the LED and then everthing falls out or what? Are the two boards affixed with glue? Seems like the LED is standard stuff, LED on 16mm board. The battery board I am not sure how to locate a suitable one.

Here is the LED board on the head assembly

Outer ring contact is neg for power. Smaller ring contact signals mode change.

LED board measures 16mm

Battery board measures 25mm

The head end of the battery barrel touches to smller ring trace to signal mode change.

The head assembly inside the head barrel

2

Merry Christmas and welcome to the BLF forum.

Sounds like things just need to be cleaned.
Outer threads of the pill are dirty, as would be the threads inside the head.
Spring is bent and needs to be straightened or replaced. May be loosing contact.
If I had to guess you are using Protected cells. Protected cells are longer than Unprotected cells and may explain the bent spring. Over the years, have you replaced the cells? I ask because if they came with the light they are likely of low quality and if they lasted a couple years you are LUCKY.
I would also sand Flat, the end of the tube that contacts the driver ring.

Driver can be removed by getting under the board in this area. It should pop out. you will also need to unsolder the LED to completely remove driver. Actual diameter will be of the rounded diameter, not the tabs you pried under. I guess 22mm.

3

I’ve tried to get my blaze apart several times to upgrade the cold XML it came with but could only get the bezzel off.How did you get the reflector out to get to the pill?

4

The light did not come with batteries. I bought 3 protected A&W 2900 mAh at the same time I bought the light. I think that’s the brand at least. I dropped the batteries several times which broke the original wrappers and I’ve wrapped them up with new heat shrink but did not transfer the label. I only remember they are 2900 mAh and should be Panasonic from what I remember. I probably fully discharge 1 every 2 days and I am rotating through them to even the wear.

When you say pill - is that the metal thing I took out that has the LED and driver board? There is some dirty grease on there, but I cannot get the mode to change even with jumper leads so I don’t think it’s dirt. I put one lead from the spring to battery positive. Another lead from battery negative to the outer ring and then the light goes on. Then I get another lead from neg to the smaller inner ring and it should change modes when I touch it. I tested this out years ago when I first bought the light because I was curious how it worked.

The part you circled in orange is where I measured and there is a corresponding point cut out in the aluminum on the opposite side. The board is not out of round at those points - just the aluminum has been removed. I measured 25mm between these points. It’s 25mm all the way around I think. Here is a larger image: https://i.imgur.com/6v9rOYl.jpg

5

I’m uncertain what is meant by pill - though it sounds like the assembly with the LED and driver board.

At the front of the head there is another threaded assembly holding the reflector and front glass. I uses the same threads as the LED assembly. Unscrew this from the head and you can see the LED assembly. Use small long nose plier to turn the two dimples in the LED assembly. Don’t use screwdriver like me and turn from only one side - that’s why mine is scratched.

Too lazy to get the real camera out. Remove this piece and you can remove the LED assembly like in my photos above. This piece shares the same threads as the LED assembly.

6

The pill is the aluminum part holding the driver and emitter board.
Driver needs to make electrical contact in the pill, pill grounds to head and tube all the way to the switch.
Switch also needs to be secure and getting good contact in order to complete the circuit.

I would start with complete dissasembly and a full cleaning including taking apart the tail switch and reassemble.
As I said previously with this and the other steps like sanding the end of the tube that contacts the driver/pill.

if it changes modes tightening the tube and the emitter lights up, driver is not bad nor the emitter. It is loosing contact somewhere.

7

Now I see it, I’ve never seen a reflector threaded in like that.Thanks for the help and welcome to BLF!It’s too bad that Shining Beam is no longer in business. They were the first US store I bought a lot of lights from. Still use an XPG S-mini as my primary work light.

8

The problem is exactly that the light does not change modes. I don’t disagree that there is some grease in the threads, but that is not the issue here. I cannot get the light to function even with test leads as I previously stated so there is definitely some malfuction.

Also the driver is not electrically tied to the pill. The outer ring on the board touches the head for negative pole - see second to last photo in the first post.

9

Any luck fixing your Blaze? Playing with mine now, but still can’t get the reflector to unscrew from the head!This thing really needs a 219c.