What batteries are used in the OK lights,and what in the bad ones?Is it the brand,the kind,(18650 or 26650),or the length, to which can we put the blame?
If it is not inherent of course.
I push my leads from my DMM all over it trying to get it to ring, but still I wouldn’t dismiss it, because it took everything I had to break that cover loose, the other Cometa came apart easy, no problem? It could be a weak spring on the driver and stiffer springs (2) on the cap, that could collapse the weaker front spring and make contact? But then you would think the front spring would go into coil bind or bottom out to stop it?
I think a protected cell for initial use would be a very good idea. I’ll be turning my Cometa on for the first time outside of the house as well.
Given the QC and safety issues, I think we need a response from Cyberescudo.
Might just want to take them apart, inspect them, clean/ blow them out, could be metallic debri, not that I have never found curly chips in battery tubes before? 
Well I haven”t received my Cometa yet (expect it will arrive next week) but with all these issues being reported it seems as if there is a quality control or even design issue with them.
I think that I will be physically examining my light, when it arrives, as closely as possible to see if I can find anything amiss before putting a cell in it.
I also may initially use a protected cell, which I had no intention of doing (& shouldn”t need to) although to do that I will have to use a Panasonic 18650B 3400mah, as they are the only protected cells I have, as opposed to the unprotected 26650 cells I bought specifically for this light.
Without having to go through the whole thread can anyone remember what are the longest cells the Cometa will take as my Panasonics are 70.3mm long & iirc they may be to long or am I getting confused with another light ?
As another poster has said given the problems being encountered a response from Cyberescudo would be appreciated at this point.
I can”t praise him enough for the hard work he has put into this project, & the issues are obviously nothing what so ever to do with him, but due to his involvement with Banggood & the manufacturer I think he needs to make a statement now.
Uniquefire UT20 is a very nice C8 size zoomie, the UF1504 is much bigger and also nice zoomie
Brynite has this very good waterproof zoomie and the Warsun X65 is a neat versatile zoomie that is rather cheap and can run several hours on cheap AA primaries as well as 18650/26650 cells.
Has anyone checked that anodized part pressing on the LEDs star for conductivity?
I am also a little in fear over this light and will check inner parts before putting a cell in there (an almost drained protected cell that is and not screw the tailcap in but make the electrical loop with some wires so I can feel the cell when checking.
Cyberscudo do you have an idea what is going on?
“The show was recorded on 29/04/2016 in the destination country UK. More information also provides the postal services of the destination country on the own homepage.”
According to the above tracking information it shouldn”t be long till I get my hands on my Cometa & see if there are any issues with it.
i tried 5 different batteries all 18650 Samsung 30Q, lg, ultra fire and laptop pulls i think the flattop Samsung are the problem as the top is wider on the positive side so this might cause the short also the springs feel very soft and the tube adapter is also very very lose which makes the battery move around almost 5 mm. i think the combination of the flat tops wide positive spot, the adapter being to lose and the soft wobbly springs might be the problem.
Now that i went back and locked at the picture of the pill from the driver side, it’s pretty obvious a flat top might very weel short.
It’ll be wise to eliminate a possible source of short to insulate the exposed metal around the spring with non conductive tape or a plastic ring before putting a battery in the flashlight.
iirc these springs were specifically chosen as they offered less resistance, about the same resistance as if a spring bypass had been done, therefore removing the need to do one ?
From the above pic it does look as if if the springs were compressed a bit they could allow contact between the cell positive & the brass around the pill if the cell positive was wide or if the cell positive was not located centrally (mention has been made of cells being lose in the tube).
A simple mod with a disc of thin plastic, a bit like a plastic washer with a hole sufficiently big enough to allow the spring to poke through, placed on the pill would stop this.
I have some thin plastic & small hole cutters 
So basically it needs a plastic washer between spring and ring
Ample room for it and clear what needs to be filled up. Thanks for the heads up!
Also the fact that posters have mentioned cells being loose in the tube could mean that if the cell positive was centred there would be no problem but if it was off centre it could short meaning different results with the same cell depending on how centrally they were located at the positive end.
I will definitely be attaching a plastic washer before inserting a cell
Is this deal still on, if so could i get a pm with code, thanks
I seem to remember (in fact I am sure) that in one of Cyberescudo”s early posts in this thread that he made reference to the springs (both ends) being better quality & of less resistance than standard springs giving the same sort of readings as if a spring bypass had been done so there was no need to do one.
Could it be that these lower resistance springs are also softer ?
The problem could be one of two things or a combination of both, the spring compresses to much allowing the cell positive to contact the pill with certain cells, or cells are loose in the tube meaning the positive is off centre & touching the pill, or a combination of both ?
Or it could be something completely different & I am barking up the wrong tree :person_facepalming:
Here you are from the specs in the opening post of this thread
“Double gold plated springs (performance comparable to Spring Bypass)”
I also think that he mentioned using these specific springs for lower resistance at both ends in a post also.
Anyway I have not received my Cometa yet but when I do I will check the springs to see how “stiff” they are & will definitely be adding an insulating washer before putting in a cell so that I hopefully don”t fry anything.
TBF those people who have not had a problem with their Cometa are generally reporting that they are very good in operation & I am looking forward to receiving mine.
Does that mean each end should have two springs, one inside the other — that’s what I thought.
Or does it mean they gold-plated each string, then gold-plated the springs a second time?
Thanks JamesB for looking at both sides of the pill.
I also would like to see a picture, as JamesB requests, of the back side of the “parabolic” piece in case it contacts the wires on the front of the LED.
And on the spring side, definitely looks risky and a nonconductive washer over the exposed brass outside the spring seems an essential precaution.
Seems like several improvements were made in the design and not tested, and one or both of them turned out to risk an internal short circuit.
My problem was with an Efest 5200 flat top. It does have a large flat top that probably sticks out enough to hit the brass ring…
I cannot say if the problem was on the emitter side or the driver side as I addressed both when trying to make it work. Kapton tape on top, stretched spring on the other.
P.S., a washer with a small hole — not much bigger than the diameter of the spring wire, and offset from the center — could probably be “screwed down over” the spring — so it would stay in place and not fall out or bend and move sideways exposing the brass eventually.
Alternatively:
I’ve seen what may be called a “collar washer” or a “top hat spacing washer” — plastic washer with a raised rim on the inner diameter — that rim would fit down into the hole around the spring, again holding the washer centered and covering the exposed brass a bit better.
Yes you are wright,so we have to know the dimensions to find one to fit.
Will Neal post in here. What about us non techies? What does he want us to do to avoid a really bad return scenario? Could someone post a picture of this washer in place please so we know what to do? And some say this may not even be the cause of the short? When I get my light WHAT am I supposed to do with it? Crazy.
appreciate the help from the knowledgeable. Thank you.
Can you measure the OD of the pill at the spring end (threaded end) & the OD of the recess the spring sits in please ?