WARNING: Cometa – read/fix BEFORE inserting battery

hank · May 2, 2016, 3:04am

See the table posted in the original post (and that I linked to in this thread again Sun, 05/01/2016 - 14:45)

24 gauge will handle about 5 amps, according to that.
I have no idea if that’s enough.

It’s possible switching to 24 from 20 was done to keep other components of the light (springs?) from overheating — or maybe they just picked up the wrong spool of wire, or couldn’t fit the 20 gauge through the holes they drilled, or couldn’t screw the black parabolic thing down over the thicker wire. Or something else.

No clue until someone knowledgeable reports.

Wait, I said I’d said enough. Well, too much.

KawiBoy1428 · May 2, 2016, 3:13am

suitaroh:

So, my light is working now. A rather odd thing was wrong with it. I took mine apart entirely and the wires had been cut by the mcpcb twisting. I think it happened during the initial assembly, since the mcpcb board isn’t fastened down and in fact moves when the ring is tightened completely, just a rare accident I think. I resoldered the wire, but my solder beads were too high. My boss has better soldering skills than I and soldered the connection again, with much smaller beads than came from the factory. The light works great now!

In sum, I’m happy with it for the price.
When I took it fully apart I noticed that a bit of solder from one side of the led was touching the retaining ring, I don’t know if this was causing any problems since my light didn’t work in the first place because of the severed wires, but I scrapped it down a bit anyway.
The threads need some lube, but that’s no big deal.
My springs get slightly warm, but not hot.
I put some electrical tape around the ring on the pill spring like a poster above did, although the light worked fine without the tape and with a flat top.
The switch is way more sensitive than I am used to, but I’m starting to like and and get used to the UI.
I’d be somewhat upset if I didn’t have access to materials/people to solder things for free, but for $40 I’m happy with the Cometa.
I had forgotten the thread said 20 gauge wire, is there much to be gained by replacing the 24 gauge wire with 20 gauge?
I haven’t left my light on for an extended amount of time yet, the longest was about 10 minutes so far, but it seems to me that most of the spring failure happened pretty much right away.

Well you really got lucky that the wire was cut!! If it would have been still connected to the red lead, just cut, it would have been a ground short, black wire the light would not have worked. So what wire was sheared?

suitaroh · May 2, 2016, 3:52am

KawiBoy1428:

suitaroh:

So, my light is working now. A rather odd thing was wrong with it. I took mine apart entirely and the wires had been cut by the mcpcb twisting. I think it happened during the initial assembly, since the mcpcb board isn’t fastened down and in fact moves when the ring is tightened completely, just a rare accident I think. I resoldered the wire, but my solder beads were too high. My boss has better soldering skills than I and soldered the connection again, with much smaller beads than came from the factory. The light works great now!

In sum, I’m happy with it for the price.
When I took it fully apart I noticed that a bit of solder from one side of the led was touching the retaining ring, I don’t know if this was causing any problems since my light didn’t work in the first place because of the severed wires, but I scrapped it down a bit anyway.
The threads need some lube, but that’s no big deal.
My springs get slightly warm, but not hot.
I put some electrical tape around the ring on the pill spring like a poster above did, although the light worked fine without the tape and with a flat top.
The switch is way more sensitive than I am used to, but I’m starting to like and and get used to the UI.
I’d be somewhat upset if I didn’t have access to materials/people to solder things for free, but for $40 I’m happy with the Cometa.
I had forgotten the thread said 20 gauge wire, is there much to be gained by replacing the 24 gauge wire with 20 gauge?
I haven’t left my light on for an extended amount of time yet, the longest was about 10 minutes so far, but it seems to me that most of the spring failure happened pretty much right away.

Well you really got lucky that the wire was cut!! If it would have been still connected to the red lead, just cut, it would have been a ground short, black wire the light would not have worked. So what wire was sheared?

Both wires were sheared clean, I was rather surprised to find that that was the problem. The back of the mcpcb was reasonably sharp, like cut/stamped metal is without much sanding, and when I screw the ring on I can see the led twist some as the last few threads go thru. I assume when the ring got put on in the first place it happened, since it the ring was on pretty tight originally.

KawiBoy1428 · May 2, 2016, 5:29am

suitaroh:

KawiBoy1428:

suitaroh:

So, my light is working now. A rather odd thing was wrong with it. I took mine apart entirely and the wires had been cut by the mcpcb twisting. I think it happened during the initial assembly, since the mcpcb board isn’t fastened down and in fact moves when the ring is tightened completely, just a rare accident I think. I resoldered the wire, but my solder beads were too high. My boss has better soldering skills than I and soldered the connection again, with much smaller beads than came from the factory. The light works great now!

In sum, I’m happy with it for the price.
When I took it fully apart I noticed that a bit of solder from one side of the led was touching the retaining ring, I don’t know if this was causing any problems since my light didn’t work in the first place because of the severed wires, but I scrapped it down a bit anyway.
The threads need some lube, but that’s no big deal.
My springs get slightly warm, but not hot.
I put some electrical tape around the ring on the pill spring like a poster above did, although the light worked fine without the tape and with a flat top.
The switch is way more sensitive than I am used to, but I’m starting to like and and get used to the UI.
I’d be somewhat upset if I didn’t have access to materials/people to solder things for free, but for $40 I’m happy with the Cometa.
I had forgotten the thread said 20 gauge wire, is there much to be gained by replacing the 24 gauge wire with 20 gauge?
I haven’t left my light on for an extended amount of time yet, the longest was about 10 minutes so far, but it seems to me that most of the spring failure happened pretty much right away.

Well you really got lucky that the wire was cut!! If it would have been still connected to the red lead, just cut, it would have been a ground short, black wire the light would not have worked. So what wire was sheared?

Both wires were sheared clean, I was rather surprised to find that that was the problem. The back of the mcpcb was reasonably sharp, like cut/stamped metal is without much sanding, and when I screw the ring on I can see the led twist some as the last few threads go thru. I assume when the ring got put on in the first place it happened, since it the ring was on pretty tight originally.

Very Lucky Indeed!

lionheart_2281 · May 2, 2016, 6:27am

So….is a plastic insulator ring being mailed out to everyone in this GB??? Or do we have to take our brand new lights apart and dodgy them up with electrical tape?

KawiBoy1428 · May 2, 2016, 6:35am

Earlier I reported 5.45 amps (4.8-5 amps stock IIRC?) on my (Factory Hot Rod) Cometa with tail switch swapped out for a Omten switch and both springs bypassed, 5.45 amps!!! So I wanted to see (like everybody else) what the next upgrade would do, 20awg Leads? Pill tear down revealed something common and obvious, a high spot from the machining process, as witnessed on the star and pill, more pronounced when high lighted. Stoning Flat and Polishing will take care of this! Now for the 20awg upgrade… Too Long? No, these will be pulled tight, cut and soldered, shortest path = more power?? Stock Hot Rod Cometa, spring bypass’ and 20awg upgraded leads = Wow it actually hit 6.04 amps (by the time I hit hold on the meter) it dropped a bit. So a half amp increase by adding 20awg wire on my sample! Outstanding! But alas “Melt Down” has it beat by a little bit……(actual at start up was 6.52amps) Might just try upgrading the FET and 7135 and touch up some of the solder joints while I’m at it on the driver, Every Little Bit HELPS!!!

KawiBoy1428 · May 2, 2016, 7:15am

Oh snap! :rage: Be careful with that centering ring plate and floating emitter, the emitter pad has a corner knocked off it, and it shows up on the wall, it dose not effect the beam from what I see using the light outside? That centering ring slop and that emitter floating ( not screwed down) , I must have nicked it during all this tearing down and upgrading? I have had to actually shove the star around to get it center to that plate, could of happened then too? My camera phone won’t pick it up, tried taking pic’s to show you guy’s. Damn! :rage: Best I can do look at the upper right hand corner, maybe do the other three corners?

stephenk · May 2, 2016, 10:29am

+1

It is a shame that Cyberescudo has gone through all of the effort in designing this light, only for the manufacturer to not build the light as specified, and making the light a potential safety risk in the process. I bought this light due to it being a zoomy with high performance out of the box, not requiring modding, and not being stupidly expensive like LED Lensers.

I had been looking forward to receiving this light for months. Now I’m extremely concerned/scared about receiving it!

bella-headlight · May 2, 2016, 10:52am

I think that provided you insulate the pill (I made a small plastic washer the same diameter of the inside of the tube with a 10mm hole in the centre for the spring to poke through) & remove the led cover plate & check that the solder isn”t making contact then you should be fine.
If you feel confident then you could perform a more thorough check & there is quite a comprehensive explanation of how to fully disassemble the light & what/how to check in an earlier post but if you do the 2 things I have mentioned & the light works you should hopefully be fine.
It seems I have just been unlucky as my light arrived with both physical damage & not working at all.

teacher · May 2, 2016, 11:28am

teacher:

Sharpie:

bella-headlight:

I bought this light specifically because I am not a modder & it was stated that it would have the performance of a modded light as stock.

By “modded light” I understand you to mean a modified torch, pushed to the ragged edge, taking several components, specifically the LED, well beyond the manufacturer’s safe operating area.

Something that a mass-market manufacturer would never dare build.

I think that this is exactly what you have received (apart from the wimpy LED wires, maybe this was intentional to save some from themselves ?)

Anything with a FET driver, without limiting resistors, is such a device. This is what you have.

You cannot expect such a device to be as reliable as domestic white goods.

Nor can you expect a CE mark on it.

This is a “racing” torch, but designed to be durable.

If you race, you will understand.

If you have never raced, you may not.

If you don’t break things, you are not racing hard enough.

When racers break things, they don’t moan, but fix and improve them, then modify them further.

Until they break again.

Etc.

I agree with and understand what you have to say ‘Sharpie’.

But, using your own “racing” analogy; when your ‘engine builder’ whether in house or contract builds you an engine you expect it to work when he delivers it don’t you?

Then after that it is up to you to do maintenance, repair it when you break it, and modify it however you wish. Then when it is finally “toast” you have him build you another one if you don’t have a spare waiting and the process repeats itself.

From what I read here ‘bella-headlight’ has gone above & beyond trying to resolve the problems with his light. He bought it to “drive” right out of the box…… not to have to fix it right out of the box.

To be clear, I do not feel that having to put a piece of tape or plastic washer, to avoid a potential problem area identified after deliver of the COMETA; is a huge disaster… just a simple “fix” that anyone can do.

BUT, if the light blew up before this problem was identified or because they did not know about it yet, or it came to them broken & not working…… they deserve & should get full and complete cooperation from the seller.

A full refund or a new light…. their choice.

bella-headlight:

Referring to the earlier post comparing the Cometa to a “race” engine I can understand the analogy to a certain extent as I used to drive rally cars for many years & did a lot of the engine building myself so know about pushing things to their limits.
My engines would work straight off when installed in the car but granted I might damage them during an event due to me pushing them to hard.
However I wouldn”t expect to see obvious manufacturing/assembly damage upon delivery of the engine nor would I expect the engine not to fire up after initial installation in the engine.
If this Cometa had been an engine it would have been running now as I know far far more about engines than light electronics & components.
I feel that I have done more than enough to try to get something to work that is brand new & should have worked straight out of the box.
I pm”d Neal when he was on here on Saturday as he advised to do but as yet have not received a reply.
I will give it another day or 2 & hopefully he will get back to me & offer me a resolution.
To me it seems the problems with this Cometa are not that it is a “hot rodded/modded” light being driven to it”s limits, it is down to a combination of the manufacturer/assembler causing the possiblity of cells shorting, poor assembly (sheared wires, damaged lens, stray solder), & poor machining, also the original specs have been ignored by using a 17mm driver as opposed to the agreed 22m & using thinner guage wire for some reason, although I don”t know if these last 2 things can cause any problems or not ?
It would seem from the posts that I am not alone in not being competent enough to be able to resolve all the issues myself although obviously some members are.
I would like to state (again) that I am in no way blaming Cyberescudo & still look forward to having a working light as it does appear that when working the Cometa is very good indeed.

+1
Well said ‘bella-headlight’!!
As far as I am concerned you and others have gone above & beyond in your efforts to trouble shoot & fix your light.
Good luck & best wishes…………

bella-headlight · May 2, 2016, 11:40am

“+1
Well said ‘bella-headlight’!!
As far as I am concerned you [ and others ] have gone above & beyond in your efforts to trouble shoot & fix your light.
Good luck & best wishes………… Smile”

Thanks for that teacher
I have no doubt that my problem will be resolved to my satisfaction, it will just take a bit of time as I am dealing with the other side of the world.
I have actually learnt a bit about the construction & workings of a light due to trying to trouble shoot the problems with my Cometa.
If BG offer me a replacement & I keep the non working one I am pretty sure I will be either repairing it or attempting my first “mod”

KawiBoy1428 · May 2, 2016, 11:59am

**
So it begins!! “clink”

bella-headlight · May 2, 2016, 12:07pm

Dosen”t it just :laughing:
In the last few weeks I have bought a cheap digital light meter ready to measure any improvements in output I might gain & a cheap soldering station :smiling_imp:
The first “mod” can”t be far away

ReManG · May 2, 2016, 12:13pm

Lol, I have the same mark on my V3 2B I just put into my one Cometa… The centering ring has teeth!

I may drill a hole in the pill and tap in a split pin to keep the MCPCB from rotating… The Eagle Eye X5R I just reviewed has an anti twist screw. The MCPCB is held down by the reflector, the screw keeps it from rotating when you tighten the bezel…

Theodore41 · May 2, 2016, 12:50pm

Have you something in your mind,about what will be your first mod? Because I think that first effort should be to bring the light to early specs.ie 22mm driver,plus #20 gauge cables.
What do you think about it?

bella-headlight · May 2, 2016, 12:36pm

I had thought about my first mod being done on a cheap Ultrafire T6 either the single or triple emitter model, swap the LB emitters for Cree , driver swap, spring bypass etc but already having a dud Cometa might force my hand.
Certainly if BG let me keep this Cometa & send me a new one then I would look to mod it to original spec as you say, plus a couple of upgrades that have already been mentioned in this thread
I will have to wait to see what BG decide to do first though as they may want the Cometa returned.

hank · May 2, 2016, 2:46pm

>> centering ring slop and that emitter floating ( not screwed down)
> drill a hole in the pill and tap in a split pin to keep the MCPCB from rotating

Please explain “tap in a split pin” when you do that?
(might be worth creating a separate thread for ways to keep the emitter board from rotating)

I’d been wondering about drilling and tapping a screw to keep the board from rotating, but worried that would prevent the parabolic disk from contacting the board to heatsink it.

Andrew2007 · May 2, 2016, 3:25pm

Spring pins are the type to use, drill a hole slightly smaller than the pin and then tap it in.

But I would be drilling and tapping a couple of holes so it can be screwed down. It looks like there’s plenty of clearance under the black disc.

I don’t like using thermal adhesive for mcpcb’s.

If you want to measure the clearance then just use a small piece of blu tack and then push the black disc down on top of it and remove to see how far it’s compressed.

ReManG · May 2, 2016, 3:26pm

Meant spring pin. Autocorrect got me.

Easier than tapping a hole and knocked down to the top of the pill or slightly lower.

jescereal · May 2, 2016, 3:40pm

How did you get it so low and clean?