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Post by slowroll on Apr 20, 2019 12:08:21 GMT -5
No doubt many of you have had the same exasperating problems I've had with the lovely (when they work) LED flashlights. Great brightness and convenience, but no matter how much you pay for them, the never work for long. Won't turn on, keep flickering, etc. I finally discovered a fix. Seems the problem is that the battery contacts get oxidized, and it's often not visible as such. So, I took a 3/8 inch dowel, glued a piece of 400 grit sandpaper on the end and trimmed it to match the diameter, and scoured the contacts inside the flashlights. Fixed several of them and they're perfect. Thought I'd pass it along.
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Post by pepesdad1 on Apr 20, 2019 12:15:47 GMT -5
Thanks, Steve...that is what I usually do..I find that with these new type of LED flashlights that some of them are "on" all the time in the sense that the board is always keeping "up" and constantly uses a little juice...really can't explain it better than that...I prefer to use the reusable batteries, but the regular ones work just as well.
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Post by trailboss on Apr 20, 2019 12:21:06 GMT -5
My Fenix flashlights had been giving me fits, and this helped me out.
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Post by papipeguy on Apr 20, 2019 12:58:48 GMT -5
Great hint. Thanks.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2019 13:00:08 GMT -5
I’ll scratch off oxidation not seen with the naked eye. Clean up with a mild alcohol and it will last another few months until it needs to be done once again. Not only caused by change of temperature from batteries, humidity levels play into a big factor with metal contacts collecting particles in the air that oxidize.
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Post by trailboss on Apr 20, 2019 13:12:12 GMT -5
I’ll scratch off oxidation not seen with the naked eye. Clean up with a mild alcohol and it will last another few months until it needs to be done once again. Not only caused by change of temperature from batteries, humidity levels play into a big factor with metal contacts collecting particles in the air that oxidize. Yeah, you cannot trust your eyes on the cleanliness of the contacts, it does not take much oxidation or corrosion to end up with an erratic operating flashlight. Most of my tactical flashlights use 123A lithium batteries, in the past I bought the generic ones at battery junction.com for just under a buck, and they worked fine. The current Fenix flashlights I have prefer Surefire brand. If I use the cheap ones, it is more miss than hit. I usually always have a tactical flashlight on me... the 900 Lumen strobe feature, is quite a shock to a bad guys eyeballs, the ultra low setting is great for looking at pipe nomenclature, and reading a menu in a less than ideally lighted restaurant for reading. |
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stone
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Post by stone on Apr 20, 2019 13:18:30 GMT -5
Nice!
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Post by pepesdad1 on Apr 20, 2019 13:48:09 GMT -5
These are great flashlights...I've given about 10 away as gifts to relatives and friends alike...they are particularly handy for the ladies to find stuff in their purses...also at night when you drop something going to your vehicle...great stocking stuffers, too...something that is small and useful..can't be beat.
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cappadoc
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Favorite Pipe: Basil Meadows Billiard
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Post by cappadoc on Apr 20, 2019 13:53:28 GMT -5
Dielectric grease will keep oxidation in check and is cheap as heck.
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Post by Dramatwist on Apr 20, 2019 15:25:34 GMT -5
...expensive, but get a "Surefire". They always work. Period...
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Post by bigwoolie on Apr 20, 2019 18:18:02 GMT -5
I’ll scratch off oxidation not seen with the naked eye. Clean up with a mild alcohol and it will last another few months until it needs to be done once again. Not only caused by change of temperature from batteries, humidity levels play into a big factor with metal contacts collecting particles in the air that oxidize. Yeah, you cannot trust your eyes on the cleanliness of the contacts, it does not take much oxidation or corrosion to end up with an erratic operating flashlight. Most of my tactical flashlights use 123A lithium batteries, in the past I bought the generic ones at battery junction.com for just under a buck, and they worked fine. The current Fenix flashlights I have prefer Surefire brand. If I use the cheap ones, it is more miss than hit. I usually always have a tactical flashlight on me... the 900 Lumen strobe feature, is quite a shock to a bad guys eyeballs, the ultra low setting is great for looking at pipe nomenclature, and reading a menu in a less than ideally lighted restaurant for reading. I have 3 Surefire lights, and I only use the Surefire C123 batteries. My P3X Fury is pretty much a weapon by itself. In LEO work in Alaska, when it came to flashlights, we went by the mantra "2 is 1 and 1 is none". I don't do cheap flashlights. |
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Post by scrooge on Apr 20, 2019 18:19:49 GMT -5
Good to know Thanks.
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Post by trailboss on Apr 20, 2019 18:34:03 GMT -5
I agree...buy once, cry once...especially for a product you expect to perform dependably, and in that regard Fenix flashlights have exceeded my expectations...I have three Surefire flashlights (yes, I am a flashlight geek), but for the price point, quality, and dependability, Fenix holds their own....like anything mechanical, they require periodic maintenance, which admittedly I dropped the ball on...that is on me, not the product. Fenix aren't harbor Freight flashlights, but they have a great reputation.... I have PD 32's and PD 35's...great performers. www.amazon.com/s?k=FENIX+FLASHLIGHTS&ref=bl_dp_s_web_0 |
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Post by daveinlax on Apr 20, 2019 21:19:34 GMT -5
I use a head lamp and a handheld pretty much daily for my two MSHA preshift inspections. I'm using a disposable LED headlamp since my old Petzl died but my trusty little incandescent MagLite has been with me for a long time.  |
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Post by AJ on Apr 20, 2019 21:38:26 GMT -5
Thanks for the tip Steve.
AJ
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Post by slowroll on Apr 20, 2019 22:25:59 GMT -5
The amount i use flashlights when i'm workingn on airplanes, I want a flashlight that uses AA or AAA batteries. The 123 type batteries are rather more money, and I use 'em up pretty quick.
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Post by trailboss on Apr 20, 2019 22:37:38 GMT -5
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Post by Ronv69 on Apr 20, 2019 23:32:15 GMT -5
I got into that forum and spent $100 souping up a 5D Maglite. You can read by the light reflected back from a headlight 2 blocks away. I have a couple of newer ones that were much cheaper and work almost as well. But, for the time I built it, it beats anything you could buy off the shelf. I found an old conventional flashlight in the garage last week that I know hasn't been touched in 13 years, flicked the switch and it lit, but dimly. No corrosion at all. I was impressed. Energizer batteries too. I ordered a led replacement for it just because. |
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