Fenix momentary switch

Yee haa, no more reverse clicky for me.

I found a source for the switch in the Sunbeam Beam-It lights that were sold at Big Lots and decided to see if I could make them work in the Fenix L series.
This is the same, or very similar to, switch that was in the Triton P1 light. They look identical to me, even when I took them totally apart and compared them with each other.

Disassembled the Beam-It to get the switch and bought some PCB with copper on both sides at Radio Shack.

Mind you, I'm not very good at this electronics stuff, so I cooked a switch figuring out how to hook it up.

I had to hand cut the PCB in circles and remove the copper in the appropriate place to make the proper contacts with the switch prongs, and soldered them in place. The negative posts on the switch (noted as letter A in the pic) were soldered on one side of the board and the ground for the light is the factory retaining ring which contacts the other side of the board, so I drilled two holes through the board and put some desolder braid in the hole to act as a trace. (noted as letter B)

This is the flip side of the board showing the soldered trace (B), positive spring contact (C).

Here the finished switch.

And here's all it takes to drop it into the tailcap. The nylon spacer goes in first, followed by the switch, then the factory washer and retaing ring.

From start to finish, it takes me about an hour to make one of these. It does feel a bit soft in spring tension compared to the stock reverse switch, but seeing how it's now a momentary switch, I think I'll be able to get used to it.

:goodjob:That is out standing! What a great fenix mod! :goodjob:

i love the pictures too. Very well done.

nice mod!

Now why in the H>>> can't that be an option

DOWN with reverse switches.


GREAT mod--will you do one for me???????????

Karl

Hmm. Nice. I thought this was for momentary on/twist to stay on by the title. The only reason I like the reverse clicky is because a momentary could be pressed on easily in a bag and run your battery down. Same problem with a momentary twist on but as long as you can unscrew it enough to defeat it no problem.

I do like to use momentary on a lot, and that does bug me with the reverse clickes as I gotta latch em on and then I feel like I'm gonna wear it out using it so much for just 3-5 sec bursts...

Does it feel spongy like the Triton P1 switch did?

EDIT: upon re-reading it seems you said that it does.

Isaac,

1/8 of a turn on the tail cap is enough to break contact between the retaing ring and flashlight body, thus defeating the switch and preventing accidental activation.

chevro,

Yeah it does feel spongy as I said, but it's still a positive click to engage, very tolerable.