odd SF L1 Cree behavior

This is a new thread and not posted with the said "L1 owners with issues" thread cause I've not determined if this is a true issue or in fact simply a non-issue.

Anyways, my L1 cree is the new batch, it runs on high with no problems or flickering. But when i use it on the momentary "high" beam mode I notice the LED goes through a lot of flickering as i depress the button in. Finally when i press VERY hard it goes to full power and will stay there only as long as i really mash the button in like hell. Let up just a little pressure and it starts to flicker and go dim. (kind of like an inbetween mode).
My A-2 and old L1 do not have that issue. I have tried switching tailcaps, batteries, cleaning all contacts, etc to no avail. What do you think?

Mine does this also. if you are patient and take your time sometimes you can actually get and hold a 3rd level in between the other two for a second or two.when usingtwisty method it does not seem to exhibit this . I thought this was normal.

luminata said:

Mine does this also. if you are patient and take your time sometimes you can actually get and hold a 3rd level in between the other two for a second or two.when usingtwisty method it does not seem to exhibit this . I thought this was normal.

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Guys, I too had this happen with a recently purchased L1. It worked ok on low and high but appeared to have a third level - like in between high and low. I checked the "issues" thread and figured out I'd better give the light a test to see if it was ok. I let it run on high and watched it. After around five minutes it dimmed and began to flicker at perhaps 5 to 10 little blinks per second. Then it went dead. I tested the battery and it was ok. I put the head on my other L1 body and it worked. The fault was in the body.

What I'm saying is that you might consider a test like mine as I saw the same funny behavior in my L1 before it failed.

Surefire replaced it for me.

Perhaps this discussion would be better placed in the "issues" thread but that one got kinda out of hand.

Eddie

Spalding said:

Guys, I too had this happen with a recently purchased L1. It worked ok on low and high but appeared to have a third level - like in between high and low. I checked the "issues" thread and figured out I'd better give the light a test to see if it was ok. I let it run on high and watched it. After around five minutes it dimmed and began to flicker at perhaps 5 to 10 little blinks per second. Then it went dead. I tested the battery and it was ok. I put the head on my other L1 body and it worked. The fault was in the body.

What I'm saying is that you might consider a test like mine as I saw the same funny behavior in my L1 before it failed.

Surefire replaced it for me.

Perhaps this discussion would be better placed in the "issues" thread but that one got kinda out of hand.

Eddie

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...like Surefire's quality control. :duck:

j/k

batman,

Sounds very much like a contact problem inside the tailcap... which you said you have excluded ... :shrug:

Call Surefire would be my best advice.

ANOTHER SureFire issue? I've been away for a while and they are still here.

MikeSalt said:

ANOTHER SureFire issue? I've been away for a while and they are still here.

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Given you just joined in January of this year...you couldn't have been gone long!

elgarak said:

batman,

Sounds very much like a contact problem inside the tailcap... which you said you have excluded ... :shrug:

Call Surefire would be my best advice.

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elgarak,

I failed to mention that as part of the test I did I swapped the tail cap from my older L1 to the new one to eliminate that as the fault and I was able to narrow the problem down to the body itself.

Eddie

interesting responses, I think i will ask the SF people what they think. maybe it's normal. In any case I'll update you guys on what SF says.

from what I can gather, it's a type of possible behavior of the resistor design. the little springs you see on the inside of the tail cap are the resistors that creates the low. in pressing the button there is a certain point where the springs are not quite compressed all the way and the regular contact touches the body.

I have 3 A2s and 2 L1s so I think I am understanding what you are describing. One of my A2s had a characteristic like that but it went away after about 2 weeks of usage.

think of it this way: there are three resistors that I can see. Now the three contacting springs for the resistors are made of metal. anyone working with metal can tall you that no one can make two pieces of metal to be the exact same shape. So when you push on the tail cap there is a point where maybe only one, or two of the three is making contact with the body as the high-beam contacts are made. Even if they were identical, the switch does not press completely linearly, there will always be an angle, and that slight deviation from perpendicularity compounded with the variation in the spring shape can give you a intermediate level somewhere in the switch's travel.

The tail cap is probably just breaking in, see if the problem goes away after a few days of usage.

Well, after using the light for a while and switching tailcaps with my A2, trying different batteries and making sure all contacts were clean I called SF.
I described it to them and I was suprised, the representative matter-of-factly stated it should be replaced. I was given the RMA number and told to send it in. That's pretty cool. He also mentioned it could be a circuit board issue. In any case i left the Duracell battery inside that I was using at the moment and suddenly realized that after I'd sent the light off.

Well, just to finish up this thread, I mailed in the L1 and they had a replacement sent out to me within a week or so,..i was really impressed. It was still in it's package, unopened, I've actually been using it a few weeks now. It's just a tad dimmer than the defective one but no flickering whatsoever..this one is perfect. No complaints! It's been a great little light and has replaced my P1d_CE.

Thanks for the follow up post batman. It's always nice to hear when problems get resolved quickly and easily, and I'm happy you are finally getting a chance to really enjoy your new light.

When you turn the tailcap on constant on, at what point do you get the high level? Mine has to be almost completely tightened before the high level comes. The hole on the body is just aligned with the top of the "L1 DIGITAL LUMAMAX" non-knurled zone. The light comes to high when the "hole" on the tailcap is aligned with the "LUMAMAX" word and the tailcap stop to turn at the "L1 DIGITAL" line. There's isn't much play for the high level. Are all your L1 like that?

Thanks

Yup, mine is that way. Bottom of the lumamax zone for low and another turnish for high.

Where do you guys usually leave it? I find it best between the borders of the serial number zone, depending on what gloves I'm wearing.

Qoose said:

Yup, mine is that way. Bottom of the lumamax zone for low and another turnish for high.

Where do you guys usually leave it? I find it best between the borders of the serial number zone, depending on what gloves I'm wearing.

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When using momentary, do you have to push all the way down to get a solid high?

My L1 turns on high when the dot on the tailcap reaches the pat text side, and are fully down when it reaches "L1 digital" line. I thought the dot on the tailcap and the mark on the body should be alligned for it to be "ready to use" If I want low-high by pressing the tailcap I have to have the dot above the "pat text" otherwose the light flickers in high, and dont alwyas light up on high.

WildChild said:

When using momentary, do you have to push all the way down to get a solid high?

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Yeah, I do. I would like if it was a little easier. I'd say I could hold it for about 5 minutes before my hand gets tired. To get to high via twist, its past the bottom of the patents area, after one turn past low.

5 minutes is more than a moment....Hence the momentary concept. Momentary is just for momentary use....not several minutes. That's what the twisty is for.

My low comes on half way between the mark on the battery tube and the clip. My high comes on just past the patent inscription.

Qoose said:

Yeah, I do. I would like if it was a little easier. I'd say I could hold it for about 5 minutes before my hand gets tired. To get to high via twist, its past the bottom of the patents area, after one turn past low.

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WildChild said:

When using momentary, do you have to push all the way down to get a solid high?

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