Battery drainage

ryukin2000

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Aug 1, 2011
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207
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Calgary
Last night i went out for a bike ride to test out my new light set up. Mount idea was found on the web using two hose clamps to secure a flashlight. Light is a techlite 200lm from costco. batteries were full and never had issues with it before this. After 15mins the light died. i swapped the light out with my LD10. worked great but had some flicker issues. a first time for the light as well. when i got home and took a closer look, some of the anodizing had been removed from tightening the hose clamp down. Was the power drainage and flickering from exposed contacts to the hose clamps? i will wrap it up next time to make sure.
 

AnAppleSnail

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Aug 21, 2009
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South Hill, VA
No. The shell of the flashlight is usually a single electrical contact.

Is the costco thing a 3xAAA one? If so, examine your batteries. I'll bet you a leaky alkaline that the wrapping on some of the cells is worn off. This WILL cause an important short. If you MUST use a 3xAAA carrier, wrap it in paper first.
 

oKtosiTe

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Sweden
Last night i went out for a bike ride to test out my new light set up. Mount idea was found on the web using two hose clamps to secure a flashlight. Light is a techlite 200lm from costco. batteries were full and never had issues with it before this. After 15mins the light died. i swapped the light out with my LD10. worked great but had some flicker issues. a first time for the light as well. when i got home and took a closer look, some of the anodizing had been removed from tightening the hose clamp down. Was the power drainage and flickering from exposed contacts to the hose clamps? i will wrap it up next time to make sure.

While I doubt your drainage problem was caused by direct hose clamp contact, I do recommend lining your hose clamps with some rubber or silicone to absorb shock and avoid scratches.

I used a silicone clay called sugru for this:
NxgSQl.jpg
 

ev13wt

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Jan 2, 2009
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164
No, the flickering cannot have been caused by the bike mount metal touching the flashlight. With ot without anodizing.

Syomething else must be the cause.
 

ryukin2000

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Aug 1, 2011
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207
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Calgary
No. The shell of the flashlight is usually a single electrical contact.

Is the costco thing a 3xAAA one? If so, examine your batteries. I'll bet you a leaky alkaline that the wrapping on some of the cells is worn off. This WILL cause an important short. If you MUST use a 3xAAA carrier, wrap it in paper first.

The costco light and the LD10 both had eneloops. Odd sine my LD10 never flickered before this. i am stumped to be honest.
 

ryukin2000

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Aug 1, 2011
Messages
207
Location
Calgary
While I doubt your drainage problem was caused by direct hose clamp contact, I do recommend lining your hose clamps with some rubber or silicone to absorb shock and avoid scratches.

I used a silicone clay called sugru for this:
NxgSQl.jpg

That's a neat idea. making it into a turn key style! they sell them in a package only and i didn't want to pay 6 bucks for it. think i'll jb weld something onto the nut. so far ive been carrying a nickel around just to loosen and tighten it.
 

HotWire

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Mar 9, 2011
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1,651
I'm glad you had a backup flashlight. Carrying spare batteries is not enough IMHO. The hose clamps would have had no effect. If you clean all the contact surfaces inside of the lights and check that the ring inside the switch is tight you'll probably fix the problem. Cool idea!
 

oKtosiTe

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Sweden
so far ive been carrying a nickel around just to loosen and tighten it.

A nickel... I'll have to remember that for when I mount my second flashlight. This hose clamp was left in my toolbox by an unknown donator. :)
 
Last edited:

ryukin2000

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Aug 1, 2011
Messages
207
Location
Calgary
I'm glad you had a backup flashlight. Carrying spare batteries is not enough IMHO. The hose clamps would have had no effect. If you clean all the contact surfaces inside of the lights and check that the ring inside the switch is tight you'll probably fix the problem. Cool idea!

Thanks for the tip Hotwire. it flickered today again and then suddenly stopped working. i checked the ring inside the switch like you suggested and sure enough it was loose. tightened it down and now its working again and no more flickering.
 
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