Emisar D3AA misbehavior?

[adrianmariano]

I got an Emisar D3AA light and configured it a bit. Then I switched the battery and fiddle with the optic, and now it's in a weird state where when I hold the button down it ramps up smoothly (even though I configured for steps) and after reaching bright it goes into a rapid flashing mode. I've tried various things to get it back into a different state without success, including the 13 press system reset. Anybody have any advice?

 

[scalpel_ninja]

Advice: get a Malkoff 😂

Seriously though, here an alternate way to reset as quoted from this website:

Tailcap Method
This is the method I prefer to use, especially for the D4V2. For some lights with tail switches, I've found it a lot easier to instead use the 13 Click Method.

The steps for this method are:

1. Loosen the tailcap
2. Hold the button
3. Tighten the tailcap and keep holding the button for 4 seconds

The light should flicker while getting brighter, then briefly burst to full power. Hold until it reaches full power to do a reset, or let go of the button early to abort.

(End quote)

But seriously, get a Malkoff, or Elzetta.

 

[3_gun]

Tail cap reset is the way to go if you're having issues. Other things to try/do/check, make sure you're using a fully charged battery, I always use the high Volt cell if the light is a duel fuel light when setting up Anduril, make sure the contact area on both head & tail is clean & making good contact. I have one light that to work correctly I almost feel the need to use pliers to tighten it completely. After a reset smooth ramping is the default. I LOVE Hank lights for general use [got>26] but when I need a do or die light I go to a light w/fewer features & settings. That said a Hank light or other Anduril based light is my EDC/work light 75% of the time BUT as a side note I seldom only have one light on hand. If you still have issues drop Hank a note , he can be slow to reply at times but he does take pride in his work & isn't shy about making things right if you have a bad light

 

[jon_slider]

13 press system reset

just to be clear, the command is called 13H and that mean click 12 times in a row and then on the 13th press, keep holding the button down.

While the button is held down the light will start to ramp up, and will finish with a bright flash and then turn off. Now the light is in Factory Default configuration. Any settings you had changed will be erased.

The light should now turn on with a single clic, and off with a single clic.

Can you confirm the Factory Reset worked?

after reaching bright it goes into a rapid flashing mode

rapid flashing is not how Factory Reset ends, the light just turns off after the bright flash.

I dont know why your light is flashing, suggest you try a fully charged battery, and make sure to close the tailcap and head snugly.

Some batteries can be a bit too long, and make it difficult to close the light all the way. The most common "too long" battery is the Vapcel H10 Button Top. The flat top version is shorter, and therefore better.

What battery are you using, and is it fully charged?

 

[Monocrom]

Hope the OP checks back in to let us know if he managed to fix the issue.

 

[adrianmariano]

The battery I've been using is an eneloop. The bright flashing I complained about occurred with regular ramp-up when trying to turn the light on, not factory reset.

After some more fiddling I stuck an alkaline battery in the light and was able to reset it successfully and also remove and replace the battery while preserving the configuration settings. I'm not sure why the NiMH battery wasn't working---it should have been charged up. I'll have to revisit that, perhaps with one straight off the charger. The total run time on the battery was probably 5 minutes. These lights don't drain the battery while they're off if you have the aux lights disabled, do they?

 

[jon_slider]

The bright flashing I complained about occurred with regular ramp-up when trying to turn the light on, not factory reset.

thanks for clarifying.. I think the triple blink is a low battery power warning.. Glad a fully Charged Alkaline battery solved the issue.

These lights don't drain the battery while they're off if you have the aux lights disabled, do they?

esasentially correct. Technically, there IS a tiny bit of power to the switch, as it waits to respond to any presses. If you totally want to stop that you can loosen the head, or tail, slightly.

fwiw, if you choose to use the Aux on Low all the time, it would take about 4 months to drain the battery.

I'm not sure why the NiMH battery wasn't working---it should have been charged up.

You can check battery voltage by doing 3C from off. The light will blink 3 sets of numbers.. for example if the Eneloop battery is fresh off the charger, it might reach 1.41V at maximum. On battery check it would blink 1, pause, blink 4, pause, blink 1.

I recommend recharging any time the Eneloop battery tests at or below 1.25V as it is nearly empty at that point.

 

[adrianmariano]

Hmmm. I just took a freshly charged eneloop off the charger and put it in. No obvious issues. Light still works as I expect without any weird behavior. The battery test is blinking 1 1 2 though. I have a tester I use that isn't just a voltage sensor and it thinks the battery is indeed fully charged.

The old eneloop battery was dead. Very dead. Like maybe not chargeable. I'm not sure what happened there. (Did I put in a bad battery or did the light kill the battery?)

 

[jon_slider]

I just took a freshly charged eneloop off the charger and put it in. No obvious issues. Light still works as I expect without any weird behavior.

yay.. congratulations ;-)

The battery test is blinking 1 1 2 though

1.12V is very low, I expect the light will soon have trouble again

suggest you consider buying new batteries.. those sound very tired. are they very old?

fwiw, a fully charged Eneloop reads 1.40V in my D3AA and 1.41V on my DMM..

I dont think the light is hurting your batteries.. I think the batteries are worn out

suggest you not continue to use your Eneloop below 1.20V.. it needs a full charge to 1.40V.. if it wont stay charged at that level, buy new ones