Fenix and Polarity Protection??

[lukestephens777]

Are Fenix flashlights battery reverse Polarity Protection?

I'm looking at getting an L2T Rebel 80 for an older fella, and need
it to be fool proof for him...

Anyone know?

 

[Kilovolt]

Fenix lights are not protected against reverse polarity but you can solve the problem for your friend by sticking one of those Dr Scholl's "Round Callus Cushions" in the back of the head thus preventing the negative end of a battery from making contact. The positive button will go through the central hole and work normally:

http://www.drscholls.com/product.aspx?prodid=44

 

[Ice]

How bad is it if you reverse polarity, try the light for a second and switch it off immediately?
Can it be destroyed that way or does it take some time?

 

[tebore]

How bad is it if you reverse polarity, try the light for a second and switch it off immediately?
Can it be destroyed that way or does it take some time?

As soon as you complete the circuit you'll kill it. There's no time, nothing. It's done.

 

[lukestephens777]

I reckon every torch should be polarity protected... Seems silly

 

[ringzero]

I reckon every torch should be polarity protected... Seems silly

Fenix could easily fix this issue with a little piece of molded plastic glued to the back of the light engine.

Would cost them a few cents per light at most. Lack of polarity protection that would cost a few cents on lights costing 20 bucks or more is just stupid.

.

 

[tebore]

That plastic might cause some connection problems with different battery tolerances.

They could use a diode at the cost of efficiency.

Fenix seems to be playing it at the extreme end to ensure all batteries fit, and they have the best performance.

I agree though all lights should have reverse polarity protection. When you're completely in the dark changing batteries it's an easy thing to screw up. Then again what kind of flash-a-holic doesn't have more than 1 light on them?

 

[swxb12]

Fenix should include callus removers. Good for feet, good for

 

[StandardBattery]

No polarity protection is one of the short comings of many LED lights. In an emergency or if one simply gets distracted, it is too easy to put the cell(s) in backward. I've never done it, but I hate having to worry about it.

If the light is one that has the + terminal at the tail of the light, I think it is critical to have the protection if reverse-polarity will damage the light, since this is non-standard.

If the batteries are inserted in the conventional manner then, I think it is still very important to offer some protection.

Unfortuately I recognize there is not a great way to provide this protection given the wide variation in cells people use and the small size of the driver circuits, the effciency people want, and the amount of power modern cells are packing.

The easiest thing is to have manufacturers only design lights such that the cells are always inserted with the positive terminal to the head.

The physical protection that requires the battery to have a positive nipple is also good, let the battery manufactures make their cells accordingly.

Let hope the manufactures take the lead and realize it is to their benefit to make their lights reliable and safe.

 

[techwg]

Fenix need to add something, its just pure and simple. How bad does it look when you fry a light because the company did not help you be protected from something so easy to do. When its dark, and your changing batteries, do you always clearly do the right thing? YOU CANT SEE.....:shrug:

 

[Illum]

the good thing is most individuals [flashaholic or not] knows that the spring loaded side is negative...and battery cases with springs on both sides became rare to the point of extinction.:huh:

 

[d1337]

What I worry about is when other people use one of my lights. I can't tell you how many people can't figure out how to turn the lights on because of the tail clicky. Not to mention explaining how to change modes. All it would take is one time for someone to try and "help me out" and put a new battery in for me to kill my l1d-ce Q5. Ofcourse they would probably throw out my "dead" enaloop (sp?).

So yes I do think that Fenix needs RPR.

 

[techwg]

What I worry about is when other people use one of my lights. I can't tell you how many people can't figure out how to turn the lights on because of the tail clicky. Not to mention explaining how to change modes. All it would take is one time for someone to try and "help me out" and put a new battery in for me to kill my l1d-ce Q5. Ofcourse they would probably throw out my "dead" enaloop (sp?).

So yes I do think that Fenix needs RPR.

Thanks for letting me borrow your light, i realise that i used much of the battery, so i put new batteries in, only they must be dud because the light does not work. I put the batteries in just like i used to with my inova XO... thats right isnt it?

 

[Lobo]

Fenix aren't polarity protected? Damn, that is IMHO pretty bad. But as someone else mentioned before in this thread, it's pretty much standard to put the "little knob" in first.
But still, that's bad. Are there any other big(well, on CPF) manufacturers that arent polarity protected? Jetbeam? Surefire(surely not)? etc.

 

[HiltiHome]

Don't know why it took that long, but Fenix learned the lesson and added reverse-polarity-protection to the new Fenix-T1.

 

[techwg]

lets hope they do it from now on all models INCLUDING the current ones... I wont buy that new T light because its too big for me to EDC, and now my requirement for purchase is that it must be no longer than 125mm max, and width 30mm or so. Looks like a good model though, just does not fit my requirement.

 

[Energie]

Easy to do:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showpost.php?p=2015663&postcount=1

 

[Bullzeyebill]

That does look like a good fix. I tend to not let people borrow any
of my led flashlights that do no have polarity protection (in circuit). So they get to use my Surefire's.

Bill

 

[gravityz]

how about slicing a rubber tube(diameter 8mm)
just slice 1-2 mm of and glue it to the had

real easy
can always be removed if needed(unlike the epoxy)


sometimes the simplest ideas are the best

 

[Jay R]

I've put cells in backwards in a couple of my Fenix two or three times and not had them burn out. Perhaps a second or two each time.