Fenix E0 and Luxogen LR12 died :'(

[r0b0r]

G'day peoples,

I love my flashlights, but it seems I'm either a serial killer or just plain unlucky!

In the past few months I've had such awful luck with flashlights it's just terrible. My Elektrolumens Blaster Jr died unexpectedly after it was dropped from about 2 feet onto soft grass... it never turned on again.

My Inova T3 died when it hit asphalt fairly solidly... never turned on again.

A cheapish 3xAAA Rigel LED w\ collimator decided that it didn't want to turn on one day, but the next it was ok... so it's just being uselessly finicky.

Now for the very sad news... a few days ago my beloved Fenix E0 started to flicker... I took out the battery, inspected contacts and gave the top a quick rub with superfine sandpaper to get rid of a little crud. Looked fine. Put the battery back in, it flickered and went out
Never turned on again :'(

The night before last, I was using my LR12 and it started flickering oddly... I winced in premonition and removed the cell... nothing abnormal inside.
The Juice brand 3V RCR2 was at ~3.3V and I hadn't been using the light hardcore - only on for max a minute at any one time.
Put an older, fairly dead primary CR2 in there and the flickering resumed... just dimmer. Then it went into what could be described as moon-mode. Or, rather, pissweak output.
I thought to myself, oh this primary is just knackered.

Stuck the rcr2 back in there.... and the light came on... at the _same level_

Dim, dead... barely brighter than the (defunct) E0

I tried another RCR2 and same deal. I mourned.

I never stuck the RCR2's straight off the charger into the LR12, first I used a little electronic motor to suck some juice out of them just in case.

It's a sad time for me, the only LED light I have that is in a usable condition is one of those cheap little coincell lights from fifthunit...

*whimpers*

Now I've got a barrage of flashlights to send away for repair...

The only silver lining is that I've got a damn good reason to invest in a choice Cree light... difficult decision. Probably will end up going for the L2D-CE and a couple different battery tubes. I really do like a clicky, even if it is a *****(reverse) one.

Woe is me. Woe.

 

[r0b0r]

Looks like it's a competition between the rexlight and fenix for new toy... or maybe jetbeam *shrugs*

 

[TORCH_BOY]

With the Fenix have you tried cleaning the battery contacts in the head and the top of the battery tube

 

[LowTEC]

I feel very sorry about your lights, it's gotta be one of the worst thing happened . FYI, I always put freshly charged batteries into my lights and touch wood, I haven't fried any of them so I don't think that's the cause.


I can't figure out what happened to your lights as they all seem to gone dead with next to none abuse. It has to the magnetic field of your wife's

 

[r0b0r]

With the Fenix have you tried cleaning the battery contacts in the head and the top of the battery tube

Yep, no luck

Cheers for the sympathies, hope I get over this curse

 

[AndyTiedye]

If they break, isn't it time to get them modded anyway?

 

[myk]

do you live near the ocean by any chance?

 

[Casual Flashlight User]

Dude, you are the kiss of death for flashlights!

I suggest a Zippo lighter and a candle for future lighting tools.

CFU

 

[Newuser01]

Send him a flint and tell him to go make a bon-fire in the back yard?

Okay, Sorry. I'm sad to hear your troubles and wish you better lumens next time - which ever cree you decide to aquire!

Regards.

 

[LowTEC]

Okay, Sorry. I'm sad to hear your troubles and wish you better lumens next time - which ever cree you decide to aquire!

:lolsign:

I'm glad my lumens are better than his lumens

 

[r0b0r]

do you live near the ocean by any chance?

Yes I do, the contacts do seem to be clean though

 

[r0b0r]

Dude, you are the kiss of death for flashlights!

I suggest a Zippo lighter and a candle for future lighting tools.

CFU

I can imagine my name would automatically be blacklisted from any passarounds :mecry: :candle:

 

[myk]

Yes I do, the contacts do seem to be clean though

SEEM to be clean and corrosion/oxidation from salt-air is a pretty thin line

my reccomendation: get your butt to radioshaft and buy the ProGold/DeOxit combo for $15 or whatever they charge. First use the Deoxit on every contact - EVERY ONE - let it sit over night per the directions, then ProGold the contacts, I bet the problem goes away

 

[r0b0r]

Cheers Myk, I will give that a shot

Even if it doesn't work, its handy stuff to have around.

(I used a pencil eraser, tends to do the job most of the time)

 

[r0b0r]

My post mortem examinations paid off! Well, not exactly *paid* off (as I haven't sent the E0 back to Torchworld yet, will do that today) but I discovered how the little tacker died - and found a disturbing design flaw in the E0.

I must say I absolutely *adore* the E0, the size\weight\brightness\action etc... and thought they'd be near indestructible (except for maybe the keychain holes, there aint much aluminium there!)

Ok, now for the discovery. It's tricky without pictures, but I'm at work and FTP upload is prohibited. Have emailed the pics to someone for them to upload to webspace. Should post them when it happens.

The circuitry in my E0 is totally exposed. No epoxy coating - that surprised me. The LED legs are bent 90deg just as they leave the acrylic, then again 90deg after a couple mm - so the legs are parallel with one side of the led housing. In the space that's under the LED there is a miniscule coil\transformery thing. It too is naked, no protective housing for its hairswidth copper wire. The LED is *resting* on that coil!

This is the cause of the problem. The coils flimsy plastic core has been snapped by pressure of the LED, thus stressing the wire at its solder joint until.... *flicker* :huh2: *darkness* :scowl: :candle:

The coil could well have been crushed when I bought the light, as theres no way to tell how long the metal fatigue would take to sever the connection.

Anyone else who's dismembered their E0, is the circuitry constructed the same as this? Mine is the newish revision of the E0 with the more aggressive knurling on the head than the body. About three months old or so IIRC.

Circuitry was easily unscrewed with a thin piece of solid steel wire which fit perfectly in that hole on the bottom of circuitry. It seems it was glued in, but only barely. There was practically no resistance.
It would make sense for fenix to inject epoxy through this hole in order to ensure water resistance, protect circuitry and prevent disassembly.

It appeared to me that the water resistance method employed by fenix infact relies on positive pressure of the LED casing against a rubber grommit in head - this is putting dangerous pressure on that coil!

Still haven't found out what the deal with the LR12 is. Regulator is spitting out 3.38V and the LED is dim dim dim. Think the LED is toast. Shame, as it was a nice white one.
Think I'll replace it with a Cyan cree ^_^

 

[r0b0r]

On a side note, I'm carrying an E1 at the moment and that seems pretty nice.

It is very average, in a good way

Great build. I like the play in the threads - it's smooth and allows a reliable momentary action with no head wobble or accidental operation. Works very well in a cigar grip.

Beam is ringy, but I do not mind it. Clean bright hotspot and nice spill.

I too have the opinion that this light brightness\runtime is just too moderate. With a lithium primary it will probably be good for what, 4hrs or so?
I like lights that are bloody bright for intermittent use with runtime of ~1hr
Or a light with low output (ARC \ E0) that is perfectly adequate to provide a couple nights of emergency lighting.

Am going to purchase a Gerber Infinity Ultra and see how that strikes me.

Bought a $6 1xAAA light from torchworld http://www.torchworld.com.au/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=69&products_id=259
and it's bloody good for the money! Going to see how long it lasts on the keys. The finish is already showing wear after a few days, but I think these may be very useful as gifts - pending an endurance test

Its a pinkish hue chinese LED with two bond wires. Runtime unknown, will test soonish. I'm impressed for the money.

 

[C4LED]

That's a great diagnosis! I hope Fenix is reading this thread and takes your suggestion about the epoxy.

I've also got the E1 -- great light! I hope it's put together internally better than the E0.

 

[r0b0r]

That's a great diagnosis! I hope Fenix is reading this thread and takes your suggestion about the epoxy.

I've also got the E1 -- great light! I hope it's put together internally better than the E0.

Cheers,

I think the E1 internals are on par with the rest of the Fenix lineup, which is quite good. I can not dismember this flashlight as it's going to be given to my mother for a camping trip - I don't at all mind pulling apart flashlights, but considering the combined factors of a)not mine and b)functioning, I will have to refrain.

The departure from traditional flatpack LED \ reflector \ lense design is where this E0 flaw stems from, IMO. They've minimized the circuitry by taking advantage of the 5mm LED legs to act as "stilts" - which is a good approach, but there has to be additional protection for the components below.

 

[LightScene]

I like your idea to get a cyan cree. Can you suggest where I could get one?

 

[r0b0r]

www.cutter.com.au

~$10 for a Cyan XR-E iirc