Fenix Hp11 Problem

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SuperDavid

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jul 30, 2012
Messages
24
Hey guys
My hp11 just arrived today after 3 long long weeks of waiting for delivery.
I throw some batteries into it and find they feel a little loose. Go ahead with it anyway and turn the thing on......and nothing. Took the batteries out and they were hot, and realised the battery springs are all squashed, which explains why the batteries didnt feel like they snapped in tightly when I put them in.
so put the batteries in and out a few times and one of the springs pops to almost normal.
I put the batteries in once again and the light finaly comes on! It stays on for about 5 seconds and turns its self off and thats when I notice a bit of a burning smell.
Can a loose battery connection get the batteries hot?
I suspect something more is going on that just a bad connection, I wouldn't have thought a loose connection would make no light at all and make the batteries hot. surely in order for the batteries to get hot there has to be a connection?
if there is a connection the light should work?
I just dont know...electrics aren't my thing.
I've sent an email to the seller to see what can be done. I'm guessing warranty and returns are going to be a pain since the seller is in the US and I'm in AUS.
what a pain! I'm shattered! I've been badly looking forward to this light for so long and now it doesnt work!

David

P1030163.jpg
 
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Unfortunately, without seeing the battery holder in the 'before' state we may never know.

At some point it looks likely that someone has inserted the batteries incorrectly and shorted them out. If shorted, the springs would very likely loose temper and compress permanently.

It may be the seller has 'tested' it, or 'tried it out' before sending it to you and has ruined the battery holder. Perhaps they assumed the batteries should all go in the same way instead of following the contact pattern.

Did you buy from a reputable seller? Was it supplied as new?

You will need a replacement.
 
yes it was supplied as new, so im unsure how the springs could be like that.as you say maybe they tested it, because the batteries were loose from the beggining.
so even with reverse polarity protection the light can actually be damaged?
i thought the seller was reputable, from what i read from feedback and what i saw people write about them on youtube reviews.
 
I've sent back the headlamp, they are paying for my return postage and will send back a new headlamp priority postage! cant ask for more than that I guess.
except that I'm hating all the waiting!
 
fenixtactical has lifetime warrantee. I don't know about batteryjunction (anyone?).

I bought 4 last year. My favorite/warmest HP11 did this exact thing after 1 month use. Some short developed inside the battery compartment, and melt,melt,melt. I sent it back. They sent it to China; it got back to me in about 3 months. I started to get worried after the second month, so I wrote to support and got weekly eta's.


I also do not recommend reading with head on pillow with this light, as it can crimp wire and cause short. (If you read in bed, just go out and buy a ($18 Defiant xp-g at Home depot, for a great floody, value. And you will see the difference between the bright Hp11 and dim Defiant xp.g)


If they would upgrade the HP11 to an XP-G2, I would buy it in a heartbeat at this point in time. I wonder how hard it would be to mod. I wonder if anyone with make a better light soon with an xpg2 (need same configuration, runtime, reflector, clear glass, and greater lux & lumen).
 
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Until my own stuffed up straight out of the box, I hadnt actually read anything bad about this light!
Thats a little worrying that after a month it can develop a short.
I hate the idea of having it strapped to my head while those batteries are getting super hot.
 
SuperDavid said:
Until my own stuffed up straight out of the box, I hadnt actually read anything bad about this light!
Thats a little worrying that after a month it can develop a short.
I hate the idea of having it strapped to my head while those batteries are getting super hot.
Click to expand...


At times, I climb several stories up on ladders while using. I am not worried. 3 of 4 (plus replacement), no issue. They may have sent mine to China so an engineer could see what went wrong. You cannot find anything made in USA, with our tendency to put half our time into quality control, with human inspection. I am just amazed these things are as good as they are, and not like my series of $50 watches (from 2003 to present) where 2 out of 3 break in a month of my usage, the other in 2 months. My 1991 USA made Timex lasted me 10 years.
 
I think, after first melt, it just stopped working. Having a cheap bedside light or kid light melt down is what really worries me. This has happened to me, where I had to run to throw light or battery in bath tub to avoid a possible fire.

This light is being use when I am awake, alert, and near an extinguishing agent. Since this is a high end work light, I do not let kids use.
 
Received my replacement headlamp yesterday!! and its working just fine! I really like this light!
I also received my money back for the postage I paid to get it back to them.
OutfitterCountry on ebay have been very very good to deal with! I would buy from them again!
 
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