HAD A SCARY EXPERIENCE 15 MINUTES AGO WITH MY THRUNITE CATAPULT

[Flashlites R Us]

A couple of hours earlier this evening I had to go outside.

When I tried to turn on my Thrunite Catapult it kept turning off AFTER the switch would return to it's release position. After about 5 tries of complete forward push and release it finally stayed lit on high and all the other settings (including click for off) were working fine when I tried them. Back in the house I threw the light on my bed.

Somewhile later my wife says "whats that bright light from down the hallway".

So I walk into the bedroom and discover that my "CATAPULT" HAD TURNED ON............ON IT'S OWN

I picked it up....... YYYYIKES the entire light was so hot that I could not hold it firmly for more than a couple of seconds before shifting my grip (great heat transference).

Being quite cold here I quickly placed it between the double front doors to cool it down a bit.

When the light was just warm to the touch I removed the batteries and they EACH measured 3.5 Volts. Obviously the light had been running in the high mode for more than an hour. I put in 2 freshly charged 18650s and the light so far works normaly.

As I recall this glitch (NOT STAYING ON) has happened once before.....BUT it has NEVER turned on by itself.

I don't want to think what might have happened if the lens had been pressed up tight against the comforter/or headstanding on my wood floor.

This seems to be a fault with the tailcap switch which I will test tommorow. This leads me to wonder why Thrunite includes a spare switch with the flashlight??????????

Any comments on testing the switch or any thing else would be appreciated. I am now going to bed.............but not before I REMOVE the tailcap because it can still sometimes complete the current path through the anodised threads themselves. I've tried this WHEN I FIRST RECEIVED THE LIGHT.

 

[sqchram]

Wait, I'm confused. You removed what I assume are two 18650s and they each measured 5.3 volts?

Either way, sounds like a faulty switch, both not keeping the circuit complete, and making the circuit when it shouldn't. Otherwise if there is a contact point through the threads, if you left the clicky in the on position it could explain the light turning on while on the bed, but not why it would turn off earlier.

As far as the light being hot, if you could hold it for a few seconds, ill take a guess and say that its ok for the light. Now if you couldn't even hold it for a second, that could be close to burnout temps for the LED.

 

[OfficerCamp]

I think he meant 3.5v. 5.3v would have lead to a serious

 

[mvyrmnd]

He may also have meant 5.3V total... each 18650 would have been 2.65V, meaning completely discharged.

 

[carrot]

Such things can happen with clickies. I am sure the light is fine, cooking solid state electronics takes a surprising amount of effort.

 

[Flashlites R Us]

I think he meant 3.5v. 5.3v would have lead to a serious

OfficerCamp, you're correct each battery measured 3.5 volts and the CAT was still running brightly on high.

And it spent last night with no batteries in it.

Today I'll use my Fluke DMM to do some resistance tests while operating the switch and if I do not find anything abnormal I'll carefully open the switch up.

 

[kengps]

Funny....evrybody is whining and moaning about how they have to click the switch on the new M2S to stay on turbo every 3 minutes of continuous use. Sounds to me like a timer is just what is needed for safeties sake with any light capable of generating a lot of heat.

 

[supergravy]

Funny....evrybody is whining and moaning about how they have to click the switch on the new M2S to stay on turbo every 3 minutes of continuous use. Sounds to me like a timer is just what is needed for safeties sake with any light capable of generating a lot of heat.

:shakehead

If the switch was faulty it would be easy for the user to lose track of whether it was in the on or off position. Probably best not to throw a light in this condition (questionable switch and 2x18650's) on the bed and leave it. Regardless, the catapult apparently handled the heat very well. I carry my catapult on nightly walks and run it continuously for 30 min to an hour at a time. On a 45F evening it barely gets warm. It would be utterly ridiculous for me to need to click the light on and off again to reset it to high. And mighty as medium might be on the m2s it isn't what I buy a light like this for.

And I must say kudos to Thrunite! Not just for an amazing flashlight and attentiveness to CPF members... Your english language communication skills seem to have taken an amazing leap! Appears there is some real thinking and strategy going on at your company. I can hardly wait to see what comes next.

 

[hron61]

:shakehead

If the switch was faulty it would be easy for the user to lose track of whether it was in the on or off position. Probably best not to throw a light in this condition (questionable switch and 2x18650's) on the bed and leave it. Regardless, the catapult apparently handled the heat very well. I carry my catapult on nightly walks and run it continuously for 30 min to an hour at a time. On a 45F evening it barely gets warm. It would be utterly ridiculous for me to need to click the light on and off again to reset it to high. And mighty as medium might be on the m2s it isn't what I buy a light like this for.

And I must say kudos to Thrunite! Not just for an amazing flashlight and attentiveness to CPF members... Your english language communication skills seem to have taken an amazing leap! Appears there is some real thinking and strategy going on at your company. I can hardly wait to see what comes next.

a prime example of the class of this site. we are family...i got all my nanana with me!!
a little customer support goes a long way. (by the way, i own a catapult and love it).

 

[Greg G]

That is true about the switch possibly being in the *ON* position when it was placed on the bed, and coming on later.

I have been planning to buy one of these, and I'm not going to let this stop me. I'll just mod a McClicky switch in as soon as I get it.

 

[Flashlites R Us]

Re: Follow up to my "SCARY EXPERIENCE"

The overheating/overdischarging of my my batteries killed them so I asked David Chan to contact Matt K. at B.J. and make arrangments to send me 2 replacements.

I have sent (since March 30) 8 polite/explanatory emails to D.Chan but he has refused (with 9 replies) to accept that my batteries were damaged due to the faulty Catapults switch. He has asked me to "PROVE that the batteries were NOT FAULTY"

In his first emails he even stated that my batteries would not have failed if they WOULD have had built in protective circuits so I had to enlighten him.










D.Chan's last email was sent April 15 and I have not heard from him since.

Matt K. I hope you are reading this.

 

[saabluster]

Flashlites R Us I know you are frustrated but posting the contents of emails on a public site is unkind and against the rules. If you don't change it expect someone to come along and do it for you.

 

[jhc37013]

Flashlites R Us I know you are frustrated but posting the contents of emails on a public site is unkind and against the rules. If you don't change it expect someone to come along and do it for you.

I hope you get your problem resolved but I agree with saabluster and also I'm pretty sure things like this belong in the Marketplace.

 

[Flashlites R Us]

I do not want to be accused of breaking rules.

But "unkind".....

 

[DM51]

I do not want to be accused of breaking rules.

But "unkind".....

Thank you for removing that without the need for CPF staff intervention. The Rule concerned is Rule 12.

"Unkind" may be the wrong word; perhaps "unfair" would be more accurate. To publish a private communication involves breaking a confidence, and it isn't permitted here, as the rule makes clear. Anyway, thank you for taking care of it.

 

[saabluster]

I do not want to be accused of breaking rules.

But "unkind".....

I am not saying you are an unkind person just that the act of posting personal correspondence is unkind. (Your willingness to adjust your post without the need to argue the points tells me you are a kind guy in fact.) Certainly there are many words that could be used to describe this, some undoubtedly better than others, but think how you would feel if someone took your emails to them and posted them without your knowledge. I would consider it an unkind act if someone had done it to me and I suspect most people would feel that way.

 

[Flashlites R Us]

(Your willingness to adjust your post without the need to argue the points tells me you are a kind guy in fact.)

Saabluster, Thank you for your compliment and your heads up.

Flashlites R Us

 

[Flashlites R Us]

I hope you get your problem resolved but I agree with saabluster and also I'm pretty sure things like this belong in the Marketplace.

jhc37013, thank you for your heads up and for your advice.

Flashlites R Us

 

[Flashlites R Us]

Re: Follow up to my "SCARY EXPERIENCE"

The overheating/overdischarging of my my batteries killed them so I asked David Chan to contact Matt K. at B.J. and make arrangments to send me 2 replacements.

I have sent (since March 30) 8 polite/explanatory emails to D.Chan but he has refused (with 9 replies) to accept that my batteries were damaged due to the faulty Catapults switch. He has asked me to "PROVE that the batteries were NOT FAULTY"

In his first emails he even stated that my batteries would not have failed if they WOULD have had built in protective circuits so I had to enlighten him.









D.Chan's last email was sent April 15 and I have not heard from him since.

Matt K. I hope you are reading this.

It took a Loooooooong time.... BUT the situation has finally been resolved to the satisfaction of both David Chan (from Thrunite) and myself.

Thank you David.

Flashlites R Us.