I broke my flashlight!

[letschat7]

I thought Ti comes from USSR or Russia nowadays?

 

[Monocrom]

I thought Ti comes from USSR or Russia nowadays?

No, it's all China. Any Ti coming out of any other nation, was first imported there from China.

 

[letschat7]

Interesting, I'll have to get a Reylight Ti then since that is a uniquely Chinese thing.

 

[Dave_H]

Pull the head as far upwards as it will go like you're zooming in.
The keep pulling upwards while turning the head and it should unscrew and you will see the pill as soon as you get it off.

If it's on super tight you may have to turn it very hard and fast at the same time. Most it's not that hard usually.


Best of luck. Just remember it's the zoom feature that makes it tough to get the light apart. Pull it to full zoom and turn it really quick and like you mean it. Once you get it off you will see it the pill it's screwed into and it's turning as your turning.

I managed to twist the head off of mine, as described, can see the back of the PCB with spring. PCB has two holes which suggests using a spanner to rotate to remove it. I tried needle-nose pliers which usually works. It does not want to come off and I prefer to not damage it; suggestions?

Dave

(sorry can't stream video at the moment)

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

I managed to twist the head off of mine, as described, can see the back of the PCB with spring. PCB has two holes which suggests using a spanner to rotate to remove it. I tried needle-nose pliers which usually works. It does not want to come off and I prefer to not damage it; suggestions?

Dave

(sorry can't stream video at the moment)

Sure.

Put it back together, put it on the shelf, and FUHGETABOUTIT!!

 

[Dave_H]

I

Sure.

Put it back together, put it on the shelf, and FUHGETABOUTIT!!

I want to see what's inside even if I can't fix it. There is no made in U.S. restriction in my case. I have learned a lot by opening things up, even which are not broken, including how to re-assemble things.

Dave

 

[Got Lumens?]

The problem with these styled lights, is they implore snap rings that inhibit self fixes.
I'm willing to bet if You can get the zoomable head off, You will then be able to unsolder the
leads on the pill. It would then be a matter of jumpering the broken trace leads within the driver board.
Most likely it is a surface mounted diode that will blow by design prior the irrecoverable LED damage.
Sure would like to see pics if made possible. The light appears to be a copy of the original 14500 capable
zoomable CN lights, from circuit ~2002ish. There were also many other vendors that had names put on, that
are an exact copy of yours.
GL

 

[Dave_H]

The driver PCB is press-fit and separate from the LED "star" (aluminum). I was able to pop out the driver board with small slot screwdriver. Driver IC is a tiny 3-pin device, not much else other than four 1-ohm current-setting resistors and capacitors (no diodes). I verified that LED at least lights, by probing with DMM set on "ohms" or diode-test, causes a dim glow. Failure mode points to the IC.

IC pseudo-marking is GW05 which I don't know has been identified, even so it is likely
not easily obtainable in low quantity, if at all generally. Driver PCB would have to be
replaced, not worth it at the moment, so it will be kept for parts or other usage.


Dave

 

[Got Lumens?]

The driver PCB is press-fit and separate from the LED "star" (aluminum). I was able to pop out the driver board with small slot screwdriver. Driver IC is a tiny 3-pin device, not much else other than four 1-ohm current-setting resistors and capacitors (no diodes). I verified that LED at least lights, by probing with DMM set on "ohms" or diode-test, causes a dim glow. Failure mode points to the IC.

IC pseudo-marking is GW05 which I don't know has been identified, even so it is likely
not easily obtainable in low quantity, if at all generally. Driver PCB would have to be
replaced, not worth it at the moment, so it will be kept for parts or other usage.


Dave

Dave,
Thank You for your follow up reply .
I'd give Digikey a look. They might sell the single piece, and not bulk, or replacement if they are still made???
GL

 

[Dave_H]

Dave,
Thank You for your follow up reply .
I'd give Digikey a look. They might sell the single piece, and not bulk, or replacement if they are still made???
GL

If you refer to the driver IC, GW05 is only a marking code which usually does not resemble the orderable part number. These packages are too small to mark the full part number. There are directories of cross-reference of these codes somewhere online. Otherwise it is yet to be identified.

So far I've lucked out only a couple of times. One code was short version of real part number. The other was found by online search and confirmed by its datasheet.

Otherwise, the driver board might be replaceable with one with the right electrical capability (driving single LED up to 1.2A), but may or may not have the same functions. But, it needs to have the right diameter to press-fit, and electrical contact at the edges.

Easiest thing might be to find another sacrificial flashlight with good driver board.

Dave

 

[Dave_H]

I discovered that driver PCB in a low-cost (but decent) 3AAA Defiant flashlight (from HD) resembles bad board in my 3AAA zoomie; not perfectly but fairly likely it would be a workable replacement.

PCBs are laid out differently, but using similar components. The little 3-pin ICs have different markings, apparently different operating modes; Defiant only has high/low/flash, which is OK with me (would have liked high/med/low but no flash or SOS).

Both appear to have maximum LED current set by a set of resistors (up to 4 parallel spots to get the right value). Zoomie has 1.2A, Defiant is about 0.5A, lower settings scaled by PWM (I believe).

So, some may not want to repair their cheap lights, others might. I am reluctant to sacrifice a good working light, even a cheap one, just for parts, if it can be avoided.


Dave

BTW marking on zoomie IC is GY05, but no closer to identifying it, not that critical anyway.