LF2XT XPG ODP + NiMH LSD help!

[sithjedi333]

Hey all,

I would really appreciate some help troubleshooting a problem using my Liteflux LF2XT XPG with ODP on. I have 2 brand new eneloop AAAs that have not been abused, as well as a Duracell AAA blacktop. The eneloops were purchased from Depoteco, who I believe is a reputable retailer, and from what I can tell on the fakes thread, my cells are genuine.

Looking at Selfbuilt's runtime graphs I should be getting 49 min on max (not sure if he had ODP on during the tests). However, I am getting the following behavior:

1) with the 2 eneloops, which start off the charger at 1.38-1.39V, the light goes into flashing & shutdown mode (18 blinks, then off) within 30 seconds of turning on the light. After restarting they shut down again within 30 seconds.

2) with the Duracell blacktop, it starts at 1.35V, then blinks and shuts down within 30 seconds. Upon restarting, the light runs for 32 min, then starts blinking, finally shutting off at 36 min. When I start it a 3rd time it shuts off within 30 seconds.

I have tried both the eneloop and Duracell CEF23 chargers. When recharging on the Duracell, the eneloops become fully charged within 10 minutes, while the Duracell blacktop takes a few hours to charge. All results have been repeated a couple of times.

I also tested some alkalines:

1) with a Duracell, I got a 4 hr runtime on medium similar to selfbuilt, with ODP turned off.

2) with a no-brand alkaline and ODP turned on and the light on max, it started flashing immediately and going into shutdown mode.

I have a couple of questions:

1) Are my eneloops bad?

2) Do NiMH LSD have huge voltage sag such that it's tripping the ODP?

3) The Duracell blacktop, which I think is a good cell, still exhibits strange behavior and has a shorter runtime than selfbuilt's results?

4) Is there something wrong with my LF2XT voltage detection?

I love this light, and Kuku427 has been great and offered to take care of me. I just want to make sure it's a light, and not battery problem before sending it back to him. I would prefer not to be without this light for a month.

I realize this thread could also belong in the batteries section, but would really like it to be kept here, as I'm looking for feedback from LF2XT owners!

Thank you in advance! Please let me know if you need additional information. lovecpf

 

[KuKu427]

Sorry I couldn't help diagnose the problem. I hope you figure out what the problem is. But if not, I'll be here.

 

[Flying Turtle]

Sorry you've got this trouble. Hard to figure. How does it work with ODP turned off? I have had mine shut down at maybe 1.2 volts, so I've not been using ODP. Seldom use high for any length of time. How does your light do at about 50% output?

I kind of think the light's fine and you just need to turn off ODP. That's probably more for Li-ions anyway.

Geoff

 

[HighLumens]

Hi sithjedi333,
I have the same problem you are having.

My beloved LF2XT worked perfectly for (about) the first 5 months, then in December it started having some problems: using original Eneloops (fresh off the charger at 1.48 v, sometimes even 1.50 v ) and then Tenergys (at about 1.41 v fresh off the charger ) and even Duracell alkalines ( 1.50 v ) I always got just the 30 seconds you got too of light, then the LF2XT did 3 flashes immediately followed by 15 flashes turning off itself.
Sometimes I got 3 minutes or so of light before the 18 flashes and sometimes even more, like 10 or 15 minutes, but I remember it lasted way longer when I tried it at full power the in june when I received it.

I could live with it by disabling the ODP (I never used 10440s so I didn't need the ODP) but then I had flickering problems so I decided to send it back to Khoo.

Please let me know what you decide to do, and, if you send it, how things turn out.

Thanks.

EDIT: I forgot to say that I'm planning to use 10440s in my LF2XT when it will be back, this is why now I need the ODP to work properly!

 

[bansuri]

The ODP should work equally well with NiMh and Li-Ion if you start off with a freshly charged cell.
Have you compared what your VOM reports compared to what the 5C voltage report reads?
I had an LF2XT that read (+/-) 4V no matter what you put in it. Returned it to EliteLED and they had me a new one in a couple days, just a bad circuit.
Try the 5-click voltage report to see what the voltage detect is telling the circuit.

 

[HighLumens]

Deleted post.

 

[sithjedi333]

Thank so much for the replies.

I don't have a voltmeter, I've been using the light's voltage reporting function. After some tests with ODP on and off, I've concluded the ODP is cutting off at too high of a threshold, something similar to what Flying Turtle experienced. Another possibility judging by Highlumens' comments is that the voltage reading is too low to begin with. Thankfully my vendor is going to take care of it.

Thanks for your help troubleshooting this issue.

 

[Luckeie]

Hhhmmm... could it be, that the contacts a little bit oxidized or dirty? This could caused a voltage drop... try a erazer on the contacts and tell us the result.

 

[divine]

I don't understand why you would turn on Over Discharge Protection with NiMH. I suspect that is your only problem.

 

[HighLumens]

...After some tests with ODP on and off, I've concluded the ODP is cutting off at too high of a threshold, something similar to what Flying Turtle experienced...

Same here.

Hhhmmm... could it be, that the contacts a little bit oxidized or dirty? This could caused a voltage drop... try a erazer on the contacts and tell us the result.

Oxidized? Don't know, mine have been cleaned with alcool, more than once, but I didn't know about the erazer trick... hope it will work for you sithjedi333 so you will not need to send it back, trust me, it's a pain not having it!

 

[Luckeie]

Oxidized? Don't know, mine have been cleaned with alcool, more than once, but I didn't know about the erazer trick...

I think alcohol cleaning is not the same like a erazor, because alcohol only works, when the dirt is alcohol dissolvale. But, my answer was only a recommendation, i am not sure about it.

 

[bansuri]

I don't understand why you would turn on Over Discharge Protection with NiMH. I suspect that is your only problem.

It is possible to run an NiMH too low also. When ODP is enabled it will detect the ~1.2V or ~3.7V batteries and shut off when they fall below their safe voltage levels.

Edit: from the manual,
With NiMH warning at 1V, shutoff at .8V.
With Li-Ion warning at 3V, shutoff at 2.8V.

http://www.liteflux.com/english/download/LF2XT operation manual.pdf

 

[HighLumens]

...
I have had mine shut down at maybe 1.2 volts, so I've not been using ODP.
...
Geoff

It is possible to run an NiMH too low also. When ODP is enabled it will detect the ~1.2V or ~3.7V batteries and shut off when they fall below their safe voltage levels.

Edit: from the manual,
With NiMH warning at 1V, shutoff at .8V
...

Mine has never turned off at 0.8 v, nor it started warning me at 1 v but always at higher voltages (the more heavy I was running it, the sooner [higher voltages] it warned me and turned off ) but it was not a problem since I got all the normal runtime without it being turned off.

 

[sithjedi333]

I tried cleaning the contacts, but there was no improvement. I want to be able to use ODP to warn me if I'm gonna run out of juice and protect my NiMH, it was one of the features that appealed to me when deciding what to get.

 

[HighLumens]

Hi sithjedi333,
did you solve the problem of your LF2XT?

 

[sithjedi333]

It's on its way back to me, so I will report when it arrives, but it's been tested extensively so I believe everything will be fine.

How about you?

 

[HighLumens]

It's still with LiteFlux in Taiwan. Thanks for your reply :wave:.

 

[sithjedi333]

I'm happy to report that with a swapped out driver it's now working within a normal range!

Thanks to Kuku427!