Liteflux LF3XT info, questions and programming

[matrixshaman]

Re: Liteflux LF3XT programming, info and questions

I'll add some more praise to Bud, BabyDoc, and Matrixshamen for all your analysis and work. All the charts and tips are here on my desktop within easy reach. Thanks, guys.

Geoff

Thanks! It's a fun light so it's all good and it's like that one Christmas present as a kid that you keep playing with because it's not boring after 2 minutes. Even redoing the manual was fun in a way.

Thanks again DM51 for your help with this and if we can put our heads together on this we might want to merge some threads although it may be good to go as is. I'll leave that up to you and the couple others who have started threads on this light. I'm okay with whatever sounds best.

 

[Flying Turtle]

Thanks for the tips, Madi05 (Joe?). My light's not acting up enough to open it yet, but I'll remember what to do. I'm more of an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" person, but I do enjoy fixin' when necessary. I kind of think if there is a weak link concerning water it's at the switch end. That's why washing will be a last resort before taking it apart. I'm not really expecting a need for either any time soon.

Geoff

 

[BabyDoc]

Re: Liteflux LF3XT programming, info and questions

it is very simple to remove the whole switchplate , stick a screw driver in the hole of the lanyard and turn it counterclockwise ,, once u get it started it screws right out ,, it is a bit snug at first ,, but nothing alarming just put some muscle in it ,, i asked the litflux guy about it first and he told me to do it this way,, i bought mine directly from the manufacturer ,, once u do this the hole batter sleeve will slide right out and then u will see the fat oring around the switch ,, just clean it and lube it and it should spring back better for u

also u could stretch the clicker spring under the switch just a bit to give it more pop if yours is really slow , imo

madi05

Joe, I think you are right about this. I don't see how the sleeve itself is connected to the action of the switch. Cleaning the switch should fix most sluggish switch issues. Streching the spring isn't something I want to mess with unless cleaning doesn't work. My only concern about taking the switch apart would be getting it back together in a way that it remains water proof. Right now, as long as I can wash the switch when it needs it, I will continue to do clean it that way, rather than take then entire switch apart and clean it. (I am also afraid that I may damage the finish trying to forcefully unscrew it)

BTW, I have also washed my LF5XT switch periodically and never had a problem either. I recently bough a second LF5XT so I would have one in both the black and natural finishes. The new one worked so much better than the old one, until I gave the older one a switch bath. Now they work the same.

If water gets into the switch (it won't), it can always dry out or you can dry it out with hair dryer. I have never seen water in the battery compartment after bathing the switch. But even if it did, it is a lot less problematic than if it gets into the head end of the light.

 

[madi05]

HI, its just like how a watch caseback is installed or a push in crown on a watch more so ,, there is one oring around the switch and one around the threaded area on the swtichplate ,, just two basically , lol mine was fine but again im modding mine so i had to take it apart but really it is very easy and anyone should be able to do it ,, espeically if theres is mushy,,

im glad i could help being u guys give me help all the time , lol

btw i loved the lf3xt before i got it ,, and now i think after some modds of making it eve a bit shorter i will like it even more ,, lol and i am color matching it to some of my pvd watches, lol

oh yeah im also installing me a tritium vial in the switch plate, wowowowo:tinfoil:

madi05

 

[BabyDoc]

HI, its just like how a watch caseback is installed or a push in crown on a watch more so ,, there is one oring around the switch and one around the threaded area on the swtichplate ,, just two basically , lol mine was fine but again im modding mine so i had to take it apart but really it is very easy and anyone should be able to do it ,, espeically if theres is mushy,,

im glad i could help being u guys give me help all the time , lol

btw i loved the lf3xt before i got it ,, and now i think after some modds of making it eve a bit shorter i will like it even more ,, lol and i am color matching it to some of my pvd watches, lol

oh yeah im also installing me a tritium vial in the switch plate, wowowowo:tinfoil:

madi05

Joe, is it a secret or did you forget to tell everyone you are a watchmaker?:sssh: That's why this disassembly and reassembly is so easy for you.:) Compared to a watch, all of this has to be a piece of cake for you.

I know compared to a watch, this isn't as water resistant, but does the design look resistant enough to safely wash the switch as I have been doing? Do the materials within the switch and the spring look like they are corosion resistant materials, if water should somehow get in there?

 

[madi05]

lol, i guess u may be correct on it being a bit easier for me,, i have many customers that have read some of my easy stuff tutorials , try it themselves and say they cant , lol

as for the construction for doing what u said , yes i think it is ok to wash it from the oustide ,, i wouldnt dunk it for very long but rinsing and using a toothbrush with some soapy water would be ok imo

but to be honest i dont know if u are doing a whole lot other than getting some excess oil from the outside out but really if there is alot of oil like selfbuilt said his had on the inside then u should open it up and clean it off some imo

madi05

 

[Budman231]

HI, its just like how a watch caseback is installed or a push in crown on a watch more so ,, there is one oring around the switch and one around the threaded area on the swtichplate ,, just two basically , lol mine was fine but again im modding mine so i had to take it apart but really it is very easy and anyone should be able to do it ,, espeically if theres is mushy,,

im glad i could help being u guys give me help all the time , lol

btw i loved the lf3xt before i got it ,, and now i think after some modds of making it eve a bit shorter i will like it even more ,, lol and i am color matching it to some of my pvd watches, lol

oh yeah im also installing me a tritium vial in the switch plate, wowowowo:tinfoil:

madi05

Dang I want trit in my lf3xt !

That is the one thing i miss from edcing my ex10 ! :thumbsup:

I LOVE BIG TRITS !

:-)

 

[madi05]

when i get mine done i will let u know how hard it was or easy and i may offer it if it is not too much time consuming :twothumbs im goiing with a green 5 mm length first but i think u could actually go to about a 9 or 7 mm

madi05

 

[h2oflyer]

Budman 231:

You deserve most of the credit for initiating the flow chart idea and putting in all that work to bring it to where it is now.

It was sorely needed to make sense of the Liteflux manual.

With all the corrections and suggestions on this thread and others , programming shouldn't deter anyone from getting the LF3XT.

Thanks for all the work ! :thumbsup:

Walter

 

[Budman231]

Budman 231:

You deserve most of the credit for initiating the flow chart idea and putting in all that work to bring it to where it is now.

It was sorely needed to make sense of the Liteflux manual.

With all the corrections and suggestions on this thread and others , programming shouldn't deter anyone from getting the LF3XT.

Thanks for all the work ! :thumbsup:

Walter

Thank you for the kind words Walter. Like most good things on the internet they are the result of a collaboration. This is no exception. Many fellow CPFers helped out. I mostly wanted to do it to learn the light. That i did an then some ! I'm glad it is of use.

Now we need someone to make a clip !!!

Bud

 

[h2oflyer]

Thanks for the come back Budman231 ; still trying to help. I would be carefull washing the switch. Dishwashing fluid is a good idea to lube the O-ring from the outside and that's why it fells better after it's bath Removing switch and re-lubing from inside is better if you have the skills to do it.

Respectfully submitted - Walter

 

[BabyDoc]

Thanks for the come back Budman231 ; still trying to help. I would be carefull washing the switch. Dishwashing fluid is a good idea to lube the O-ring from the outside and that's why it fells better after it's bath Removing switch and re-lubing from inside is better if you have the skills to do it.

Respectfully submitted - Walter

The dishwashing liquid is thoroughly washed off. I doubt that's why it feels better aferwards. Another reason that I don't think it is being lubed by the dishwashing liquid in any way is that before attempting to wash the switch, I had tried very thin lube like the Radio Shack PFTE Oiler to get lube between the cross ring and the button. It actually worked worse with the lube. That's why I tried washing the switch to get that lube out of there, along with any other oils from my fingers that probably had gummed it up as well. I agree it might be better to take the swich apart, but only if it is a new light that might have too much thick lube in there. Body oils from you hands that build up later possibly could be washed out with a just a bath.

For the heck of it, I tried to take my switch apart last night. I thought I had the skills to do the job, but apparently I didn't. The problem I had was getting a good enough grip on the body of the light without it twisting in my hand. I couldn't. I then wrapped the light with several layers of very thick rubber tape. The body of the light protected (I thought), I tried to grasp the light with a vice grip, and tried turning the cross with a small screw driver in the lanyard hole. That didn't work, so I tried using an adjustable watch caseback wrench and still couldn't get it to budge. (I wonder if they put any locktite on those threads.) I gave up when the light turned under the vice grip and cut through my tape leaving a small scratch on the body of the light.:mecry:
I touched it up with a black Sharpie and called it a night.

 

[h2oflyer]

BabyDoc: -- Still trying to help.

You should never lube an O-ring with anything but a silicone type lubricant supplied with the light. Most household lubing oils contain some type of solvent which will cause the O-ring (probably Nitrile) to swell and create a
lot of drag.

Walter

 

[BabyDoc]

BabyDoc: -- Still trying to help.

You should never lube an O-ring with anything but a silicone type lubricant supplied with the light. Most household lubing oils contain some type of solvent which will cause the O-ring (probably Nitrile) to swell and create a
lot of drag.

Walter

Walter, the PFTE oiler contains Teflon in a totally synthetic oil base. It specifically states on the package that it is safe for use with rubber gaskets, etc. I have never had a problem with it and have been using it for a long time on all my lights following high recommendations from several very experienced people on CPF. It is also very inexpensive.:)

There are many threads about lubes on CPF, and there are as many opinions about the best lubes for lights as there are people writing there. I think the type of lube you choose should be based not only on your prior experience, but also on the particular situation. I do use thicker Silicone lubes when I am concerned about water resistance and where the O-ring may be somewhat worn, but I use thinner lubes like this one when I think there may be a possibly slightly oversized O-ring binding problem. One nice thing about this RadioShack lube is it doesn't turn black like silicone lube can. or even thin Nyogel can. Another nice thing about it, is it doesn't get thicker like silicone can when the light is cold. (Did you ever notice when you havent used a light for a day or two, that you sometimes have to twist the head a few times back and forth to get the head to begin moving smoothly? This happens more often with thicker silicone lubes on top of tight o-rings. It doesn't happen with the PFTE Oil.) Also Teflon is great because it is heat resistant and doesn't break down when the light gets hot. That's why they coat pans with it.

Anyway, I do appreciate your concern and recommendations. I agree that most of the time, Silicone is the best lube. In the case of the switch on my light, that was binding, and not knowing why, I thought a thin lube was worth a try. I don't think that lube made matters worse because it caused the O-ring there to swell. It didn't work because the switch didn't need lube. It needed to be cleaned. In my situation, addng any lube on top of grime wouldn't help; it just reduced the already tight space in which the button could move. Finally, washing the button really did help!

 

[madi05]

HI Babydoc, mine didnt have any glue on the threads ,, but it was screwed down fairly snug ,, all i did was stick a screw driver for watches that was about that same thickness of the lanyard hole and basically held the flashlight with my left hand with the switch plate facing upwards and then pushed the screwdriver in the counterclockwise position till it broke the seal and started turning easy,, i find it easy to push it like it a small leverage bar but again just llike watches some are snugger than others , lol

the funny thing in this case the tightness has nothing to do with the waterproofness , lol

hope this helps or u could send it to me and i will open it up for u
madi05

 

[BabyDoc]

HI Babydoc, mine didnt have any glue on the threads ,, but it was screwed down fairly snug ,, all i did was stick a screw driver for watches that was about that same thickness of the lanyard hole and basically held the flashlight with my left hand with the switch plate facing upwards and then pushed the screwdriver in the counterclockwise position till it broke the seal and started turning easy,, i find it easy to push it like it a small leverage bar but again just llike watches some are snugger than others , lol

the funny thing in this case the tightness has nothing to do with the waterproofness , lol

hope this helps or u could send it to me and i will open it up for u
madi05

Joe, thanks for your generous offer, and I may take you up on it, if the switch ever really needs it. Right now it doesn't. As I said before, I shouldn't have messed with it. As if I ever had much muscle, I probably just don't have the muscle any more.:( I just couldn't get a good grip on the light without that light turning in my left hand. The first screwdriver I used in the lanyard hole was a small watch screw driver, but I bent the hell out of it. I tried a hex mini-screwdriver that was thicker. It didn't bend, but I just couldn't budge that cross. If only that screw driver were a longer perhaps I could have gotten some better leverage on it, but the knurling on the light was really cutting into my hand.

 

[hogger1]

try those rubbery mesh jar lid grip discs. That is what i used to hold the light body, worked great.

 

[madi05]

maybe u should give it to your wife:poke:, lol im kidding but this is a true story ,, i was trying to open a spaghetti jar and i could not budge it and im not a small guy ,, i would say a good sized guy but not a muscle man either, but this is why i said that above ,, my wife was watching me get ill with this damn jar,, so she said let me try and i said ok with a chuckle(like yeah right) and she hit a few times with a butter knife on the edges of the lid and opened it with ease ,, boy that made me laugh my butt off and she was grinning from ear to ear , thinking she one uped me :D and i was thinking to myself ,"damn women" lol

madi05

 

[BabyDoc]

try those rubbery mesh jar lid grip discs. That is what i used to hold the light body, worked great.

That's a great suggestion! I'll give it a try! Thanks!

 

[DM51]

That's a great suggestion! I'll give it a try! Thanks!

... and if that doesn't work, madi05 might lend you his butter-knife if you ask him nicely, lol.