Problems with Matterhorn Type III HA UP

[garence]

I had ordered a Matterhorn Type III HA UP, because I liked the HP (79cp) version a lot. However, when I got the light I was surprised to find a couple of changes:

• The "snow white" LED coloration I was supposed to receive looks surprising "warm white". I compared it with my 3 other "snow white" Peak lights and there's a definite greenish/warm coloration with this new one.
• The on/off function requires more than 360 degrees of rotation! I'm used to around 10-25 degrees, with one light about 75 degrees from full on to off. Having to rotate the head so much presents a usability problem.

I also noticed anodizing scraped off the front ring of the head... the light looks new, so I'm thinking it was scuffed in storage.

UPDATE: I wrote to Peak by e-mail, but didn't get a response. It turns out they were away; a phone call got me right to Robyn and she accommodated me without any problem.

 

[tigersaigon]

Re: Problems with Matterhorn Type III HA UP - no response from PLS

Yah, we just can't say the same thing about Peak's quality of service as we would about their products' quality, unfortunately. Think you gotta ring them up and voice your $#&*@x?!!

 

[BentHeadTX]

Re: Problems with Matterhorn Type III HA UP - no response from PLS

Any problems I've had with Peak light were solved quickly with a phone call. Give it a shot and they can hook you up.

 

[garence]

Yeah, I just spoke with Robyn -- they were away last week and she just got to my e-mail. No problem on a return. Their great customer service is still there.

The Matterhorn is a well designed light, excellent for when all you really want is a nice small spot (the multi-LED without reflector minimizes spill) with conservative power use. It's thinner than most other AAA lights, so it travels well. But the more than 360 degree turn to shut it off from the full on-position is a bother to me and I didn't experience this with any of my other Peak lights. This particular Matterhorn is a little longer than my 4 year old one, so they've definitely changed the machining. The light frequencies do vary a little as I've been told, but this definitely looks much warmer than any other Peak light I have. Oh well...

 

[NutSAK]

I've noticed the increased rotation required on Peaks that have a spring in the tail end, but I've never seen a Matterhorn designed this way. Is there a solid contact in the bottom of yours?

 

[parnass]

I wonder if the negative contact in your Matterhorn is pressing so hard on the battery that it is forming a concave dimple on the battery.

That happened in my Arc AAA-P and the amount of bezel rotation changed until the battery dimple became fully formed.

 

[garence]

I've noticed the increased rotation required on Peaks that have a spring in the tail end, but I've never seen a Matterhorn designed this way. Is there a solid contact in the bottom of yours?

I sent the light back to PLS, but from what I remember there was no spring. I double-checked my current Matterhorn and there's no spring either. The difference in rotation for on/off was really dramatic. And it wasn't due to the battery suffering a dimple... I swapped batteries just to be sure and confirmed.