Romisen RC-N3 Problem: Very Dim

[idlejam]

Been a lurker for a while, and first of all great resource you all have made here! :thumbsup: It's been fun reading through the posts and seeing the wealth of information.

I recently purchased a pair of Romisen RC-N3's from DX. They are the 3-mode versions with high-low-strobe.

One of the two lights seems to work great; warm white tint and all 3 modes work great with AA's and CR123's. The other light seems to have some kind of problem. When turning it on with either AA's or 123's, the light is very dim. Sometimes it is at the correct full brightness for a second or two, but then goes back into the very dim mode.

Question: is there anything I can do or check to fix this myself? I'm happy to poke around a little if there's something I can fix myself. Otherwise, I figure I'll try to return it to DX.

(2nd question: how is DX on returns? I've purchased from them a couple times, but never had to return anything yet.)

Thanks all!

 

[how2]

Try cleaning all the contact points, tail, head and body.
See if the tail cap is screwed in tightly.
If you can open the head up, check that there are no loose wires.

It may be a problem with the tail cap switch, driver or led.

 

[alfreddajero]

Let us know if the light works properly.

 

[idlejam]

Thanks for the quick feedback! I'll give it a shot when I get home later tonight and let you know my results.

 

[alfreddajero]

And if your using rechargeables please make sure there charged up and ready to go.

 

[idlejam]

So far I have tried it with rechargeable AA's that I know are good (and swapped between a second RC-N3 to double-check) as well as a fresh CR123 which was also double-checked in the second unit to make sure it was good.

 

[alfreddajero]

Cool......its probably dirty contacts.....clean that sucker up good and apply a little lube. Make sure that the switch retaining ring is tight, might have gotten loose.

 

[idlejam]

What kind of lube is good for this kind of thing? I have some silicone grease - is that applicable for flashlights, or should I be using something else?

 

[alfreddajero]

Thats what i use......your good.

 

[PerttiK]

I've got one with the same symptons after being dropped a few times.
The pathways in the pcb were the "+" knob is soldered are broken.
Tried to solder a jumpwire in there with no luck.

Try if the "+" knob moves in and out or turns.

 

[fishinfool]

2nd question: how is DX on returns? I've purchased from them a couple times, but never had to return anything yet.

I would also like to know this about Deal Extreme as there are several flashlights I would like to buy.


Other questions:

How long does it take orders to get to the US?

How is their customer service?

Thanks guys!

 

[alfreddajero]

If i were to put an order in today.....then i would get it in about 3wks....depending if they have it in stock.....sometimes it may say it is when its on backorder then the wait is longer.

 

[idlejam]

Unfortunately a good disassembly and cleaning didn't seem to do the trick. Everything looked pretty clean and well-lubed when I took it apart. I cleaned everything I could get to with a lint-free cloth and then applied a light coat of silicone grease to the threads etc. Still no-joy. The light reliably turns on and has it's 3 modes, high-low-strobe, but all of them are still incredibly dim.

Barring any other suggestions, it looks like it's going to be a return for me. An interesting point on the DX returns is that it looks like they require a photo of the defective part to process the return. That is hardly an insurmountable problem, especially since I can place it next to a working unit, but there are a couple pangs of annoyance that I have to drag out the camera etc.

fishinfool: regarding purchases with DX, I agree with alfreddajero on the 3-week timeframe; that sounds about right as long as they have it in stock. I've never paid for the faster shipping, so I basically order, try to forget about it, and then be pleasantly surprised when it finally arrives I've ordered from them 3 or 4 times in the past and have been satisfied, especially given the low prices. There is of course the slow shipping time but I'm not usually in a hurry and the low cost is worth it to me.

 

[alfreddajero]

Yup time for an rma.......i started ordering my N3's from shiningbeam since he's based in NY......fast shipping and if theres a problem then its easier to ship out.

 

[fishinfool]

Thanks guys! I think I'll order a single AA or AAA compact from DX since they are so cheap or maybe from Shining Beam since they're stateside.