Solarforce L1200 Problems!

[metawaffle]

Howdy!

So, after many years of buying LED lights, I finally picked up a Solarforce L1200, which I'd drooled over back when LEDs couldn't possibly compete. I don't expect it to really do that well against my fancy modern lights, but I do like a nice warm beam. Problem is, I can't get it to work!

It arrived, and I put three 18650s into it, and switched it on. Nothing. Okay, so maybe it's the bulb? I fortunately ordered a spare! So, I switched bulbs, but to no avail.
I was pretty sure the batteries were good, but I swapped them for different ones anyway. Still no luck. I pulled out a multimeter and tested the batteries, and they're all nicely charged.

At this point, I realised I had a regulated power supply handy, so I took some cables and set it to 10V, and connected it to the bulb. I slowly upped the current limit, and at some point, it started glowing. I tested both bulbs, and both worked fine! Next, I put the batteries in the tube, with the head missing, and measured the voltage at each end, in case the batteries weren't making proper contact in the middle or something. All good, showed 12-ish volts.

Then, I screwed the head on, but not the tail cap, and measured the voltage between the end battery and the thread at the end of the tube. Again, measured at 12-ish volts. Finally, wondering if the tailcap was the problem, I connected the end battery to the thread directly, but it didn't do anything useful at all.

Can anyone suggest anything further I might try? I'm sure I could get on to Lighthound, from whom I bought it, but if I can get it going on my own, better still!

Thanks!

 

[AnAppleSnail]

It arrived, and I put three 18650s into it, and switched it on. Nothing. Okay, so maybe it's the bulb? I fortunately ordered a spare! So, I switched bulbs, but to no avail.

Then, I screwed the head on, but not the tail cap, and measured the voltage between the end battery and the thread at the end of the tube. Again, measured at 12-ish volts. Finally, wondering if the tailcap was the problem, I connected the end battery to the thread directly, but it didn't do anything useful at all.

Can anyone suggest anything further I might try? I'm sure I could get on to Lighthound, from whom I bought it, but if I can get it going on my own, better still!

Thanks!

If the batteries, bulb, and switch are good, I'm forced to question the in-body contacts. Did you measure 12v across the socket for the bulb? If not, make sure you get 12v there, not just from one end of the light to the other. If you get 12v, use the high-amp ammeter setting and momentarily check current over the socket (Battery short). You should get something like 5A. If you don't, you have contact issues. If you get decent current and voltage at the socket, but no light, then I'm afraid that your L1200 is haunted.

 

[alpg88]

are yor cells button top, or flat top? flats usually give you those problems, positive contact is too low to make good contact with cell in front. you could try and put small thin magnets on positive ends, or if you good with soldering, put some small amonut of solder on positive end to raise it a bit.

 

[fivemega]

If you are using poor quality or old protected cells, this could be your problem.
Many protected cells can't power up high current incand bulbs at first click or at all.
I highly suggest protected AW's cells for such high current incand application.

 

[metawaffle]

If you are using poor quality or old protected cells, this could be your problem.
Many protected cells can't power up high current incand bulbs at first click or at all.
I highly suggest protected AW's cells for such high current incand application.

Well damn, this was exactly the problem. I dug up some AW 18650s (finding a third one in my collection of far too much junk took some time) and sure enough it works just fine!

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!

(Hi, AAS!)