Vital Gear Clickie Replacement Mod

[nein166]

I have had issues with the micro-switch in the Vital Gear bodies. They can't handle the current of newer LEDs and they fail. But I love the clip and the size and the style. So something must be done. I went through my draw of switches and found an 11mm DX reverse clickie switch. And it worked perfectly.

Hear is the light and the DX 11mm clickie

Bend the tabs out straight and very quickly solder a short spring on

Now I found it necessary to dremel the hole the rubber boot fits in since the clickie is fatter than the micro-switch. Once the light is together the grind is not visible.

Insert the boot it should still be really tight

And then press the clickie in there, its going to be really tight.

Thats it just screw in the gold ring and put on the body. Don't try clicking it with out the light together since the clickie could pop apart. Maybe some glue along the tabs would keep this from happening. But as long as the batteries are in it should be fine.

Now my light can achieve the needed current and throw some serious lumens.
Hope this helps anyone else with a Vital Gear switch issue.

 

[^Gurthang]

Nien,

Nice mod! Perhaps a thin nylon / delrin washer around the switch spring base and the retaining nut would secure everything. In any case, NICE WORK!

 

[Mettee]

That is pretty cool. I have an FB3 that I have never used for that exact reason...never got around to messing with it.

 

[TranquillityBase]

Nice job Brian :thumbsup:

I think the Kroll even has a leg-up on those VG swiches :sick2:

 

[nein166]

Nien,

Nice mod! Perhaps a thin nylon / delrin washer around the switch spring base and the retaining nut would secure everything. In any case, NICE WORK!

Ha well the stock golden ring does screw all the way in and hold it together well I just didn't include a pic of that, delrin wouldn't make conduct with the tabs so no electric path.

 

[nein166]

That is pretty cool. I have an FB3 that I have never used for that exact reason...never got around to messing with it.

I had an FB3 I sold for that reason.

 

[^Gurthang]

Nein,

thanks for clarifying your point about the retaining ring. I mis-read and thought that the switch wasn't sitting into the tailcap properly even w/ the retaining ring screwed in.

 

[lightknot]

This is an interesting mod. Worth another look, with the new wave of high amp draw LED's; especially the triples and quads. Thanks to the O.P. Nein166.

 

[nein166]

Yeah I forgot I did this mod and cast my VG body aside thinking it had the original switch.
I put the SST-50 head pictured above on a E2 18650 body by FiveMega since the Vital Gear only handles 17mm cells and IMRs aren't available in 17650.
Like I said above you don't realize the switch is modded. To bad its still reverse clicky

Thanks for the reminder lightknot