Surefire KL1 and Vital Gear bodies = no contact.

I've had a couple of KL1s for a while but mostly use them on Balrog or Surefire bodies. But recently I have used some Vital Gear FB2 bodies and none of my KL1s will fire up without modding them. These are all generations of KL1.

To get them to work, though not well, I have to put part of a paperclip in the head to make up for the apparent gap between the body and the silver ring that is the negative contact. The weird thing is that the threads don't appear any shorter than bodies that work.

With other parts on my VG bodies I've not had this problem. The FB2s are the older style with the leaf spring rather than the coil type.

Has anyone else run across this?

-LT

Hrm... I know several members carry a KL1 on an FB1 body. I guess it's just production variations. Bummer.

I carry a Vital Gear FB2 with a BOG module most of the time and just traded into a Vital Gear FB3 that I was planning on putting a KL1 on to run on 2 17500s with a KL1 head.

LT,

The problem may not be with the ground ring not touching. If you have the leaf spring type switches, try this. Screw the KL1 on then slowly loosen the tail cap. If it comes on, then there's too much pressure on the switch and it's pushing the switch away from its ground contact point. I just use different size o-rings as gaskets on the tail to "adjust" the height of the switch.

If the above doesn't work, then screw the KL1 on and remove the switch, then use a piece of metal to close the circuit and see if the light comes on. If it does, it's the switch.

The reason that your paper clip solution is working somewhat, is because by doing that you are actually relieving pressure on the switch.

Hey Tony,

Thanks, I did as you suggested. You're right about the switch squish. The problem is/was that to get it to come on required backing the tail so far back that it would practically drop out. Odd that my other heads didn't have this problem. Have you had any trouble with the coil spring versions?

I adjusted the leaf springs lower until I could screw tail snug and get light. Maybe I could solder a coil spring in there some how and make it less twitchy.

Thanks again for the help.
-LT

LT,

There was a reason that they went with the coil spring in the latest models. What you may need to do is to use a two tier approach. First, get the springs down as low as you can in the switch, and I could probably turn you a couple 0.020" spacers (along with the other work that you sent me).

Of course, soldering coil springs would be the best way to go. If you can find the proper springs. I was afraid of melting everything on the insides on the one that I had.

I think part of the problem is also the grommet/o-ring that is exposed between the body and the tail. The FB1/ExE head mod you did eliminated it and I've had no problems with it.

The variability in the distance between the tail and body because of the compression of the ring makes it difficult to tune. By swapping a smaller o-ring that fits inside the joint you eliminate the variability because the aluminum mates flush.

Was the spring in the FB3 I sent a coil? I didn't think to check.

-LT

Love these forums!

Just got a new KL1 and it didn't work on the FB-2. Chop's recco about unscrewing the tail and just 1/8 a turn did it.

I was running a KL1 head (gen 4?--with the square beam) for the past year on a FB1 body. I also have an FB2 body on which I would occasionally use it. I also have an old (first model) KL1 head as well as a couple of E2x bodies (one old one with parallel flat sides and a later one with 3 flat sides). ALL the heads and bodies were interchangeable, no problems. Maybe I was lucky.

Now it seems that my luck ran out though, because I recently misplaced my beloved FB1/KL1 combination--my edc. To add insult to injury, John (at Lighthound) informed me that I can no longer get the FB1...major bummer.

I just took delivery (literally about 20 minutes ago) on a Milky ML1 with a TYAH led...Gonna try using this as an edc--looks promising so far, without having done any real life tests. Beautiful beam and so far, it looks like the output is perfectly suited for every day utility use. (Sorry to get off topic.)
Wanna sell me an FB1 body? lol

hikari said:

Wanna sell me an FB1 body?

Click to expand...

Are those the "twisty" ones that TAD Gear originally sold?