I have a Nuwai ALX-233C (3 Watt, 3 power level, 3-C cell). It's a pretty nice light for the price ($35), but I'm having a weird problem with it.
When I first got it, I loaded 3 fully charged NiMH batteries and turned it on. It worked fine. I used it for a few more minutes, turned it off, then set it down on my desk. 3 days later, I grabbed the light to use it but it wouldn't turn on. I checked the batteries and the voltage across all 3 batteries was 0.9V!
I thought the batteries might have been defective and somehow discharged themselves. I loaded in a different set of fully charged NiMH batteries. The light turned on and worked fine. After using it, I again set it down on my desk. 2 days later I went to use it and again it wouldn't turn on. This time, the battery voltage was 1V.
I was (and still am) baffled by this :huh2:. Each time I set the light face down on my desk. There was nothing around it and it didn't get bumped/accidentally turned on. No one else used the light either.
I loaded in another set of batteries. This time, I loosened the tail cap about ¼ turn before storing it. 3 days later, I picked it up and it worked. I always loosen the tail cap before I put the light away now.
One other strange thing I noticed is that if I load some batteries, put on the tail cap and tighten fully, take the tail cap off, and then push the power button, the light actually flashes on momentarily. This would seem to indicate there's a capacitor inside that gets charged when the tail cap is tightened enough to complete a circuit.
I'm grasping at straws, but if there really is a capacitor inside, could it somehow be getting charged and discharged (through what I have no idea) whenever the tail cap is on? This could be why my batteries got drained even though the light wasn't on.
Anyone else have the same light and observe similar behavior?
Anyone have any other ideas as to what might be causing this strange behavior?[font="]
Thanks.
[/font]
When I first got it, I loaded 3 fully charged NiMH batteries and turned it on. It worked fine. I used it for a few more minutes, turned it off, then set it down on my desk. 3 days later, I grabbed the light to use it but it wouldn't turn on. I checked the batteries and the voltage across all 3 batteries was 0.9V!
I thought the batteries might have been defective and somehow discharged themselves. I loaded in a different set of fully charged NiMH batteries. The light turned on and worked fine. After using it, I again set it down on my desk. 2 days later I went to use it and again it wouldn't turn on. This time, the battery voltage was 1V.
I was (and still am) baffled by this :huh2:. Each time I set the light face down on my desk. There was nothing around it and it didn't get bumped/accidentally turned on. No one else used the light either.
I loaded in another set of batteries. This time, I loosened the tail cap about ¼ turn before storing it. 3 days later, I picked it up and it worked. I always loosen the tail cap before I put the light away now.
One other strange thing I noticed is that if I load some batteries, put on the tail cap and tighten fully, take the tail cap off, and then push the power button, the light actually flashes on momentarily. This would seem to indicate there's a capacitor inside that gets charged when the tail cap is tightened enough to complete a circuit.
I'm grasping at straws, but if there really is a capacitor inside, could it somehow be getting charged and discharged (through what I have no idea) whenever the tail cap is on? This could be why my batteries got drained even though the light wasn't on.
Anyone else have the same light and observe similar behavior?
Anyone have any other ideas as to what might be causing this strange behavior?[font="]
Thanks.
[/font]