AFAustin
Flashlight Enthusiast
I have had a very strange experience with this little 1x123 2-stage light from Dae: http://www.qualitychinagoods.com/2mode-flashlight-p-434.html
I would really appreciate someone who understands flashlight electronics better than I do telling me what happened here.
When I first received this light it had various serious problems: very short runtime (~11-13 min. on high); extreme heat; and a very low, unuseable "low". The light had been reported by other users to have ~40 min. or so runtime on high, and a low equal to ~2/3 of a normal 1w lux light. I didn't think the problem was with my original 600 mAh unprotected cells, because they worked fine in other lights, but I decided to at least try some brand new 800 mAh unprotected cells before declaring the light a lemon.
The new cells (from FifthUnit) arrived and I popped one in the light. First 10 minutes, it was the same thing: extreme heat build-up and very low "low". Then, predictably, the light cut off. I was able to switch it back on, however, and than "voila!": SOMETHING HAPPENED---the light instantly cooled off, maintained a decent but probably lesser output on "high", and now had a much better output on "low". And it ran.... and ran and ran and ran. This little guy now ran constantly, on high, maintaining decent output, for an hour and a half, when I finally shut it off and went to bed!
The next day, same thing---it was now a well-behaved child, and performed in the same way with the original cells as well. One additional clue: when the light was in its original "misbehaving" state on R123As, it actually performed OK on Cr123 primaries (although "low" was still too low). But now, in its "born again" state on R123As, it is pitifully weak on primaries.
Can someone please explain what happened here? It almost seems as though the light was originally drawing way too much juice from the cells---hence the heat and short runtime. Would this also explain somehow the very weak "low"? Moreover, how did it spontaneously "heal itself", and revert to what seems to be more normal behavior for this light? Actually, based on the comments from other owners, I'm thinking that the new incarnation of my light is somewhat lower in output, and a good bit longer in runtime, than the "normal" model. For example, I would put throw at better than a Fenix L1P and less than a P1 (on primaries). The 1.5+ hr. runtime still has me astounded.
I would appreciate any comments, diagnoses, theories, exorcisms, etc. Thanks.
I would really appreciate someone who understands flashlight electronics better than I do telling me what happened here.
When I first received this light it had various serious problems: very short runtime (~11-13 min. on high); extreme heat; and a very low, unuseable "low". The light had been reported by other users to have ~40 min. or so runtime on high, and a low equal to ~2/3 of a normal 1w lux light. I didn't think the problem was with my original 600 mAh unprotected cells, because they worked fine in other lights, but I decided to at least try some brand new 800 mAh unprotected cells before declaring the light a lemon.
The new cells (from FifthUnit) arrived and I popped one in the light. First 10 minutes, it was the same thing: extreme heat build-up and very low "low". Then, predictably, the light cut off. I was able to switch it back on, however, and than "voila!": SOMETHING HAPPENED---the light instantly cooled off, maintained a decent but probably lesser output on "high", and now had a much better output on "low". And it ran.... and ran and ran and ran. This little guy now ran constantly, on high, maintaining decent output, for an hour and a half, when I finally shut it off and went to bed!
The next day, same thing---it was now a well-behaved child, and performed in the same way with the original cells as well. One additional clue: when the light was in its original "misbehaving" state on R123As, it actually performed OK on Cr123 primaries (although "low" was still too low). But now, in its "born again" state on R123As, it is pitifully weak on primaries.
Can someone please explain what happened here? It almost seems as though the light was originally drawing way too much juice from the cells---hence the heat and short runtime. Would this also explain somehow the very weak "low"? Moreover, how did it spontaneously "heal itself", and revert to what seems to be more normal behavior for this light? Actually, based on the comments from other owners, I'm thinking that the new incarnation of my light is somewhat lower in output, and a good bit longer in runtime, than the "normal" model. For example, I would put throw at better than a Fenix L1P and less than a P1 (on primaries). The 1.5+ hr. runtime still has me astounded.
I would appreciate any comments, diagnoses, theories, exorcisms, etc. Thanks.
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