Huntlight FT-01 DOA

I recieved my huntlight today, and the first thing I did was put a protected 18650 in it. The LED lights dimly for around a second. I found that the light is shorting out the battery - lucky I was using a protected cell.

Anyone have this problem or am I the only one? Looks like this one willhave to be sent back, which is really annoying as I was hoping to use this on my mountain bike.

I bought a used one and it was shorted when I received it. Mine shorted with CR123's in it. I had it on for about 5 seconds and the batteries got HOT. I found that the emitter wiring was short-circuiting on the bottom of the reflector. If you unscrew the electronics from the reflector, there should be a fat o-ring in there to prevent this from happening.

I've had intermittent trouble with the switch on the one I bought new, but I contacted JSBurlys, and Jon is sending out a new switch. I find that the switch is really the weak point in the light--everything else is fairly well-built. In the meantime, I took the switch out of my dead light, taken it apart and improved the operation and feel of it. I will post a how-to on this with pictures fairly soon. After the tweaks to the switch, my FT-01 has become one of my favorite lights.

Hmm, I took apart the head, and I see where it could short. So I took the reflector off the LED module, and it still shorts out the battery... I guess there must be a fault in the LED module itself.

Also, I see what you mean about the switch... I'll keep an eye out for you mod.

NutSAK, MikeHunt79,

Please let us now what's wrong with the switch.

I own myself three FT01, no problem with the switch either.

I don't think it's anything to worry about, really. My particular switch had too much lubricant applied inside it when it was manufactured, causing it to stick and lose contact. I cleaned out most of the lube and stretched a spring inside, and the feel and operation of it is much improved. Upon taking it apart (which is very easy), it doesn't appear to me to be a very durable switch. As stated, I will try to post pics and tips about it soon.

:huh2: .... Maybe the light is drawing so much current that the protection circuit in the battery is kicking in and protecting the battery. Make sure that protected batt. is well charged , or low voltage prot. may be activating in the batt.

Try using 3v primary's in it just for a few moments - to see if it will burn.

A circuit may be *shorted* preventing current from reaching it's intended target ( the LED )..... but I doubt the battery is being *shorted* by the light .

(The battery isn't being shorted unless there is direct low resistance *short* connection directly between the positive and negative points on the battery)

............... TMG/

MikeHunt79 said:

I recieved my huntlight today, and the first thing I did was put a protected 18650 in it. The LED lights dimly for around a second. I found that the light is shorting out the battery - lucky I was using a protected cell.

Anyone have this problem or am I the only one? Looks like this one willhave to be sent back, which is really annoying as I was hoping to use this on my mountain bike.

Click to expand...

T.M.G.
FT01 draws 750mA from a 18650 cell, that equals 0,3C.
Any 18650 can handle this, except a defective one.

MikeHunt79,
Did you measure resistance of the led modul? Reading should be 5MegaOhm or even more.

NutSAK,

I got my three FT01 recently, they all are new versions with tri wing screws holding the clip.

When i get a new light, i'm looking for things to improof, but FT01 seems to be perfect.

The switch works very well, smooth feeling, well-defined click, not too stiff, not too loose

Maybe yours is different...

Like I said, mine just had too much lube in it. It worked fine after cleaning out the lube. Yours may have been manufactured on a different day and it doesn't have too much lube in it.

Mine is the new version also, so I doubt it is different. The older "dead" one I have has different knurling, says "FT01" on it instead of my newer "FT01TJ", and it has the same switch.

Withdrawn & deleted

deleted

.... O.K. HiltiHome , I get your message .

I withdraw .... and concede


..................... TMG/
.

T.M.G.

My respect goes to you.. (sorry for my poor english)

Got my Xenon 3,7V LA from AW today, fits perfectly and it's a nice part to make the HuntLight a LEGO system.

Current draw from 18650 is ~2,2A, runtime is ~1hour.
Very nice beam with minor artefacts, just like the LED modul .

Greets

Heinz

:laughing:
..... Sorry .... sometimes I get too sarclistic

Glad you like your Xenon .... Hilti


I hope MikeHunt79 gets his light working .


later ............... TMG/

.

So what's new about the FT01TJ?

But I thought that was one of the main selling points of the FT-01.

That it was designed to use 18650's..

How could one 3.7v battery cause it more harm than two 3.0v batteries .... :huh: ?????


...................... TMG/ .... (nice mode ON)
.

x2x3x2 said:

So what's new about the FT01TJ?

Click to expand...

I don't know if there is anything new. It's physically the same internally and externally as the older body I have with the "FT01" designation, aside from the aforementioned knurling texture.

My guess is that "TJ" represents the first and last characters of the emitter bin.

Casual Flashlight User said:

I'm sure that somebody else posted about using 18650's and killing their Huntlight a few weeks ago though.

Click to expand...

The posts that I saw about someone killing their FT01 stated that they were using 3.7V RCR123's.

That post is here, post #52.

Aye, I stand corrected...that was the post I remember reading.


CFU