Rechargeables not working in TEC-40?

Why can't I get them to work in my TEC-40? Old Energizers won't work and my new Duracells won't work either. Must not be making contact somewhere. Any tips?
Thanks, FishX

start bypassing stuff. bypass the switch, then the body. etc. process of elimination.

Heh! That must be a FAQ.

It's usually the contacts down in the tube. Old timers wad some aluminum foil and throw it down the tube. Can be problematic if your cells have poor insulation on the negative body tube, around the + contact.

I thought PT was going to put springs in all their tubes instead of the silly pad in the PT40.

Thanks L, The foil did the trick. Rechargeables must be a tiny bit shorter but it's hard to tell. I always thought they were the same size.

The new TEC 40s with the textured grips do use springs, so this problem, presumably, only applies to the old ones.

By the way, I've been using that XPR 103 Radioshack bulb in both of mine and have not had one go bye-bye yet. I tried about 6 others before I learned my lesson! I use this light alot!

My Energizer 2500's work fine, but the Duracell 2650's didn't work without any tin foil.

I suggest everyone uses the KPR139. It has more brightness than the XPR 103 and will last longer as well.

been using a mag 4cell mag xenon in mine on rechargables.. (i've also had some minor contact issues with some of my cells)... it's not a thrill bright/white champ... but it's very dependable and cheap to operate, it has become my go-to light more than any other light.. I'll have to try out the KPR123 though.

adirondackdestroyer said:

My Energizer 2500's work fine, but the Duracell 2650's didn't work without any tin foil.

I suggest everyone uses the KPR139. It has more brightness than the XPR 103 and will last longer as well.

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I second this suggestion. I bought 20 TEC40 as Xmas presents and have replaced all the bulbs with KPR139. Great cheap light for rechargable.

AZLight said:

I second this suggestion. I bought 20 TEC40 as Xmas presents and have replaced all the bulbs with KPR139. Great cheap light for rechargable.

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Where is a good place to get the KPR139? Is it really that much better than a 4 cell Mag bulb?

I think they are available at Radio Shack. I could be wrong but I think I saw them last time I was in.

matthewdanger said:

I think they are available at Radio Shack. I could be wrong but I think I saw them last time I was in.

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Really? They don't have them at either of the local Radio Shacks. I don't think they are on their online site either.

I had to buy them online for $1.99 a bulb+shipping. Best price I would find. I think it cost me $28 for 10 of them shipped.

Sorry about that. I just stopped in and they do not have them. I think I was thinking of the KPR103.

Phaserburn said:

Where is a good place to get the KPR139? Is it really that much better than a 4 cell Mag bulb?

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You can find them at topbulb.com. I have found them to be much more durable than the Mag bulb option. Keep in mind, getting real brightness from a 4AA light using NiMH batteries means not using a 4-cell Mag bulb, but a 3-cell Mag bulb. Overdriven at that level, they don't last too long. The Xenon versions in particular, but even the Kryptons are at the ragged edge in this setup and can blow if used with freshly-charged cells. Even if you're careful you may not get more than a few hours of bulb life.

I have run kpr139s for many hours and frequently with cells straight off the charger, with no insta-flashes. It is well-suited to this application. It results in about a 7 watt light, which is probably at the limit of what this light will take for runs of long duration.

fishx65 said:

Thanks L, The foil did the trick. Rechargeables must be a tiny bit shorter but it's hard to tell. I always thought they were the same size.

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The Tec40 uses the pastic reflector as the bulb-stop. It's probably a good idea when using the light, only twist the bezel enough to reliably keep it lit. The further you turn, the more pressure is being exerted on the reflector. The reflector butts up against the bulb flange and that spot gets quite hot. Using a lamp like kpr139 is at about the thermal limit for the light. If you tighten with excessive force, there could be enough plastic deformation over time so that you run out of "travel" in the threads. This is what happened when I tried to run a GH24 bulb in the light with 6 2/3AA batteries -- it ran for about 5 minutes then "turned itself off" -- the reflector "ledge" got soft and gave enough to break contact. Tightening got it going again but it was a lost cause because 13 watts was just too much.