My favorite flashlight is broken

Hi everyone, I'm a nooobie, and I have a problem with one of my flashlights. Where do I post this question?

If it has an ordinary bulb, try Incandescent. If it has an LED, try LED. If it's a headlight, try Headlights. Look at all the possible categories, then make the best decision you can with the information you have.

:lolsign:

lol jk..... what kind of flashlight is it?

Hey thanks for responding. It's a scorpion 500. I dropped it from 4 feet on to concrete. I bought a replacement bulb and before I received it,it started working. When I went to charge it, the socket was crooked and I fixed that. I charged it and it hasn't worked since. I read 8.4 volts on the battery and everything looks good. What else could it be? Both bulb filiments look good. Thanks again, Dave :mecry:

usually the best place to start is general discussion forums....they'll be moved as necessary or if the subject is explicitly stated as such, sometime it varies, it can be in the LED section and have areas of interest associated with homemade and modified, or a incandescent having something with LED but placed in the general section....the admins will see to it that everything goes in their cubby holes


I've never had the privilege to use it though I am throughly impressed by Doug's review
sounds like a battery issue, apparently something was knocked loose during the impact....if I remember correctly, the scorpion's rechargeable lithium is user replaceable correct?
if so, disassemble it and reinstall the battery and see if that helps.

secondly, you mentioned 8.4V, care to tell how you measured that?
I remember seeing the G&P 2200mAh Li-ion to be rated 7.5V....:thinking:

hmmmmmmm
this should be moved/asked in the incandescent section
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=46

I know it's not totally accurate, but I used a vom. It is a stick battery, and I can't believe that's it. There is a disc in between the battery and the bulb, I'm assuming a regulator of some sort. Where do I buy parts for this? It is one of about 50 lights, including MRV, ultrastinger, LAPD 7060, M1 hunter, D-mini,SF E2E, to name a few. It's in good company. I'm an absolute flashaholic, and I feel the loss. Thanks again, Dave
:sigh:

Audiowiz said:

I know it's not totally accurate, but I used a vom. It is a stick battery, and I can't believe that's it. There is a disc in between the battery and the bulb, I'm assuming a regulator of some sort. Where do I buy parts for this? It is one of about 50 lights, including MRV, ultrastinger, LAPD 7060, M1 hunter, D-mini,SF E2E, to name a few. It's in good company. I'm an absolute flashaholic, and I feel the loss. Thanks again, Dave
:sigh:

Click to expand...

from the runtime graph on Doug's review, it doesn't appear that there is a regulator [and there usually isn't for incandescent] but does appear to have a low voltage cut off circuit to shut the light down at a designed low voltage threshold to prevent over discharge of the lithium ion battery. this indicates that the battery stick is likely to be "protected" by a built in PCB. Does the ring show any form of metal contacts or signs of SMD components? if not chances are its a spacer to keep proper tension for the battery in the body

lighthound sells the battery stick and spare lamps, I don't know of anywhere else
edit: found the link for you http://www.lighthound.com/index.asp?PageAction=PRODSEARCH&txtSearch=r500&btnSearch=GO&Page=1

I bought the bulb from John. I e-mailed him and he offered to look at it if I sent it to him. I guess that's the best course of action. I can't see anything wrong physically.

you first dropped the light, it stopped working, but then it started working :thinking:

apparently the lamp didn't die [most don't die too easily unless you heat the tungsten up pretty nice before the drop] but its possible the lamp was seated improperly causing intermittent contact.... so after you replaced the lamp back into the bezel it still didn't work?

the 4 main areas of flashlights where problems could likely arise: the tailcap if the switch was the tailcap, the battery, the connection assembly, the lamp, once you've isolated one area, look for clues in the other areas, its tricky as theres no standard for all flashlights....this is where the "fun of modding" comes in

OK, a recap. I dropped the light, it was out. I bought a bulb. It started working. I changed the bulb to test it, still worked. I used it for a week. I went to charge it, the socket was crooked. Without taking it apart, staightened it with a pick(turning the battery). Charged it, dead. took it apart, read batt with a vom, 8.4 volts. I apologize, thwere is a spacer or coller in between the bulb and the battery. I just looked at it, stretched the spring a little and still dead. Still reading 8.11 volts D, Negative on top.Thanks for your help. It's an enigma. :shakehead

I fixed it. I pulled the spring more than I thought it would go because I had nothing to lose, and it worked! Now I'm happy. Thanks for all your help. Cheers:twothumbs

Audiowiz said:

I went to charge it, the socket was crooked. Without taking it apart, staightened it with a pick(turning the battery).

Click to expand...

mmm, so if you were to turn the charging port to the original position you are turning the battery....the charging port is built into the battery?

good to hear about your lights recovery :thumbsup:

Yes, it's very cool. The stick has a port in the side, looks like a regular charging port with the center conductor and tang for the shield. You can take the battery out and charge it if you want. It's not easy to take it out, but I didn't have to force anything to get it out. I love this light and am glad it was something stupid. I feel a little dumb fixing it like that, but oh well. Thanks for all your help.

sometimes the biggest problems often come from the smallest of parts....

I think the reason they made it to have a removable battery is that it allows the user to carry extra battery sticks for extended runtime