Faulty Fenix T1

Jambo

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I've received my two T1's, and I'm sorry to say one is faulty. One of the T1's is fine, but the other one has a fault with what I assume is the tailcap. As you depress the tailcap button fully to turn the light on permanently, three times out of five the light will stay on when you release the button, the other two it will turn off as you release the tailcap button. This isn't just the momentary on feature, as I've made sure to depress the tailcap button fully every time and like I said before the other T1 is fine.

It actually follows a pattern, like the multiple modes on my P3D, if you fully depress the button and release it multiple times you get this;

Stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off - stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off - stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off - stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off - stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off.

I've done this a few times and it always seems to follow this pattern, Although the other T1 seems fine.

This isn't a thread to slate Fenix or anyone else, I've had a fair few Fenix's before and this is the first problem I've ever had. I'm just wondering if anyone else has had anything like this happen?
 

TITAN1833

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I've received my two T1's, and I'm sorry to say one is faulty. One of the T1's is fine, but the other one has a fault with what I assume is the tailcap. As you depress the tailcap button fully to turn the light on permanently, three times out of five the light will stay on when you release the button, the other two it will turn off as you release the tailcap button. This isn't just the momentary on feature, as I've made sure to depress the tailcap button fully every time and like I said before the other T1 is fine.

It actually follows a pattern, like the multiple modes on my P3D, if you fully depress the button and release it multiple times you get this;

Stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off - stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off - stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off - stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off - stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off.

I've done this a few times and it always seems to follow this pattern, Although the other T1 seems fine.

This isn't a thread to slate Fenix or anyone else, I've had a fair few Fenix's before and this is the first problem I've ever had. I'm just wondering if anyone else has had anything like this happen?
I dont have one ,have you tried swapping tailcaps,to see if it is the switch.
 

Nake

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Have you checked to see the retaining ring in the tailcap is tight?
 

Jambo

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Yes, I've switched tailcaps and tried the fully functioning tailcap on the faulty T1 and it works fine, tried the faulty tailcap on the fully functioning T1 and it does the same thing as on the other one. The fault must lie in the tailcap.

I've also tried 3 sets of fresh CR123A's, it makes no difference.
 

Jambo

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Nake, I can't see a retaining ring as such on the inside of the tailcap, but the whole disc with the negative contact spring on does appear to have two indentations which could possibly be used to unscrew the tailcap assembly.

However, as I don't have the correct tool to check it, a long history of trying to bodge things and making it even worse tells me to leave well alone...
:D
 

Jambo

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I might have a look, Wouldn't the fact of the light staying off on a 3-2-3-2-3-2 pattern permanently suggest there's something wrong with the circuitry inside the tailcap though?
 

Steel and Light

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I also had a faulty T1. It wouldn't go into low mode. Sent it back to Fenix-Store yesterday. If you bought it from there, make sure you contact them and get a return authorization number. Bummers, but it happens.
 

Nake

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I might have a look, Wouldn't the fact of the light staying off on a 3-2-3-2-3-2 pattern permanently suggest there's something wrong with the circuitry inside the tailcap though?

It does suggest that, but it can't hurt to check for looseness. A pair of scissors will work. The disc you describe is what I'm referring to. I bought a P2D once that had the reflector, the head section that holds the reflector and the retaining disc in the cap loose. Guy must have been assembling it when the quitting time buzzer went off.
 

greenLED

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Re: Faulty Fenix T1 switch

Very interesting, Jambo; thanks for sharing. I thought I had broken the switch on the T1 I have for torture testing, but maybe it was like that and I only just noticed last night when I started drop-testing the light. Or maybe I got a "good" switch and it broke after we flung it half-way across a room and it fell on the tail-end. In my case, I think this is the likely explanation as it hadn't failed at all before that particular fall.

The switch on the T1 I have doesn't follow that exact pattern you describe, but the failure is definitely cyclical. Interestingly, if I cycle on/off really fast, I don't get the failure. Also, once in a while the light won't go off when it's on, or on when it's supposed to. When the latter happens, though, I can still activate the light by pressing the switch button a little harder (but not enough to engage the switch mechanism completely). Finally, once is a blue moon and while in the "faulty" section of the switch cycling, the light will come on, but it flickers and may stay that way, go off, or completely on.

:thinking:








I've received my two T1's, and I'm sorry to say one is faulty. One of the T1's is fine, but the other one has a fault with what I assume is the tailcap. As you depress the tailcap button fully to turn the light on permanently, three times out of five the light will stay on when you release the button, the other two it will turn off as you release the tailcap button. This isn't just the momentary on feature, as I've made sure to depress the tailcap button fully every time and like I said before the other T1 is fine.

It actually follows a pattern, like the multiple modes on my P3D, if you fully depress the button and release it multiple times you get this;

Stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off - stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off - stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off - stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off - stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off.

I've done this a few times and it always seems to follow this pattern, Although the other T1 seems fine.

This isn't a thread to slate Fenix or anyone else, I've had a fair few Fenix's before and this is the first problem I've ever had. I'm just wondering if anyone else has had anything like this happen?
 

IcantC

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Re: Faulty Fenix T1 switch

I would just contact where you purchased it from and use the warranty.
 

Jambo

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Re: Faulty Fenix T1 switch

Very interesting, Jambo; thanks for sharing. I thought I had broken the switch on the T1 I have for torture testing, but maybe it was like that and I only just noticed last night when I started drop-testing the light. Or maybe I got a "good" switch and it broke after we flung it half-way across a room and it fell on the tail-end. In my case, I think this is the likely explanation as it hadn't failed at all before that particular fall.

The switch on the T1 I have doesn't follow that exact pattern you describe, but the failure is definitely cyclical. Interestingly, if I cycle on/off really fast, I don't get the failure. Also, once in a while the light won't go off when it's on, or on when it's supposed to. When the latter happens, though, I can still activate the light by pressing the switch button a little harder (but not enough to engage the switch mechanism completely). Finally, once is a blue moon and while in the "faulty" section of the switch cycling, the light will come on, but it flickers and may stay that way, go off, or completely on.

:thinking:

I've tried everything, different (fresh) batteries, pressing the button at varying speeds, at one point I even kept on cycling the light on and off at a medium pace for a few minutes constantly to see if it would make any difference. Nothing. :(
 

Jambo

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It does suggest that, but it can't hurt to check for looseness. A pair of scissors will work. The disc you describe is what I'm referring to. I bought a P2D once that had the reflector, the head section that holds the reflector and the retaining disc in the cap loose. Guy must have been assembling it when the quitting time buzzer went off.

I had a look and it seems tight enough, though on closer inspection it has a small scratch coming from one of the indentations. Maybe someone's been in there already...
 

greenLED

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Re: Faulty Fenix T1 switch

Nake, when this happened the first time, I thought it was a lose switch retaining ring because we had just tossed the light across a room and it fell on its tail end. However, right now I have that ring, the tailcap, and the head as tight in place as possible and the problem is still there. The fact that we can reproduce this in a cyclical way after ruling other obvious points of failure suggests it's the switch itself that's somehow malfunctioning.

IcantC, sure, Fenix-store is just an e-mail or a phone call away. I'm not worried at all about warranty service from them.
 
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SenderGreen

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I've received my two T1's, and I'm sorry to say one is faulty. One of the T1's is fine, but the other one has a fault with what I assume is the tailcap. As you depress the tailcap button fully to turn the light on permanently, three times out of five the light will stay on when you release the button, the other two it will turn off as you release the tailcap button. This isn't just the momentary on feature, as I've made sure to depress the tailcap button fully every time and like I said before the other T1 is fine.

It actually follows a pattern, like the multiple modes on my P3D, if you fully depress the button and release it multiple times you get this;

Stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off - stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off - stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off - stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off - stays on - stays on - stays on - goes off - goes off.

I've done this a few times and it always seems to follow this pattern, Although the other T1 seems fine.

This isn't a thread to slate Fenix or anyone else, I've had a fair few Fenix's before and this is the first problem I've ever had. I'm just wondering if anyone else has had anything like this happen?
Me too. Same exact symptoms. My switch fails every fourth click, and has since it was new.

Originally Posted by IcantC
I would just contact where you purchased it from and use the warranty.

Already done that, waiting for a reply to my email...
Me too.

I also noticed that when mine is on Turbo, it whines/sings 4 out of 5 activations. I know this is normal for some lights. My SL Sidewinder does this. However on the Sidewinder the pitch/frequency of the whining is directly related to the level of output the light is set at. The higher the output of the emitter, the higher the frequency of the whine.
I don't have another T1 to compare mine to, but I'm pretty sure it should not do it at all. Like I said about 1 out of 5 activations in Turbo and the light is completely silent. The other 4 activations produce a variable frequency whine. I can change the pitch all over the place by messing with the switch. Sometimes if I hold the switch all the way down while it is on and whining it will go silent. Usually the pitch is all over the place though.
 
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Jambo

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Neither of my two whine at all, but now my second T1 that I thought was alright has started to develop a similar fault to the first T1.

As I left the house to go to work tonight, I used the light to illuminate the stairs from my garden (No street lights out in the sticks :D). I pressed the tailcap button in fully till I heard and felt the click for permanent on and as I released the button the light switched off. I tried it again and the same thing happened, tried around ten to fifteen cycles of the switch and it was fine till it happened again, and again twice in a row and back to functioning normally. I had no other light suitable for work so when I got in a had to lug around a standard issue crappy bog standard 2C cell maglite all night. :mad:

I tried the light again at work and achieved fifty cycles of the tailcap button with no problems, left it for a few minutes and it happened again on around the fifth or sixth cycle, again the permanent on failed twice in a row then back to normal. There seems to be no pattern with my second T1 other than when the permanent on fails it always happens twice in a row before working fine again, just like my first T1.

As the other T1 was for someone at work, I feel more than a bit stupid now after extolling the virtues of Fenix lights for the last few months, only for BOTH of the T1's I ordered to come down as duds.

It might even have to be back to Surefire at this rate, the cost would cripple me at the moment but I need a reliable duty light.
 
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Ryanrpm

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I don't know why I'm resurrecting this thread, other than to say that after owning my T1 for a good 4 months, it starting having the symptoms like the original poster stated. It would only light up when I depressed the tailcap hard but whenever I let off of it, it would go off.

4 months owned, but receiving very little use, it mostly stayed in its holster while I actively used my RC-N3 Q5. So after awhile of being bummed out and thinking I might have to contact Fenix to get another tailcap, I searched the forum for any like-issues and came across this thread.

Like Nake suggested: Check the tightness of the retaining ring in the tailcap. Turns out, that was exactly the issue. So I breathed a sigh of relief.

Sorry to take up your time, but I just wanted to give the feedback.
 

zipplet

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I just now had a similiar issue with my T1 with a fully tightened tailcap ring. I decided to be brave and dissected the switch itself to see what was up with it!

Inside the switch there is a small plastic pin in the middle that holds the small spring and contact in the centre of the switch. That piece had broken off and was floating around inside the small spring. I'm currently glueing it to see if that holds.

Maybe a better built switch needs to be used?
 
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