Novatac 120P sudden failure & fix?

Warning .... a little long,

*Now just a little background, I have only had the light for a week or two and I have *ONLY* removed the tailcap for resets, and to install the pocket clip, I halfheartedly tried once or twice to remove the head but I had already put the clip on, I did not want to mess with the O-ring again if I did not have to, I could not get a good grip on the light with the clip on (I am worried the clip would scratch the body as it turns?) and the head did not seem to budge, as I did not really have any good reason to remove the head I left it alone, and it has up to yesterday been working great.*


I bought my 120P from Lighthound (Outstanding service! BTW thank you Lighthound!), and it has been working fine until yesterday evening when I turned it on and it immediately turned it's self off :huh:.... I tried several more times with the same result and it also was not going into the 120 mode it looked like maybe 60 or so and it would immediately "Step down" and then shut off, I did a factory reset but the light did not react normally and did not really seem to reset.

I first thought WOW maybe I ran the battery dead already?, I am still using the one that came with the light (a Duracell Primary) but I doubt the light has been used for even 1/2 hr all together in the time I have had it.

It was late so I put it away to work on the next day.

So next morning I tested the light and it now would not turn on at all even momentarily.

Now I have been lurking on these forums for several years and have read almost all of the recent posts I could find on the Novatac before I bought it, so I remembered several mentions of the "retaining rings" in the tailcap and the head, so I removed and checked the tailcap and all seemed tight and unmoving so *NOW* I had a reason to remove the head, so I removed the clip and then set to removing the head *It was Very tight* and very obvious that my earlier feeble attempts could not have budged it at all, but it did come off and I looked at the retaining ring in the head, all tight and solid there as well!

So I put it all back together and........ now it works, again all levels and programming etc......:shrug:

So I am left with a somewhat uneasy feeling that this light may have an "intermittent" failure ?.......

I like the light when it works, of course like anyone else that has seen and held a True HDS EDC I would RATHER have one of those but I came late to the party Might have to check out the Twisty when it arrives.

Anyway that is my tale.....not really sure if I have a Bad light?....or it's just an inherent design flaw in the Novatacs?

What do you think?

DaveSebring said:

....
I first thought WOW maybe I ran the battery dead already?, I am still using the one that came with the light (a Duracell Primary) but I doubt the light has been used for even 1/2 hr all together in the time I have had it.

It was late so I put it away to work on the next day...

Click to expand...

Did you try using a different battery? Just curious.

This is likely an issue with what I call the "signalling spring".

The signal spring requires contact with both the switch and the head. When I have issues - the spring isn't touching one of the two spots (head or switch).

To correct - I've ended up doing the spring mod. The spring mod involves holding the spring at each end and slightly expanding the middle so it doesn't shift inside the battery barrel part.

-Steve

Beastmaster said:

This is likely an issue with what I call the "signalling spring".

The signal spring requires contact with both the switch and the head. When I have issues - the spring isn't touching one of the two spots (head or switch).

To correct - I've ended up doing the spring mod. The spring mod involves holding the spring at each end and slightly expanding the middle so it doesn't shift inside the battery barrel part.

-Steve

Click to expand...

Beastmaster

Thanks I will try that....the light seems to be working fine now so you may be right about the spring I sure hope so!



parnass

Nope I have no other batteries yet (this is my first CR123 light) and now it is operating perfectly at all settings ( I left it sitting on high for 5 min to see if it would step down or shut off and it did not) so it does not appear to be a low battery ?

I had an issue with a Novatac back at their first release. I had a burr of metal from the threads inside down at the "+" of the battery tube.. It was shorting out to the circuit board at the battery.. The metal shaving was not much thicker than a hair, but it was there.. Removing the burr fixed the problem.. You may have dislodged a problem of this sort by the complete disassembly you have preformed..

Good Luck!!

Gordon aka:skillet

I had issues with mine when I first got it, I had to clean everything out really good and stretch the sping out. It has worked fine every since!!
Keep in mind you have to have everything on this light VERY tight to function, and I mean VERY tight!!!

Beastmaster, skillet and sawlight


I think you ALL may be right!

One thing is for sure, after a complete disassembly and reassembly (all VERY tight


My 120p is now back to working and reliable :twothumbs

THANX FOR THE HEADS UP,the brown truck runs tommorow with mine................

I had a similar issue with mine on the day I got it. I tried to get the bezel off and the light starting turning on by itself! Then it would shut off, and it wouldn't power on by the tailcap.....only by giving it a "smack". So I took the light apart(didn't get that damn bezel off), cleaned everything really well, and put it back together tight and it has been fine since then :thinking:

Good to hear that you got it fixed...I've never had problems with a 120p...well...ever! But I'm glad that yours is working fine.