Fenix P3D Q5 - Anyone Noticed This?

I just received my Fenix P3d Q5 a couple days ago, and wow is it a great light. That being said it is my first good light. Anyway, I noticed something today that isn't a big deal, but I thought I'd see if anyone else has the same 'problem'. When in Normal mode (low, medium, high, sos), I can switch between everything fine, but found something interesting. If in Medium or High setting, and you lightly hit the bottom on a hard surface, it automatically goes back to low mode. And I mean quite lightly. I found out when I set it down on my bathroom counter without much force at all.

Well, has anyone else noticed this? Like I say, it's not a big deal and I don't foresee it being a problem, but thought I'd ask.

Breaking battery contact

the weight of two batteries in the p3d is just enough so that when sat down it will sometimes break contact for a second so that it goes to the next level of output, my p2d did it, but it didnt bother me or anything.

That was my guess too, but then I tried it out to see. In Medium, it went back to low, In high it went back to low, and in sos it goes back to low. It doesnt bother me, just curious. Thanks for the replies thus far.

It goes back to low from all modes because that's the starting mode. If you break contact, like jarring it as you describe, it's the same thing as turning it off, and then back on again. It returns to low no matter what mode it was on when you turned it off.

Lite_me said:

It goes back to low from all modes because that's the starting mode. If you break contact, like jarring it as you describe, it's the same thing as turning it off, and then back on again. It returns to low no matter what mode it was on when you turned it off.

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I believe "breaking contact" should cause it to advance modes. A longer break of contact would be required to bring it back to Low from any level, and it sounds from the OP's description of the situation that the Off duration here isn't long enough for that. So no, I don't think it's a simple breaking of contact.

This behaviour would be the result if the "outer ring contact" breakes.
For example, if the head is just loosened a little bit, and there is enough slack in the thread to give a little contact (switch to turbo for a millisecond) and then loss: go back to modes->low.

It doesn't matter how contact is broken. If you break contact for a short duration then it advances by ONE mode, longer and it resets to low.

You can cycle modes one by one by twisting the tail cap off and on if you really want.

To me it sounds like there's something broken in you P3D.... Mine doesn't do what you describe.

IMSabbel said:

This behaviour would be the result if the "outer ring contact" breakes.
For example, if the head is just loosened a little bit, and there is enough slack in the thread to give a little contact (switch to turbo for a millisecond) and then loss: go back to modes->low.

Click to expand...

Ah yes, I see what you mean!
spyderwings> Try twising the head a little further away from turbo

All three of my P3Ds, a Q2, a Rebel, and Q5 jump back to low when jarred.

My P3D Q5 Premium stays on the setting it's on. It blinks out for a split second but does not change modes, just the same as if I press and release the tail switch too fast.

It sounds like a contact issue to me, also. Be sure the tailcap is tight. You might try stretching the spring a bit so that there is tighter contact. Be sure all contact surfaces and threads are clean.

IMSabbel said:

This behaviour would be the result if the "outer ring contact" breakes.
For example, if the head is just loosened a little bit, and there is enough slack in the thread to give a little contact (switch to turbo for a millisecond) and then loss: go back to modes->low.

Click to expand...

This is exactly correct. If screwed too far in the space in the threads allows the outer ring in the head to contact for a split second. Obviously the default it goes back to in general mode is low. You may want to screw the head out a bit more. This has never been a problem for me, though.

It's because of this behavior with the threads that surefire has that notch in the back of the lights. One one setting it lets you know the line where the light is locked out. Closer in it signifies the point at which the tailcap being compressed will not activate the light leaving only the button for activation. I've seen very few lights where I could not compress the threads a little bit.


Cheers

My P2D Q5 does not do this.

Hey, thanks for all the replies guys. I fiddled around with it a bit, and it doesn't do it if I have the head twisted further away from the turbo mode. I guess if you just twist it just a bit off turbo, knocking it on something makes and breaks a connection really quickly. Thanks for the help!

Yep. What was happening was that you were actually engaging Turbo mode VERY briefly. Returning from that will put you into Low every time.

kinda useful if you want to get to low mode from medium- unscrew the bezel a wee bit, then press on one side with your finger and it'll go to turbo. Release your finger and it drops to low.

I just tried this on my P3D Q5 and when i placed it down either forcefully or gently, the mode doesn't change.