Howdy Shandstech and welcome to CPF,
Like a fine sports car NovaTac lights sometimes need a little 'tune-up' when new to get optimum performance. Many of us have gone through the same type of thing, but trust me, it's well worth the effort for what you get in return...... a wonderfully rugged and flexible light with that gorgeous NovaTac beam.
Here's my tune-up procedure:
1. Take out the battery and clean all of the battery contact points with contact cleaner (70% rubbing alcohol will work if that's all you have). Use a clean, lint free cloth if possible. The two main spots are the spring in the tail-cap and the positive contact in the head. Be sure and don't let any cleaner drip down into the head, so hold it head up during the process. Also go ahead and clean both ends of your battery while you're at it.
2. The big spring in the battery tube that wraps around the battery is used to transmit control information from the tail switch to the head. It's important that it makes good contact too, so clean both ends of that Big spring and also the areas where it makes contact in both the head and tail.
3. Some of us have found that it also helps to lengthen that Big spring a bit to ensure good contact. The way we feel is best is NOT to just stretch it, but rather to to slightly unwind it..... just a tiny bit. If you simply stretch it, it might become too tight around the battery, and it's important that the battery floats freely so that it maintains good contact while being jostled around. You might not do this step unless all the other things you do don't seem to help.
4. Look down in the tail-cap. You will see a slender silver disc around the outside that has 4 small notches in it. That is the tail-cap retaining ring. Using a pair tweezers or small needle nose pliers, or even a bent paper clip make sure that ring is tight by twisting it counter clockwise using 2 of the opposing notches. Now, look in the head and you will see the same retaining ring. Check it for tightness too.
5. Clean the threads in the head and tail area and also the battery tube. Apply a light amount of lube. Use a lint free cloth if possible. 70% rubbing alcohol works well for this too.
6. Okie dokie, were almost done. Reassemble your light making sure that everything is nice and tight.
Hopefully that will fix many, if not all, of your problems. I know it seems like a lot of stuff to do for an expensive new light, but this light really is like a fine sports car and is worth the small initial effort to get it up to peak performance. I had to do this same thing when I first got my light and it's given me flawless performance as my EDC for the last year and a half. Good luck and let us know if any of this helps.
