Problem with EX10, or battery?

I got an EX-10 about 4 months ago, and it has been my most used light. I know it may surprise you that I managed to make the first battery last 4 months, but, other than showing off, I have always used the lowest setting . Anyway, about 3 days ago I had to use the brightest setting for about 30 minutes. I was very happy with it until later that night when I got in a discussion with my neighbor. She started talking about how unreliable leds were because they were all made in China. That made me smile and pull out my EX-10. I turned it on to the highest setting and.... It only went up to about 40 lumens for about 2 seconds, then ramped down and died. Of course, then I got to listen to her complain about leds for another 2 minutes, then move on to complaining about how batteries are always spent when you need them.

Later, when I was alone, I tried to turn the light on again. It starts at about 40 lumens, then ramps down really fast and dies. When I looked at the led, I found it to be dimly flickering. I still could not ramp up or down. I took the battery(batterystation brand) out, and tested the voltage with a multimeter and it read 2.88 volts. I tried a new battery, and that worked fine, so I then tried a really old battery that was almost spent, to compare to that battery that ran out in the EX-10. I turned it on as high as it would go, which looked to be about 60 lumens. I then took that battery(Really old enercell brand) out and it registered 2.77 volts. I then tested the amps and found the older battery with a lower voltage to have a considerably higher amperage. WTH?

There are several things that confuse me about this entire situation. First, how did my light go from working fine on a really bright setting, to flickering only visible if you looked directly at the led? Second, how could a battery have a lower voltage and still have a higher amperage? Is there something wrong with my light?

Re: Problem with EX-10, or battery?

I'll take a punt, from one newbie to another -

The flashlight might well be regulated in which case it tries to maintain a constant brightness up until the point that it dies, as opposed to direct drive in which is gradually dims over time. Regulated drives are nice but also unpredictable (so have a spare battery on hand).

Did you meausre the batteries voltage under load? Taking a multimeter reading is not sufficient - checkout the MBT-1 or Mini-MBT (Adorama has them both) for a good battery tester. I've had numerous batteries which looked ok with a multimeter but which under load are definitely past their useful life.

Now I'll await other non-newbies to add or correct my information ... learning is fun!

Re: Problem with EX-10, or battery?

It sounds like a battery problem, but maybe it would be an idea to look through some of these?

Problem with my EX10
Problem with cold Nitecore EX10
Weird EX10 problem
EX10 GDP problem
EX10 Bezel Problem
a problem with my EX10
Anyone else having this problem with the EX10?

Re: Problem with EX-10, or battery?

You're trying to run it on dead batteries, and you wonder what the problem is??

Re: Problem with EX-10, or battery?

unless you turn the EX10 into momentary, it drains the battery in off mode, granted it's a very small drain but over 4 month it does add up.

"You're trying to run it on dead batteries, and you wonder what the problem is?? "



Hehe.

always have a backup primary within reach if possible also. Over 4 months even though you may think you have kept excellent track of every minute of usage batteries do get used up. The standby draw shouldnt kill the battery in 4 mos, more like a year or more I believe?

I'm just surprised that it went from high to off, without any gradual ramping down. I would have thought that it would have lasted at least a few minutes on the lowest setting.

Sudden cell death syndrome is common among CR123 cells.

I've run through at least 14 CR123As, and this is the most sudden.

I have to say it's the only thing I don't like about the EX10. When the battery goes the only indication is the light dies out very quickly. It will light back up if you wait a few seconds but the flash of light you see isn't useful at all. I am thinking it's just a used up battery for you so no problem here, just pop in a fresh battery.

Guy's Dropper said:

I I then tested the amps and found the older battery with a lower voltage to have a considerably higher amperage. WTH?

There are several things that confuse me about this entire situation. First, how did my light go from working fine on a really bright setting, to flickering only visible if you looked directly at the led? Second, how could a battery have a lower voltage and still have a higher amperage? Is there something wrong with my light?

Click to expand...

Just curious, what procedure did you use to determine the battery's "amperage"?

Hugh

A friend from work was frustrated by his 2007 INOVA T3.Using the older less efficient K2 the T3 would go through batteries fairly quick.When he tested the batteries they would still have considerable voltage.When he brought this to my attention we tested the same batteries on my ZTS tester and it showed they were dead.While I don't think the ZTS is perfect it tests under a load instead of just voltage providing better information of how "good" the battery actually is.

ZMZ67 said:

A friend from work was frustrated by his 2007 INOVA T3.Using the older less efficient K2 the T3 would go through batteries fairly quick.When he tested the batteries they would still have considerable voltage.When he brought this to my attention we tested the same batteries on my ZTS tester and it showed they were dead.While I don't think the ZTS is perfect it tests under a load instead of just voltage providing better information of how "good" the battery actually is.

Click to expand...

Of course the battery needs to be tested under a load. Batteries with high internal resistance may read OK voltage, but cannot deliver sufficient current.

Hugh

oldpal said:

Just curious, what procedure did you use to determine the battery's "amperage"?

Hugh

Click to expand...

Tested with a multimeter set to ma/a. Is that wrong?

With a cell with lower voltage, the circuit must draw more amperage in an attempt to equal the desired power output.

But like we said, you are trying to use dead cells. Just put in a new one already and be done with it. There is no "issue" here.

Now is a good time to get yourself one of these. :thumbsup:

My EX10 is great on rechargeable 123 cells.
I charge it at the end of every week- whether it needs it or not.

Guy's Dropper said:

Tested with a multimeter set to ma/a. Is that wrong?

Click to expand...

Yes it is wrong. I am surprised that you didn't fry the meter. Never put a meter directly across the battery to measure current. Read some posts on the CPF "Flashlight Electronics - Batteries Included" forum for more advice.

Hugh

Beamhead said:

Sudden cell death syndrome is common among CR123 cells.

Click to expand...

only in high current loads...or very picky regulators

Guy's Dropper said:

Tested with a multimeter set to ma/a. Is that wrong?

Click to expand...

ouch,
tell me you at lead laid a 1ohm 10W resistor between the leads yes?

what you just did could've caused a fire as an ammeter basically shorted your battery which the current dumped by it could have easily destroyed your multimeter. Back when I was an unelightened folk, I have a Sears Analog multimeter and I tested batteries the way you did...well anything over 500ma trips the fast action fuse and renders the meter inoperable. I found that once awhile I can get a reading [which was nearly always pinned to the far right] without the fuse going, so I replaced the existing fuse with a [yeah, you guessed it] 5A slow blow fuse...which started a fire with the multimeter blowing apart. It left a scar near my wrist and reminded me everyday not to test batteries on the current setting. get yourself one of these instead [ZTS]

DimmerD said:

I have to say it's the only thing I don't like about the EX10. When the battery goes the only indication is the light dies out very quickly. It will light back up if you wait a few seconds but the flash of light you see isn't useful at all. I am thinking it's just a used up battery for you so no problem here, just pop in a fresh battery.

Click to expand...

Yes this is a problem with almost any flashlight that uses lithium cells. You have to be ready with a spare. That's one reason that instead of carrying an EX10, I carry the similar but much more versatile LF3XT. I issue a command of five clicks and the flashlught tests the battery under actual load and gives me a very accurate voltage readout. I am now never caught by surprise.