Ra Clicky - Defective lens??

Hey everyone,

A few weeks ago, I noticed an odd smudge on the lens of my new ra clicky. I purchased a warm white model for a supperior beam, so this was devastating to find, because it reduces the output slightly, and it creates visible artifacts on the beam profile. I have tried many times to clean the lens, but I have been unsuccessful. I feel that the anti-reflective coating is defective.

has anyone else encountered this problem?

Does anyone have any cleaning suggestions?

I've contacted Henry, and am awaiting his reply.

So it truly is a smudge, and not, say, a speck of dust or something? Are you sure it's on the outside and not possibly on the inner surface, or have you tried wiping off both? Either way, my advice is that you treat the lens very carefully. Wipe gently with something soft (e.g. NOT tissues) and don't try any harsh cleaners. The AR coating used by Ra is the highest quality I've ever seen, but the tradeoff appears to be that it's also more delicate than average. There have been numerous Twisties that have developed coating defects, at least early on in production, and I'm pretty sure a strong blast of heat will destroy the outer coating. I don't think I remember any problems with a lens on a Clicky though, so things may be getting better, not sure. Henry was definitely investigating it after a few failures were reported.

But if you've already contacted Henry you should be on your way to having the problem resolved. A defect that harms the beam quality is unacceptable and he will definitely take care of it.

Henry sent me a new lens right away and I received it within two days. He asked for me to send him the old one so I will post Henry's conclusion as soon as I find out. Thanks for the info.

Cheers to Henry for excellent customer service!!