Quick fix for common kroll problems

after handling a few arc LS's which included my own LSH-P, the first thing i noticed about the kroll was that when clicking it on, the light would sometimes blink off momentarily before coming back on again. another thing i noticed was that as the battery neared the end of its regulated life, pressing the kroll would cause the light output to flicker or fluctuate which is something that doesn't happen with a fresh battery. usually when clicked on at this point, the light would also be slightly more dim than just before the button latches on.

the quick fix for the above two problems is simply to tighten the tsp all the way down, as tight as you can. i believe the cause for the two problems i mentioned is due to the contact path being in the threads of the head and tsp.

basically if the tsp isn't tightened enough, the slight play in the threads would cause the electrical path to be broken momentarily because the tension required to depress the kroll might sometimes overcome the tension of the kroll's contact spring on the battery which otherwise keeps the electrical path in the threads closed. tightening the tsp all the way down would ensure the electrical path in the threads are always closed, with as little electrical resistance as possible.

as for the second problem mentioned, the slight fluctuations in the electrical resistance of the kroll whilst the switch is being depressed is usually exacerbated by a dying battery and the not-so-secure electrical path in the threads, which causes the fluctuations in light output when the switch is being operated in the final stages of the battery's regulated runtime. again, tightening the tsp as tight as possible would ensure the threads provide no fluctuations and as little electrical resistance as possible, and i've found this ensures that using the light in the final stages of the battery's life isn't as annoying as it once was. with the reduced electrical resistance, you might even get more runtime out of each battery. hope this helped! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

You could also try a little Nye 759G lube... Or something electrically conductive...

Or just use a 123 twisty switch, which is both significantly smaller, and utterly reliable.

IMHO, the Kroll switches, which may or may not be a good idea, are poorly made crap. They are prone to turning on, for varying amounts of time, in your pocket. They will 'click on' given the right conditions, of course. This is virtually impossible with a twisty switch.

And of course you can't stand an Arc-LS on it's end, with that Kroll switch on it.

Nothing like finding a DEAD Arc-LS in your pocket, when you need some light... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsdown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/poke2.gif

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Gandalf said:
Or just use a 123 twisty switch, which is both significantly smaller, and utterly reliable.


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Interestingly, I have several twist packs that won't function no matter what I do (short of re-machining). They're reliable certainly, but not the way I'd like.

Just a quick question, has the kroll switch on the LS been a big problem? I guess I just haven't read alot about people having problems with them. Set me straight on this please! Doug /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

People have had intermittent connection problems with the Kroll in general (really doesn't matter if it's on the Arc, mag, or any other)...

There has been a lot of action lately on the subject of Krolls. I measured one of mine at 1 ohm resistance, which was responsible for my light being somewhat more dim. dat2zip measured one of his at a whopping 12 ohms, and then proceeded to clean and tweak it back to 0.1 ohms. It sounds like a lot of the variable results in lights that are switched with the Kroll may be the fault of the switch. I'm now leery of the Kroll, and don't think switches should need "maintenance" to work properly.

Will the LS4 have an Arc designed & manufactured switch? If so, that may be as much of an improvement as the sophisticated electronics being discussed. I'm sure Peter can come up with a switch that has a flat bottom, switches with just the right pressure, can signal, and can be locked out for pocket carry. So far the best tail switch in our house is on a cheap Garrity incandescent. Second best is my Brinkmann Legend. Third are my Kroll switched lights.

has anyone tried deoxit?
web page

The Kroll switch for my LS has been no problem at all - it's in a drawer around here somewhere, I'm sure ... I use the original twisty123.

I've used DeoxIT for years, and highly recommend it. Caig also makes several other similar products for specific metals. Here's another Caig page for one of their "web specials" that is a sampler of their products for only US$10.

The switch on the upcoming Arc LS4 is a membrane switch that does NOT switch the power to the Luxeon. All it does is signal the small processor to do various things, including, of course, "turn on the light." /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif As such the switch could actually be made in nearly any shape or size and it's contact quality does not have to be extremely high. So long as it can pass a signaling voltage along to the CPU, all is fine. The primary thing that needs to be watched for is the equivalent of "contact bounce" so that it does not mis-signal the CPU.

Making the bottom flat so that the light can be stood on end is a design decision, and from what I have seen written elsewhere here in ArcLand it will not happen.

Honestly, the current "Kroll switch" may be the best available, but it does not match the quality of the rest of the product. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif

I used to complain about my Krolls until I bought some Ram switches (JUNK) now I just smile and live with them. Besides I'm sure McGizmo is going to make something to replace the krolls and make a million bucks /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif