It's a mystery?!

Hi all,
I purchased a Nitecore D10 R2 a couple of weeks ago (thanks to the very helpful reviews on cpf).

Well four days after I got it, it stopped working properly. It started to flicker a lot and then went very very dim, I could barley tell if it was on or not (note: this was with a new battery).

Because this happend within the first 7 days, I sent it to nitecore.uk hoping for a replacement. However they sent it back saying that there is nothing wrong with it.

I've had it back for one day now, and it seems to be fine. It was barely working when I sent it, they didn't do anything to fix it, yet now it works fine, I just don't get it!.

Anyway I wondered if any of you guys could shed any light on the matter? (heh) because the people at nitecore seem as puzzled as I am. I did plan on taking the torch abroad with me, but now I feel I can't rely on it as it may decide to stop working again, so it would be nice to try and figure out what the issue was/is. Thanks in advance for any help

Edit: For what it's worth I was using Duracell ultra AA batteries with it, but they sent it back with some cheap'o lithium battery and have been using that since.

Have you tried using another fresh battery prior to sending it back?

Usually, flickering means the contact ring gets stuck or dirty. But since they have fixed it, why don't you still use it for your travel and have another backup with you... just in case. We DO carry backup(s) here, y'know.

Zeruel said:

We DO carry backup(s) here, y'know.

Click to expand...

Several backups to be sure . An EX10 R2 would go nicely with that D10. The Quarks are not too shabby either but they do get warm on high. The JetBeam Jet I Pro v3 will also delight (mine stays considerably cooler than the others even after several minutes on high). AAA for 'emergency' and key chain duty is also a must.

How big is the hole in your wallet again?

Good luck with your D10 and I hope the problem is resolved. My D10 is one of my EDC's and it has been performing flawlessly.

It sounds as if:

1. Your first battery was a dud (this does happen)

- and/or -

2. The contacts needed some cleaning, which they attended to when you sent it back.

Either way, it sounds OK now. It is surprising how often new lights ship with dirty contacts, un-lubed O-rings, etc.

Sarlix said:

Edit: For what it's worth I was using Duracell ultra AA batteries with it, but they sent it back with some cheap'o lithium battery and have been using that since.

Click to expand...

Lol, I hope you're kidding here. I'd be falling over my head for the dealer if they replaced my alkaline with an AA lithium

Sarlix said:

Hi all,
I purchased a Nitecore D10 R2 a couple of weeks ago (thanks to the very helpful reviews on cpf).

Well four days after I got it, it stopped working properly. It started to flicker a lot and then went very very dim, I could barley tell if it was on or not (note: this was with a new battery).

Because this happend within the first 7 days, I sent it to nitecore.uk hoping for a replacement. However they sent it back saying that there is nothing wrong with it.

I've had it back for one day now, and it seems to be fine. It was barely working when I sent it, they didn't do anything to fix it, yet now it works fine, I just don't get it!.

Anyway I wondered if any of you guys could shed any light on the matter? (heh) because the people at nitecore seem as puzzled as I am. I did plan on taking the torch abroad with me, but now I feel I can't rely on it as it may decide to stop working again, so it would be nice to try and figure out what the issue was/is. Thanks in advance for any help

Edit: For what it's worth I was using Duracell ultra AA batteries with it, but they sent it back with some cheap'o lithium battery and have been using that since.

Click to expand...

I had a similar problem with a D20
Phoned the dealer and samething happened
Also in UK by the way

12 months on still going strong, so don't worry about its life.

Take Care
Graham

Wow thanks for all your replies.

Zeruel said:

Have you tried using another fresh battery prior to sending it back?. Usually, flickering means the contact ring gets stuck or dirty. But since they have fixed it, why don't you still use it for your travel and have another backup with you... just in case. We DO carry backup(s) here, y'know.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I brought a pack of 4 and tried them all and it didn't make any difference, hence why I sent it back. It was less the flickering and more the fact it went very very dim, like half a lumen dim, it made the low setting look like a search light..... Hmmm a back up eh?.

monanza said:

How big is the hole in your wallet again?

Click to expand...

whoa, not that big!

DM51 said:

It sounds as if:

1. Your first battery was a dud (this does happen)

- and/or -

2. The contacts needed some cleaning, which they attended to when you sent it back.

Either way, it sounds OK now. It is surprising how often new lights ship with dirty contacts, un-lubed O-rings, etc.

Click to expand...

1. Nope not the battery.

2. Nothing looked particularly dirty and they didn't mention it, but I guess it could of been that, I hope thats all it was anyway.

Chongker said:

Lol, I hope you're kidding here. I'd be falling over my head for the dealer if they replaced my alkaline with an AA lithium

Click to expand...

heh, yeah sorry I meant alkaline, got lithiums on the brain.

Nursie said:

I had a similar problem with a D20
Phoned the dealer and samething happened
Also in UK by the way

12 months on still going strong, so don't worry about its life.

Take Care
Graham

Click to expand...

Thanks that's good to know, you guys are a helpful bunch. :thumbsup:

Back many months ago , when this D10 was most popular , there were many threads discussing 2 things that were required for the D10 to work properly.

1. Proper battery length for the plunger to work correctly .

2. Thorough internal cleaning to remove excess lube in some spots - then minimal re-lubing of piston and parts.

A search for the D10 thread topics would reveal a lot of good info for D10 & EX10 owners to be aware of.

I think there was also something about the front contact ring also . I recommend studying those threads for a better understanding and happy D10 use .
.

Thanks TooManyGizmos, I was aware of point 1 & 2, and have search before and since your post.

Actually the problem has just returned again I just wanted to ask any D10 owners if the brass ring with a gap in it on their torches turns when you remove the head?, like when your changing the battery.

Because I have notice the brass ring on mine turns every time I screw/unscrew the head. I think this may be causing the problem, and I don't know if it's supposed to turn by it's self or not. Thanks

OK forget what I wrote above. I have realized the brass ring pops in/out I thought it screwed in/out, so normally it wouldn't matter if it turns or not, except in my case it does.

I noticed the torch would start to malfunction after I unscrewed the head, as in to change the battery etc, which lead me to examine the brass ring, and I noticed it wasn't making proper contact on right side of the ring.

Having removed the ring and seeing it was OK, I looked at the main housing of the PCB (below) etc to see if it had been screwed in wrong or missed a thread. It did seem to be at an angle, so I unscrewed it, but it screwed/unscrewed fine. That's when I notice that the PCB has been glued into it's housing on an angle (see photo) which in turn has made every other component sit badly.

Good side


Bad side


As you can see one side protrudes, but because it's glued in I can't move it

So now the mystery is solved! only I wish the Nitecore guys could have spotted this initially because now the 7 day warranty has ended I'm not sure if I can return it, plus I have taken it apart. I have contacted where I brought it from but they haven't got back to me yet....... not really sure what to do now, any suggestion?

That doesn't sound right. I'm pretty sure the ring only makes contact with the PCB when changing brightness levels. If it malfunctions when loosening the head it might be the contact between the piston and the ring or the ring and head.