Maratac AAA Q5 (Part 4)

Continued from part 3


http://countycomm.com/aaa.html

Part 3 was over 400 posts and will be closed to continue in part 4 here.

I have 3 of the Maratacs and really do like these lights and have not had any problems at all with mine. I have tried a 10440 in each and it worked fine however got pretty hot quickly.

As far as the broken heads go has anyone heard anything else about that? I have been playing with lights for as long as I can remember and have never had one just break like that from a fall. I have however broken several that looked just like the photos posted and each one was broken when I was trying to remove the internals and twisted too hard.

In all my years of dropping lights...abusing lights...testing lights...I have never had one break due to a 3 foot drop. I honestly believe there is something not right about the reports of these lights just breaking apart on impact from a small drop.

If I remember right I read in one of the continued threads that CountyComm was having a few issues with people returning these lights. It was said they asked for refunds claiming the light simply quit working however was obvious the internals had been scratched up....most likely by the user trying to remove the circuit. I would easier believe the reports of the heads just breaking off were due to the same abuse.

I agree


what might be happening iseople are trying to get the pill unscrewed by using pliers of some sort and on opening the pliers with the nose inside the head,they're in turn putting to much pressure on the tube walls thus when they twist they're in fact twisting the tube walls SNAP!




[edit] oh patriot thanks but since then I've took the more permanent approach as you can see a magnet can still be used

As it's a keeper I decided to remove the lug once and for all

Good call on the lug removal Titan. That seems to work very well. It's probably what I would do with the ITP since I've grown quite fond of tail standing lights. Your magnet add an extra element.




Robo, I haven't heard any other details about the broken lights. I have seen the two examples posted and one guy stated that the light was "dropped" but who knows? We don't know if it was 3 feet or off of the roof. Mine aluminum one fell on the kitchen tile the other day but it didn't even put a mark on it. The HA finish seems plenty durable anyhow.

Patriot said:

Robo, I haven't heard any other details about the broken lights. I have seen the two examples posted and one guy stated that the light was "dropped" but who knows? We don't know if it was 3 feet or off of the roof. Mine aluminum one fell on the kitchen tile the other day but it didn't even put a mark on it. The HA finish seems plenty durable anyhow.

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Just 2 broken lights out of many,many ...... should be considered just a fluke.(1 bad run)

I don't think that should get so much attention , since it is not a wide spread problem.
.

...Yep, I have one of the stainless models and got careless and dropped it in a parking lot about 2 weeks back and not even a scratch and function is still fine.

The iTP is machined differently so this may not apply but I have been using mine everyday at work for weeks. It gets dropped and abused daily. ... Zero problems thus far. Watch it break today LOL

TooManyGizmos said:

Just 2 broken lights out of many,many ...... should be considered just a fluke.(1 bad run)

I don't think that should get so much attention , since it is not a wide spread problem.
.

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Unfortunately, there will be those who dislike these lights for whatever reason who will forever continue to dredge those 2 broken lights up as though it were a very common widespread problem.

My new Maratac is stuck on high mode. Any suggestions? :shrug:

Bearcat said:

My new Maratac is stuck on high mode. Any suggestions? :shrug:

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Sorry Bearcat, sounds like a problem with the circuit itself. There's not much to go wrong on these other than contact faults. What battery type are you running it it. Have you tried any others yet for diagnostic purposes?

I hope you are not twisting it too fast .

See if slowing down helps .

Please release a Ti version of this light.

I love the styling of the Maratac AAA and would love to see them release it in Ti. If they're doing it for the iTP (and again under the Olight branding), they can do it for the Maratac, right?

Incidentalist said:

Please release a Ti version of this light.

I love the styling of the Maratac AAA and would love to see them release it in Ti. If they're doing it for the iTP (and again under the Olight branding), they can do it for the Maratac, right?

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Inci, wouldn't you agree that the IlluminaTi is almost exactly this? I feel like it is so similar that only its knurling pattern will tell them apart... But I know what you mean... I like my Maratac... but the thing is I hate to buy the same light over and over... with the IlluminaTi we get the XP-G upgrade!

Was it ever made public why these lights were originally made....which government office ordered them?

Thanks,
MK

applevision,

I might be able to concede that point next weekend when I (hopefully) have the IlluminaTi in my hands and can see them side by side. By the looks of it, you are correct. But, they made a Ti version of the iTP, so...

All I really want is another Ti AAA to add to the collection, is that so much to ask?

Patriot said:

Sorry Bearcat, sounds like a problem with the circuit itself. There's not much to go wrong on these other than contact faults. What battery type are you running it it. Have you tried any others yet for diagnostic purposes?

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I was using a Rayovac Hybrid battery. My other Maratac AAA I ordered at the same time works just fine. I swapped batteries and it was still stuck on high beam. I really like this light a whole lot, even though I would prefer it with a low-med-high.

I just called CountryComm and spoke with Nick. He said no problem, just send it back and they would replace it. :twothumbs

=Bearcat;

I just called CountryComm and spoke with Nick. He said no problem, just send it back and they would replace it. :twothumbs

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It's really great to see CC step up and help to resolve the issue you're having. I find this is very typical of their customer service though. They're 1st class people back there. Nick is a Great guy and will take excellent care of you.

Patriot said:

It's really great to see CC step up and help to resolve the issue you're having. I find this is very typical of their customer service though. They're 1st class people back there. Nick is a Great guy and will take excellent care of you.

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+1 on CC customer service, I had a crooked lens/o-ring on the front of a SS Maratac AAA that was bought in a group buy and they exchanged it no problem. :twothumbs

Incidentalist said:

applevision,

I might be able to concede that point next weekend when I (hopefully) have the IlluminaTi in my hands and can see them side by side. By the looks of it, you are correct. But, they made a Ti version of the iTP, so...

All I really want is another Ti AAA to add to the collection, is that so much to ask?

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No my brother... another light is never too much to ask for!

I love my Maratac's and never found any issue with them.
I got the black, natural, SS and now waiting for SS polished... If they made a Ti model I'd go for it also, though I agree the IlluminaTi is an upgraded Maratac in Ti (let's see next week when I receive mine).
Regarding that broken lights reported I'm with Robocop and others about thinking it seems the result of a forced twist action and not a simple drop...