iTP A3EOS - head keeps falling off?

I'm not sure if the threads are bad or if it (somehow) gets twisted, but it has had a very hard time staying on lately. I'll put it in my pocket and it'll be fine, but once in a while I'll pull my keychain out and the head is not on it. I'm afraid I'll end up losing it one day.

So, anyone know about this issue? And/or know of any other (better?) keychain flashlights with a switch instead, so I am not constantly twisting the cap?

And yes, I do my best to keep the top screwed on as much as possible without turning the light on.

Thanks guys!!! and gals

You should just double up on the o-rings. There can never be good enough protection and when the situation gets nasty.... DOUBLE UP:devil:

I have not had that problem with mine. Of course I have only had it for a day though. Try putting two O-rings on it. Probably can't hurt to try at least.

My A3 stainless is quite tight ... I tend to turn the head till the light goes off and then turn it another quarter turn ... Mine is clipped in a top pocket that also has a velcro flap ... I nearly lost a torch by keeping it in an un-flapped pocket ... I found the torch in the car between the drivers seat and the door ... The seat belt must have dislodged the torch from the pocket ... Hence now I only keep them clipped in a flapped pocket.

On your A3 does the head turn easily on the body ? ... Mine doesn't ... It might be that the O-ring is too small and not providing the resistance to turning ... On the other hand , you might be subconsciously playing with the torch and loosening the head.

When my A3 titanium arrives , I will compare it with the stainless one and let you know.
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Is it possible you've lost the o-ring? It should have come with spares.

Agreed. I have the SS one and there is no 'play' at all. When you take the head off, make sure the little rubber o-ring is still there (or add another one as mentioned).
That is what keeps the head stable.

Remember, when you are tightening it and you hit the o-ring, it will be harder to turn. From there, its still another full 360 degrees before you get to the turn-on point. (about 2 twists)
When you put the light up, don't turn the head past the point where the o-ring hits it. You only need 1 good twist to ensure the light stays off in your pocket.

I lube up all my lights with either a decent quality silicone grease or o ring oil for my co2 powered air pistol,both give a nice silky smooth twist,have done some with our brand(my works product) of lithium grease which goes on blue and changes to white when a new dollop needs applying,not had to yet.

I guess I need a new O-ring. I can basically twist mine past where it should be on tight, and it won't stay on at all anymore.

How does lube help?

belomeclone said:

I'm afraid I'll end up losing it one day.

Click to expand...

I'd be more afraid that the battery/tube will short out and you'll have a very hot pocket.

Try a little plumber's thread tape on it. That worked a treat for my A1 Eos.

I have to say that I removed all trace of lubricant from my A2 and A3 Eos's. That gave a litttle more resistance to the twist and seemed to help stop them from twisting further on or off when in the pocket jangling around with other stuff.

belomeclone said:

I guess I need a new O-ring. I can basically twist mine past where it should be on tight, and it won't stay on at all anymore.

How does lube help?

Click to expand...

My A2s and A3s are quite stiff to turn with the O-ring in place ... The lube stops the O-ring from wearing down whilst it also makes the threads smoother to turn ... It also helps to make the torch more water resistant ... I use Nextorch Silicone Grease on my O-rings and threads ... All my A2 and A3 torches came with two spare O-rings , so you should have some spares.

It almost sounds as though your threads are too slack ... If you remove the O-ring , is there any play in the head/body when the head is screwed on to just before the light comes on ?
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How does lube help?[/QUOTE]


Lube prevents the O-ring from wearing thin from the friction of metal rubbing against it. The ring will function properly much longer if you lube it to begin with. The A3 EOS is a terrific little light.

I have 2 of these AA lights, 2 different makers. The Maratac has a good tight set of threads, the ITP is quite lose. I almost returned it because of that, but as I seldom keep it in a pocket, didn't. So far it has been "OK", but not exactly confidence inspiring.
In my case, it has nothing to do with the size nor quantity of O-rings, it's just poor quality control on the threading.

Should I invest (or look into) the Maratac AA? I think this one could be a thread issue. And, does the Maratac come on the same small chain as the iTP does?

The only place I know of that has the Maratac is countycomm.com. Their site might have some info on what chain comes with it. I think I read that they ship only to U.S. addresses. Not a problem for me.

Mockingbird said:

The only place I know of that has the Maratac is countycomm.com. Their site might have some info on what chain comes with it. I think I read that they ship only to U.S. addresses. ...

Click to expand...

Check out http://www.endtimesreport.com/survival_shop.html#Flashlights. They sell the polished stainless steel AAA Maratac and will ship overseas.

So, short of buying a new keychain flashlight...

is it possible to rethread it? I bought it earlier this year, is it under warranty? Or is it just done.

JaguarDave-in-Oz said:

I'd be more afraid that the battery/tube will short out and you'll have a very hot pocket.

Click to expand...

The iTP A1 and A3 EOS don't depend on the O ring or threads to be insulating. Short the head to the tube and nothing happens. The current to the LED is switched on when the tube makes contact with a circuit board on the head.

Apollo Cree said:

The iTP A1 and A3 EOS don't depend on the O ring or threads to be insulating. Short the head to the tube and nothing happens. The current to the LED is switched on when the tube makes contact with a circuit board on the head.

Click to expand...

I think you might be misinterpreting what I was suggesting could happen. I should spell it out fully to avoid potential futher confusion.

Firstly, the "hot pocket" scenario I wrote of has no need to take into account how the circuitry in the "head" operates at all. The head, as described by the original poster "keeps falling off" so for the sake of the exercise, I've assumed it's already parted company with the powered part of the light (ie. the battery tube) and gone to a whole nuther part of the pocket thus the head's not involved in my "potential scenario" at all (as follows):

1. Negative end of battery is connected by spring to the entire battery tube.
2. If head of light falls completely off, shiny bare end of the battery tube and the positive end of battery itself are bared together about a quarter of an inch apart.
3. being a "keychain" light, with a bit of pressure in the right direction a key can then create a "short" across the positive button of the battery and the shiny end of the tube.
4. Hot pocket, yes?..............................