Warning! If you don't let this stuff dry completely it will destroy the reflector coating. DAHIK.
Got a used LF3XT from Marketplace, received it today, great little light but this had the worst whine I've ever heard.
I've potted guitar pickups in the past and figured the principal was the same; get some stuff into a coil to keep the windings from vibrating, so I dug in.
The Light Engine (LE) of the LF3XT is held in place entirely by the 2 solder connections on the emitter board so first step was to use a solder vacuum to get the majority of solder off the (+) and (-) connections.
Before moving forward use something to mark the 3 components, (emitter board, aluminum LE body, LE), so you can assemble them with the proper orientation. A little scratch from a file or razor blade, or a magic marker.
After that I gently pressed a razor blade between the PC board (on the end opposite the emitter) and the aluminum housing while touching the connections on the emitter board with the soldering iron. Alternating between the 2 connections this allowed me to work the LE out.
Then I cleaned up the 2 pins from the LE and used a solder vacuum to clean out the holes on the emitter board.
The inductor in the LF3XT is of the sealed variety
so I wouldn't simply be able to glop some "stuff" on it. Examining it under the magnifying lamp revealed that the cover was cracked roughly in half which may have contributed to the excessive volume of the whine. There was a little space around the electrical connections leading into the compartment so I'd be able to get a thin liquid in there by capillary action and determination.
I used a product called NewSkin that is a "liquid bandage", it dries quickly and leaves behind a thin layer of stuff that sticks to your skin. Or inductor.
The product includes a brush on the lid that I used to apply a drop at the opening where the lead comes out of the inductor, capillary action drew most of it in, be careful to clean any off that gets on the (+) or (-) battery connections. The inductor case isn't liquid tight so don't use so much product at once but instead apply in 3 different stages allowing the product to dry between applications.
Results are as follows,
Before it was so loud at arm's length you'd say, "Damn! That's the loudest whine I've ever heard!". Honestly.
After: You can't hear it at arm's length and as you get closer you can only hear it when you rotate it to different positions. Next to your ear it is audible but not annoying.
I do not know what the long-term effects of applying a health-care product to a high-tech flashlight may be, but I will post back if there is any change in whine volume or performance.
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Update!!!!
Ran a Trustfire Unprotected RCR123 til the Over Discharge Protection (ODP) on the Liteflux kicked in, popped in a new battery and it works like normal. Normal now means almost whine-free.
Here's a link to the sales thread that I bought it from. You know it's a whiner when it's mentioned in the item description!
So unless an expert chimes in and says that Proxylin Solution is a no-no I'm gonna go ahead with my other lights as I have to hold this one up to my ear to barely hear the whine.
WARNING!
Edit: Wanted to add a general warning when working on the Liteflux brand lights, the 2 slots that you'd stick your tweezers or needlenose pliers into that are visible from the end of the head are slots on the PC board on the end of the light engine and are there only to allow you to get TO the slots on the aluminum body of the LE, you want to make sure whatever tool you are using engages the slots that are on the side of the aluminum LE housing so you are not twisting on the relatively unsecured PC board.
**********************************************
**********************************************
Yet another update:
Did the same process on a whiney LF5XT, same results. A small syringe with needle would make the process MUCH easier but I have no idea how to get such an item so went with the old method of letting the surface tension/capillary action draw it into the inductor. Everything's a little smaller on the LF5XT so it was a little harder to do. Need to be careful with the iron that close to the emitter.
Here are some pics of the operation.
This shows tweezers NOT inserted deep enough in the slots. This will twist the PC board and potentially damage the light.
Marked the emitter board(lower left-hand side), aluminum housing, and circuit board with a marker to aid in re-assembly.
The guts. Note re-assembly mark visible on lower board.
The inductor is the black box on the lower level. The silver tab leads into it, which is where I introduced the NewSkin into the box. There is a matching tab on the opposite side.
Got a used LF3XT from Marketplace, received it today, great little light but this had the worst whine I've ever heard.
I've potted guitar pickups in the past and figured the principal was the same; get some stuff into a coil to keep the windings from vibrating, so I dug in.
The Light Engine (LE) of the LF3XT is held in place entirely by the 2 solder connections on the emitter board so first step was to use a solder vacuum to get the majority of solder off the (+) and (-) connections.
Before moving forward use something to mark the 3 components, (emitter board, aluminum LE body, LE), so you can assemble them with the proper orientation. A little scratch from a file or razor blade, or a magic marker.
After that I gently pressed a razor blade between the PC board (on the end opposite the emitter) and the aluminum housing while touching the connections on the emitter board with the soldering iron. Alternating between the 2 connections this allowed me to work the LE out.
Then I cleaned up the 2 pins from the LE and used a solder vacuum to clean out the holes on the emitter board.
The inductor in the LF3XT is of the sealed variety
so I wouldn't simply be able to glop some "stuff" on it. Examining it under the magnifying lamp revealed that the cover was cracked roughly in half which may have contributed to the excessive volume of the whine. There was a little space around the electrical connections leading into the compartment so I'd be able to get a thin liquid in there by capillary action and determination.I used a product called NewSkin that is a "liquid bandage", it dries quickly and leaves behind a thin layer of stuff that sticks to your skin. Or inductor.
The product includes a brush on the lid that I used to apply a drop at the opening where the lead comes out of the inductor, capillary action drew most of it in, be careful to clean any off that gets on the (+) or (-) battery connections. The inductor case isn't liquid tight so don't use so much product at once but instead apply in 3 different stages allowing the product to dry between applications.
Results are as follows,
Before it was so loud at arm's length you'd say, "Damn! That's the loudest whine I've ever heard!". Honestly.
After: You can't hear it at arm's length and as you get closer you can only hear it when you rotate it to different positions. Next to your ear it is audible but not annoying.
I do not know what the long-term effects of applying a health-care product to a high-tech flashlight may be, but I will post back if there is any change in whine volume or performance.
**********************************************
**********************************************
Update!!!!
Ran a Trustfire Unprotected RCR123 til the Over Discharge Protection (ODP) on the Liteflux kicked in, popped in a new battery and it works like normal. Normal now means almost whine-free.
Here's a link to the sales thread that I bought it from. You know it's a whiner when it's mentioned in the item description!
So unless an expert chimes in and says that Proxylin Solution is a no-no I'm gonna go ahead with my other lights as I have to hold this one up to my ear to barely hear the whine.
WARNING!
Edit: Wanted to add a general warning when working on the Liteflux brand lights, the 2 slots that you'd stick your tweezers or needlenose pliers into that are visible from the end of the head are slots on the PC board on the end of the light engine and are there only to allow you to get TO the slots on the aluminum body of the LE, you want to make sure whatever tool you are using engages the slots that are on the side of the aluminum LE housing so you are not twisting on the relatively unsecured PC board.
**********************************************
**********************************************
Yet another update:
Did the same process on a whiney LF5XT, same results. A small syringe with needle would make the process MUCH easier but I have no idea how to get such an item so went with the old method of letting the surface tension/capillary action draw it into the inductor. Everything's a little smaller on the LF5XT so it was a little harder to do. Need to be careful with the iron that close to the emitter.
Here are some pics of the operation.
This shows tweezers NOT inserted deep enough in the slots. This will twist the PC board and potentially damage the light.
Marked the emitter board(lower left-hand side), aluminum housing, and circuit board with a marker to aid in re-assembly.
The guts. Note re-assembly mark visible on lower board.
The inductor is the black box on the lower level. The silver tab leads into it, which is where I introduced the NewSkin into the box. There is a matching tab on the opposite side.
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