lately i recall reading some posts here describing problems with the arc AAA, wherein the light flickers when turned on, or refuses to light up when turned on. my first arc AAA was a black HA v3.1, which i've since given to my mum and it started exhibiting the exact same problem, which got worse with time.
i thought it might have been a problem with the roll crimp, but threading the head onto another arc AAA and hot-wiring it to a battery with some wire showed that there was no problems with the head whatsoever. i tried cleaning the -ve contact at the bottom of the battery tube and the threads of both the head and battery tube, but the problem persisted. i got frustrated, so i ripped off the foam retainer and was about to use a screwdriver to put some kinks into the edge of the head (to make contact with the pcb), when i remembered i'd earlier concluded that it was not a problem with the head. since the foam retainer was in bits, i stuck a new one that i'd recently gotten from arc onto it, and reassembled the light. after a few on-off cycles, the light worked flawlessly, as good as new.
the original foam retainer i'd gotten with that arc AAA was thick, but made of a flimsy material that fell apart within a few months of use, which i replaced with some that arc sent me a few months ago. those were made of a stronger and firmer, but thinner material. because the foam was thinner, it did not make contact with the battery in the off position, thus it did not scrape the -ve end of the battery on the -ve contact, and overtime oxidisation must have built up on the contact, which a pencil eraser would have been incapable of removing. the newest foam retainers i got from arc were made of a strong and firm material, that was also very thick and i'm guessing this was what fixed the problem with that arc AAA /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
so for those who have been experience similar problems, whereby the light flickers or refuses to turn on and no amount of cleaning or roll-crimping will solve the problem, get some of the newer foam retainers from arc and that should fix the problem /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
i thought it might have been a problem with the roll crimp, but threading the head onto another arc AAA and hot-wiring it to a battery with some wire showed that there was no problems with the head whatsoever. i tried cleaning the -ve contact at the bottom of the battery tube and the threads of both the head and battery tube, but the problem persisted. i got frustrated, so i ripped off the foam retainer and was about to use a screwdriver to put some kinks into the edge of the head (to make contact with the pcb), when i remembered i'd earlier concluded that it was not a problem with the head. since the foam retainer was in bits, i stuck a new one that i'd recently gotten from arc onto it, and reassembled the light. after a few on-off cycles, the light worked flawlessly, as good as new.
the original foam retainer i'd gotten with that arc AAA was thick, but made of a flimsy material that fell apart within a few months of use, which i replaced with some that arc sent me a few months ago. those were made of a stronger and firmer, but thinner material. because the foam was thinner, it did not make contact with the battery in the off position, thus it did not scrape the -ve end of the battery on the -ve contact, and overtime oxidisation must have built up on the contact, which a pencil eraser would have been incapable of removing. the newest foam retainers i got from arc were made of a strong and firm material, that was also very thick and i'm guessing this was what fixed the problem with that arc AAA /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
so for those who have been experience similar problems, whereby the light flickers or refuses to turn on and no amount of cleaning or roll-crimping will solve the problem, get some of the newer foam retainers from arc and that should fix the problem /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif