I killed my MD M61!

BIGLOU · Sep 25, 2010

Stayed up late again playing with my flashlights. I decided to run my M61 on an 18650'd SF 6P with a zero resistance Z41 upgrade on 2 AW RCR123s. I pulled my AWs from other single cell lights and I charged them on a WF139 charger so they have an even or almost even voltage before the install. While babysitting the charger I saw one battery was done (green light comes on) I waited maybe 15-20 min. until the other one was done. The first battery off the charger was 4.17V and the second was 4.16V. I was too inpatient and could not resist to fired it up and I did. The light went bright for two seconds and then dimmed to a blueish light.:fail: Here is my problem my flashaholicism did not allow me to wait the 1 minute or so or just leave it until the morning before installing the batteries and firing it up rule. Is this want happened and caused my light to go :poof:

I'm pretty bummed out right now

and my only fix will be to buy another. I wanted to know if some one could break down for me on what could have happened. Just for the FYI this is also the first time I used the zero resistance TC on two RCR123s on my M61. Also I dont know if it I'm getting the "This light is just not bright for me anymore" syndrome but it did appear not as bright. This is the reason I wanted to run the AW RCR123s for a higher voltage. I checked the 18650s I was running it with prior and one was 3.97V and the other was 4.07V just to see if it was running regulated. Why is there light emmiting inside the LA if it went :poof:

? I dont see any burn marks maybe only happens with Incan but the LED looks dead but there are two little thingys that turn on super dupper low low low on two corners of the LED. Can this be repaired? Thanks yes I deserve a :twak:

Dioni · Sep 25, 2010

I have used my M61 on 2xRCR123 [fresh from charger] every time with no problems. Is the M61 a 9V drop-in, doesn't?
I still didn't understand what was wrong. :thinking:

sorry for your M61 though :ohgeez:

MrGman · Sep 25, 2010

This is very interesting. First of all the Malkoff M61 is rated to 9V and fully regulated. Topping off the batteries for maximum voltage alone should not have killed anything but, All of the tailcaps in the lights Gene has been designing have been in the 200 milli ohm and then the 100 milli ohm range, not zero resistance. I am guessing you fried the driver circuit with the high instantaneous current that the zero resistance tail cap will allow because it truly is zero resistance and will allow far more turn on current than what the driver of that module would have previously seen. Also let me say that you light would not be any brighter with it at all because it is again, fully regulated, you just would have had a slightly longer run time based on the power saved by not wastiing it across the tail caps resistance. So you killed it for nothing in one hand, however it really isn't supposed to die like that. I am hoping Gene sees this thread and does some testing. Those zero resistance tail caps really are much lower in impedance than what any one else was previously using in their designs and I can see how this could be a problem for lights that are not direct drive.

Your LED may not be dead, it may be the driver circuitry is all screwed up and with what little current you light is getting only near the bond wires to the die does it light up. Won't do you any good. Need to send that module back to Malkoff Devices. I wouldn't use the zero resistance tail cap on any more constant current regulated drivers and 2 lithium ion batteries any more.

Gene43 · Sep 25, 2010

Give us (Malkoff Devices) a call on Monday. I'll see that you get taken care of.

BIGLOU · Sep 25, 2010

Oh No

I just killed my $12.80 El Cheapo DX Cree P4 LED Drop In #1447 which is also good to 9V with the AW RCR123s. I installed the DX Drop In with the RCR123s in a totally different 18650'd 6P host without the zero resistance TC but with a Z59 instead and it still went :poof:

I had been running my two AWs on and off on my unbored and bored 6Ps and MD2 with no problem. So it is not because I didnt wait one minute after coming off charger and it was not the Zero Resistance TC or anything with a body or bezel I used another host. It has to be the batteries. It sucks I had to also kill my DX drop in that I had got on a bundle pack from a fellow CPFer. I had put it away but brought it out since my blown M61 was what I was using for duty at the time. Luckily I didnt use my M60. Had taken the DX drop in out in a 18650 6P host and it ran great it was nice and white it was not bad at all. But just now I threw in the Killer AWs. UPDATE: Thanks for the replys. Wow while I was typing Mr. Malkoff responded. I'll call on Monday. Thanks Gene! You are the best!

wyager · Sep 25, 2010

Gene43 said:
Give us (Malkoff Devices) a call on Monday. I'll see that you get taken care of.

That's pretty amazing CS... :thumbsup:

stuffgeek · Sep 25, 2010

BIGLOU said:
It has to be the batteries.

Oh don't worry, when AW gets is the office on Monday and reads this thread, I am sure they will offer to replace your drop-in.

AW is no better than any other imported junk.:sick2:

I need to cancel my order of their stuff.

wyager · Sep 25, 2010

stuffgeek said:
AW is no better than any other imported junk.:sick2:

And where do you get that idea? AW is among the best available... and frankly, I don't see how batteries could have caused this problem... it's not like AWs are capable of boosting their own voltage to above 9V. Your charger, maybe, but even then I don't have enough info to say that for sure.

BIGLOU · Sep 25, 2010

I checked the voltage last night after they came off the WF-139 charger and one battery was 4.16V and the other was 4.17V. I'm at work and didnt bring my DDM to check voltage today before trying them on the DX LA. I'm scared to use any paired RCR123s. How do I know they wont ruin one of my single cells?

Dioni · Sep 25, 2010

BIGLOU said:
Oh No I just killed my $12.80 El Cheapo DX Cree P4 LED Drop In #1447 which is also good to 9V with the AW RCR123s. I installed the DX Drop In with the RCR123s in a totally different 18650'd 6P host without the zero resistance TC but with a Z59 instead and it still went

hotlight · Sep 25, 2010

stuffgeek said:
BIGLOU said:

It has to be the batteries.

Oh don't worry, when AW gets is the office on Monday and reads this thread, I am sure they will offer to replace your drop-in.

AW is no better than any other imported junk.:sick2:

I need to cancel my order of their stuff.

Click to expand...

I'll put up $2 Paypal dollars, that the batteries were NOT the cause.

I'll also bet $1 Paypal dollar, that the batteries are still at 4.16 and 4.17 V(+/- .02V)

lol, why am I placing bets on batteries?

hotlight · Sep 26, 2010

BIGLOU said:
Oh No I just killed my $12.80 El Cheapo DX Cree P4 LED Drop In #1447 which is also good to 9V with the AW RCR123s. I installed the DX Drop In with the RCR123s in a totally different 18650'd 6P host without the zero resistance TC but with a Z59 instead and it still went

-- I guess it might be the batteries... somehow.

please check the voltage of the batteries when you get a chance... I have no clue what I can do with that info, I'm sure someone can.

all bets off.:duh2:

BIGLOU · Sep 26, 2010

OK its not the batteries then what could it be. And also I did not say anything on that quote in regards to AW. Is there a flashlight medical examiner to perform an autopsy. Tried the batteries on my single cell Novatac Storm and it didnt go :poof:

dont know if the program thing you do everytime you remove the battery helped.

hotlight · Sep 26, 2010

BIGLOU said:
OK its not the batteries then what could it be. And also I did not say anything on that quote in regards to AW. Is there a flashlight medical examiner to perform an autopsy. Tried the batteries on my single cell Novatac Storm and it didnt go dont know if the program thing you do everytime you remove the battery helped.

didn't mean to quote you at all... (your quote was in his post)
the bet/post was toward "stuffgeek", and it was a joke.

maybe it's when the batteries are in series? I don't know.. I'm only involved because I have a M61 also, that I've run on x2 AW RCRs with no problems. I do prefer x1 18650 tho.

I thought it was the ZR TC... but I have no backing to that theory.(except that I've run x2 RCR no problem)

I killed my MD M61!

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