Solarforce L2...noise.

chiphead

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Nov 16, 2003
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Fellas, this one is an X-File! I've got a two cell (18650) Solarforce that I run most of the time with one. I've notice that while running the light with one cell, I get this ringing or osillation noise coming out of the battery. And it doesn't matter the brand of 18650 cell I'm using! But when I add the attachment to make it a two cell light, the noise is gone! Has anyone run into this one? It's getting a little scary!
chiphead
 

Gunner12

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Dec 18, 2006
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Probably one of the chips or something vibrating on the driver board. Not uncommon and should be fine.
 

enomosiki

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Mar 13, 2011
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1,109
Inductor whine from the drop-in. When the drop-in is running at full power, the noise shouldn't exist or will be very low, but at lower modes it will get louder.

Not a problem that will degrade the performance of your light, but many people, including myself, find it annoying.
 

chiphead

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Nov 16, 2003
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Guys, its getting more than a little wierd, I took some contact cleaner to make sure everything was clean. One more thing, it does cause my LED to flicker. The more noise sometimes the more flicker. Ok, I won't sweat it then. Thank you all for the feedback!
regards
chiphead
 

lightfooted

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May 6, 2010
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You say it only does this when running on one cell? Check your drop-in specs....perhaps it wasn't really designed to be operated on one cell....or worse, it was intended to run only on one cell and running it on two has damaged the driver. Though usually that would just burn out the driver and you would get no light. Personally I would replace it.
 

chiphead

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Nov 16, 2003
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You say it only does this when running on one cell? Check your drop-in specs....perhaps it wasn't really designed to be operated on one cell....or worse, it was intended to run only on one cell and running it on two has damaged the driver. Though usually that would just burn out the driver and you would get no light. Personally I would replace it.
The module is a Solarforce LC-XP G rated 3V~18V.
chiphead
 

RWD13

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May 24, 2012
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I'm with chiphead I use the same damn drop in rated for 3-18v and I run mine on rcr123s or whatever they are and they are and they are 3.6v each. I talked with a few people on the sellers end they keep ensuring me it is ok to run it on cr123a primaries even a single cr123 3v yet I can't without getting the flickering and kigh pitched whining and truthfully it doesn't sound normal it's a whining sound but it also sounds like something is creating a very small arch. It works fine with anything higher than 7v but not 6v.

Looking at the module closely you'll see no sign of arching BUT checking the batteries you can see where on the possitive end that contacts the module it has micro pitting the same that happens with heavy resistance at the radio stations I work on. For whatever reason all three of the 3-18v modules I own do the same thing I soldered beads the the possitive on my recharables not to solve the prob but to save batteries more or less. I want to say that 3-18v isnt true because I can't run any of them on less than 7v. Anything less causes what seems like resistance which could possibly cause a problem for batteries and or the module. I personally don't advise letting it run on the lower voltage because it could be something serious. Then again maybe I just own three modules that are defective.. Doubtful but possible I guess.
 

RWD13

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May 24, 2012
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Anyone who knows what the problem is and if you can fix it perminately or at all would be a great help. The only thing that worries me is I left a light on with reachargables and they started dying and it caused some sort of resistance related heat and one of the batteries blew and the head more or less shot off. I guess it was more like the insides of the head but I still don't want to hold something that is going to fire off like a weak shotgun.
 
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