Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else?

Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else?

Hi Guys.


My new Nitecore TM11 V3 (V1.12-1111) Tiny Monster head and battery tube (Body) has to be screwed together "VERY TIGHTLY" to get the light to come on.

I think that the amount of force needed to connect both parts together is "FAR TOO MUCH" than should be necessary on any flashlight.

I do not think there would be much pressure holding these two parts together and I don't think this light would therefore be making a really good connection as well.

I have tried many batteries with this flashlight.

I have tried many "Brands and Style of tops" (Raised Button and Nipple Top) and none of them make a really good contact to turn the light on without "BRUTE STRENGTH!!"


I have tried many older batteries and the newer 3400mah (Panasonic Type) batteries.

The length of all of these batteries is pretty close to each other as measured by me.

When they are inserted into this light they all have the same problem.

I have concluded that the TM11 V3 at least, should have the been designed with the battery holder (Body) of the light longer and have used a better longer spring arrangement as the plate at the bottom with it's "springy tabs" does not allow any more than about 2mm to be completely bottomed out.

I probably will see if there is another TM11 V3 back at my Dealer to compare it with.

The Skyray King does not usually have this issue, as I have bought around 12 now for myself and to give to family or friends.

The Skyray King has "very long coiled springs" that let the batteries settle in no matter what length they are and the batteries "bottom out" at around 6mm of travel into the battery tube, much more travel than the TM11 will allow.

The Skyray King allows for longer batteries than what the TM11 does!



Is there anyone else that thinks they have the same thing happening with their TM11?

Is it just something that has changed in the newer V3 version (V1.12-1111)?


Maybe it is just my TM11 V3 that has this problem! :thinking:




CHEERS

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

I have two TM11 the third version and the same as yours and have used KeePower 3100mAh, Eagletac 3100mAh, and 8 Surefire 123's and the only problem I have had is the Surefire's rattle.

I would check the threads with a magnifier to see if there is a problem.

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

My black king has to be screwed down tighter then my new version tm11, that said I wouldn't have bought it if I knew how great my king was going to be

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

sidecross said:

I have two TM11 the third version and the same as yours and have used KeePower 3100mAh, Eagletac 3100mAh, and 8 Surefire 123's and the only problem I have had is the Surefire's rattle.

I would check the threads with a magnifier to see if there is a problem.

Click to expand...

I am going to take it back to the Dealer to see if there is one that does not have this issue.

I just wanted to know whether this was a common problem with the TM11s old and new.

I have to give the TM11 V3 a quick and heavy tightening action to make the light work.

It does not take all that much when I unscrew the body from the head before the TM11 turns off!




CHEERS

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

Only thing I could think is maybe the copper tabs have been smashed down inside the battery carrier. Pretty sure your dealer will have one that works. Best of luck to you!

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

Yourfun2 said:

Only thing I could think is maybe the copper tabs have been smashed down inside the battery carrier. Pretty sure your dealer will have one that works. Best of luck to you!

Click to expand...

The spring tabs look normal.

They only move down 2mm and then bottom out.

Therefore it still means that the batteries are getting a lot of pressure on them because the positive tops of the batteries meet the inner contact ring before the end of the body has a chance to connect with the outer negative contact ring.

That is why I have to put a lot of force on tightening up the threads to get a negative contact.

I have made up a copper ring to lay on top of the edge of the outer ring and the TM11 works very well and I don't have to tighten the threads up anywhere near as much as without the copper ring in place.

In fact when the light makes proper contact and the LED starts to signal the battery voltage, I still have nearly a half turn left on the threads that are available if needed in future.

The copper ring is made out of a single strand of copper wire that was out in my shed.

I shaped it with four flat sides to make sure that the battery holder (body) of the light would lay on top of the outer ring and make good contact with the edge of the body.

The copper wire ring proved the theory that I had about the end of the body not meeting properly the outer negative contact ring without applying too much force onto the threads.

This is obviously just a workaround but it works.

This "quick fix" also works well on my Skyray Kings that also have to be tightened up very hard as well and takes some pressure off the threads and leaves me with some extra threading if needed.

That is where I am at now.



How much of a turning distance (in metric or imperial measurements) do other TM11 owners get after the LED starts flashing until the head and body are screwed up even tighter to the end where the threads will not turn anymore?





CHEERS

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

My TM15 has the same issue; as I tighten the body to the head (I always cut power to the light when not in use) the voltage read out begins before I fully tighten the light.

I have not paid this much mind as this is a mass produced product and I do not find the extra turning to fully seat the body and head to be a bother.

Your problem may be more severe than mine; let us know the outcome.

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

sidecross said:

My TM15 has the same issue; as I tighten the body to the head (I always cut power to the light when not in use) the voltage read out begins before I fully tighten the light.

I have not paid this much mind as this is a mass produced product and I do not find the extra turning to fully seat the body and head to be a bother.

Your problem may be more severe than mine; let us know the outcome.

Click to expand...

That is what it is supposed to do.

You are saying that yours works well when tightening it up.

That does not sound like my sort of problem unless you have worded it wrong and I have taken it the wrong way.

I can barely get the "RED" LED under the button to start flashing until I have a lot of turning force on the threads and there is little more that I can turn the body and the head together after that.

It only barely makes a connection when "VERY" tight unless I have the copper ring that I made in place over the outer negative contact ring in the head to make the end of the body reach the outer negative contact ring.




CHEERS

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

Oztorchfreak said:

That is what it is supposed to do.

You are saying that yours works well when tightening it up.

That does not sound like my sort of problem unless you have worded it wrong and I have taken it the wrong way.

I can barely get the "RED" LED under the button to start flashing until I have a lot of turning force on the threads and there is little more that I can turn the body and the head together after that.

It only barely makes a connection when "VERY" tight unless I have the copper ring that I made in place over the outer negative contact ring in the head to make the end of the body reach the outer negative contact ring.




CHEERS

Click to expand...

I have two TM11's and one TM15.

On my two TM11's I have to fully tighten the head and body to make a connection, while the TM15 makes contact to engage the voltage read out yet still has to tighten an extra bit to make full contact with the body and head.

I do not find this to be a big problem for me as all three light work fine when fully tight; the electronic switch works just fine.

I think the key issue is how we define 'tight'.

I am a retired Union Journeymen Automobile mechanic and when I use the word tighten it is not a forced tighten. How hard is it for you to tighten the body to the head? I would assume it takes just one hand and not much force. Is this correct?

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

sidecross said:

I have two TM11's and one TM15.

On my two TM11's I have to fully tighten the head and body to make a connection, while the TM15 makes contact to engage the voltage read out yet still has to tighten an extra bit to make full contact with the body and head.

I do not find this to be a big problem for me as all three light work fine when fully tight; the electronic switch works just fine.

I think the key issue is how we define 'tight'.

I am a retired Union Journeymen Automobile mechanic and when I use the word tighten it is not a forced tighten. How hard is it for you to tighten the body to the head? I would assume it takes just one hand and not much force. Is this correct?

Click to expand...

I am a retired Electrician and I think I should know a thing or two about electrical screw threads, connections and the force that needs to be applied to various electrical apparatus.

I have to hold the head in one hand and do up the threads until they are nearly ready for the last inch or so.

Then I have to give the light "one almighty twist" of the wrist in a quick locking action to try and get the light to work.

There is lot more force being put on these threads than any other lights or motors etc than I have ever worked on in 40 years of being a tradesman.

I am not some little guy with a "girly girly grip".

I am 120kgs and I have a decent set of muscles to be able to apply a lot of twisting force onto these threads and it is "FAR TOO MUCH" as well as not doing the threads any good.

I have a "HUGE LIGHT COLLECTION" and I have never needed to do this to any of them to get a good battery contact.

I have used flashlights for all of those forty years inside roofs, under floors and doing maintenance work on big production lines of a company.

The force needed is like when you cannot open a new jar of something that your wife has struggled with and left until you come home to do it and you still need a cloth wrapped around the lid and the jar to stop your hands from slipping to get the threads moving.


BELIEVE ME IT IS ***** TIGHT!!!

**** Veiled profanity removed - Norm




CHEERS

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

You've got a lemon in your hands...a 'normal' light should not punish a 260-pounder!

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

I have the TM11 V3, and just like yours, I have to tighten the head down very tight for the light to activate. I thought it was just my sample, but I guess not.

I tighten the head until I think it can't go any further, then I have to tighten it a bit further to the point it feels like it's going too far...if that makes any sense. Aside from that little quirk, the TM11 works great.

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

I had this issue with a Quark Pro QPA.



I returned it. Not interested in products that have "issues".

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

I have V3 and have used it with protected Panasonic 2900 and Hi-Max 2600 both from eBay. Mine seems to work well with both batteries. No special tightening required. Will try if I can tighten it after the contact is made.

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

Quiksilver said:

I had this issue with a Quark Pro QPA.



I returned it. Not interested in products that have "issues".

Click to expand...

I returned it. Not interested in products that have "issues".[/QUOTE]


Did you have the same issue with the threads on your Quark Pro that I am talking about here?

If not what was the problem?

I am going to the dealer today to see how tight another TM11 V3 is in comparison.

I might have gotten a "LEMON" as does happen from time to time.




CHEERS

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

Matjazz said:

I have V3 and have used it with protected Panasonic 2900 and Hi-Max 2600 both from eBay. Mine seems to work well with both batteries. No special tightening required. Will try if I can tighten it after the contact is made.

Click to expand...

See how far the head will turn after the RED LED starts blinking to show the battery voltage and give me an apprximate measure in mm or inches please.

My TM11 V3 has virtually nothing left that I can measure after the light is locked up enough to work.

No light should be designed like that, maybe it is just a machining issue that happened with a particular batch of TM11s!




CHEERS

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

tatasal said:

You've got a lemon in your hands...a 'normal' light should not punish a 260-pounder!

Click to expand...

I don't mind getting a "SOUR" LEMON as long as I can take it back to the Dealer and swap it for a "SWEET" Orange!

Isn't it funny how bad flashlights can leave a sour taste in your mouth.

Some Forum members here and elsewhere do that to me at times as well!




CHEERS

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

HIDblue said:

I have the TM11 V3, and just like yours, I have to tighten the head down very tight for the light to activate. I thought it was just my sample, but I guess not.

I tighten the head until I think it can't go any further, then I have to tighten it a bit further to the point it feels like it's going too far...if that makes any sense. Aside from that little quirk, the TM11 works great.

Click to expand...

Has your TM11 done that right from the time you bought it?

I was thinking it was just my light but I have bought a lot of Skyray Kings for many people and some of those Kings have a habit like the TM11 V3 has in having to screw the head on "really tight" to get the light working and others have some more twisting left over on the threads.

I still wonder if this issue is only related to the Version 3 TM11 or does it happen on earlier versions and also the new TM15.




CHEERS

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

Oztorchfreak said:

I don't mind getting a "SOUR" LEMON as long as I can take it back to the Dealer and swap it for a "SWEET" Orange!

Isn't it funny how bad flashlights can leave a sour taste in your mouth.

Some Forum members here and elsewhere do that to me at times as well!




CHEERS

Click to expand...

You are becoming a good sport... congratulations..and you are doing your blood vessels a favor too!

Re: Nitecore TM11 V3 has to be screwed up "VERY" tight for light to work. Anyone else

Oztorchfreak said:

Has your TM11 done that right from the time you bought it?

I was thinking it was just my light but I have bought a lot of Skyray Kings for many people and some of those Kings have a habit like the TM11 V3 has in having to screw the head on "really tight" to get the light working and others have some more twisting left over on the threads.

I still wonder if this issue is only related to the Version 3 TM11 or does it happen on earlier versions and also the new TM15.




CHEERS

Click to expand...

Yes, my TM11 are all the same, but there is NO evidence that friction is causing a problem to the gold color coating of the head contact points.

That would be my concern on your light. Is there any sign that the positive button of the batteries are scraping or denting the positive contact areea?