Help! The unthinkable has happened: HDS Rotary not working!

I click my Rotary to turn on and nothing happens.

Troubleshooting:

By taking the battery out for 5-10 seconds and replacing it, I can get the moonlight mode to go on. So the LED is functioning.

I even got to some sort of Morse Code which I've never seen before. But actuating the switch or turning the Rotary dial has no effect. Can't read Morse on the fly and don't care to start now (its 01:18 in the morning).

Help! This is my Go-To light for work, and I honestly didn't think this could happen without serious abuse.

Here is some footage taken just now, of the Morse Code this thing repeats. I can't seem to play back the message.

A cycle appears to be just under 0:30s in length, with first full cycle starting 0:26 into this video I believe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmVHhizLVsk

Update:

Just clicked the tailswitch after writing the above.

It launched straight into full-lumen strobe (ouch!) and subsequent clicks of the tailswitch had no effect. Had to unscrew the light to turn it off.

Update 2: Subsequent clicks have no effect, although after removing the battery for 10 seconds, half the time it gives me a few seconds of moonlight mode, the other half it jumps straight into this morse sequence.

Have you tried a different battery?

From http://hdssystems.com/Products/Edc/EdcUsersGuide.pdf, did you try the steps to reset the flashlight? How about their directions for cleaning and maintenance?

LowFlux said:

Have you tried a different battery?

From http://hdssystems.com/Products/Edc/EdcUsersGuide.pdf, did you try the steps to reset the flashlight? How about their directions for cleaning and maintenance?

Click to expand...

Thank you, tried a few different batteries now including 100% fresh ones, no difference.

Also just followed the factory reset, nothing changed though. My lights are well maintained.

Never abused this Rotary. It's got a few nicks and scratches, and has been used underwater in the past.

Heck I used it a couple hours ago with some astronomy-related tasks, on moonlight mode. Worked great there, btw! Didn't have a problem until I used it about an hour ago, and it didn't turn on.

edit:
looks like first letters of the Morse sequence are:

A D K ... Then it does 8 flashes in a row, which I suppose could be 5S or S5. Then what looks like a 4. Then pretty certain the last is a letter U.

so ADKS54U?

* = dit
- = dah

*--**-*-************-**-

*- -** -*- *** ***** ****- **-


Where's C-3PO when you need him?

Quiksilver said:

By taking the battery out for 5-10 seconds and replacing it, I can get the moonlight mode to go on. So the LED is functioning.

I even got to some sort of Morse Code which I've never seen before. But actuating the switch or turning the Rotary dial has no effect. Can't read Morse on the fly and don't care to start now (its 01:18 in the morning).

Click to expand...

I occasionally get the Morse Code on my Rotary when I put a freshly charged AW RCR123A battery in. It may have been explained by Henry somewhere in the thousands of posts about the HDS lights, was it a firmware revision number perhaps?

The HDS user manual at the link below describes a reset procedure on page 4 after switching battery chemistries, it might be worth a try:

http://www.hdssystems.com/Products/Edc/EdcUsersGuide.pdf

I've got an early HDS Rotary and it is the perfect light for a night walk on a moonless country road in stealth mode with 200 lumens instantly available to my gloved hands to see a deer or alert an oncoming pickup truck.

The CPF chorus will inevitably chime in with the mantra that 'Henry has great customer service' (he does :thumbsup. However, like you, I try to exhaust all possibilities of fixing things myself before making the call.

A couple things I would also try, leave the battery out for a couple of hours before attempting to turn the light on, and trying another battery, either newer or older to see if somehow the light has misread the chemistry and recalibrated its voltage needs incorrectly. [edit - looks like LowFlux has posted similar troubleshooting thoughts and you've tried them]

This is why i always carry back ups.

This blinking thing happens to my Rotary every few battery changes, regardless if the battery is a primary or rechargable. What fixes it for me is to clean the the threads on the battery tube with a paper towel and the threads on the inside of the head with a qtip.

Cleaning the threads sounds like the best solution to try now.

Well ...

Let it sit for awhile, nothing is happening. Threads sparkling clean too

How do I call Henry, as I am down here in Oz.

Quiksilver said:

Well ...

Let it sit for awhile, nothing is happening. Threads sparkling clean too

How do I call Henry, as I am down here in Oz.

Click to expand...

Email him...

Quiksilver said:

Well ...

Let it sit for awhile, nothing is happening. Threads sparkling clean too

How do I call Henry, as I am down here in Oz.

Click to expand...

Email him on [email protected] mate. I'm in Oz too, and when my clicky failed I e-mailed him and arranged to send it back for repair ... I had to pay shipping, but repairs were free.

Good luck mate!

d337944 said:

..when my clicky failed I e-mailed him and arranged to send it back for repair ...

Click to expand...

Curious what turned out to be the failed part - was it the electronic switch?

Try reseting the light by loosening the head till the circuit breaks and then re-tightnen. Prior to returning my light this would work, albeit temporary. Contact HDS and see what they have to say. Unfortunately I suspect you'll have to send it in for repair/replacement, this sounds like an issue that has happened to a few of us. When mine was returned I suspected a switch issue but was told it was an electronic issue, something they suspect happened in the potting process and couldn't be repaired. I was also told it wasn't common and steps were taken to eliminate the issue but I guess it still happens. Good luck.

Just curious, were you able to get the light working or did HDS have any insight on the issue?

P_A_S_1 said:

Just curious, were you able to get the light working or did HDS have any insight on the issue?

Click to expand...

Sending it in for repair.

The LED works fine and I suspect the tailcap mechanics work fine, so I hazard a guess to say its a software problem, not sure if hardware related.

Reason I say that is because at one stage during the trial and error process, I managed to get it to work again for about 15 seconds. Rotary ring, tail switch, the whole shebang. Then while I was scrolling the rotary ring down to the low-lumen end, it stopped responding, like a frozen computer. Tailswitch/Rotary Ring ceased functioning.

So yeah, sending it in. Its been my favorite light up to this point, for EDC and backpacking.

Here's another little vid, maybe more descriptive

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPQarSbPzsM

Disappointing I know. My clicky was great and by far my favorite until it went wacky and had to be sent in. I hope they're able to correct it otherwise you'll have to wait for a replacement and with these production delays that can be a while. Mine went back in September and I'm still waiting. Let us know what they find to be the issue. All the best.