Dear everyone, this is Vito from Olight Belgium.
While working late, I have been contacted by the member EvoBelgium earlier concerning his issue with the X6. I fell on this thread while looking for resources on similar issues.
I found this to be taken seriously as the noise obviously is more than just a simple metallic expansion noise, so I decided to stay even later, to try to replicate the issue using a brand new X6 light. :thumbsup:
My suspicions fell on Ben's way of testing the light, ie placing the head down for runtime testing. Given the heat of the X6's beam, I suspected that this could create a serious overheat situation. I decided to test this theory.
My theory is based on visual evidence presented in the video, so it could be flawed or wrong.
So I unwrapped a brand new X6 and switched it on in a horizontal position and left it on.
The charge indicated near-full (green), which is what I needed.
After 20 minutes, I started hearing regular light clicking noises every now and then. This is from the expansion of the aluminum parts. Aluminum makes this distinct clicking noise, the same one you hear after you switch your hot car's engine off. Nothing unusual.
After 30-35 minutes, the clicking noise stabilized at a constant frequency of once every 4 seconds.
The output had visibly stepped down from its max output of 5000 lumens, in a perceptible way.
The X6 was warm and at some parts (front firewall) hot to the touch, but nothing unusual.
So I decided to replicate the exact test conditions as seen in Ben's video.
Still burning on its high setting, I put the light head-down on a flat wood table, put my head next to it and listened. The light's hot beam would be shining directly onto the table at around 10 milimeters from the source.
In a matter of seconds, the clicking noise's frequency started increasing very fast and the heat around the light started to become perceptible around the light.
After about 2 minutes, the light was starting to click very fast.
After 6 minutes the clicks were starting to become simultaneous and to become similar to EvoBelgium's "leaking sound", a light burning smell was perceptible.
At that point I placed the X6 back in a normal horizontal position. For several minutes, the clicking sounds continued to increase in frequency but at a much smaller rate, probably continuing on the momentum built-up during the head-down phase.
I decided to stop the test, to avoid damage to the X6 and switched it off.
The clicking noises continued for several minutes until the light cooled down.
Conclusions:
I can't ascertain it with 100% certainty without testing the light myself, but this is my conclusion based on the evidence I have:
1. The light overheated due to the position in which it was placed, ie head down. Head down,the 5000 lumens light was accumulating heat very very fast, and the circuitry couldn't step down enough in the high mode, to compensate for this accumulating heat.
Probable causes:
-head-down on a flat surface, the light's hot beam is reflected on the shiny surface, causing the beam's heat to reflect and radiate back onto the light.
-Possibly, a light-coloured surface combined with the lens and the conic reflectors, could result in a magnifying glass effect of the reflected beam.
-The heat released is very much trapped between the light and the table surface, with only small amounts being able to escape through the small gaps and through absorption by the table surface, causing the light to absorb a significant amount of that rising heat.
-Hot air rises. This X6's fins are placed vertically along the length of the light in order to create a cooling airflow that flows upwards, in order to cool the core and the fins. This rising airflow effect is very noticeable in a dusty room. When the X6 is placed head down, the fins are no longer vertical but horizontal. The colling effect is thus strongly impaired as there is no airflow going through the fins and around the core.
2. What worries me the most in Ben's video is that it isn't the light that shut itself off (although it looked that way) but the battery. That's why neither the battery nor the light would come back on.
-I can't say for sure whether it's protection kicking in or permanent damage to the battery by a short in the light/battery, caused by the overheat melting some components in the light.
You all know what Li-polymer batteries can do when damaged, and I don't want Ben to take the risk of operating or charging a damaged battery or light.
In my test, after 6 minutes head down, the light was already very hot even though it wasn't clicking as much as in Ben's video, so I can't say what 20 minutes in that position would do to it, but it couldn't be good.
To Ben: I strongly suggest that you contact your reseller to have the light checked as a precaution, and repaired if necessary, so that you don't have to take the risk of operating/checking a potentially damaged li-polymer battery. Do mention to them how it all happened and that the battery/light could be damaged, so that they can take their safety precautions.
If regardless of this suggestion, youpossess the technical know-how, are pretty sure that nothing is damaged and intend to check the light/battery for serviceability by yourself, I suggest that you take the necessary precautions and handle the battery/light as if it was damaged. A damaged li-polymer battery presents a fire and explosion risk during charging or discharging.
But of course, without seeing and testing the light physically, I could be wrong.
If you or other posters disagree with this assessment, please do not hesitate to post your assessment.
