Okay to remove terminal spring from P60?

I recently got a Solarforce XM-L2 drop-in for my Dereelight Javelin. And there are fitment issues with the center terminal spring on the driver board. Compared to the spring on the XP-E Dereelight module, it is longer and stiffer. It is also cylindrical vs conical, so it can't compress flat. And to make matters worse, the Solarforce module has a deeper pill that hangs down further into the host. All of this is causing fitment and contact issues, and is certainly putting undue strain on the drop-in and batteries. Is it REALLY necessary to run this spring? Given that the longer pill already protrudes into the battery area, could I not just remove the spring and have the top battery directly contact the driver board (like in SO many other lights)?

I don't know about Javelin but every P60 should fit to NightmasterV1 V2/DBS.

Very simple to swap it. Just unscrew reflector and spring from solarforce drop in, screw it in in dereelight aluminium pill holder and put it back in a flashlight.

If you really have spring problems you can cut it off to desired lenght.

But if nothing helps you(or nearest artisan) cold rework solarforce pill on lathe in 1 minute.

Tatjanamagic said:

If you really have spring problems you can cut it off..

Click to expand...

Bingo! Take a pair of wire snips and shorten the spring a little at a time until it works.

donn_ said:

Bingo! Take a pair of wire snips and shorten the spring a little at a time until it works.

Click to expand...

The coils are binding completely and actually indenting the top of the battery. The spring is unsuited for my light. Since the spring is cylindrical, the coils cannot lay flat. I actually ended up desoldering the spring. And thus far, it seems to work fine. The only problem is that the batteries rattle a little bit. So I may just try to get ahold of a conical spring and solder that on. All of this sure makes me wish that you didn't have to mail order these drop-ins. It would sure be nice to be able to test them BEFORE buying them.

Solarforce are really nothing special but they are one of better drop ins on the market. I recommend them... And they should fit in Dereelights and Surefire G2 nitrolon like flashlights.

They can not compete to hand made pills with selected driver, emitter, thicker wires(22 and more AWG thickness), potted as option.

So I recommend that you made your own pills... It is very simple if you have soldering skills.


P.S.
It will work fine without spring(button top battery needed) but if you have multimode pill and using that on rifle or maybe bike, atv, and similar it will strive to change modes by itself because of poor contact.