Nitecore SRT7 Help and suggestions. Please?

shane73

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 28, 2010
Messages
11
I bought a SRT-7 about 30 days ago. I haven't used it but maybe a total of one hour or less and now the main LED will not work. The color LEDs work but not the main center one. I bought the whole set-up for $120 and I thought from the reviews on candlepower forums this was a good light. I have always stuck with 4Sevens, Olight, Surefire, Fenix, and other main brands but they assured me this was a quality light. For $120 and based off the reviews - I thought I had found another good brand to buy. I don't know what I need to do next? Do I return this to Nitecore? Do I return it to Amazon? Who pays the shipping? I have done put out $120 in a light that lasted less than a hour. I also bought one of the Nitecore batteries and charger for about $50 on a Nitecore Sysmax I4 Intellicharge i4 version 2 with a 3400mAH battery, a NITECORE NFG40, and a few more add-ons that I have no use for now. I mainly just need to know where to go from here? Over $200 into your products and I get less than an hours use - what is going to happen when I am really depending on it a year or two from now and it goes out? Repair - refund - shipping fees? What do I need to do? Thanks, Shane

Ok, First off I came here and read and read on reviews for hours. The SRT7 seemed to be more of what I was looking for and had all the accessories I needed. Plus I watched a lot of Youtube videos and they seemed to be all saying it was a high quality light. I have had Surefire, 4Sevens, Fenix, Olight, and others but, never tried Nitecore so I thought it was worth a try. I bought a Nitecore SRT7 - actually a package (NITECORE SRT7 Black 960 lumen Smart Ring LED Tactical Flashlight with Rifle Mounting Kit (Pressure Switch, Rail Mount, Batteries) from Amazon for $120. Then I bought (Nitecore Sysmax I4 Intellicharge i4 version 2, Four Bays universal home/in-car battery charger, Nitecore 18650 NL189 3400mAH rechargeable battery with Smith & Wesson Carabeamer LED Clip Light) for another $50. I also bought a (NITECORE NFG40 High Grade Green Filter Suitable For The Flashlight With Head Of 40mm) for another $15. So once all said and done I had around $200 in my perfect set up. I received all this about a month ago. I used it maybe a total of an hour. Mostly showing it off to friends. It was working perfect - turned it off - a week later (last night) I tried it and nothing worked but the colored LEDs. The little red light blinds steady about every 2-3 seconds in standby mode. No white light at all. Tried the fully charged Nitecore battery, 2 new sets of SureFire CR123s, and same results.

I contacted the place I got the light from on Amazon and he was short with me and said send it back. Any other item I have bought from Amazon and had to return - they have sent me a return label and sent the label with replacement. I just don't want to end up in the same place I am now a month, 6 months, year, or two down the road. Do I need to send it to Nitecore themselves? Send it to a guy in Texas that doesn't seem to care much? I already got $200 tied up in this - am I responsible for paying shipping on a defective item? I just need some advice from the professionals!!

I bought Nitecore's tactical / military / law enforcement / Patented spring-loaded impact absorption mechanism / and it's offered with a rifle pressure switch and on Nitecore's page for the SRT-7 - it shows it mounted to an Ar. I have not used it in any way that was abusive or what they hadn't intended it for.

When it was working - with its green lens at almost 1000 lumen - I was on cloud 9 - then with-in an hours use - less than a month - I feel like crap. I feel like I didn't research enough - bought cheap china crap - should have spoke up and asked someone - wasted $200 – I just feel awful!!! Now I come to my flashlight family and ask for advice when it's too late maybe.

Last - Do we have like a Nitecore representative on this fourm? A Nitecore section?

Thank you so, so, so, much in advance for any advice, help, direction, or any assistance!!!!!!!
 

Overclocker

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 13, 2005
Messages
1,585
Location
Philippines
I bought Nitecore's tactical / military / law enforcement / Patented spring-loaded impact absorption mechanism / and it's offered with a rifle pressure switch and on Nitecore's page for the SRT-7 - it shows it mounted to an Ar. I have not used it in any way that was abusive or what they hadn't intended it for.

!


that's an airsoft gun right there :D

also watch the wording. the springs are for "vibration" NOT RECOIL. those little springs will BOTTOM OUT during recoil and the battery will slap around the battery compartment and hammer on the blue PCB right there (the driver electronics)

look into the foursevens or eagletac battery compartments. the battery is held in place firmly and doesn't float around in springs


Fet8AeM.jpg


KAMtp2u.jpg
 

shane73

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 28, 2010
Messages
11
Well that's some shady advertising. Who puts a $200 set-up on an airsoft lol? So if I can't get a refund - and I am forced to take a replacement - I should NOT mount it on an AR? My options then are to purchase another light (like to stay with-in $100 range) stay with same size so mount still works, my new 3400mAH battery can still be used and my 40mm lens so I can use the filter. You thinking 4Sevens or Eagletac? What about Olight? Are they worth considering?

Thanks for the reply!!

 

rickypanecatyl

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 2, 2009
Messages
913
Sorry to hear about your experience Shane! I find the reviews on this forum for the most part to be very thorough with the exception of reliability. And to be fair to the testers that's the most expensive test. (I don't remember who maybe Bigmac actually drops lights in his tests and uses them underwater?)

I find Nitecore to be cheap as far as reliability as well as very irresponsible when it comes to taking responsibility. For example I bought the i4 charger which I thought was a great sounding product and it lasted just a couple weeks and stopped charging. I went to the nitecore dealer and they assured me the charger was high quality its just THE WIRE they use is really cheap. He assured me that happened to most of the Nitecore charges and that I was mistaken... the charger wasn't broken its just that the wires were bad. He told me the 12volt DC charger was better and the AC part always broke but I could still use it in the car. It doesn't work in the car either.:D

FWIW I also find eagetac lights very fragile (just sayin as overclocker mentions them above) but foursevens are definitely a category up from either Eagletac or Nitecore. (Also FWIW I found older Eagletacs to be more robust; the last couple years they've dropped a category or two in reliability).
 

shane73

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 28, 2010
Messages
11
Thank you Rick for your reply. I think I got caught up in their advertising and words. Tactical, military grade, titanium coated, stainless steel, water proof, aero grade aluminum, and then a big picture of what looks like SWAT with it mounted to a real AR, and etc. It had the brightness adjustment ring, color LEDs, and all the bells and whistles. I seen good reviews of it on here and elsewhere but.... like you said - it was just on its features, light it put out, and stuff like normal carrying in your pocket / vehicle use. I put out $500 for an EOTech and I didn't want to put that into a light like a Surefire too. I just feel like I messed up so bad in my decision on a light for my application. I did watch some torture test videos of the Olight M22 I think it was. They tied it to the bumper of a car and drug it down the road. The dropped it from a 4 story building, put it in water under in a high pressure tube, and ran over it with large equipment which made an indention in the asphalt. The light held up to all tests. Looked like crap but it worked! My first choice was go with it but then I seen this shiny, cool, high tech Nitecore and changed my mind. I guess I need to jump up to the "recommend me a light forum" and see what has been actually been mounted to an AR, uses 2 CR123 batteries, has a 1" body, low, medium, and 1000ish lumen, and 40mm end that has actually held up to recoil. Lots of recoil over time. Also in the $100 range. It may not even be possible. The SRT7 was a perfect fit. I kinda want to stick with same size. Thanks again yall for helping!!!
 

d.weglarz13

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 29, 2011
Messages
222
FWIW, why not get the replacement from the vendor, and then list it on the forums or ebay and you should get most your money back. Then, look for another light with the same or similar size and specs, but better, or option 2 just sell all of it on ebay and start fresh. With things like these decent lights, you should be able to sell quick, especially if you drop a few bucks. Again, i don't know if this helps, but figured id mention it, as others do this all the time it seems. As long as you aren't selling a used product as new, I don't see the problem.

dave
 
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