p60 drop in with a short spring

mousemouse

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Aug 8, 2015
Messages
8
I just got a Nailbender XP-G2 single mode drop in and have some questions. The drop in won't work on the stock Surefire C2 I was planning on using it on. I removed the bigger spring and just used the smaller spring to fully screw in the head. I tried 2xcr123 primaries and an unprotected 17670 (flat top) and both setups won't light up.

I put the drop in with the bigger spring in a Solarforce L2 host and it wouldn't light up without me trimming or removing the bigger spring and using an 18650 which is a little longer than the 17670. I think that the issue is probably with the spring contact, as the smaller spring is about 2-3mm shorter than my other drop ins. Any work wround? Can I safely stretch the small spring? An extension for the contact?
 

RedLED

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 5, 2006
Messages
3,599
Location
Palm Springs, CA, Beverly Hills, CA, Washington, D
Contact NB, he will take care of it. I have many Nail Benders, and they all work. Just some sort of strange proplem. Why not take the longer spring and stretch the hell,out of It?

Do call nail bender! the dropins from him I have are amazing!

Problem solved!

Oh, wait you may need a spacer, call bender!
 

mousemouse

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Aug 8, 2015
Messages
8
thanks! I will try to carefully stretch the short spring later, hopefully i don't break the solders. If I attach the outer spring, the short spring is recessed below the outer spring length. Its much shorter than my other p60 assemblies. I will try to contact NB but if I can do something now, I'd rather do that as I live in asia and shipping is going to be a problem.

Contact NB, he will take care of it. I have many Nail Benders, and they all work. Just some sort of strange proplem. Why not take the longer spring and stretch the hell,out of It?

Do call nail bender! the dropins from him I have are amazing!

Problem solved!

Oh, wait you may need a spacer, call bender!
 

Str8stroke

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 27, 2013
Messages
5,032
Location
On The Black Pearl
are you sure its the center spring (positive contact) that is the problem? It sounds like it may be the outer (negative/ground) that may be your issue? Can you check that?
 

mousemouse

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Aug 8, 2015
Messages
8
are you sure its the center spring (positive contact) that is the problem? It sounds like it may be the outer (negative/ground) that may be your issue? Can you check that?

I was able to correspond with NB and I guess I shorted the module, thats why the spring is compressed permanently. Probably due to non-use of outer spring and dubious batts. Although transferring it to a solarforce host, it weirdly doesnt work 100% of the time if I have the outer spring in place and use an 18650, and cr123. If i remove the outer spring, it works as it should. Any ideas on the ground issue you mentioned? At this point, with all the damage i think i have done, the module is hard to trust in a light which can be used for emergencies so I'd be very willing to try new things lol
 

m4a1usr

Enlightened
Joined
May 4, 2013
Messages
884
Location
Washington State
I was able to correspond with NB and I guess I shorted the module, thats why the spring is compressed permanently. Probably due to non-use of outer spring and dubious batts. Although transferring it to a solarforce host, it weirdly doesnt work 100% of the time if I have the outer spring in place and use an 18650, and cr123. If i remove the outer spring, it works as it should. Any ideas on the ground issue you mentioned? At this point, with all the damage i think i have done, the module is hard to trust in a light which can be used for emergencies so I'd be very willing to try new things lol

Sounds like your having connectivity issues with the outer spring and or the bottom of the pill making contact. After market D26 and P60 LED modules can (and do) have issues with a bunch of the Surefire lights due to the lamp holder design. It's not uncommon. A Solar Force host has a straight wall inner area and works well with a full length outer spring whereas a Surefire typically has a tapered one and might need a bit of an assist . Depending on the OAL of the drop in you might only need a thin copper ring to allow the pill to seat correctly down into the lamp holder.

Since it sounds like its working in different arrangements between your Surefire and your SolarForce hosts maybe a bit more detailed info is needed to assist you. Some basic questions answered might give us a clue. Does your C2 have a Z32 or a Z44 head/bezel? The Z32 is a shock absorbing head and may have some dimensioning issues properly seating the drop in. A Z44 would just cinch it down.

When I build P60 LED drop in's for customers the one light that seems to give the most issues is with the G2/ G3 series. That's due to the design where the conductor/ battery tube is built into the host body. Usually only requires a .020 or .032 copper ring put down into the lamp holder section prior to installing the drop in.
 
Last edited:

scs

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 9, 2015
Messages
1,803
When I build P60 LED drop in's for customers the one light that seems to give the most issues is with the G2/ G3 series. That's due to the design where the conductor/ battery tube is built into the host body. Usually only requires a .020 or .032 copper ring put down into the lamp holder section prior to installing the drop in.

I just tape a couple of short pieces of copper foil across the top lip of the metal sleeve. Seems to work perfectly so far. The brass pill makes solid contact with the sleeve through the foil and the thin foil allows the head to be screwed all the way down.
 

mousemouse

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Aug 8, 2015
Messages
8
Its got the stock Z44 head. The problem now is that I kinda cooked the spring at the shortest position due to an electrical short. I will look into cannibalizing or getting a replacement spring for this. The good news is that it still works if it has contact and nothing exploded.

Sounds like your having connectivity issues with the outer spring and or the bottom of the pill making contact. After market D26 and P60 LED modules can (and do) have issues with a bunch of the Surefire lights due to the lamp holder design. It's not uncommon. A Solar Force host has a straight wall inner area and works well with a full length outer spring whereas a Surefire typically has a tapered one and might need a bit of an assist . Depending on the OAL of the drop in you might only need a thin copper ring to allow the pill to seat correctly down into the lamp holder.

Since it sounds like its working in different arrangements between your Surefire and your SolarForce hosts maybe a bit more detailed info is needed to assist you. Some basic questions answered might give us a clue. Does your C2 have a Z32 or a Z44 head/bezel? The Z32 is a shock absorbing head and may have some dimensioning issues properly seating the drop in. A Z44 would just cinch it down.

When I build P60 LED drop in's for customers the one light that seems to give the most issues is with the G2/ G3 series. That's due to the design where the conductor/ battery tube is built into the host body. Usually only requires a .020 or .032 copper ring put down into the lamp holder section prior to installing the drop in.
 
Top