Thorfire s70s acting strangely

So I just picked up a Thorfire s70s.... I've got some shockli 26650s coming but to save a little I opted for the slow ship so they won't be here for a while. I wanted to go ahead and test the light so I dropped 2 Panasonic NCR18650GAs in it and fired it up. Everything worked fine and I was happy. Well it wasn't even dark out yet so all I really did was shine it around my office a little.

While I was waiting for dark I was fiddling with the light and thought I remembered reading a review that said that the square ring on the tail cap was just for using the strap (which I don't plan to use) and to keep the light from rolling if placed on an uneven surface and that it could be removed. So I took it off to see if I preferred it like that. Later when it got dark I went to test the light and the first time or two I turned it on everything went fine. Then I noticed some issues. I thought it wouldn't turn on and thought it must be the battery's not making good connection (flat tops that are raised a little but not button tops). The only button top I have is a cell that was included with a task force light from tsc so I tried it in place of the rear battery. Still no luck.

I think though that when I thought the light wasn't lighting up it was actually just in moonlight mode. The s70s has a main power button on the tail and on the side is a button that turns it on and cycles modes. You click and hold this button to go into moonlight .

Upon further inspection I noticed that without the ring on the tail the tail cap will tighten down a good ways further than with it on. Also that button-top I mentioned earlier is REALLY long. Like the longest 18650 I've ever seen. It's too long to fit in one or 2 of my lights. Could I have spun the tail cap on too far and when combined with the added length of that cell squished things together too much ? Is there some other battery issue I'm missing here?

Currently the light acts really weird. Like if I leave it alone without batteries for a few hours I can drop two in there and the light will act normal the first time I try it. But if I turn it on it may work the second time or it may go into strobe ( achieved by double clicking side switch after tail switch Is clicked ) the third time I turn it off and back on it may strobe or it may go into moonlight (as if I had pressed and held the side switch. Pretty much after the third or fourth attempt the only thing it will do is immediately go into moonlight.

Here's the weird part. If I remove the cells and walk away from it for a few hours and come back, it will work the first time or 2.

Do what do y'all think? Is their just something defective in the light ? Or did I mess it up with the long cell and over screw ? Or are my batteries just not powerful enough to push the light ?

Wow. Thanks for all the input

JWSCottrell said:

Wow. Thanks for all the input

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This is not a common or popular torch around here, so you might need some patience for detailed responses from someone familiar with your particular item.

From your description above, yes, overtightening may well have damaged either the driver board and/or contact surfaces (at one or both ends) and/or batteries.

You might also get more helpful advice by posting close-up detailed macro photos of the internal contact surfaces ( are there springs on one or both ends? ) ... and a photo of the exposed portion of the driver board ... photos of the battery contacts ( are they dented / deformed / damaged? ) ... and a discussion of what happens when you are using different (ie, the correct size and length) batteries.

I've had an S70 for a few years (with grip ring removed) but have only used 26650s with it. The NCR18650GAs I have are button tops and are slightly longer than any of my 26650s. I would think the long springs on the S70 head and tailcap would compress enough to allow NCR18650GA use without damage. Maybe the S70s is different than the S70 in this regard.

Thanks, and sorry if I was rude in my second post. I was just dealing with the frustration that comes when you get a new "brightest light I own" and after researching and dreaming and checking the tracking information every 4 hours and then when it arrives it works just long enough to give you a taste and then the rug gets jerked out from underneath you .

The shockli 5500mah 26650s came and the light is doing the exact same thing

ill post some close up pictures of springs/boards when I get a chance

Your springs look the same as mine and the Shockli 26650 OAL is close to the Vappower and Thorfire 26650's I use. But your batts appear to have more pronounced pressure marks than mine The cut in the head threads showing the driver board looks more jagged than mine but shouldn't matter.
Since my S70 has a different UI than your S70s I can't help with the odd behavior you're experiencing. You might want to contact your dealer and/or Thorfire and see what they say.

Good luck.

I've tried contacting them and not gotten any response .... 😭

JWSCottrell said:

I've tried contacting them and not gotten any response .... 

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Well that sucks. In re-reading your description, it sounds like it may have been a defective light all along. Unless you really torqued with excessive force tightening the tailcap down, I believe the dual spring setup would handle the battery length issue without damaging anything.

That's kind of the conclusion I'm coming to..... but if they can't get back with me I hate to let all that potential go to waiste... I mean I know the emitter and reflector and host , glass, seals etc are all good.... what would be the simplest way to "make it go bang" ? What parts are replaceable? To date I've "repaired" only a few lights just by using the "dis-assemble/reassemble" method, occasionally resoldering a wire or connection but nothing beyond that. I guess I gotta learn somewhere... ok cpf what are my options ? I just want it to make shiny.

That's a tough one unless you have the expertise (I don't) to troubleshoot it, and bypass the failure. Most likely it's a driver board problem and unless you have the time, skill and parts by the time you're done it will have been cheaper & easier to pick up a used one. You might want to start a thread in the appropriate forum about the dealer and Thorfire and see what other's have done to get complaints addressed.

It almost sounds like you may have damaged the circuit board by the fact you were able to screw down the tailcap farther after removing the ring.

Something didn't seem right to me, so I found the "grip ring-strap attachment ring" and installed it. Just as I remembered, the tail cap doesn't screw down farther with the ring removed. With the ring installed, the tail cap bottoms out before touching the "ring". In fact you can loosen the ring and spin it a bit with the tail cap completely tightened down.

Granted, I have an S70 so you'll want to verify this on your S70s but I'd be surprised if they don't fit the same.

SCEMan you are correct.... it doesnt make any difference whether the ring is on there or not ....


And Thorfire did finally respond to my email, and they apologized for the delay. They asked me to make a video of the light acting up.....
and I'll be damned if the ain't working perfectly now....

I dont know, maybe I'm loosing my mind, I would almost be mad at the damn thing for making me look and feel like a fool if I wasn't so tickled that it works now.

as of tonight it works. My best guess is that maybe part of the silicone switch cover or something was depressing the smaller more sensitive side switch and that temperature fluctuation was why it only did it after the light got warm. Now i must have pressed it just right to get it to fall back into proper placement.... Honestly I have no idea.... What I do know is that this light is a beast for the money and as long as it keeps working I'm going to sing its praises. I sure am glad I resisted the temptation to grab soldering gun and go to town playing operation...

Glad it's working properly. It sounds like playing around with dissimilar battery types & voltages might also have played a part. Both to the light's functioning and to your perception of what was occurring. Happens to the best of us sometimes...