Drop in issues/replacement help

Good day guys, I am going to explain the issue I am having. Several years ago I purchased a Sportac SF Triple Nichia 219, 2.7v-9v drop in for my work light. The issue is, the light when I go to turn it on, turns on but then the brightness disappears as though it has shut off. But when you look at the LED's, and they are on, but the brightness is 0.5 lumens at best. I give the light a whack on a desk and it will go back to bright. I have attempted to contact Sportac, but no reply.

So my question is, where can I purchases a new triple or quad P60 drop in, same or similar lumens/output as the sportac, similar beam (flood) and must be able to handle 7.4V (2 x 3.7v rcr123's). Body is not bored to fit an 18650, so have to stick with the rechargeable 123's. I'd also like to stick to a reasonable price.

Anyone here who makes them?

First things first. You say whacking it helped, leads me to believe there is some contact issue. Have you cleaned everything and making sure everything is tight?

Yes, don't give up so soon.
Try wrapping some aluminium foil around the outside of the drop in until it is a tight fit in the host.
Obviously, keep the foil away from the positive spring ot you'll have a short.
There have been enless posts on here about contact issues with P60s and various hosts, so it's a common problem.
If this works, but you'd like a more workmanlike solution, use some copper tape instead.
Please let us know if this cures your problem.

Customlites.com for some very nice P60s, but you won't need them.
P

The ole whack a palm syndrome returns.

Yup probably a contact issue that can be solved by doing what Pete said.

What light is it you use?

After a brief web search, it appears Sportac still makes triple dropins. You won't realistically find one cheaper. Though there are plenty of pricier ones. Light not bored? Maybe look at 16650's while you're at it...

If the old wack the palm works it's got to be a contact issue. Oh the good old days 😁

Thank you very much for the replies everyone. I will look into the contacts, clean the battery ends and the drop in contact point with rubbing alcohol, let it dry and see if this helps. Then try the foil route if need be.

There were two SportTac dropin form factors; P60-shape (tapered) for SureFire bodies, and the straight-body to fit the imported clones (Solarforce etc).

So we know all the info, which of the two form factors are you using ?

Edit: Despite the majority opinion being a connection fault external to the dropin (myself included), there is a chance of an internal connection fault developing - these dropins were very cheaply built, even the circuit board traces were marginal at best. I had a couple before getting them to friends for cheap high-output builds.

OK, re-reading your post, I have an idea. You say that the body isn't 18mm bored, so I'm going to guess a Surefire flashlight.

So I'm also going to go out on a limb and guess you are perhaps using a non-SureFire head bezel assembly?
The SureFire Z44 head has a smaller internal 'Z' dimension compared to the Solarforce head/bezel - I have personally measured & documented this.

I can guarantee you that the electrical connection to the dropin is marginal to begin with, if you are using a SureFire body and a Solarforce/Etc head/bezel assembly.

So, please clarify as to which flashlight body, which head/bezel assembly, and the dropin shape.
Also, if the bezel ring has been substituted, along with the internal o-rings - there is a lot that can go wrong here.

Pictures would be of great help on this topic, FWIW. Thanks & Best regards,

Please note the two diagrams I had put together for SureFire parts:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fcp3ono3o6f2r5w/SF 6P body _ head end.bmp?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ev2nimtomftpjel/SF head_bezel.bmp?dl=0

Specifically, please note the "H1" dimension in the SureFire Z44, of 1.050" - this dimension is /greater/ in the Solarforce head/bezel assemblies, and therein lies the problem - unless you are using all-Surefire parts.

Kaidomain has a large, cheap selection of triples

I use Scout head adapter rings from Malkoff to "shove" the drop in farther back into the head on SolarForce heads and it takes away the inconsistant connection. It goes between the lens and drop in.