Dorcy 2-C cell 8-LED

Bought one of these from Target awhile back. Seemed a little dimmer than I expected based on my experience with a couple of their 2AA 4-LED units, but still not bad. Then all of a sudden one evening it went REALLY dim.

Changed the batteries, still really dim. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

Opened it up - all of the solder joints on the LED look ok. Popped out the regular board to have a look-see, found nothing obvious either visually or by smell.

I'm wondering if I cooked something on the regulator board by running it continuously for about 20 minutes... ??
Anyone else have problems with this flashlight?

One of mine did the same thing.
Its not the head with the led's that has the problem. If you look down the battery tube you will see two solder joint areas that ground the circuit board. Both of these joints separated on my light. You simply have to remove these parts and re-solder the two solder joints to make the light work perfectly again.

I've never had the Dorcy 2xC 8xLED flashlight fail this way, but I received *exemplary* customer service from them for an O-ring that broke. And that's far less critical than a dimming output. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Huh, maybe I'll give them a call. Thanks, Craig.

Thanks, Lightdude. I'll take a look at those solder joints.

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PhotonWrangler said:
Huh, maybe I'll give them a call. Thanks, Craig.

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PM sent, regarding contact information for Dorcy. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thanks Craig!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif

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thelightdude said:
One of mine did the same thing.
Its not the head with the led's that has the problem. If you look down the battery tube you will see two solder joint areas that ground the circuit board. Both of these joints separated on my light. You simply have to remove these parts and re-solder the two solder joints to make the light work perfectly again.

[/ QUOTE ]

LightDude, that was exactly the problem.

I popped the regulator board out of my light and soldered a new bead all the way around the perimeter of the board, soldering it to the metal press-fit collar. Then I reassembled and all is well! It's nice and bright now.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thanks.gif

Craig, I think I'm going to write to Dorcy and inform them that there's apparently a manufacturing problem with this model, since two of us here have experienced the same problem for the same reason - cracked solder joints. I think they need to place more than two dabs of solder on the perimeter of the regulator board, since it doesn't seem to hold up to normal use the way that it's shipped.

Had I sent away for a replacement, I probably would've had to perform the same repair anyway, so they should probably tell the guys in the manufacturing plant about this.