VIP problem, please advise

As the original VIP threads are soooo loooong I thought I would ask this question on its own. Sorry if this has been previously addressed, but I wasn't able to find an answer in my skimming of the original threads.

I just received my first VIP last week and am not sure its operating correctly. The issue is with the switch and the three output levels. It seems that when the battery can no longer support high, the light gets stuck in medium and the switch stops working. The switch works again if I put in a fresh cell, however, when a cell that's down to 2.7V - 2.9V (which will still fire up my ARC4+ on level 1) is put in, the switch stops working again! I think I should at least be able to switch from medium to low, but no go! Actually at this point if I turn the light on in low, I get low; switch to med and I get medium, but then the switch dies and the light is stuck in medium again. Also, I am not seeing any light pulses. High should pulse when there isn't enough juice, asking to be turned down to medium, this is not happening. Same thing should happen in medium, but again this is not happening.

So what is the correct operation of the electronics?

Option (1) when the battery can no longer support high, the light gets stuck in medium and must be turned off and switched to low and then fired up again to get the lower setting?

or

Option (2) when the battery can no longer support high, it should only flash in high, and give me the option of both medium and low on the fly without having to turn the light off to make the selection. It should also only strobe in high if that setting is selected.

I though it should be option 2 but I could be wrong. Is there something wrong with my understanding of the light or the light itself? (Might need to get one of those extra VIP drivers that George pulled out of the closet)

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Matthew

BTW this light is awesome!!!! Great work Charlie; fit, finish, ergonomics and design are all superb, and once you try the bulkhead you'll never go back!!!

Matt, sounds like you have a "dirty" switch. Send it back for a free service. E-me for snail addy.

BTW if you Just got it, then I presume you were not the original owner? No need to answer here, will discuss w/you via e-mail.

Interesting, my VIP did exactly that same thing over the weekend. I replaced the battery and all was fine again. I am the original owner and I really don't believe I have a dirty switch, but I dunnnow???? It hasn't been in an environment that should lead to a dirty switch, unless the HAT did some undisclosed special testing, that is.

It may not be a bad thing in that it lets me know when the battery is about shot. If I am going to use the VIP for an extended period it will warn me that I either need to replace the battery or at least grab a spare.

Terry

Mine has been like that since I first got it and I'm the original owner. Somtimes it will switch from medium to low. But mostly it gets stuck in a setting that is neither medium or low no matter what. If I put in low while it's off it will sometimes come up low and sometimes ultra low. As soon as I replace the batteries it's fine again. Now that I have the AA body I don't use anything else but I had the same symptoms with the CR123. If I happen to be on high when the battery starts going out it does flash. But I almost always am in medium mode.

Unless it dies completely I'm loath to send it in as I always carry this light and have become quite dependent on it. It scared me the first couple of times it happened but since it's fine with new batteries I just accept it as a unique characteristic of my VIP.

BTW Mr. Bulk I never posted it but this is the coolest light I have ever had. I was on here a year and half before I succumbed to one of the custom mods here and the VIP has exceeded every expectation.

Mutie

Mine does that exact same thing.

I can switch between all levels with fresh cell when light is on -- untill the cell won't support high.

Then it goes to Med, but it defaults to medium in such a fashion that I cannot toggle between medium and low any more. I can switch between the 2 levels if I shut the light off, turn the switch to desired level, and then turn the light back on.

This happened from the get-go, of course I'm only on my second battery /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif multi-levels rock!

I just assumed this was normal. I did get my light direct from MR Bulk (when he released those last 6 or so he found in a box).

Is that normal?

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Mutie said:
Unless it dies completely I'm loath to send it in as I always carry this light and have become quite dependent on it. It scared me the first couple of times it happened but since it's fine with new batteries I just accept it as a unique characteristic of my VIP.

BTW Mr. Bulk I never posted it but this is the coolest light I have ever had. I was on here a year and half before I succumbed to one of the custom mods here and the VIP has exceeded every expectation. Mutie


[/ QUOTE ]

My sentiments EXACTLY! I've had an awesome Mr. Bulk experince, both the product and the service /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif

I can't wait till I get my LH /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Unfortunately although you can still get to both lower levels with a spent battery, on some VIPs you have to Start at that level and switch the light on. I misread M_R's initial post in my rush to reassure him I would take care of it ("when the battery can no longer support high") and presumed it was doing it all the time.

Still though, a little investment in some Caig's ProGold L100 (MUST be "100", any other lower number indicates a dilution to that percentage) is a worthwhile consideration, applying it according to directions on all contact surfaces and especially the internals of the Kroll switch which is a high internal resistance item (voltage drop of up to 1/3rd Volt before Caig!). This leads the circuit to believe battery life is fading when in fact it may not be, so clean it with Caig when you feel it's dirty and it will improve battery life before dropping into a true non-High phase.

To all-
I had the same problem. And my batteries were barely lasting 5 minutes on high. All I did was get some progold and it started to work perfect...then I woke up one morning and the VIP was dead. I put the battery in all my other flashlights and it worked fine. So you know what I did to fix it? I wiped off the spring on the kroll and the battery end. The VIP worked fine after that. Anytime it acts up, I wipe off the battery and the spring and it works again.

Good luck everyone-

fleegs

Good story fleegs and you're right, the VIP is driven hard enough that the Kroll, which works fine in less demanding applications, must be kept as clean and free-flowing as possible...

(*Sigh*[/i]...this Kroll will be the death of me yet)...RAM switch, anyone? I just happen to know that DarkGear has this hard-to-find and/or too-expensive alternate switch - in stock!

What is DarkGear's site?

Bill

In my personal experience, RAM's suck too! (Based on one unit.)

Larry

Thanks for the input guy's. I'm glade it isn't anything serious. Now I need to source some Caig's ProGold L100 here in Canada

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M_R said:
Thanks for the input guy's. I'm glade it isn't anything serious. Now I need to source some Caig's ProGold L100 here in Canada

[/ QUOTE ]

You can also buy it online here.

Sorry I don't have the Ram switch on my website but if anyone would like one... I have them for $4.50 + $3.85 shipping in the USA email me at [email protected]

tvodrd - Mr Bulk had the same experience as you with Ram switches. He had over half of them fail out of the package. I have to believe that he had a bad batch because I have sold dozens without one return yet. *crossed fingers now*

Best regards,
Randy

I'm getting longer runtimes on High with the twisty.

Brightnorm

Yes the Twisty bypasses ALL voltage drop within reason. But the RAM seems to have more conductivity than the Kroll as well, although if you get one from a bad batch...although I am sure Randy will test each one before shipping - eh, Randy? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif

I've got three Ram switches and I don't like them either.

you lose what water resistance the light had with kroll.

Has anyone else noticed the new design Kroll switches on Streamlight Jr. base is aluminum instead of plastic. seems to be much better built!!

Metal? Same thread pitch? Have you tried this new Kroll switch with the VIP? That would certainly eliminate one of the resistance problems.

Bill

rats thread OD on plastic kroll is .6190

thread OD on new aluminum kroll is .6280

just ruined my new switch trying chase out threads. no good way to hold it.