Mag85 problem

Hello everyone,

I recently bought the parts to build a Mag85 from litho123 and I have everything together but somthing is wrong. The beam/light is a weak little candle. It's bad enough that the stock mag is brighter. I charged the batteries and waited 15 minutes before installing them. Still, a weak candle. I have tried the batteries in different ways (-) to (+), (+) to (-). everything. Can anyone help?

Most important!!
Look at the side of the battery holders and insert the batteries as pictured. Also, I referenced marked the top/side of the holders so that the top will be positioned properly each time.

Other suggestions sent via PM.
Let me know how it goes.

BTW - What charger are you using?

Funny, I just got done playing with my M@G85 for the first time this evening and had the same problem. Make sure that the Neg end of your last adapter is making sufficient contact with the compression spring of the tailcap? It is amazing what a little aluminum foil can do, it fixed mine right up... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Hey Bakeronfire make sure the threads are free of gunk and stuff.

Hey guys,

The threads are perfectly clear and clean.

Thanks for the tip Dukestar, but aluminum foil didn't do a thing.

I'm testing the battery voltage tomarrow.

When I first loaded my EL 3toD adapters, I loaded them wrongly. They can be very dangerous when wrongly loaded because the cells form a complete circuit and can start charging each other.. luckily I found out with a DMM just as the cells were starting to get warm!!

Inside the cap, the contacts can rotate, especially the long one, and not make good contact.

Check to make sure that they have not done so by taking them apart, after you have checked to see if each individual pack is making 3.6 volts (No load it should actually be closer to 4-4.2 volts).

If they are, then its the contacts in the mag. I drop a copper disc onto the last 3toD neg contact that is about the size of a Sacajawea dollar (slightly larger than a quarter) before putting the end cap on. Some of the 3toD's don't make good contact without that and thus you get poor current flow.

Bill

The two common causes for dim light with this type of mod.

1) Poor contact. The guys have already made good suggestions. By far the most likely scenario.

2) Bad cells. Much less likely but more insidious. Sometimes a cell will show full voltage no-load but drop to near zero under load.

and

0) Are the batteries inserted correctly. You'd be surprised.

Wilkey

The Mag's only native ground is thru the flange on the tail cap and bottom edge of the battery tube. Sometimes some filing/sanding is required to eliminate any anodize reside and allow high currents to flow. Clean it up first and then look for problems.