Dorcy, 2C, 8 LED, low output?

Greetings,

A year or two ago I picked up a couple of Dorcy 2C 8 LED flashlights for my kids. I figured the long runtimes would be good for scout camp. The both kids recently started complaining about how dim the flashlights were. I figured it was just weak batteries and a tendency to whine. I popped in a fresh set of Duracells (2010 exp, tested slightly above 1.5vdc on a vom). There was a minimal improvement. I grabbed another set of Duracells from a different package. Same result.

In a dark room in our house I compared the 8 LED Dorcy with fresh batteries against my Gerber Sonic (1AAA, 1 LED) and Infinity (1AA, 1 LED). The Infinity was several orders brighter than the Dorcy. The little Sonic blew the Dorcy away.

I've opened up the flashlight, cleaned all the contact surfaces with a pencil eraser, then finished up with a light film of penetrox conductive grease (my secret weapon for all dim flashlights). No help this time.

These were not cheap or inexpensive flashlights for kids and I'm trying to figure out how both (purchased at different stores, about 6 months apart) have succumbed to an identical brightness failure. I did a search here on the LED forum and no mention of others with the same problem.

Any clue what is going on here? I don't have receipts for either so warranty repair is probably out.

Thanks,

TR, (Hoping he didn't throw $60+tax down a LED hole).

There are two solder joints on a ring near the positive terminal.

You can see them by looking down the tube

Take out the batteries and unscrew the head.

On two of my lights these solder joints separated.

If you resolder them the light works fine.

There are two solder joints on a ring near the positive terminal.

You can see them by looking down the tube

Take out the batteries and unscrew the head.

On two of my lights these solder joints separated.

If you resolder them the light works fine.

Click to expand...

TLD,

On your flashlights were the LEDs dim or did it fail to light?

I have looked down the tube and see a ring with 2 solder joints. The solder joints look like they may have separated. I removed the head, but that didn't seem to help me get to the solder joints. Did you remove the assembly in the end of the tube, or did you put a solder iron down the tube to resolder? (That would seem to be a bit tricky).

Thank you for the help, TR

The head that comes off is not the problem.

I believe I pushed out the assembly (white paper) that holds the spring.
It is the two solder joints in this assembly that separated. The light never failed. It was just dim do to a poor "ground" to the flashlight body. If you re-solder the two contacts to the ring it will work as new. I have a picture I sent another CPF member. I can email it to you.

pizzaman said:

TLD,

On your flashlights were the LEDs dim or did it fail to light?

I have looked down the tube and see a ring with 2 solder joints. The solder joints look like they may have separated. I removed the head, but that didn't seem to help me get to the solder joints. Did you remove the assembly in the end of the tube, or did you put a solder iron down the tube to resolder? (That would seem to be a bit tricky).

Thank you for the help, TR

Click to expand...

The head that comes off is not the problem.

I believe I pushed out the assembly (white paper) that holds the spring.
It is the two solder joints in this assembly that separated. The light never failed. It was just dim do to a poor "ground" to the flashlight body. If you re-solder the two contacts to the ring it will work as new. I have a picture I sent another CPF member. I can email it to you.

Click to expand...

TLD,

You da man:goodjob:

I used a dowel and a small tack hammer to pop the assembly out of the tube. The contact ring immediately separated from the pc board. It appears they do a lousy job of soldering and the pressure of the batteries against the pc board finally fatigues the solder joint. This should be an easy fix from here.

Thank you, TR