AA maglite won't switch off

Paper Lawyer

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Hi, I only came across CPF a few weeks ago but I soon decided to see what the fuss was about with the Luxeons and bought a Nexgen 750mA TW0J from the Sandwich Shoppe for my maglite AA.

It's much brighter than the stock bulb but the only problem is that its hard to switch off, it really needs to be tightened quite hard.

I originally used the maglite without the retaining ring and I've since tried it with the retaining ring firmly tucked behind the LE, and also tried different AA batteries to see if the first set were longer than average, but to no avail.

I've considered buying a kroll switch but I don't want to lose the tail standing ability unless I'm left with no choice.

For completeness, I should point out that the maglite is proabbly ten years old, has seen little action but has not worked for several years becuase it would not switch on - when I dissembled it for the sandwich a little clip dropped out from the underside of the switch and I assume that was linked to the fault.

Can anyone point out the silly oversight on my part? :shrug:

Thanks

Craig
 

Ledean

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You re right .That little clip is crutial to the switch mechanism. The bulb gets the negative contact from that small metal piece.
Did you file the reflector to use in the nexgen sandwich or did you use 17 mm or 20 mm reflector. If the reflector is not filed correctly you will have trouble switching it off.
See the link below.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/83903.
Getting one of the reflectors will solve the switching problem.
 

greenLED

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Ledean said:
You re right .That little clip is crutial to the switch mechanism.
Yeah, but only when using the stock bulb. He's already got a sammie in there. I'm assuming the lip came out of the stock switch, right?

Paper Lawyer said:
I've since tried it with the retaining ring firmly tucked behind the LE
Do you have a flat, metal retaining ring holding the sammie? or is it a small o-ring? Regardless, if it's firmly tucked behind the sammie, most likely it's pushing the sammie hard against the miniMag's lip (+ contact), thus closing the circuit and turning the LED on. That could be why you're having so much trouble turning it off. Try pulling the retaining ring back a little (0.5mm will do); take the miniMag head off and look at the sammie, there should be some separation between it and the top lip of the light.

Another idea, did you get an optic or a reflector with your sammie? Centering those can be a pain sometimes. Do you have all the extra o-rings to center and hold everything in place? This may also affect your switching. Like Ledean said, if you filed the reflector a hair too short, you'll have trouble switching off.

Can't think of anything else right now.
Oh, yeah, welcome to CPF!
 
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Paper Lawyer

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Thanks guy (and for the welcome :) ) - I have an NX05 and I have the rubber retaining ring pushed up tight against the LE, perhaps too tight. The clip was indeed discarded wit hte rest of the original switch. Hmmm, now to get that retaining ring out...I'm sure Wayne mentions how to do this on his website...off to have a look....
 

greenLED

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Grab a paper clip and extend it full length.
Bend one end 90 degrees.
Insert your high-tech o-ring extracting tool into the minimag tube, and fish around for the o-ring.

Centering the NX-05 can be a [censored]. Make sure the o-ring for the optic is in front of it (against the lens) before tightening the bezel. It's a balancing act sometimes, trial and error.
 

Paper Lawyer

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Right, I double checked Wayne's instructions and reassembled the optic into the head. I also removed the batteires and pushed the LE down into the battery tube a few millimetres and reinstalled batteries (which pushed the LE almost to its orginal position, as you would expect) - no difference :( I then pushed the batteries firmly in to push the retaning ring and LE up tight, still a problem :(

TBH, I'm not quite sure how the switch exactly works?? Does the screwing down of the bezel force the LE down, thereby breaking the contact of the LE with the lip of the battery tube around the LE? What a newbie! :naughty:
 

Ledean

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"Centering the NX-05 can be a [censored]. "
Green led is right. The optic will have too much space to move around .

As you have explained you have trouble it switchng off . In order to do this the bezel of the minimag should push the sandwich down therby breaking contact . The top part of the sandwich makes contact with the body for the negative contact . The positive part is always connected.
I guess yo have trouble to push down the sandwich cause the optic may be short.
Getting one of the reflectors I mentioned will solve the problem .

To push the sandwich down you can also use a drinking straw and pust it down. The straw sits around the luxeon and does not damage it.
 

Paper Lawyer

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:bow:

Sorted guys - with your logical explanation of how it all works I really tightened down the bezel and it must have pushed the optic (and therefore the LE) down that crucial additional millimetre :)

Thanks guys! :candle:
 

Nitroz

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Paper Lawyer said:
:bow:

Sorted guys - with your logical explanation of how it all works I really tightened down the bezel and it must have pushed the optic (and therefore the LE) down that crucial additional millimetre :)

Thanks guys! :candle:
I was about to suggest you stick a streamlight jr. type clicky on the tail. I modified one with a lux 1 and put a clicky on the tail.
 

Pellidon

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One other consideration is a maglite that old might not screw down as much as today's units. You still have the o-ring and optic behind the original lens? It can work with the optic bare to the world but the lens-new ring-optic combo will offer more protrusion of the optic to the rear. And protection to the optic. Also clean the threads on the body and head. It might be crudded up after all this time with old o-ring goo and dirt and such.

Back the tailcap off a half turn and see if it gets better. The tailcap and spring might offer too much forward pressure to keep the works in contact. If it is touching the battery with complete compression of the spring, the tube assembly is too short for the thickness of the sandwich. Give it some space, see if it works better and then get a new body.

Added: Chuck the head in the freezer. I have had them unscrew after a few minutes there.
 
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