Spartan 1W beam issues & burning smells

Hello, I received A Spartan 1W less than a week ago, and for a day it was working fine. I didn't measure the "dot" when I first started, but it was comparable to pictures that others have posted, a thin, short, line.

It's not like that anymore, when turned on now it's much larger, and it expands in a few minutes to a bar 2cm X 1.5cm @ 15 feet.



It has had less than 20 minutes of run time total, and never more than a few minutes at a time.

The beam comes out at an angle as well. by rotating it, it makes a "circle" ~8 inches @ 15 feet.

I'm also getting a burning smell from the battery tube.

When I first got it, I had to stretch the battery spring, it wasn't long enough to make contact with the batteries.

I wanted to see what your opinions were, but I'm pretty sure I am going to have to return it for a replacement.

Thank you in advance for any kind of help or advice you can provide.

Did you drop it or anything like that?

No, I've handled it with great care. I'm not sure what prompted it to change, but I don't think it was any external influence.

All right, I'm going to email Frank and see what it's going to take to return this for a replacement.

Burning smell means something is wrong with the batteries or the driver usually. What batteries did you use?

Prototype said:

Burning smell means something is wrong with the batteries or the driver usually. What batteries did you use?

Click to expand...

I have a few sets of the recommended yellow Tenergy Lifepo batteries. Its not the batteries, they don't smell and they are only getting slightly warm to the touch.

It's definitely coming from the laser, I'm assuming the driver.

You mentioned stretching the spring.
Perhaps something is shorting. A burning smell or smoke is not a good sign.

RA_pierce said:

You mentioned stretching the spring.
Perhaps something is shorting. A burning smell or smoke is not a good sign.

Click to expand...

I just had to lengthen it by maybe 1/8", everything around the spring is plastic, so that isn't shorting. I'm assuming that something is wrong with the driver. Maybe the driver is heating up, causing some heat expansion, affecting the focus? Sound likely?

Although the host isn't getting hot, just warm.

But yeah, it isn't a faint burning smell, no magic blue smoke though.