Got my Sanwu 1Watt 520 back-POOF!

[WizardG]

Sorry to hear it failed.

But 'smoke out of xxx' is often quite useful to find faults, it's certainly a lot better than just dying without any signs.

If the batteries are okay i'd say that the smoke came from the negative contact spring, board or switch burning out. They should send you a replacement - you did nothing outside of normal operations for the laser but it still burned out.

This stuff does happen - bad spring, bad solder joint, bad switch, but it's always the manufacturer that is to blame if it does as long as you're not doing anything you're not supposed to. Turning it up to full power definitely seems normal operations to me.

If i were Sanwu i'd also pay for the expenses of getting the defective part returned to see what actually burned out so this part of the design can be improved in the future.

Might wanna reread the thread Ben. The OP used two batteries instead of one and killed his laser.

 

[paul1598419]

I'm not certain OP did use two batteries. This was his second one and he knew from the first one what battery it took. If he did use two, then yeah, that was an expensive lesson. I'm waiting to hear back to find out for sure what battery(ies) he used.

 

[WizardG]

I'm not certain OP did use two batteries. This was his second one and he knew from the first one what battery it took. If he did use two, then yeah, that was an expensive lesson. I'm waiting to hear back to find out for sure what battery(ies) he used.

From the OP, at post #3, "Francis is answering-I showed him the batteries- 2X 18350"

2 18350s instead of one 18650. Oops. I've done something similar before. I hooked up a Mazak V7.5 cnc mill to 480V power (like it said to on all the decals and stickers on the tool that said Warning: 480V) only to discover that the taps on the main power transformer had been switched to make the tool run on 240. Spent a day replacing LOTS of MOVs but the tool lived.

 

[paul1598419]

Yeah, if that is correct, he learned a very expensive lesson. I would think that after paying that much money, one would be certain of the type and number of batteries used. There is no warrantee to cover using the wrong cells.

 

[Pelagius]

Hi Podo
Thanks for a satisfactory resolution! Reviewing the orders and emails it
was clear there was mutual confusion. Great service! I will buy more of your lasers-and recommend them.


Francis reviewed the emails-and pointed out where the confusion arose. I switched from the original order of 150 mW 525 to 1Watt 520 Multi.
Most recently, he thought it was 2X 18350 as well-when I returned it-he asked if I wanted to keep 2X 18350 and Multimode OR- go with single mode 1X 18650. I said I wanted to keep Multimode-hence 2X 18350. Which was too much for the driver. There was no mention that it was single 18650 on the final email.
No further emails-so
Confusion on both sides- satisfactory resolution! Thanks
Eric

Hi Pelagius,

We are sorry to hear that.

Your laser is single li-ion battery(1x18650) based so it came with a boost driver, if you put two 18350 batteries and use the laser, that would defintely damage the laser driver itself.

We have contacted you via emails, please check.

 

[Pelagius]

Indeed! There was confusion on both sides-n a very long email chain that suggested that it was 2X 18350- SanWu has been great.

Can I delete the post?

QUOTE=paul1598419;1543953]Yeah, if that is correct, he learned a very expensive lesson. I would think that after paying that much money, one would be certain of the type and number of batteries used. There is no warrantee to cover using the wrong cells.[/QUOTE]

 

[BobMc]

Hi Podo
Thanks for a satisfactory resolution! Reviewing the orders and emails it
was clear there was mutual confusion. Great service! I will buy more of your lasers-and recommend them.


Francis reviewed the emails-and pointed out where the confusion arose. I switched from the original order of 150 mW 525 to 1Watt 520 Multi.
Most recently, he thought it was 2X 18350 as well-when I returned it-he asked if I wanted to keep 2X 18350 and Multimode OR- go with single mode 1X 18650. I said I wanted to keep Multimode-hence 2X 18350. Which was too much for the driver. There was no mention that it was single 18650
No further emails-so
Confusion on both sides- satisfactory resolution! Thanks
Eric

Glad it got worked out, Sanwu does make a great product and you should be throwing photons with the best of them.

 

[Pelagius]

Good resolution from SanWu-ithere were changes- a repair-then an email saying it was 2X 18350- sorted out.
I WOULD suggest a sheet specifying type and direction come with the package-there is nothing-just a well wrapped Laser.

Mutual confusion.

Sorry to hear it failed.

But 'smoke out of xxx' is often quite useful to find faults, it's certainly a lot better than just dying without any signs.

If the batteries are okay i'd say that the smoke came from the negative contact spring, board or switch burning out. They should send you a replacement - you did nothing outside of normal operations for the laser but it still burned out.

This stuff does happen - bad spring, bad solder joint, bad switch, but it's always the manufacturer that is to blame if it does as long as you're not doing anything you're not supposed to. Turning it up to full power definitely seems normal operations to me.

If i were Sanwu i'd also pay for the expenses of getting the defective part returned to see what actually burned out so this part of the design can be improved in the future.

 

[paul1598419]

I just had a feeling there was more to this story. Eric had the laser prior to this and should have known from this what batteries it takes. If they sent you back an email confirming the use of two 18350 batteries, then you shouldn't shoulder all the blame here. At any rate, in the future you should make certain you KNOW what battery(ies) your laser takes before using it even if they were not clear in your email. I have found that all Chinese sellers are not that familiar with the products they sell. If you switch products in the middle of a repair there is all the more reason to make absolutely sure before you use it.

 

[Pelagius]

Absolutely.

I just had a feeling there was more to this story. Eric had the laser prior to this and should have known from this what batteries it takes. If they sent you back an email confirming the use of two 18350 batteries, then you shouldn't shoulder all the blame here. At any rate, in the future you should make certain you KNOW what battery(ies) your laser takes before using it even if they were not clear in your email. I have found that all Chinese sellers are not that familiar with the products they sell. If you switch products in the middle of a repair there is all the more reason to make absolutely sure before you use it.

 

[Pelagius]

Sanwu has suggested a good resolution for this. I have shipped the module back. The confusion was mutual-certainly not one sided. I'm wondering if I should ask to have the thread deleted-or just leave it as a cautionary tale-and record of great customer service?
Podo-what say?

 

[Benm]

Don't have it deleted.

If it's unclear what batteries are to be used in a product, that should be made clear in a manual or something like that. It could even be marked on the device itself to avoid any confusion: on most consumer devices it's even marked what way around to put in AA batteries, even if it's almost impossible to get them in the wrong way around making an electrical connection.

And yeah, two 16350/18350 cells often fit into a barrel designed to hold a single 18650 cell. Both configurations are fairly common as well, so it's a mistake easily made.

Something similar could happen if you have a product that is intended to run of a standard 1.5 volt AA cell, but you decide to put a 3.7 volt 14500 lithium cell in it, just because it fits.

Added to that, making a circuit that protects from moderate over-voltage is a but more difficult that one that protects from reverse voltage as well.

 

[Pelagius]

Benm,

Sanwu does plan making this right. Which is why I will buy more- BTW: I also just got my SanWu 492 mm 150 mW.
Another issue-as someone new-is that I read that 18350 is 350 mm and 18650 is 650 mm. I also did not realize that "Protected" meant a 650 mm length battery-that was approx 700 mm (which does not follow the 350=350 mm and 650=650 mm convention).

So my "18650" battery was too short-more. I do recommend a single sheet be included stating the batteries to be used and a direction for insertion.
My new NiteCore 18650 (really 18690) are just about done charging. I did a quick ignition test at 3.9 V-gorqeous!

Don't have it deleted.

If it's unclear what batteries are to be used in a product, that should be made clear in a manual or something like that. It could even be marked on the device itself to avoid any confusion: on most consumer devices it's even marked what way around to put in AA batteries, even if it's almost impossible to get them in the wrong way around making an electrical connection.

And yeah, two 16350/18350 cells often fit into a barrel designed to hold a single 18650 cell. Both configurations are fairly common as well, so it's a mistake easily made.

Something similar could happen if you have a product that is intended to run of a standard 1.5 volt AA cell, but you decide to put a 3.7 volt 14500 lithium cell in it, just because it fits.

Added to that, making a circuit that protects from moderate over-voltage is a but more difficult that one that protects from reverse voltage as well.

 

[WizardG]

Good on ya' Pelagius for bringing this to the forum and working through the problem without flaming podo. We've seen a few cases of people coming here after, for example, putting in the battery backwards, and absolutely going off on the manufacturer for not giving them a full refund or a new laser. Reps for politeness. Sanwu does have great customer service.

 

[paul1598419]

I don't think this thread should be deleted either. It contains good information about the perils of buying a laser and not being certain which batteries it takes or the polarity. I have never understood why Chinese sellers refuse to even add a slip of paper telling one about the batteries, but they don't. Of the lasers I own that I did not build myself, I have always been sure of the battery type and their polarity. If there was ever any doubt, I would contact the seller before using the laser, but that was quite a few years ago now.

 

[Pelagius]

It's back. In full power mode-gorgeous bright grass green! And yes- single 700 mm Long Protected "18650" Nitecore 3500 mAH battery changed to 4.2 Volts on my trusty Nitecore charger.

I took a deep breath and wanted to switch to low power mode and half power- After many trials I got it to switch modes- but only to SOS-where it was stuck. Then after several half press sequences it went DARK.
until I swapped the tail-Cap power button from my other Challenger 2. Then it was briefly stuck in STROBE. After more fumbling I got it to what is either half or full power.

So it looks like my tail cap switch may need replacing.
" Multi-operation mode (no safety lock)
Performs these sequences within the first three seconds after the laser is on to enter different operation modes:

Three half presses: Low power mode
Four half presses: Half power mode
Five half presses: Strobe mode
Six half presses: Full power mode
Seven half presses: SOS mode

The laser memorizes the operation mode that being used for more than five seconds so you don't have to enter the exact combination to switch to a specific operation mode in later use. "