Jim H
Member
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2020
- Messages
- 86
- Points
- 18
Well, I have had issues with this 200 mw 405nm off and on for a while. Usually it stuck on, sometimes it flickered, sometimes it wouldn't come on. It finally decided to stay off for good. I unscrewed the tube, and then proceeded to bang the open end of the battery compartment as hard as I could against a cutting board. Slowly, the diode and driver worked themselves out. The switch on the board didn't move, and seemed to be down as far as it could go. Using my microscope and an exacto knife, I shaved carefully at the plastic holding the metal retainer plate on the switch, then pulled the switch apart. The middle contact in the main body looked black and pitted, and somewhat melted down into the body. The top contact had melted plastic on a good portion of it.
The patient...
I didn't think to take a pic before I tried cleaning it a little, but you can see it is more pitted than the ones on either side.
The black portion, and melted plastic.
I cleaned the plastic and black off of it, and then tried to shave the plastic down a little, so it wouldn't hit the body. I also shaved the body down between the contacts. I tested it before putting it back in, and it didn't work. Looking carefully, I saw the solder joints had broken at the spring(+) connection, and one lead of the diode where they connect to the circuit board. I re-soldered them and this time it worked
I reassembled, put the batteries in, and it still works, although it sometimes sticks on, but stays off if I turn the key off and on. The switch doesn't feel like it did when new, so I think I will eventually have to find another, or solder the contacts together and just use the key to turn it on and off. But I am happy it will work for a while more now.
The patient...
I didn't think to take a pic before I tried cleaning it a little, but you can see it is more pitted than the ones on either side.
The black portion, and melted plastic.
I cleaned the plastic and black off of it, and then tried to shave the plastic down a little, so it wouldn't hit the body. I also shaved the body down between the contacts. I tested it before putting it back in, and it didn't work. Looking carefully, I saw the solder joints had broken at the spring(+) connection, and one lead of the diode where they connect to the circuit board. I re-soldered them and this time it worked
I reassembled, put the batteries in, and it still works, although it sometimes sticks on, but stays off if I turn the key off and on. The switch doesn't feel like it did when new, so I think I will eventually have to find another, or solder the contacts together and just use the key to turn it on and off. But I am happy it will work for a while more now.