Potential bore light found
03-25-2007, 04:13 PM
#23
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
RE: Potential bore light found
yeoman
With my digital voltmeter says the batteries measure 1.595vdcand mine are about a year old - working good though.
Mine are "energizers" with the number 392/384 on them.
This is a pic of all the parts..
#3 the diode - has two leads from it:
1 lead is bent & lies on top of the card at the bottom of the diode
2 lead goes through the hole in the card and is bent to hold the card on the diode - BUT does not touch the side of the case - it should only touch the battery...
#4 the threaded part s screwed down inside the body around the diode and contacts the diode leg on top of the card. This serves to ground that leg to the body.
#5 the knurled ring holds the threaded ring in the case where make contact with diode leg.
If you look inside the body you will see the bottom portion of the body (battery compartment) is lined with a black rubber lining. the batteries can not go above the insulator when you screw the bottom contact in or the batteries will just short out and no light...
The assembly of this is toughy you have to get it just right... in actuallity the diode is fairly tough but assemble can be a bear... assembly and have the diode work...
With my digital voltmeter says the batteries measure 1.595vdcand mine are about a year old - working good though.
Mine are "energizers" with the number 392/384 on them.
This is a pic of all the parts..
#3 the diode - has two leads from it:
1 lead is bent & lies on top of the card at the bottom of the diode
2 lead goes through the hole in the card and is bent to hold the card on the diode - BUT does not touch the side of the case - it should only touch the battery...
#4 the threaded part s screwed down inside the body around the diode and contacts the diode leg on top of the card. This serves to ground that leg to the body.
#5 the knurled ring holds the threaded ring in the case where make contact with diode leg.
If you look inside the body you will see the bottom portion of the body (battery compartment) is lined with a black rubber lining. the batteries can not go above the insulator when you screw the bottom contact in or the batteries will just short out and no light...
The assembly of this is toughy you have to get it just right... in actuallity the diode is fairly tough but assemble can be a bear... assembly and have the diode work...
03-25-2007, 04:57 PM
#24
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 973
RE: Potential bore light found
SL- that looks exactly like one I have. Mine had just one battery, which I've now lost. The diode is really a bit junky. Made in China? Taiwan? Anyhow, thanks for the info. I may get a battery for it. Hey, any reason I can't test the diode with a 1.5 volt AAA, AA or A battery before spending $4 to find out the diode's bad?
03-25-2007, 05:24 PM
#25
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
RE: Potential bore light found
yeoman
You can test it with a couple of 1.5vold batteries... but all the ones I have seen take two batteries... sacked on top of each other - in series so it takes 3 volts to illuminate the diode... but just in case start with one battery... Remember if it does not illuminate with the leads in one direction then reverse the leads... if that does not work go with two batteries in series for more voltage...
You can test it with a couple of 1.5vold batteries... but all the ones I have seen take two batteries... sacked on top of each other - in series so it takes 3 volts to illuminate the diode... but just in case start with one battery... Remember if it does not illuminate with the leads in one direction then reverse the leads... if that does not work go with two batteries in series for more voltage...
03-26-2007, 05:44 AM
#26
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: MICHIGAN
Posts: 2,568
RE: Potential bore light found
Mine also has two batteries. Also the rubber insulating sleave does come out of the tube. Makes it easier to install the batteries.
So those that can buld things see how simple it is to build your own with a short bit of copper tube, copper pipe cap,some plastiac tubeing, a small bolt, aLED, and a pair of batteries.
Al
So those that can buld things see how simple it is to build your own with a short bit of copper tube, copper pipe cap,some plastiac tubeing, a small bolt, aLED, and a pair of batteries.
Al
03-26-2007, 07:54 AM
#28
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
RE: Potential bore light found
I threw that thing away a long time ago. Got tired of it blinking and then not working at all. I was careful about never dropping it straight down the bore, always sliding it in, turning it off each time. Mine lasted about one month. At least I got to check all the bores of the rifles in my collection a couple times before it died.
03-26-2007, 08:25 AM
#29
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
RE: Potential bore light found
cayugad
Dave and everyone else that is using the small bore light.... the diode is stronger than we give it credit for -usually but not always - it is not the diode that is bad it is the assembly of the product. It may not be rocket science to assemble one of those gadgets but yesterday after i took mine apart to take a pcture of it - it took me 20 minutes to get it assembled right again - I mean assembled so it would work right again.
Not only do the batteries have to go in the correct polarity, but get the leads from the diode in the correct spot in the body is as easy as it should be.
The diode is separated from the batteries with a card. On the card one hole has been punched through, not in the center of the card but near one edge (off-center) one leg of the diode goes through that hole and it then bent so that it rests against the card, actually holding the card on. That lead "can not" touch the body of the case or any metal other than the top of the battery and in my case that is the "positive" side of the battery + the batteries can not touch the body of the light.
The second lead stays on top of the card and is bent so that when you place the light in the retainer screw #4 the bottom of the retainer contacts the second leg.
Now here is the problem in most of the lights. The batteries and in my case and as they come from the factory must be dropped in with the "positive" post up one on top of each other and they must be below the insulating sleeve in the bottom of the body. Next the should be set in, but should not contact the batteries. Then the bulb set ring goes in to a depth that allows it to hold the bulb. Then screw the on/off screw in to push the batteries into contact with the bottom lead + force the second lead to contact the buld set ring. If you are lucky and everything works the first time you try then put on the knurled retaining ring to hold everything in place. If you were not so lucky that first time you will have to un-screw the on/off screw to allow the batteries to drop back down in the tube - re-set the bulb ring either deeper or more shallow and try again. Once you find the sweet spot lock it in place and it will serve you well. Mine is a couple of years old and I use it a ton...
If you get it set right should be a nice bright light - no blinking... Once you have it set, the real problem is when you turn it off un-screw the on/off screw several turns - if you just un-screw enough to turn the light out there is a chance when you lay it down or set it aside the battey contact may happen again and after sever hours it will burn the battery out...
Sorry for the length of this and maybe it is not even needed you guys have all got yours figured out...
mike
Dave and everyone else that is using the small bore light.... the diode is stronger than we give it credit for -usually but not always - it is not the diode that is bad it is the assembly of the product. It may not be rocket science to assemble one of those gadgets but yesterday after i took mine apart to take a pcture of it - it took me 20 minutes to get it assembled right again - I mean assembled so it would work right again.
Not only do the batteries have to go in the correct polarity, but get the leads from the diode in the correct spot in the body is as easy as it should be.
The diode is separated from the batteries with a card. On the card one hole has been punched through, not in the center of the card but near one edge (off-center) one leg of the diode goes through that hole and it then bent so that it rests against the card, actually holding the card on. That lead "can not" touch the body of the case or any metal other than the top of the battery and in my case that is the "positive" side of the battery + the batteries can not touch the body of the light.
The second lead stays on top of the card and is bent so that when you place the light in the retainer screw #4 the bottom of the retainer contacts the second leg.
Now here is the problem in most of the lights. The batteries and in my case and as they come from the factory must be dropped in with the "positive" post up one on top of each other and they must be below the insulating sleeve in the bottom of the body. Next the should be set in, but should not contact the batteries. Then the bulb set ring goes in to a depth that allows it to hold the bulb. Then screw the on/off screw in to push the batteries into contact with the bottom lead + force the second lead to contact the buld set ring. If you are lucky and everything works the first time you try then put on the knurled retaining ring to hold everything in place. If you were not so lucky that first time you will have to un-screw the on/off screw to allow the batteries to drop back down in the tube - re-set the bulb ring either deeper or more shallow and try again. Once you find the sweet spot lock it in place and it will serve you well. Mine is a couple of years old and I use it a ton...
If you get it set right should be a nice bright light - no blinking... Once you have it set, the real problem is when you turn it off un-screw the on/off screw several turns - if you just un-screw enough to turn the light out there is a chance when you lay it down or set it aside the battey contact may happen again and after sever hours it will burn the battery out...
Sorry for the length of this and maybe it is not even needed you guys have all got yours figured out...
mike
03-26-2007, 09:24 AM
#30
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: MICHIGAN
Posts: 2,568
RE: Potential bore light found
I used a paper clip to push the insulating sleeve out then placed the batteries in that sleave and reinstalled it as a unit. sat the card & diode on top of that and installed the threaded barrel and knurled washer. Then I installed the on off screw and every thing works fine.
A electric trouble shooting class I gave years ago when I was paid for doing those things, we made 12V test lites with an Bic ink pen body, red and black 18ga. wire, a red diode, alagator clip, and a small nail. Latter I got fed up with the cheap tail lites on my boat trailer and made my own LED tail lites. I have seen the LED's in red, green, white and blue
Al
A electric trouble shooting class I gave years ago when I was paid for doing those things, we made 12V test lites with an Bic ink pen body, red and black 18ga. wire, a red diode, alagator clip, and a small nail. Latter I got fed up with the cheap tail lites on my boat trailer and made my own LED tail lites. I have seen the LED's in red, green, white and blue
Al