Flashlight

[TromboneAl]

Am I losing it here?

I have a Maglite flashlight that will not work.

I have a bulb that works (can test it with another maglite), and I am getting 6.2 Volts when I measure between the center contact and the rim of the bulb holder of the non-working flashlight. But the bulb will not light when I put it in.

I've tried this with several bulbs. I have cleaned the contacts.

I know this is not rocket science! All I can figure is that the contacts are dirty enough that they work with the voltmeter, but the resistance is so high, that it can't power the bulb.

Anyway, before I pay postage to have it repaired for free (or have them tell me it's working fine), I thought I'd ask you [-]dim bulbs[/-] luminaries if you could think of something simple I'm missing.

 

[cantlogin]

A decade ago I had a similar experience with a knockoff Maglite. I couldn't figure it out either so I just gave up.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I have a bulb that works (can test it with another maglite), and I am getting 6.2 Volts when I measure between the center contact and the rim of the bulb holder of the non-working flashlight. But the bulb will not light when I put it in.

I've tried this with several bulbs. I have cleaned the contacts.

Can't speak to the maglite brand specifically, but I seem to recall a similar problem which required that I bend the contacts up a bit toward the contact point, basically making a firmer contact with the battery or bulb.

Don't know why, but I like flashlights. I've got them all over -- bedside, garage, RV, kitchen, backpack, hurricane panic box.

 

[happy2bretired]

I like the wind up ones. The only time I ever need a regular one is when the batteries no longer work. So the wind up ones are better for me.

 

[youbet]

Since it's well past the time you should have tossed it and purchased a case of LED flashlights, try bending the center contact up towards where the bulb base will be and if that doesn't fix it, now is the time to go LED!

 

[TromboneAl]

Right, I might do that. This is the four D-Cell, "Did you hear a noise downstairs?" flashlight that I keep by the bed, and it's hard to beat burglars, bears and mountain lions into submission with a AAA cell LED light.

But I could duct tape an LED light to a baseball bat.

 

[Texas Proud]

Right, I might do that. This is the four D-Cell, "Did you hear a noise downstairs?" flashlight that I keep by the bed, and it's hard to beat burglars, bears and mountain lions into submission with a AAA cell LED light.

But I could duct tape an LED light to a baseball bat.

Or a shotgun...

 

[bruce1]

Mag lite now makes a replacement led bulb for my three cell so they probably do for yours as well. Really bright, much more so than the original bulb. A friend has a windmill three/four hundred yards away from my back step and I was lighting it up one night with the mag light.

Bruce

 

[Texas Proud]

Mag lite now makes a replacement led bulb for my three cell so they probably do for yours as well. Really bright, much more so than the original bulb. A friend has a windmill three/four hundred yards away from my back step and I was lighting it up one night with the mag light.

Bruce

But the cost is HIGH... better to just buy a better LED flashlight for less...

 

[Goonie]

This is the four D-Cell, "Did you hear a noise downstairs?" flashlight that I keep by the bed.......

Yup, same here. It's good for close quarters 'flashlight to head' combat.

 

[youbet]

Right, I might do that. This is the four D-Cell, "Did you hear a noise downstairs?" flashlight that I keep by the bed, and it's hard to beat burglars, bears and mountain lions into submission with a AAA cell LED light.

But I could duct tape an LED light to a baseball bat.

The LED flashlight would be perfect for DW to carry downstairs to deal with burglars, bears and mountain lions.

 

[Martha]

I got what is called a tactical flashlight for a present. It is blindingly bright with lots of LED bulbs to shine in the bad guy's eyes, and is heavy. It has a rechargeable battery ni-cad battery.

 

[Khan]

Is there some backstory to your new avatar?

 

[smileydog]

The LED replacements work pretty well - I converted one of mine that I keep in my ditty bag. If you have it working you can ignore the rest of the message...

As far as troubleshooting the light - I use the little colored clip leads that let you easily jumper between one connection to another for testing this type of problem if not obvious.

Since you indicated that you have a voltmeter. Test to see if you have a drop in voltage when the switch is turned on (with the bulb in place). if the voltage drops really low you may have a short in the bulb path. Usually in the case of a short circuit you should feel the batteries heating up if it's a dead short (with new batteries).

For a circuit open use the clip leads to bypass each part of the path.

Also you can (with the batteries out) check the resistance of the bulb as well as any resistance through the switch and voltage path.

Most would just buy a new flashlight but these are great flashlights (good weapons too) and worth some trouble.

Let me know if I can help -

 

[TromboneAl]

BTW, played around with it some more and now it's working, though I don't know what I did.

 

[smileydog]

From a die-hard doityourselfer...

I never argue with success!

 

[Martha]

Is there some backstory to your new avatar?

As I am a moderator again, I thought I should look the part. For a while anyway.

Not as good as a half a ton of angry pot roast.

 

[Nords]

As I am a moderator again, I thought I should look the part. For a while anyway.

It's the bottom half of the Mrs. Putin portrait...

 

[REWahoo]

It's the bottom half of the Mrs. Putin portrait...

Pardon me, but I think your fantasy is showing...

 

[Khan]

As I am a moderator again, I thought I should look the part. For a while anyway.

Not as good as a half a ton of angry pot roast.

That's from Tom Lehrer, describing a bullfight.

In Old Mexico - Tom Lehrer (Lyrics and Chords)

 

[Moemg]

That's from Tom Lehrer, describing a bullfight.

In Old Mexico - Tom Lehrer (Lyrics and Chords)

I love Tom Lehrer .Especially the Vatican Rag and Poisoning Pigeons in the Park .

 

[Goonie]

.....and Poisoning Pigeons in the Park .

I forgot all about that one! A simply marvelous song! I think I have the MP3 of that somewhere.

 

[FinallyRetired]

Make sure the coil spring at the end of the barrel hasn't been flattened. If it has, it may not have enough force to push the other contact against the light bulb.