TK70 issue

[BirdofPrey]

Question for the group.

I own a TK70 that I used extensively before moving in April (it's currently in storage). However, the last time I tried to use it, I charged up the cells and dropped them in, placed the cap, and the body immediately started to get super hot.

I quickly pulled the cap off and could find nothing wrong.

Now, prior to this happening, a small piece of plastic came loose or broke on the head side of the battery tube (a plastic disk with a small hole in it with a smaller disk of brass or copper in that hole) that I assume is a polarity protection of some sort. I always just placed it back into the head before putting in the first battery. I did this through probably 4 battery changes.

I was considering sending my light to Vihn at the time and mentioned this to him (the disk, not the overheating) and he too assumed it was polarity protection and that he would fix it if I sent it to him.

Anyway, things went sideways (our home built into a hillside started to slide) and I never sent it off to be modded due to filing bankruptcy and moving into a new place on the family farm.

The past few days I've been thinking about digging it out of storage to use on my fields (coyotes and a bobcat) until whenever my BLF GT comes in which could potentially be quite a while. Any ideas what that part is (the one I believe to be a polarity protection of some sort) and why it might have grounded out? Just FYI, I've continued to use the same batteries many many times in both a streamlight lantern and a modded (malkoff) Maglite.

 

[archimedes]

Without photos, I find it difficult to visualize what you are describing above.

Sounds like a short circuit, though ....

 

[kj2]

Picture would help indeed. Still have the TK70 myself, so I can provide a picture of how it should look like.

 

[easilyled]

There was an issue with a TK70 (in a different thread) where the two springs of the battery carrier (inner and outer) contacted each other and resulted in a short circuit. (IIRC the batteries exploded)

You might want to check that the springs on your battery carrier are not bent towards each other. In my opinion this is a design flaw of this particular light.
I have one myself and am very wary of this issue now.

 

[archimedes]

It is of course possible that the OP-noted broken plastic, and the short circuit, have little or nothing to do with each other

 

[BirdofPrey]

There was an issue with a TK70 (in a different thread) where the two springs of the battery carrier (inner and outer) contacted each other and resulted in a short circuit. (IIRC the batteries exploded)

You might want to check that the springs on your battery carrier are not bent towards each other. In my opinion this is a design flaw of this particular light.
I have one myself and am very wary of this issue now.

I just realized there were two versions. Mine is the original that uses D Cell batteries. There isn't a battery carrier.

I'm not sure exactly where the light is right now (I think it's in storage from when I moved) but currently I'm over an hour away from home and have been since Wednesday in the hospital so no pictures for the time being as I'm not sure when we are stuck till.

 

[Tac Gunner]

Hope everything goes okay at the hospital.

As for the light, no luck with contacting Fenix? I am the same one who suggested it over at Flashlight Fanatics so just curious if that went anywhere?

 

[BirdofPrey]

Hope everything goes okay at the hospital.

As for the light, no luck with contacting Fenix? I am the same one who suggested it over at Flashlight Fanatics so just curious if that went anywhere?

Well, due to being at the hospital around the click, I can't contact them yet. Of my daughter gets released tomorrow (fingers crossed) I'm going to head to the storage unit and try to figure out what box it's in.

 

[easilyled]

There was an issue with a TK70 (in a different thread) where the two springs of the battery carrier (inner and outer) contacted each other and resulted in a short circuit. (IIRC the batteries exploded)

You might want to check that the springs on your battery carrier are not bent towards each other. In my opinion this is a design flaw of this particular light.
I have one myself and am very wary of this issue now.

Please disregard my earlier post. I was referring to the ACEBEAM K70. (Not Fenix TK70)
Apologies for any confusion.

I hope everything goes well at the hospital.

 

[thermal guy]

They made a tk70 that used D batteries?

 

[BirdofPrey]

They made a tk70 that used D batteries?

Yes. Was rated at 2200 lumens. Ran a long while and throws really well. Actually seems brighter than my LD75 because it's a lot tighter beam.

 

[eff]

Well, due to being at the hospital around the click, I can't contact them yet. Of my daughter gets released tomorrow (fingers crossed) I'm going to head to the storage unit and try to figure out what box it's in.

Are some of the rechargeable batteries hot, when you put them in the light, and then remove them when the heating starts ?
Also try to use alkaline D cells and switch on the tk70, and try all the modes to see if you get any light.

If the rechargeable batteries are hot, but you got some light with the alkalines, then the issue may not be with the flashlight, but with the rechargeable batteries. Maybe one or more of them developped some internal resistance, or were bad and you got some kind of reverse polarity issue.
Best way to know it, would be to try the tk70 with a new set of nimh D cells.

If you don't get any light then there's probably a short, and the issue is with the flashlight itself. Better contact Vinh or Fenix for a repair.

Hope everything goes well for your family at the hospital.