# Princeton Tec Apex Cracked Housing - Photo Attached



## ChiefScott1701 (Jan 18, 2006)

I've had my Princeton Tec Apex for about 3 weeks now and I love it. It's been used all over the house, and was really handy during our recent power outage. However, I've noticed cracks in the housing (photo below). I don't remember ever dropping it, and even if I had, this would be surprising that it would be so fragile. Anybody else experienced this? See photo below:


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## CLHC (Jan 18, 2006)

Whoa! That's too bad. I think someone also posted about "cracks" seen on their PT.Apex housing too! Hope things work out for you. . .


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## LightHearted (Jan 19, 2006)

PT is one of the best companies I have ever dealt with when it comes to standing behind their products. It doesn't look like the light has been abused. I'm sure if you call them they will make it right.


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## NoFair (Jan 19, 2006)

I think the other post about cracked Apex housing was also with an orange one. The Apex was replaced by PT at once. 
You might ask them if they could give you a black or OD one since both lights with this fault have been orange.

Hope this works out well for you, I love my Apex (OD) and hope there wont be any issues with it since I live in Norway and the Apex was purchased in the US...

Sverre


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## Commander (Jan 19, 2006)

I am sure Princeton Tec will help you!

Tjek this post for more info on this issue:

http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=98867&highlight=Apex


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## diggdug13 (Jan 19, 2006)

I've got the black version and I've never seen any cracks or anything that resembles that and I abuse mine (and I keep mine in the car with sub freezing temps).. hmmm no hunters orange Apex for me.


I hope they can help you


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## Skeeterbytes (Jan 19, 2006)

Based on the crack's location, do you think it's triggered by heat from the big LED?

I agree with the others--PT's got very solid customer support and will make this right.


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## ChiefScott1701 (Jan 19, 2006)

Thanks for the advice. I called Princeton Tec this afternoon and they are going to have their engineering dept look at my photo. The cracks appeared after my first long night with the Luxeon on high. It was cold that night, so maybe the temperature difference made the plastic crack. The person I spoke to said they'd probably be able to send me a new one. I requested "Black" for the new one since the other cracked housing one was also Orange. Maybe they've got a problem with their orange plastic not taking heat well?

I'll keep you all updated. If they do send me a new one without much hassle, I'll be very happy. Some companies make you spend so much hassle and time arguing for a replacement that it's not even worth it (Dell comes to mind). Well, I guess I'll be happy so long as I win the luxeon lottery and don't get a very blue Luxeon as my current unit has a really nice die. Not as nice as my Fenix L1P, but still pretty good.


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## Sway (Jan 19, 2006)

Just notice what looks like a hair line crack in the thin part around the optic on my orange Apex, it's not flaking like ChiefScott's pic just a thin crack.

I gave one to my nephew for Christmas guess I need to check it out next time he's home from school.

Thanks for the pic!

Later
Kelly


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## ChiefScott1701 (Jan 20, 2006)

Can you post a photo of it?


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## Sway (Jan 20, 2006)

Hope you can see this, I'm not very good at close-ups. 






Later
Kelly


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## ChiefScott1701 (Jan 20, 2006)

Well, I got a response from Princeton Tec Today:

*It appears that was caused by over tightening the screws inside the housing. We had a problem with the torque screwdriver we were using. The problem was fixed immediately. It looks like only a handful(if that) got out the door in that condition. I will be mailing you a replacement light along with prepaid postage to send the defective unit back to us. Since it is not a problem with any color, would you want an Orange, or Black? It will ship out first thing on Monday.*
​I'm happy.... very nice company to deal with. I work in a manufacturing environment and this kind of thing happens all the time. A company owning up to it and replacing the unit so easily does not happen all the time.

So should I risk it with the orange again since they say it's not orange related? I only bought orange so it would be very visible in a pile of stuff in a power outage (and it is--much more so than black). What do you all think?


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## NoFair (Jan 20, 2006)

ChiefScott1701 said:


> Thanks for the advice. I called Princeton Tec this afternoon and they are going to have their engineering dept look at my photo. The cracks appeared after my first long night with the Luxeon on high. It was cold that night, so maybe the temperature difference made the plastic crack. The person I spoke to said they'd probably be able to send me a new one. I requested "Black" for the new one since the other cracked housing one was also Orange. Maybe they've got a problem with their orange plastic not taking heat well?
> 
> I'll keep you all updated. If they do send me a new one without much hassle, I'll be very happy. Some companies make you spend so much hassle and time arguing for a replacement that it's not even worth it (Dell comes to mind). Well, I guess I'll be happy so long as I win the luxeon lottery and don't get a very blue Luxeon as my current unit has a really nice die. Not as nice as my Fenix L1P, but still pretty good.



About cold issues; I've used mine (OD-colour) for hours on high at -20C and have noe cracks at all. Mine is also from the earliest batches like Sways.

A mad Norwegian is using this headlight while going to the North pole in the dark season (-40C average temp), so I would hope PT has checked if this is temperature related. 
Hope your new headlamp works flawlessly.

Sverre


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## GrnXnham (Jan 20, 2006)

ChiefScott1701 said:


> So should I risk it with the orange again since they say it's not orange related? I only bought orange so it would be very visible in a pile of stuff in a power outage (and it is--much more so than black). What do you all think?
> [/size]



Mine's black. 

It looks cooler than the orange. Orange makes you look like a kid with a toy. Black makes you look like a bad-boy-commando. Looks is more important than practicality. Who cares if it takes you twice as long to find the black one fumbling around in the dark? At least you will look cool once you put it on! That is what is important. 

Get black.


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## ChiefScott1701 (Jan 22, 2006)

Well, during our recent power outage, I did go outside with the orange headlamp on my head. A group of neighbors laughed at me and said it looked silly. They, of course, had FREAKIN BIRTHDAY CANDLES and a few had some emergency candles.... but they were STILL CANDLES! One had a 2-D cell light that was putting out a weak dark amber light. Meanwhile, I could see well and they were making fun of me.

Anyways, I think I would have been laughed at if it was black or orange. And since the lenses aren't AR-coated, the glint of light on the lamp make being covert in black or camo a little moot. Orange is nice because it stands out among piles of STUFF that all tends to be black anyways. As long as the orange plastic is durable, I think I'll stick with orange.


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## vtunderground (Jan 25, 2006)

D'oh! I just noticed a crack in the housing of my brand-new BLACK Apex. It's in the same spot that ChiefScott's cracked.


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## ChiefScott1701 (Jan 25, 2006)

Guess it's not just orange. Photos?


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## vtunderground (Jan 25, 2006)

Sure thing:






I don't think it's as visible with the black as with the orange, but there's definitely a star-shaped crack there.

edit: I'm kinda dissapointed about this too... I was really impressed with the design and construction of the Apex. Aside from the cracking that a few of us have experienced, PT did a very good job.


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## mrme (Jan 30, 2006)

I have had a couple of PT headlamps crack on me, one was a Solo and the other a Scout. I sent the Solo in and they replaced it. I hav ebeen meaning to send in the Scout, but haven't gotten around to it. 

PT headlamps are pretty tough, but the plastic they use seems to be rather notch sensitve.


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## CPFMan (Jan 31, 2006)

mrme said:


> I have had a couple of PT headlamps crack on me, one was a Solo and the other a Scout. I sent the Solo in and they replaced it. I hav ebeen meaning to send in the Scout, but haven't gotten around to it.
> 
> PT headlamps are pretty tough, but the plastic they use seems to be rather notch sensitve.





Few lights?? - Seems like a alot. :nana:


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## jar3ds (Feb 15, 2006)

hum... i'd hope that PT would upgrade their plastic... you guys shouldn't have having this happen


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## ChiefScott1701 (Feb 15, 2006)

Since this thread is still alive, I just wanted you all to know that Princeton Tec did send me a new orange headlamp and it's been working just fine. Once again--kudos to them for owning up and fixing the problem.


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## drizzle (Feb 15, 2006)

Thanks for the update Scotty. I wish I had seen this thread before I ordered it, which I just did today. It's good to know they have good customer service but I'm with Jared in thinking they should be able to design it so it doesn't happen.

I'll be watching out for any cracks.


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## ChiefScott1701 (Feb 16, 2006)

Well--if it makes you feel better about your purchase, I am very happy with the Apex. I was waiting to buy a headlamp until I found one that worked on AA batteries, had a spot and flood setting, and was LED only. Actually, I also want red LEDs, but this was the closest I could get. I am not a caver or spelunker, but I use my Apex all the time around the house. Great for taking out the trash, cleaning the outdoor lint trap in the middle of the night, replacing burned out yard floods, working in the basement... on and on. Or just stumbling downstairs in the dark without having to turn on all the lights.

So I'm very happy with my Apex---hope you enjoy yours as well!


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## GrnXnham (Feb 16, 2006)

drizzle said:


> I wish I had seen this thread before I ordered it, which I just did today.



I wouldn't necessarily make the assumption that a majority of people are having cracking problems with their Apex just because of this thread. Who knows? It might be less than 1% of them.

I have had my PT Apex for about a month now. I use it every day for work and I have banged it around a bit. No cracking yet.


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## drizzle (Feb 16, 2006)

Hehe, well maybe I over-reacted a bit. Nothing like getting buyers remorse before you even take delivery of the thing you bought. 

I'm actually still pretty amped about getting it. I think it will be just the thing for backpacking.


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## Phreeq (Feb 18, 2006)

Yesterday I received 5 PT Apex headlamps (4 black , 1 orange) for me and friends. I inspected all of the lamps and not a single one showed the cracks.

I used mine for snowshoeing on the Simplon Pass last night. It's awesome!


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## jar3ds (Feb 18, 2006)

gosh dang it... you guys are going to convince me to get the apex!


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## jar3ds (Feb 18, 2006)

ChiefScott1701 said:


> Well, I got a response from Princeton Tec Today:
> 
> *It appears that was caused by over tightening the screws inside the housing. We had a problem with the torque screwdriver we were using. The problem was fixed immediately. It looks like only a handful(if that) got out the door in that condition. I will be mailing you a replacement light along with prepaid postage to send the defective unit back to us. Since it is not a problem with any color, would you want an Orange, or Black? It will ship out first thing on Monday.*
> ​I'm happy.... very nice company to deal with. I work in a manufacturing environment and this kind of thing happens all the time. A company owning up to it and replacing the unit so easily does not happen all the time.
> ...



what an awesome company to work with! Whoever answers their emails is so imformative and helpful... They are honest even if a problem is they're fault.. they explain why it happend and talk about how they plan to fix it.. Princeton Tec is going to be seeing a lot more purchases from me... The apex is most likely be the next one... 

does the apex feel comfortable even though their's no third strap? seems that 9oz with on a headband my feel a bit weighted and my slip...


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## nutz_about_lights (Feb 18, 2006)

My Princeton Tec Rage cracked real badly.

See it in pictures:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/103781


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## CM (Feb 18, 2006)

jar3ds,

I highly recommend the Apex. I've tried many headlamps and this is simply the best for my use which is trail walking or as a helmet mounted bike light. There is a third (top) strap if you feel it's going to be bumpy. On my trail runs, the top strap holds it very securely. It's plenty bright on the low setting on the lux III.

CM


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## ChiefScott1701 (Feb 21, 2006)

jar3ds said:


> what an awesome company to work with! Whoever answers their emails is so imformative and helpful... They are honest even if a problem is they're fault.. they explain why it happend and talk about how they plan to fix it.. Princeton Tec is going to be seeing a lot more purchases from me... The apex is most likely be the next one...


 
Refreshing in a company, huh? You should hear how long it took my Dad to get Dell to send him a new ethernet card when his old one died on a PC that he has an on-site warranty on. They spent 2 hours on the phone with him following a script to "debug" the problem. Final step in the script? REINSTALL WINDOWS XP. Of course, my Dad said, "I'll do that", hung up, got a soda, called back 30 minutes later, and said, "I reinstalled it and it still doesn't work!". They finally sent the card.



> does the apex feel comfortable even though their's no third strap? seems that 9oz with on a headband my feel a bit weighted and my slip...


 
? - There is a third headstrap over the top. I guess it is optional as you put it on yourself in the loops provided. I use my 3rd headstrap all the time because it wouldn't sit right without it. Very comfy, but I must confess to having never spent hours with it on.


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## jar3ds (Feb 22, 2006)

thats a interesting story about Dell... My laptop stopped charging... called them... within a couple mins they knew it was the motherboard... they had a guy out the next day to come and install the new one in my laptop.... also, had my CD burner that went belly up... they said they'd send me the same model... when i got it it was an updated version... was impressed with the service...

ok back to the discussion @ hand  

fine! You guys have convinced me.. I'll get an APEX!...


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## GrnXnham (Feb 22, 2006)

jar3ds said:


> does the apex feel comfortable even though their's no third strap? seems that 9oz with on a headband my feel a bit weighted and my slip...



It comes with a 3rd strap (or is it actually a 2nd strap) but I never use it. For me it's plenty comfortable without the strap over the top of my head.


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## Alan from oz (Mar 2, 2006)

I found this thread by accident while google searching... I bought an apex from ebay seller (brand new) and landed it for less than half the local retail cost... Its a great light - really bright and versatile havign the wide & narrow beams.

The first time i used it, it got a drop or 2 of water into the head (well i was swimming it in while canyoning... probably to be expected of a 1m headlamp). I wasn't too worried about it, and thought i'd just open it up to put some vasaline on the seals (i'm an engineer & a nerd - pulling things apart is what i do best!)... It came apart easily and it also let me have a look at the circuit and how the thing is sealed - its tounge & groove join with an O-ring, very similar to the battery seal. 

Then the mistake - I thought i'd give the screws a good tighten to make sure the seal would hold tight! 

After reading this thread I went and looked at my light - sure enough there was the little stress mark on the bottom side and 2 small cracks on the top side - right where the screws are. I assume i caused this by overtightening the screws.

As priceton tec suggested in a previous post, it would appear the cracking is stress marks from over-tightening the screws.

The good news (for everyone) is that even if this became a fully fledged hole, it wouldn't affect the water-resistance of the lamp. This is because the screw holes are 'outside' the o-ring seal... a bit like if a crack appeared in the heatsink cover - in other words the plastic the crack is in is external to the sealed compartment. The only problem would be if the screw rounded out the hole and didn't hold the light together, which i don't think is likely. So whilst it is annoying when something isn't exactly right (and it appears that PT will replace it anyway), there is no big problem continuing to use the light... its purely a cosmetic problem.

For anyone who wants to pull theirs apart this is how you do it. You may void the warrenty by doing this - I wasn't worried about the warrenty - being an O/S purchase, the fuss of contacting the company, the shipping costs, dealing with it being an ebay not dealer sale, etc made it was worth taking the risk of something drastic going wrong.

All you need to do it remove the hinge bolt (small screwdriver & pliers), then ondo the top two screws (use a very small screwdriver). The heatsink cover then pivots down and comes out of the hinge without too much trouble. This exposes the third screw which seperates the front cover & lens from the main body of the unit.

I don't know exactly what I should do now - do i tighten the screws up to maintain water tightness, risking further plastic damage, or do i just do them up to reasonable tightness, and risk water getting in? I'd be interested to know how everyone else has found the water-resistance of these lights?


Alan


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## jar3ds (Mar 2, 2006)

awesome alan!

i think we have completely solved the mistery of the cracked apex housings 

good news for apex owners and future owners!


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## Cypher (Mar 2, 2006)

I also have discovered a crack in the housing of my Apex where the screw is. 







However I think that this may be a bigger problem than just the machine that tightens the screws since I have about six other cracks in my housing of varying sizes and in places where there are no screws. (Unless there are screws inside the housing that are not visible from the outside).











My pictures aren't the greatest but in person the cracks are not hard to see. They are quite visible. They also do not seem too deep....yet, but I am bothered by it since I don't know how it affects the waterproofness(alan says it won't so that's good at least). Also I wonder how it will hold up to use or impact from dropping, being in a backpack, etc. if it already has cracks in it that may weaken it. I love this headlamp and I know PT is a good company with good customer service but I just hope that if they replace it for me that the next one doesn't do it too. 

BTW I hope no one takes this as an attack on PT because it is not meant to be. I just wanted to add my observations to the thread.


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## Luminous (Mar 2, 2006)

It looks like it is a very commun defect: the apex shown on the PT website seems to have a crack around the bezel!
http://www.gadgetgear.com/products/index.php?type=1


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## drizzle (Mar 2, 2006)

Nice catch Luminous! Is it possible that it is just some normal artifact of the plastic rather than a crack?

BTW, my black one shows no cracks.


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## Cypher (Mar 2, 2006)

If they are artifacts of the plactic then they are aritfacts that grow. The crack on mine just above the low battery indicator used to be about 5 mm long. It now extends all the way across.


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## Alan from oz (Mar 5, 2006)

Cypher said:


> yet, but I am bothered by it since I don't know how it affects the waterproofness(alan says it won't so that's good at least).



Those cracks may effect the water-proofness (if thats a word!). The reason the screw hole cracks wont cause water leaks into the unit is that the O-ring runs around the join in the orange and black halves of the casing inside the screw holes. Cracks on the face of the unit (or anywhere for that matter that isn't on the little bumps where the screws live) are in a single layer of plastic - so if the crack is right thru, it could let water in... probably won't be a big deal if the wettest it'll get is rained on, but if you are a canyoner, like swimming in caves or have some other reason why it might get wet (even accidently?), then it could be an issue. I'd try to return it under warrenty if I was you...

I am kinda tempted to put a small amount of silicon sealant around mine just to make sure... but i'll hold off and see if it leaks again - i'm hoping that lubricating the Oring and tightening the screws (less tightly this time!!!) will solve the issues. 

It's still a fantastic light!


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