# KD 1AAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle Flashlight



## ernsanada (Jan 24, 2008)

I just received the KD 1AAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle Flashlight from Kai Domain

Cost $15.01

From Kai Domains website,

- Uses SSC USX0H LED
- 100 Lumens+ output
- 1.5W step-up super boost circuit
- 45 minutes runtime (1.5W regulates for more than 30+ minutes)
- Single light mode, twisty on/off
- Aluminum SMO reflector
- Uses 1.2V NiMH AAA or 1.5V Alkaline AAA.

The fit is good.

The Type II Anodize has small pinhole's in the finish.






















Inside view of the rear tailcap.

















-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Size comparisons.

Left, KD 1AAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle Flashlight. Right, Fenix LOD Q2







------------------------------------------------------------------------

I also took lux readings of the lights shown above. These are the lux readings I got. I am using a Meterman LM631 Light Meter measured at 1 meter. I waited 2 minutes before taking the readings. I am using Energizer Nimh AAA Rechargeable Batteries, 850mAh which were fully charged.






KD 1AAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle Flashlight nimh AAA - 210 lux @ 1 meter

Fenix LOD Q2 nimh AAA - Fenix LOD Q2 - 240 lux @ 1 meter


--------------------------------------------------------------------

KD 1AAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle Flashlight nimh AAA @ 1 meter






Fenix LOD Q2 @ 1 meter


----------



## lightbug (Jan 24, 2008)

Nice shots Ernsanada :twothumbs

From your pictures, it seems the KD 1AAA has much more spill and brighter hot spot too. Wonder why the light meter shows otherwise.:shrug:


----------



## ernsanada (Jan 24, 2008)

My o-ring broke on the first try. :thumbsdow


----------



## Rzr800 (Jan 24, 2008)

Thanks once again, ernsanada. I appreciate the work and that you manage to review even these less expensive lights that I am interested in also. It seems that you have covered every recent purchase that I have made of late and again; I am very grateful.

Are primary lithiums a 'no-no' in this one?
It seems that I read somewhere that one had to be careful with these in certain lights...yet maybe this newb bumped his head.


----------



## ernsanada (Jan 24, 2008)

According to Kai's description, Uses 1.2V NiMH AAA or 1.5V Alkaline AAA.


----------



## Rzr800 (Jan 24, 2008)

ernsanada said:


> My o-ring broke on the first try. :thumbsdow


 
Thanks for the heads up. Do we need to find a more durable material or do you think it's machining related?


----------



## Rzr800 (Jan 24, 2008)

ernsanada said:


> According to Kai's description, Uses 1.2V NiMH AAA or 1.5V Alkaline AAA.


 
Is it maybe the 2 volt 'pulse' that I might've heard you have to watch out for on these lithiums http://data.energizer.com/PDFs/l92.pdf or do you just darn well match the voltage to the chemistry in the specs....and that's it?


----------



## bessiebenny (Jan 24, 2008)

Just wondering, is this the V3? (Tail thread looks like V1 in your pic btw)

I have the 1st batch also but then it is now up version 3 with many improvements such as bigger O-ring etc.

Anyways. Great pics and review as usual. =)


----------



## ernsanada (Jan 24, 2008)

Rzr800 said:


> Thanks for the heads up. Do we need to find a more durable material or do you think it's machining related?



I'm not sure about the material. I think it could be a machining issue.

I opened the light on my kitchen counter. I not sure if the o-ring broke there but it must have. I went with the light to my bedroom to get a battery.

I noticed later after I was cleaning up the mess from the package that 1/2 the o-ring was sitting on the Kitchen Counter. The only thing I did was take the tailcap off the battery tube.


----------



## swxb12 (Jan 24, 2008)

Thanks for the pics and light metre reading. I like how this light will drop out of regulation and continue eating the battery as opposed to just shutting off.

Re: O-ring
Wow, I remember the O-ring that came with my v1 looked stretched out with broken edges. It doesn't seem acceptable that his factory would use these incorrectly sized o-rings. Little things like this, geez. That reminds me, I need to find my extra L0D-CE ring.


----------



## ernsanada (Jan 24, 2008)

bessiebenny said:


> Just wondering, is this the V3? (Tail thread looks like V1 in your pic btw)
> 
> I have the 1st batch also but then it is now up version 3 with many improvements such as bigger O-ring etc.
> 
> Anyways. Great pics and review as usual. =)



Sorry!

After cleaning off the lube I put on the threads. I noticed I did have an o-ring on. It fooled me because it's so thin.

bessiebenny, does your threads and o-ring look like this?


----------



## ernsanada (Jan 24, 2008)

ernsanada said:


> Sorry!
> 
> After cleaning off the lube I put on the threads. I noticed I did have an o-ring on. It fooled me because it's so thin.
> 
> bessiebenny, does your threads and o-ring look like this?



The twisting action feels very smooth.

My rear tailcap takes 5.5 complete turns before it comes off.


----------



## ernsanada (Jan 24, 2008)

After reading Kai's thread I think I have the V3.

Jerry was saying that the V3 has an o-ring in the tailcap. If you look close you can see the o-ring.






There was also an issue with the tailcap being very easy to come off, like a couple of turns. My light takes 5.5 turns to come off.


----------



## bspofford (Jan 24, 2008)

Rzr800 said:


> Are primary lithiums a 'no-no' in this one?
> It seems that I read somewhere that one had to be careful with these in certain lights...yet maybe this newb bumped his head.


 
I have several of these, and my 2 year-old gave one to the 80 pound puppy. She chewed it badly, and it seems that the aluminum is thin and rather soft especially where the tail cap threads over the tail of the body. After bending and filing it back to where it would turn on, I decided to test it with a 10440 Li-ion. The boost circuit blew rather quickly, and I noted a burned circuit smell in the battery tube. Thereafter, the light wouldn't turn on with a 1.5V primary, but it seemed to run quite well on the 10440. I didn't measure output, but the light was subjectively a bit brighter, and I turned it off after about five minutes. It was only a little warm when I turned it off. Since turning it off, it now only comes on for a second then rapidly dims.


----------



## ernsanada (Jan 24, 2008)

Thanks for the info.

I didn't want to take a chance then have to wait another 9 days after ordering another light.


----------



## Probedude (Jan 25, 2008)

Thanks for the review, mine should be showing up any day now. 
What day did you place your order?

It appears to be a V3, in the Marketplace another user posted his picture and Jerry said it was a V3 - it has 2 more threads.
http://img49.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kaibuckleae0.jpg

Since I don't have mine yet, how do you turn this on? Tighten the tailcap?
How about the Fenix in your review?


----------



## bessiebenny (Jan 25, 2008)

Ahh. It must be a V3 then. That is definitely a bigger O-ring than mine. =)


----------



## bspofford (Jan 25, 2008)

The v.3 lights are listed on Kai today. They also have 5 silicone o-rings for $1 listed.


----------



## Rzr800 (Jan 25, 2008)

bspofford said:


> I have several of these, and my 2 year-old gave one to the 80 pound puppy. She chewed it badly...decided to test it with a 10440 Li-ion. The boost circuit blew rather quickly, and I noted a burned circuit smell in the battery tube...but it seemed to run quite well on the 10440....now only comes on for a second then rapidly dims.


 
(lol)

I see that you aren't afraid to put these things through all that the world can possibly throw at it! :thumbsup:
Perhaps L92 lithiums next for the the sub-freezing world that we live in up here? :shrug:
Thanks a lot for sharing (as well as everybody else).


----------



## patrickbateman (Jan 25, 2008)

Probedude said:


> Thanks for the review, mine should be showing up any day now.
> What day did you place your order?
> 
> It appears to be a V3, in the Marketplace another user posted his picture and Jerry said it was a V3 - it has 2 more threads.
> ...


 
hello, i'm the guy with this supposed v3.

You can see two more threads on my picture ? You've got good eyes, i wasn't sure about any change on the thread...

But i can't see the message where Jerry says mine is v3...

Anyway, for the price, i think this AAA light is a must have.


----------



## richdsu (Jan 25, 2008)

Just received my V3 flashlight few days ago.
Built quality is good.

There is only one minor improvement to take note.
The inner edges of the battery tube seems very sharp ( might damage the AAA battery surface when inserting in ). You need to use fine sandpaper to smooth off the edges.


----------



## Probedude (Jan 25, 2008)

patrickbateman said:


> hello, i'm the guy with this supposed v3.
> 
> You can see two more threads on my picture ? You've got good eyes, i wasn't sure about any change on the thread...
> 
> ...



Sorry about that, I thought it was your picture he was referring to.
Here's the posting that I originally meant to post.
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showpost.php?p=2112411&postcount=67

This shows the V3 next to an earlier version. Somewhere in there is Jerry saying which one is V3 and also in one of his posts he talks about the 2 extra threads.

Dave


----------



## ernsanada (Jan 25, 2008)

I had one of my own "buckles" laying around and tried it out.


----------



## Probedude (Jan 25, 2008)

Got mine today. V3 version (I ordered on 1/11), 2 weeks to get into my hands. In the box was the buckle light, 2 o-rings and 1 buckle (silver). There is no o-ring inside my tailcap. Threads are lubed lightly. Tailcap is reasonably tight and secure.

I think I'm spoiled by getting the Romisen RC-F4 first - everything else is dimmer in comparison. That and I need to buy a light meter so I can tell how much these things are putting out to know if I got a dud or not.

Current measurements for mine:
- charged Eneloop, 730mA
- new alkaline 850mA

Finish looks good, matte black. Don't know how well it'll hold up being on my keychain.


Dave


----------



## Vikas Sontakke (Jan 25, 2008)

Mine (V2) does 1.2A on freshly charged eneloop and 1.5A on primary Lithium.
Of course, it is dimmer than my RC-F4 

- Vikas


----------



## WadeF (Jan 25, 2008)

I got two KD 1AAA's, I really like the beam and output.


----------



## merlocka (Jan 26, 2008)

Just remember...  don't try a 10440 with this guy...


----------



## Probedude (Jan 26, 2008)

Probedude said:


> I think I'm spoiled by getting the Romisen RC-F4 first - everything else is dimmer in comparison. That and I need to buy a light meter so I can tell how much these things are putting out to know if I got a dud or not.



I've decided mine works just fine. I've been used to looking at beam patterns from lights with good throw and so so flood. This buckle light is very floody and makes it appear not as bright but it is. I was just outside comparing all my new toys and my light is quite bright.

Using a benchtop DMM I redid my measurements and got 1.050A from a fresh Eneloop.

Dave


----------



## gravityz (Jan 26, 2008)

the body of mine seems to be the V3 version with more thread and the tiny oring
the tailcap however has no oring
takes about 6.5 full turns to come off
since i do not use it in wet conditions i am fine with it although i specially asked for the v3 version.

mine does 1.13amps on a fresh eneloop
i modified 2 things

1 1 made a small rubber dome inside the had with a whole in the middle
this functiones as a non conducting spring
eg i can lossten the tailcap for about1 turn and still the battery will not rattle inside.
2 i have a put a 8mm oring between the cap and ther body(on the outsid
this creates a bit more friction so the tailcap does not unsrew if you do not want to.






ernsanada said:


> After reading Kai's thread I think I have the V3.
> 
> Jerry was saying that the V3 has an o-ring in the tailcap. If you look close you can see the o-ring.
> 
> ...


----------



## orbital (Jan 26, 2008)

+

Placed an order on Jan 3rd for (2) of these.

They shipped separately and sure enough I got a V2 and a V3.
The difference is a slightly thicker o-ring on the V3 and more tailcap threads (worth about one more turn).
Output is nearly identical, but no 100lm...I'd say 70 w/an Eneloop.

I did the Dr. Scholl's bumper in the head on both ( no battery rattle) and also put ACE Gas Line Thread Seal Tape on the threads to give more resistance.

Overall, a handy little light worth $15..:thumbsup:


----------



## ernsanada (Jan 26, 2008)

I found my silver buckle, it was in my box.











Inside view of the rear of SSC U Bin Module.






A better shot showing the o-ring in the rear of the tailcap.


----------



## Probedude (Jan 26, 2008)

gravityz said:


> 1 1 made a small rubber dome inside the had with a whole in the middle
> this functiones as a non conducting spring
> eg i can lossten the tailcap for about1 turn and still the battery will not rattle inside.



Ditto here except I put the foam donut in the tail cap. It keeps the battery pressed forward and off the tailcap contact. No rattles and it stays off instead of rattling and flickering on now and again.

Put 2 turns of teflon tape on the threads to tighten up the tailcap too though I already have a V3.


----------



## angrywetcat (Jan 27, 2008)

I ordered two after Kai announced the V3's were in stock and ready to ship...received V2's, one with a mangled o-ring, and the other with NO O-ring...and no extra O-rings included as promised. You get what you pay for, and it seems to be hit or miss...


----------



## CandleFranky (Jan 27, 2008)

ernsanada said:


> I just received the KD 1AAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle Flashlight from Kai Domain


Thank you ernsanada, as always very good work. 

I am waiting for my KD 1AAA since almost three weeks, it seems DX is _a lot_ faster than Kaidomain. oo:


----------



## nerdgineer (Jan 27, 2008)

Probedude said:


> ...Put 2 turns of teflon tape on the threads to tighten up the tailcap too though I already have a V3.



For my curiosity: doesn't the teflon tape break the electrical contact between the tailcap and the body? It looks like current is conducted through the threads, or am I missing something?..


----------



## serious sam (Jan 27, 2008)

CandleFranky said:


> Thank you ernsanada, as always very good work.
> 
> I am waiting for my KD 1AAA since almost three weeks, it seems DX is _a lot_ faster than Kaidomain. oo:


 

I waited mine for 4 weeks and finally after some emails to KD to remind them, I got it on the 5th weeks. Send on registered mail.


----------



## gravityz (Jan 27, 2008)

both kd and dx shi[p with hongkongpost

ordered 3 packages from dx
got them within 7 days after ordering

with kd it took 3 week while he states that he send out the package right away(do not think so)

dx was slow in december becasue of the hollidays but now they seem lightning quick.


----------



## CandleFranky (Jan 27, 2008)

gravityz said:


> ordered 3 packages from dx
> got them within 7 days after ordering
> 
> with kd it took 3 week while he states that he send out the package right away(do not think so)


Yes, KD is VERY slow. And I cannot check the state of delivery. I prefer Dealextreme now, will not order at KD again. :nana:


----------



## Probedude (Jan 27, 2008)

CandleFranky said:


> Yes, KD is VERY slow. And I cannot check the state of delivery. I prefer Dealextreme now, will not order at KD again. :nana:



DX is slower for me than KD - but then I've only placed 1 order from KD and about 6 from DX.



> For my curiosity: doesn't the teflon tape break the electrical contact between the tailcap and the body? It looks like current is conducted through the threads, or am I missing something?..


Yes it does conduct through the threads but Teflon tape is so thin and easily cut through that contact is made and made well. The rest of the bulk is still wedging in the peaks and valleys of the thread and making the assembly tighter.

Regarding me putting a foam donut in the tail cap, I might move it to the head PCB. That pad on the PCB is much thinner than the button on the tailcap so I should probably protect the PCB by keeping the battery off of it when not turned on so as not to wear through it.

Does anyone make a twisty that is a true switch? I was thinking that the tailcap would be tightened securely but the barrel of the light would turn and have 2 detents - on and off.


----------



## Nos (Jan 28, 2008)

back to the flashlight, did someone try 10440's on it yet?


----------



## Marduke (Jan 28, 2008)

Nos said:


> back to the flashlight, did someone try 10440's on it yet?



yes, several have


----------



## optodoofus (Jan 28, 2008)

I received two SSC buckle lights from KD today. I noticed a significant variation in fit and finish between the two units. One had a very smooth action, but loose threads and a rattling battery. (The foam donut treatment and some teflon tape fixed it right up - great tips!). The other one had a tight action. It felt almost gritty. I opened it up and found - wait for it - a lot of grit in the threads. After I cleaned out the threads on the body and the tailcap, it worked more smoothly. Interestingly, the second unit takes a lot more force to turn on/off and does not suffer from the rattling battery syndrome.

Having said all that, I still think these are a great value for $15. Time will tell how durable the units are, but at that price, they're almost disposable.

optodoofus


----------



## CandleFranky (Feb 1, 2008)

Got mine yesterday, after three weeks. Good finish and brighter then expected, very impressive beam. Exzellent value for the money.

*BUT:* You have to screw tail to switch on and off. BUT if the flashlight is switched off, the tail is loose - and in your pocket, it can switched on by accident. *Any ideas?*


----------



## Probedude (Feb 1, 2008)

CandleFranky said:


> Got mine yesterday, after three weeks. Good finish and brighter then expected, very impressive beam. Exzellent value for the money.
> 
> *BUT:* You have to screw tail to switch on and off. BUT if the flashlight is switched off, the tail is loose - and in your pocket, it can switched on by accident. *Any ideas?*



Put a foam ring/donut in there to take up the space and hold the battery off either the pill contact or the rear tailcap contact.

My foam donut is thick enough to hold the battery off the contact yet when I screw it down the battery overcomes the foam. I also put a few layers of teflon tape on the body threads to stiffen up the tailcap action.


----------



## garageguy (Feb 1, 2008)

Does this light have a lens of any kind? It is hard to tell from the pictures and there is no mention of one in the specs. Be it plastic or glass I think that a lens would be essential because of the gumminess or the SSC led dome. I'm thinking of placing an order but want to confirm that there is a lens first. Thanks.


----------



## CandleFranky (Feb 1, 2008)

Probedude said:


> Put a foam ring/donut in there to take up the space and hold the battery off either the pill contact or the rear tailcap contact.
> 
> My foam donut is thick enough to hold the battery off the contact yet when I screw it down the battery overcomes the foam. I also put a few layers of teflon tape on the body threads to stiffen up the tailcap action.


Probedude, thank you very much. Good ideas. I think, KD should implement some technic in the next version to stop the tailcap action, then this light would be a real bargain. :twothumbs



garageguy said:


> Does this light have a lens of any kind? It is hard to tell from the pictures and there is no mention of one in the specs. Be it plastic or glass I think that a lens would be essential because of the gumminess or the SSC led dome. I'm thinking of placing an order but want to confirm that there is a lens first. Thanks.


I would say it is definitely glass. :twothumbs


----------



## garageguy (Feb 1, 2008)

Thanks Franky, just what I wanted to hear.


----------



## Vikas Sontakke (Feb 1, 2008)

It does have glass lens but it is not sealed well against moisture. Make sure the light never gets wet.

- Vikas


----------



## bspofford (Feb 2, 2008)

CandleFranky said:


> Got mine yesterday, after three weeks. Good finish and brighter then expected, very impressive beam. Exzellent value for the money.
> 
> *BUT:* You have to screw tail to switch on and off. BUT if the flashlight is switched off, the tail is loose - and in your pocket, it can switched on by accident. *Any ideas?*


 
*The new o-rings at KD are supposed to be beefier, and will help tighten the tailcap. A foam doughnut in the tailcap will also help.*


----------



## bspofford (Feb 2, 2008)

Last week, I commented on the results of my 10440 Li-ion 3.7V experiment, and it seemed at that time that my boost circuit then SSC emitter went poof. After a week, I tried a 10440 cell, and the light seems to work fine. It doesn't work at all with a 1.2V primary, so it would appear that only the boost circuit fried. Maybe the current direct drive configuration isn't so bad because it is bright, and I can recharge 10440 cells. I'll keep using it and will report back via this thread.


----------



## Probedude (Feb 2, 2008)

bspofford said:


> *The new o-rings at KD are supposed to be beefier, and will help tighten the tailcap. A foam doughnut in the tailcap will also help.*



If you can, install the foam donut on the pill PCB. This will keep the AAA battery from continually making contact with the PCB and scuffing it up from vibration.

Right now I have my foam donut on the tailcap which keeps the AAA pressed on the pill PCB all the time. No rattles but I should keep the AAA off the pill after seeing what is happening with other people's buckle lights.


----------



## LuxChaser (Feb 2, 2008)

A huuuge thanks to our eagle eyed members!:thumbsup:
I just checked for the pill pcb and it looks like ernsanada's:sigh:
A foam donut is a great suggestion in preventing further damage.
thanks again all


----------



## konfusius (Feb 2, 2008)

Where can I get this often mentioned "mini foam donut"?
The smallest "donut" I could find had a diameter of 2cm ...


----------



## Nake (Feb 2, 2008)

bspofford said:


> Last week, I commented on the results of my 10440 Li-ion 3.7V experiment, and it seemed at that time that my boost circuit then SSC emitter went poof. After a week, I tried a 10440 cell, and the light seems to work fine. It doesn't work at all with a 1.2V primary, so it would appear that only the boost circuit fried. Maybe the current direct drive configuration isn't so bad because it is bright, and I can recharge 10440 cells. I'll keep using it and will report back via this thread.


 
I did the same thing to the dim one I got. Not dim anymore.  Mine also just gets warm and not hot. The only bad thing is the 10440 is a couple of mm longer than the NiMH and the cap doesn't reach the O-ring. Think I'll put the end of the tube to the grinding wheel and take some stock off. There's enough there after the threads.

edit; I was tired when I posted this. Grinding the end of the tube isn't going to make the battery any shorter.


----------



## bspofford (Feb 3, 2008)

*Easy Custom Foam Doughnuts*

Battery rattle in single cell twist lights can be avoided with a foam doughnut. Another benefit is that the foam doughnut adds some protection against unintentional actuation of the light since the final twist takes a little more effort. Some lights come with doughnuts, and many find that corn pads can be adapted. I make my own foam doughnuts using a variety of custom tubular cutters, but few want to bother with this approach.

An easy way to make inexpensive doughnuts for the KD SX0H AAA Buckle and similar lights is to start with a sheet of 2mm thick hobby foam. I bought a bunch of 9" X 9" sheets in various colors at WalMart. The regular price was about 25 cents, but they were on clearance for only 10 cents per sheet. One sheet can make about a hundred foam doughnuts (much cheaper than corn pads). Place the foam on the back of an old magazine over a hard surface and use the tailcap itself as a tubular cutter. Stabilize the foam sheet and press firmly, rock and rotate the tailcap without lifting until a circle is cut from the foam. *It will be the perfect size to fit the inside of the tailcap.* Next, use a 1/4" (or 5/16") paper punch to make a hole centered on the disc. Some will prefer to reverse the sequence and use the paper punch first and cut the disc second. While you're at it, make half a dozen.:thumbsup:


----------



## Rzr800 (Feb 4, 2008)

Cut a foam doughnut for the emitter end and stuck the two extra o-rings in the tailcap with teflon tape for the threads. Works great and compares very nicely output-wise with the wife's Tiablo A1 (the beam obviously being a lot more floody and not as white in color).

This light might just suit me fine for many years to come.


----------



## Rzr800 (Feb 5, 2008)

I'm sure that this has been done many times before and discussed just as much up here on CPF; yet since others have claimed that the 30- 45 minute runtime is a little optimistic (I use Duracell LSDs) I'm going to try carrying my batteries with the light for a while.

No pics and pretty self-explanatory; yet I took non-stick somewhat reuseable masking tape and bound two AAAs paralell to the body for a more stable horizontal presentation when set down to illuminate the task at hand. Slipped a Chapstick top over the lens and whoalah!...a pretty scabbed up looking contraption that is still fairly small with extra power on board (as with my Zebralight in the keep2go with extra AA; it's often nice to just grab the whole package and go).


----------



## lightbug (Feb 5, 2008)

I have tested with cheap super heavy duty AAA (Powercell) batteries from 99 cents store, and it last more than 1 hour, about 70 minutes. Those batteries are 16 for $1.  The Duracell akalines give out much higher output but less runtime.

After I applied the teflon tape to the threads, now it is possible to control the brightness of the light with those cheapie heavy duty AAAs. (won't work on Duracell akaline) Switch the tail cap tight gives maximum output, a bit lose and the output reduces. With a half depleted heavy duty AAA, I was able to run it over 10 hours on "moon" mode. LOL


----------



## swxb12 (Feb 5, 2008)

Poor man's Gatlight or Titan, lightbug!


----------



## nutz_about_lights (Feb 6, 2008)

Thanks for posting ern, I'll be considering this light for my new EDC with my keys and stuff. 



lightbug said:


> I have tested with cheap super heavy duty AAA (Powercell) batteries from 99 cents store, and it last more than 1 hour, about 70 minutes. Those batteries are 16 for $1.  The Duracell akalines give out much higher output but less runtime.


 
And yep I've got plenty of those cheapo batteries so I guess this light is good for me.


----------



## Rzr800 (Feb 6, 2008)

swxb12 said:


> *Poor man's* Gatlight or *Titan*, lightbug!


 
Oh for gosh sakes please don't go there...:shakehead..you could darn well ignite another Nitecore Defender type 'bashfest' directed at any and all companies up here actually giving us mere penny pinching 'peons'  true one on one service at a decent price.


----------



## ernsanada (Feb 7, 2008)

I received 2 more KD 1AAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle Flashlight V3 and they are the V3's.







I have total of 3 lights.






The 2 newer Buckle Lights feel looser in the threads than my first Bucke Light.


----------



## AvPD (Feb 8, 2008)

Have a V3 ordered on the 16th of January. I tried the foam doughnut in the tailcap which makes the on/off action a lot cleaner (I wonder if the competition is springless), and I also tried a rubber o-ring at the other end but AAA's with a large positive contact wouldn't work. I found a hollow rubber grommet which I sliced up and it appears to be best solution, however it does not hold itself in the tube.

The threads aren't loose unless I unscrew the tailcap a few turns so I didn't bother with teflon tape. I have some cheap bulk AAA's (one of which leaked and killed an A$100 mp3 player within a week a couple of years ago) but the brightnness is comparable to button cell 5mm LED keychain lights. Some Soshine 900mAh AAA's really showed what this thing is capable of, impressive but the capacity of AAA's is the weak link in the chain.


----------



## Rzr800 (Feb 9, 2008)

ernsanada said:


> I received 2 more KD 1AAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle Flashlight V3 and they are the V3's...The 2 newer Buckle Lights feel looser in the threads than my first Bucke Light.


 
Received the newer version also and have the same problem. Put a foam doughnut on the emitter; those one or two (not sure) extra o-rings in the cap and the tape on the threads...not rock solid by any means...yet I like it (btw, thanks again for the time that you've put into this light and others that I have bought because of just that).


----------



## Polar Light (Feb 9, 2008)

The one on the left is so loose that it is totally useless. The one on the right works just fine. 
Looks like that quality controll is not the strongest points of KD. :shakehead


----------



## KeithAM (Feb 9, 2008)

I received a V3 about a week ago. The threads were _very_ loose. Instead of teflon tape I used beeswax, which works beautifully. I got the beeswax idea from a bicycle designer named Grant Petersen (Rivendell Bicycles), who calls it "nature's loctite."


----------



## bspofford (Feb 9, 2008)

Polar Light said:


> The one on the left is so loose that it is totally useless. The one on the right works just fine.
> Looks like that quality controll is not the strongest points of KD. :shakehead


 
The threads may seem loose because the tailcap bottoms out on the battery with only a couple of threads engaged. I have seen this in other lights, and I think the pill needs to be threaded in more. Shake it without a tailcap or battery and see if it rattles. If it does, you need to tighten the pill and create more room for the battery.


----------



## kenzo (Feb 9, 2008)

Basically ;D I have the coolest one eveeer. That is all the one light btw. Am now waiting for KD to finish celebrating the Lunar new year so I can see what will happen ;D.


----------



## Probedude (Feb 10, 2008)

Polar Light said:


> The one on the left is so loose that it is totally useless. The one on the right works just fine.
> Looks like that quality controll is not the strongest points of KD. :shakehead



Is it my imagination or are the threads cut on a taper instead of square?
If truly tapered, that's the source of your sloppiness.

Mine the threads engage well but the are not well matched to each other (either the body OD on the threads is too small, or the tailcap threads ID is too big).

Seems it would be an easy thing to get their lathes setup to correctly cut these threads and that would solve a lot of problems.


----------



## Rzr800 (Feb 10, 2008)

KeithAM said:


> I received a V3 about a week ago. The threads were _very_ loose. Instead of teflon tape I used beeswax, which works beautifully. I got the beeswax idea from a bicycle designer named Grant Petersen (Rivendell Bicycles), who calls it "nature's loctite."


 
Thanks for the tip, Keith and welcome...I'll try it! :thumbsup:


----------



## Robocop (Feb 10, 2008)

I have had 3 of these thus far and each one performs beautiful as far as output however the threads are total crap. This light has such promise if only a little better threads could be made.

I really like the tint on each one and the circuit pulls very hard on the little AAA cell. Efficient it may not be but who cares for it does well for keychain usage. I get close to 30 minutes of very bright usage from Rayovac Hybrid cells....but again so wish the host was better built.

I am trying to figure out a way to transplant the internals to an old LOP body I have. To me this would be a near perfect keychain light if using the same internals but much better body (threads) of the Fenix host.


----------



## Rzr800 (Feb 10, 2008)

Robocop said:


> "...I am trying to figure out a way to transplant the internals to an old LOP body I have. To me this would be a near perfect keychain light if using the same internals but much better body (threads) of the Fenix host...."


 
Agreed.

KD has a very nice window of opportunity here which could close very quickly in terms of another competitor (finally) figuring out that a tiny foam doughnut and properly threaded tube could just be a money maker for them also...at this pricepoint.

My feelings are the same as yours in terms of battery life. Throw a LSD in; don't worry about it and enjoy just as much light as one needs 95% of the time for a _lot_ less than what you are paying now in this category.

I look at my $15 KD 1AAA SSC, my $60 NDI (thank you for breaking the forum mold at this price, Edgetac) and my $29 Smartfire V68C thrower...and begin to realize that a 'flashaholic' doesn't necessarily need to bust his budget in order to receive most of the high output lights that one truly needs...at a decent price.

Good luck on the LOD project and would like to hear how it goes.


----------



## nerdgineer (Feb 10, 2008)

Robocop said:


> ...I am trying to figure out a way to transplant the internals to an old LOP body I have. To me this would be a near perfect keychain light if using the same internals but much better body (threads) of the Fenix host.


It's even harder to do but it would be nice if the clickie tailcap of this light could be made to work with the SSC. THAT would be a perfect solution.

The tailcap threads actually fit fine, but the body of the switch takes up too much room so it can't screw down all the way. Maybe someone can think of a way...


----------



## divine (Feb 10, 2008)

Erns, you mind, or want me to show pictures of the finish on my 3 month old one? I have some dings and some anodizing wearing off.


----------



## ernsanada (Feb 10, 2008)

divine said:


> Erns, you mind, or want me to show pictures of the finish on my 3 month old one? I have some dings and some anodizing wearing off.



No problem, you can go ahead and post your pictures.


----------



## ernsanada (Feb 10, 2008)

These are pictures of my 2 new KD 1AAA SCC U-Bin SX0H Buckle Flashlight threads.


----------



## ernsanada (Feb 11, 2008)

I also took lux readings of the lights shown above. These are the lux readings I got. I am using a Meterman LM631 Light Meter measured at 1 meter. I waited 2 minutes before taking the readings. I am using Energizer Nimh AAA Rechargeable Batteries, 850mAh which were fully charged.






KD 1AAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle Flashlight nimh AAA - 210 lux @ 1 meter

KD 1AAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle Flashlight nimh AAA - 240 lux @ 1 meter

KD 1AAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle Flashlight nimh AAA - 330 lux @ 1 meter


3 KD 1AAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle Flashlight nimh AAA @ 1 meter


----------



## ernsanada (Feb 11, 2008)

One of my KD 1AAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle Flashlight had a loose tailcap. I used an extra LOD o-ring and it tightened up the tailcap.


----------



## AvPD (Feb 12, 2008)

ernsanada said:


> KD 1AAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle Flashlight nimh AAA - 210 lux @ 1 meter
> 
> KD 1AAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle Flashlight nimh AAA - 240 lux @ 1 meter
> 
> KD 1AAA SCC U-bin SX0H Buckle Flashlight nimh AAA - 330 lux @ 1 meter



Any ideas why there's such variance? Could batteries have affected the results?


----------



## jumpin jack flash (Feb 12, 2008)

AvPD said:


> Any ideas why there's such variance? Could batteries have affected the results?


 

I recently ( 2-7-08) received 2 KD buckle lights and experienced the same thing. Although I don't have a way to measure, there was a visible difference between lights in both tint and brightness. Exact same Eneloop AAA batteries with exact same voltage off charger. I experimented with making sure both lights had good contact and were operating at consistent maximum brightness. I suspect emitter variation due to lower tolerance bin selections, which is not that uncommon. Any other ideas?


----------



## optodoofus (Feb 12, 2008)

I have two of these buckle lights and noticed the same thing: one seemed noticeable brighter than the other and had a different beam shape. I don't have the equipment to measure the total output, so it might be that both are putting out similar light but the difference in beam shape caused the apparent difference in brightness. It wasn't a big issue for me since even the less bright of the two was still fairly impressive.

optodoofus


----------



## ernsanada (Feb 12, 2008)

AvPD said:


> Any ideas why there's such variance? Could batteries have affected the results?



I think it's due to the SSC Bin Lottery. 

Some have different forward voltages.

The batteries are all the same brand bought at the same time. All freshly charged at the same time.


----------



## divine (Feb 12, 2008)

Let's see... I want to say that I think this light is not HAIII, and most of the wear is simply because of that. I have one of the earlier gen lights, and as you can see, the knurling on the business end of the light comes to points to make it easier to twist. My lens is a little cracked, some anodizing is coming off, a couple gouges, but overall, it is still in pretty good shape and operates the same as the day I got it. I may have dropped my keys a couple times, and a lot of the wear is probably from my stainless steel keys.


----------



## Groundhog66 (Feb 12, 2008)

I bought two of these a while back, one was defective. When I put the battery in and twisted it on, the head popped off. I have been communicating with them and was told I would be receiving a replacement, but it never arrived. :thumbsdow


Tim


----------



## Probedude (Feb 13, 2008)

ernsanada said:


> I think it's due to the SSC Bin Lottery.
> 
> Some have different forward voltages.
> 
> The batteries are all the same brand bought at the same time. All freshly charged at the same time.



I'm still not very impressed with my KD 1AAA buckle light. Can't figure out if I had a dud or I just can't get used to a light that is pretty much all flood vs spot. I know I said I thought I had it figured out, but I must not have since I rarely use this light at all. I'm EDC'ing an RC-G2 or RC-C3 instead these days.


----------



## bill_n_opus (Feb 13, 2008)

KeithAM said:


> I received a V3 about a week ago. The threads were _very_ loose. Instead of teflon tape I used beeswax, which works beautifully. I got the beeswax idea from a bicycle designer named Grant Petersen (Rivendell Bicycles), who calls it "nature's loctite."


 
Sweet, got some beeswax at home (natural stuff for waterproofing) and going to try it out. 

Just to say that i've received my 2 v3 lights. I'm impressed for what you get for 15 bucks ... until they break of course. 

What the heck, had to try them out. 

I've noticed the same thing, the tail end is loose when backed out, hopefully the beeswax does the trick. I don't think I got any extra o rings with my purchase though.


----------



## Vikas Sontakke (Feb 13, 2008)

I ordered the 5 o-rings from KD. Those are even thinner than the original one :-(


----------



## Robocop (Feb 13, 2008)

I also noticed out of my 3 samples I had one that was dimmer. A tail cap reading of mA showed the dimmer one pulling 580 mA while the other 2 were at 990 and 1.2 mA. I was messing around with the light checking connections and stuff when I made one change to the dimmer one only and this was to take a small screwdriver and reach inside the head. I scratched up the surface of the positive connection point where it was now shiny and making a better connection. The dimmer unit now went from 580 mA to 970 mA.

Maybe it was blind luck or something else however try cleaning off the positive contact and check before and after readings to see if this helps. It made a big improvement on the dim one I received.


----------



## mitchfried (Feb 14, 2008)

I now own ten of these lights, the latest being 6 of the version 3. Nice and bright, with crappy threads resulting in loose, wobbly tail caps. How freakin' difficult (or expensive) could it be to make them right? $15.01 a pop may be a bargain compared to similar designs, but I'd pay an extra dollar or two so I wouldn't have to wrap teflon tape or apply beeswax or camel snot before I give them out as gifts.


----------



## taschenlampe (Feb 18, 2008)

The tailcap of the one I got was also loose. I placed an o-ring at the base of the 
threads between body and tailcap and this works well.








tl

Thanks to: www.imagenetz.de


----------



## Vikas Sontakke (Feb 18, 2008)

That's exactly how I have done it and it works great. It provides just the right resistance while turning on.

- Vikas


----------



## bfg9000 (Feb 19, 2008)

After reading about how AW's C ring can be enlarged with just hand pressure to fit A123s, I wonder if it would be possible to enlarge the OD of the threads by forcing a smooth bolt into the ID. Checking the fit of the cap frequently of course.

Just a thought.


----------



## pbs357 (Feb 19, 2008)

Has anyone compared this beam's output and runtime on alkalines versus the DX 1995 AA? Looking for a bright, single mode light for my mom, and have narrowed it down to these two. I realize they are different battery types and switch types so really just looking for opinions from anyone who has both. Thanks!


----------



## pvalopes (Feb 20, 2008)

what is the tint of this light? mine is warm, yellowish :thumbsdow:thumbsdow


----------



## AvPD (Feb 20, 2008)

I've noticed that the heatsink is not attached to the body, how effective is the heat transfer between the two?


----------



## divine (Feb 20, 2008)

pvalopes said:


> what is the tint of this light? mine is warm, yellowish :thumbsdow:thumbsdow


Mine is very white, if anything slightly blue.


----------



## divine (Feb 20, 2008)

AvPD said:


> I've noticed that the heatsink is not attached to the body, how effective is the heat transfer between the two?


I just turned mine on for 3 minutes to see how much it would heat up. The front end of the light got a little warm, maybe 10-15 degrees (F), so maybe it doesn't heatsink so great.

But... the SSC U-bin (the led in this light) is capable of putting out over 200 lumens, so the LED is only being pushed at about 50% of it's maximum.

I don't run mine for very long, usually just to find something I've dropped, but its output hasn't changed since I first got it.


----------



## Monkeyboab (Apr 17, 2008)

I've got one of these lying around its never worked rite. You tighten it up and it flickers but if you try and tighten the tailcap up it goes out. Its as if the battery pushes the driver board forward and off where its making contact with the tube? Beats me but I dont see a way off opening it to fix it. I use my Lod Q4 as my edc wish id never bought the ssc buckle from kd.

Rob


----------



## Tubor (Apr 17, 2008)

Monkeyboab said:


> I've got one of these lying around its never worked rite. You tighten it up and it flickers but if you try and tighten the tailcap up it goes out. Its as if the battery pushes the driver board forward and off where its making contact with the tube? Beats me but I dont see a way off opening it to fix it. I use my Lod Q4 as my edc wish id never bought the ssc buckle from kd.
> 
> Rob



Do you know which version you got? I got a version 2 and it worked fine with a o-ring change (I used an old Liteflux LF2 SSC o-ring). I gave it away as a present and it's a great flood light for looking at book shelves up close and the like, much better than my Tiablo MA1 (which is more throwy with a smaller diameter beam) or my LF2X (with it's Cree LED). I bought two (version 3's I believe) and they fell apart (I have yet to attempt to repair them) possibly due to the battery not fitting so maybe you have that version. Maybe just don't tighten it all the way. But I do feel for everyone whose had a bad experience with this light, it was almost there. :mecry:

DX's version may be better, or it might improve further down the line (keeping track of version numbers is probably not worth it as QC doesn't seem to be there).


----------



## kaidomain (Apr 18, 2008)

Tubor said:


> Do you know which version you got? I got a version 2 and it worked fine with a o-ring change (I used an old Liteflux LF2 SSC o-ring). I gave it away as a present and it's a great flood light for looking at book shelves up close and the like, much better than my Tiablo MA1 (which is more throwy with a smaller diameter beam) or my LF2X (with it's Cree LED). I bought two (version 3's I believe) and they fell apart (I have yet to attempt to repair them) possibly due to the battery not fitting so maybe you have that version. Maybe just don't tighten it all the way. But I do feel for everyone whose had a bad experience with this light, it was almost there. :mecry:
> 
> DX's version may be better, or it might improve further down the line (keeping track of version numbers is probably not worth it as QC doesn't seem to be there).


Hello,


----------



## kaidomain (Apr 18, 2008)

kaidomain said:


> Hello,


Hello,

From all appearances, we 're redoing our website. And do put serious effort in trying to cater to you flashlight enthusiasts.. But admittedly, our execution has room for improvement. I have seen complaints from people here that range from inaccurate product descriptions to sudden product price changes without notice. Now keep in mind, those kind of things aren't that out of the ordinary for online dealers anyway. But I guess when there are many dealers that do the same thing, a consumer can't help but compare and expect the same level of service from each of them. But hey guys, lets not get all bent out of shape here with KD's shortcomings.


In the grand scheme of things, we are more than willing to listen to you. My suggestion would be that you make known your issues and ideas to our customer service people. I am more than willing to listen and help out you flashlight enthusiasts. What’s more, it helps us to keeps up product variety, service improvements (which is in need of work here) and prices low...BTW, V4 samples are now in our hands, all are awesome! As well as P7 bulb, P7 board,reflector for M*g….




My only advice to you is to avoid KD like the plague. Seriosusly more trouble than it is worth. we stuff up orders and don't want to fix them, our stock indicator is bogus as is our shipping indicator and you wait forever sometimes for the simplest thing even though it's supposedly in stock but yet takes a month to ship..bah a crap company to deal with. The whole thing is unprofessional. Be happy that the gods are smiling and you are having trouble placing an order..


We have been never slack but stepping forward…something is really really beyond our control,such as factories,manufacturers,stuff,transportation,post office etc


In a word, we will take more responsibility and be more initiative and humble attitude to satisfy you buddys.


Jerry​


----------



## AvPD (Apr 18, 2008)

kaidomain said:


> My only advice to you is to avoid KD like the plague. Seriosusly more trouble than it is worth. we stuff up orders and don't want to fix them, our stock indicator is bogus as is our shipping indicator and you wait forever sometimes for the simplest thing even though it's supposedly in stock but yet takes a month to ship..bah a crap company to deal with. The whole thing is unprofessional. Be happy that the gods are smiling and you are having trouble placing an order..



Did Jerry temporarily become disgruntled or does somebody have access to his account?


----------



## copperfox (Apr 18, 2008)

I think somebody else put that "avoid KD..." there. If you notice, that same post is in marketplace in several threads too as if they were trying to give Jerry a bad name. Stupid hackers.


----------



## mudman cj (Apr 18, 2008)

In what part of the world do people commonly say, "stuff up" in this context anyway?


----------



## Probedude (Apr 19, 2008)

Monkeyboab said:


> I've got one of these lying around its never worked rite. You tighten it up and it flickers but if you try and tighten the tailcap up it goes out. Its as if the battery pushes the driver board forward and off where its making contact with the tube? Beats me but I dont see a way off opening it to fix it. I use my Lod Q4 as my edc wish id never bought the ssc buckle from kd.
> 
> Rob



Mine does that too, but only when you really crank on the tailcap.

Now I didn't do that - every time I hand one of my LED flashlights to someone to show them, they twist it like it's a mini-mag-lite. How I know my KD Buckle light does this is that someone forgot the "righty tightly, lefty loosey and was trying to turn it off. Which they did after overtightening it. I think it's just as you say - the driver PCB gets pressed so hard that the outer negative terminal trace/ring no longer contacts the step in the tube's machining.



> In what part of the world do people commonly say, "stuff up" in this context anyway?


 I think my Australian friend uses that term.


----------



## copperfox (Apr 19, 2008)

Mine does the same thing now (tighten more than just slightly and it goes off), some time after I went through the hassle of replacing the emitter. I may open it up again to attempt a fix


----------

