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12-18-2004, 03:19 PM

Mike Beauchamp wrote:
> I bought this 7 LED Flashing Light and mounted it on the back of my
bike in
> November 2004. A few days later, I rode home from school and it was
wet on
> the ground. When I got home, I noticed that the light had shut itself
off! I
> turned it back on again into the first (of 3 modes) and watched it
cycle
> itself into the other 2 modes over several minutes and eventually
shut
> itself off again.
>
> So I took the unit apart to see what was happening. If you notice the

> design, there isnt' a separate sealed switch.. instead there is
simply a
> regular micro switch that is placed inside at the bottom of the unit,
which
> can be depressed by pressing against the outer casing and bending it
> inwards. As an experiment, I turned the unit on and spit on it. Sure
enough,
> the spit shorted the switch and turned the unit off.
>
> I took off the front flasher (5 LED light made by the same company,
but
> different design) that uses a regular sealed switch at the back. I
put both
> into the sink and filled it up with water. Immediately, the Optik7
cycled
> through the modes and then shut itself off. The front flasher
however, kept
> blinking completely submersed in water.
>
> I have contacted Christian Pelletier (chrisp@ogc.ca) from OGC, who
said he
> would replace it with a 5 LED version. However, I wanted to post this
online
> incase anyone else is using one of these lights. The fact that they
are
> meant to be mounted on the seatpost, and get directly sprayed by
water from
> the rear tire exactly where the badly sealed switch is seems to pose
a
> safety threat in my opinion. Especially since any contact with water
and the
> light switches itself into the "off" position. Also, since it is
located
> behind you, you don't know that it has turned itself off until it is
too
> late.
>
> DEFINITELY a flawed design in my opinion that wasn't tested properly
before
> being released. Which is a shame for an important safety product.
>
> I've checked the light I have, and there is no flaws with the
manufacturing.
> The seal is there and in place, and it was closed properly. The next
time it
> rained, I even went out to test it again and it was off within 10
minutes
> (yes, the batteries are fully charged). Again, when I opened the
case, a
> slight amount of water had gotten into the case at the bottom right
where
> the micro switch is.
>
> I put up a little webpage with some pictures of the light and a copy
of this
> text...
>
> http://beauchamp.relyon.ca/optik7/
>
> Mike

Mike thank you for the post & web page, Happy Hollidays, John

12-18-2004, 03:19 PM	#49 (permalink)
dudleydorite9@Yahoo.com Guest Posts: n/a	Re: OGC Optik7 Flashing LED Warning Mike Beauchamp wrote: > I bought this 7 LED Flashing Light and mounted it on the back of my bike in > November 2004. A few days later, I rode home from school and it was wet on > the ground. When I got home, I noticed that the light had shut itself off! I > turned it back on again into the first (of 3 modes) and watched it cycle > itself into the other 2 modes over several minutes and eventually shut > itself off again. > > So I took the unit apart to see what was happening. If you notice the > design, there isnt' a separate sealed switch.. instead there is simply a > regular micro switch that is placed inside at the bottom of the unit, which > can be depressed by pressing against the outer casing and bending it > inwards. As an experiment, I turned the unit on and spit on it. Sure enough, > the spit shorted the switch and turned the unit off. > > I took off the front flasher (5 LED light made by the same company, but > different design) that uses a regular sealed switch at the back. I put both > into the sink and filled it up with water. Immediately, the Optik7 cycled > through the modes and then shut itself off. The front flasher however, kept > blinking completely submersed in water. > > I have contacted Christian Pelletier (chrisp@ogc.ca) from OGC, who said he > would replace it with a 5 LED version. However, I wanted to post this online > incase anyone else is using one of these lights. The fact that they are > meant to be mounted on the seatpost, and get directly sprayed by water from > the rear tire exactly where the badly sealed switch is seems to pose a > safety threat in my opinion. Especially since any contact with water and the > light switches itself into the "off" position. Also, since it is located > behind you, you don't know that it has turned itself off until it is too > late. > > DEFINITELY a flawed design in my opinion that wasn't tested properly before > being released. Which is a shame for an important safety product. > > I've checked the light I have, and there is no flaws with the manufacturing. > The seal is there and in place, and it was closed properly. The next time it > rained, I even went out to test it again and it was off within 10 minutes > (yes, the batteries are fully charged). Again, when I opened the case, a > slight amount of water had gotten into the case at the bottom right where > the micro switch is. > > I put up a little webpage with some pictures of the light and a copy of this > text... > > http://beauchamp.relyon.ca/optik7/ > > Mike Mike thank you for the post & web page, Happy Hollidays, John