Replacing stenlight LED's

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Replacing stenlight LED's

Postby ThorirMar » Mar 1, 2013 9:01 am

I've had my Stenlight for about 5-6 years, and have been very happy with it. I recently started caving again after about a years hiatus and noticed that one of the LED's was failing. When turned off it shows a brown discoloration, and when turned on it is much dimmer than the other one and the light is kind of purple-ish.

So I would like to replace the LED's with new ones, but that is where I stumble as I don't have the faintest idea which LED's to select. I am aware of the upgrade that is available but as I live in Iceland and would have to ship the light to either the US or the UK and back again and then pay customs for everything, the price is just too high (I would probably end up paying close to the price of a new light).

I am fairly handy with a soldering iron so replacing the LED's should not be a problem, it's just selecting the right parts that I find daunting.

Any help would be appreciated.

Oh, and my Stenlight is model nr. S07D0525 if that makes any difference.

Cheers,
Þórir Már
ThorirMar
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Re: Replacing stenlight LED's

Postby driggs » Mar 1, 2013 3:19 pm

You should not have to pay any extra customs fee if you mark the package with something along the lines of "broken electronics for manufacturer repair".

StenSat's service is excellent, and they should replace a failed LED emitter for no charge to you. In contrast, if you damage your StenLight by doing the repair yourself, they are not likely to fix it under warranty.

My contact for service is David Niemi <David dot Niemi at stensat dot org>.
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Re: Replacing stenlight LED's

Postby ThorirMar » Mar 1, 2013 6:05 pm

The custom regulations are pretty draconian here in Iceland. I called the customs office and they confirmed my suspicion, I would firs't have to fill out and get stamped, by a customs official, a form confirming my ownership of the item and it's location here in Iceland. I could then ship the light to the US, have it repaired and shipped back. Included with the returning light would have to be a receipt for the work done clearly stating it as a repair. The price of the repair + the shipping cost from the US to Iceland would then be taxed 25,5% VAT plus other fees.

I also doubt that a six years old light would be covered under warranty. How long is this type of LED expected to last anyway?
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