I am having almost the exact same issue. It fires SOMETIMES with a full charge battery. HOWEVER I don't know the difference between AW and NCM batteries. I ordered AW and they haven't come yet so we ordered some others and they are NCM 18650 3.7V batteries @$7.95 each. Can that be what the problem is? UGH... that's a LOT of money for something that works only sometimes.
Hello. I know this can all be confusing. AW, is a brand of battery, not a type of battery. NCM is the material a battery is made out of. There are good NCMs and bad ones, depending on brand. AW is an excellent brand, and it is basically what I use in all my mods and flashlights. I do have a few Panasonic, and they are great as well and I tried cheap Chinese batteries, for fun. You can't go wrong with AW batteries. I am sure someone will tell me different, because it is a hot topic, but more people than not, like AW batteries. They are also one of the most honest about what capacity a battery is. In a Zmax, I found that protected batteries do not fit, without sanding out the end cap. So, I use AW IMR 18650 2000 mah batteries. The "AW" is the brand, the "IMR" is the material it is made out of, manganese, "18650" is the size, and "2000 mah" is the capacity, meaning how long it will run before needing a recharge. These IMR batteries can provide power to the device quicker than many other batteries. IMRs are recommended for the Zmax, from what I remember. Without them, if you use many other types, you will get mis fires. The device will fire, then stop, then start, etc. Sometimes it will go into the menu, with only one press, sometimes when you change it to power mode, it will go back to voltage. It acts crazy. This does not damage the device, it is just a pain. Also, if a battery is discharged down to 3.5 volts, the first menu will be dim, then get bright again when you click. I thought my Zmax was screwed up, but when I put an AW IMR 18650 in, everything works great. I don't know what brand you bought of the NCM, but check it out before you use it. AW brand batts give me the piece of mind I need, so it is worth the extra money to me. IMR batteries are not protected, but the Zmax is, and it will cut off before the battery gets too low. IMRs are made from a safer material, so they will not vent a huge flame, if something bad happens. Don't use IMRs in devices that don't have protection. There is more to know, of course, so just ask the forum, because most people here have more knowledge than I do. What brand are the NCM batteries. Also, be careful buying AWs, get them from a reputable dealer, because there are counterfeits out there. I know right, fake batteries.
