Being a new member, I was unable to post this information in an appropriate thread since I don't have enough posts under my belt yet. I probably would have posted this info here if not for that. At any rate, owners of the Segelei Zmax V3 Telescopic have been reporting occasional shifting of the internal circuit board which causes the internal button to no longer line up under the external button properly which can cause misfires. I've also read posts where owners reported the button seemed aligned properly, but still had button issues. My button problem began after a few weeks where the button failed to operate properly when pressed and either didn't fire, or made me go into the menu when I didn't want to be there. This was not a button alignment issue. My father bought one shortly after I did on my recommendation, and he had the exact same problem (button was aligned but the button didn't work well). We blew air around the button with an air compressor and also used contact cleaner fluid from a spray can, and neither solved the issue. For any other owners of this PV with a similar issue, hopefully this post is a possible solution for you. If you're PV is under warranty, you may opt to just send it in for a replacement. I will say ahead of time that this will require that you disassemble the PV (remove the top cap in a vise) and also involves some soldering. You'll also need to re-glue the circuit board in place before re-assembling it so it doesn't shift inside the PV. Here's a few posts that might help in that regard:
Segelei ZMax v3 Telescope flat top trouble - button/PCB shifted
Sigelei Zmax V3 Telescopic (flat top or other) reports: one week later
Anyway, after I took the top cap off and examined the button itself on the circuit board, I attempted to find a suitable replacement button to order online. I hold a Bachelor's in Electronics Engineering Technology with 22 years of electronics experience, which I only mention so that you don't think I'm some quack shooting in the dark.
I took measurements of the solder contact spacing for the soldering pads as well as the body dimensions. After looking at several possible replacement candidates on Digikey, I chose a replacement based on the suitability of the dimensions as well as the durability (lifespan based on the number of switch presses). The switch I chose on the Digikey website was part number 450-2051-1-ND ($2.67 plus shipping at the time of this post). The switch datasheet reported the durability to 1,000,000 cycles (key presses), which was better than the 2 other possible switches I found, and was also the only button that was "sealed" against foreign contamination. I don't know why the original switch began to fail, but I'd rather not have to open my PV ever again after this fix. The replacement switch dimensions were the same except that the height of the switch was lower (none of the switches I found had the correct height). Because of this, I needed to build up the underside of the external plastic button on the Segelei so there wouldn't be a lot of button rattle. I used a small silicone "sticky foot pad" sometimes used for feet or for deadening the sound of closing cabinet doors. This seems to have worked out well so far and it was probably around 1.5 mm that needed to be added. De-soldering the old switch was a bit tricky since both sides of the switch have 2 solder pads. I used a long tip soldering iron that allowed me to heat the two contacts on each side at the same time so I could lift both pads off the circuit board simultaneously. I wish I had the correct soldering tip for de-soldering multiple pads, but this worked relatively well (but required a steady hand). Just be cautious that the solder is melted before you lift them off - you don't want to damage the pads on the circuit board. They will left off pretty easy when the solder is melted, so don't use too much force or you could pull the pads off the circuit board (also don't apply too much heat to the board or you may damage other components). Once removed, soldering the new switch on was easy, but I recommend not over heating the switch (allow it to cool sufficiently between soldering each leg). The temperature limits for the switch are shown on the datasheet at Digikey (above link) if you need to refer to it. You can damage this switch if you don't pay attention to this and apply too much heat. Just be quick about it and remove the heat ASAP and you should be fine (no excessive paranoia required).
I'm happy to say that the PV now works great! I should say that this particular button is not as "clicky" as the original was and requires a slightly softer key press. Some people may not appreciate that since it might be easier to fire by accident if it's in your pocket, etc., but I kinda like it. It's super easy to fire in comparison to how I had to squash it down before just to get it to fire properly. Definitely a good trade-off in my opinion. I feel enough of a "thunk" under my finger when I press it to let me know the switch is engaged and it has been operating perfectly every time. I had purchased a Vamo V3 as a backup (great PV by the way and I recommend it), and now that I have the Segelei working properly again, I've made the Segelei my "run out the door" PV using a smaller 18350 battery in it's shortest configuration.
I hope this helps anyone else out that might have been considering doing something similar but just didn't know what replacement switch to buy or where to buy it. I'll be sure to post back if I notice any problems over the longer term with this replacement switch, but having used it for a week or so, it has been working perfectly so far and I don't expect any issues. Cheers!
Segelei ZMax v3 Telescope flat top trouble - button/PCB shifted
Sigelei Zmax V3 Telescopic (flat top or other) reports: one week later
Anyway, after I took the top cap off and examined the button itself on the circuit board, I attempted to find a suitable replacement button to order online. I hold a Bachelor's in Electronics Engineering Technology with 22 years of electronics experience, which I only mention so that you don't think I'm some quack shooting in the dark.
I took measurements of the solder contact spacing for the soldering pads as well as the body dimensions. After looking at several possible replacement candidates on Digikey, I chose a replacement based on the suitability of the dimensions as well as the durability (lifespan based on the number of switch presses). The switch I chose on the Digikey website was part number 450-2051-1-ND ($2.67 plus shipping at the time of this post). The switch datasheet reported the durability to 1,000,000 cycles (key presses), which was better than the 2 other possible switches I found, and was also the only button that was "sealed" against foreign contamination. I don't know why the original switch began to fail, but I'd rather not have to open my PV ever again after this fix. The replacement switch dimensions were the same except that the height of the switch was lower (none of the switches I found had the correct height). Because of this, I needed to build up the underside of the external plastic button on the Segelei so there wouldn't be a lot of button rattle. I used a small silicone "sticky foot pad" sometimes used for feet or for deadening the sound of closing cabinet doors. This seems to have worked out well so far and it was probably around 1.5 mm that needed to be added. De-soldering the old switch was a bit tricky since both sides of the switch have 2 solder pads. I used a long tip soldering iron that allowed me to heat the two contacts on each side at the same time so I could lift both pads off the circuit board simultaneously. I wish I had the correct soldering tip for de-soldering multiple pads, but this worked relatively well (but required a steady hand). Just be cautious that the solder is melted before you lift them off - you don't want to damage the pads on the circuit board. They will left off pretty easy when the solder is melted, so don't use too much force or you could pull the pads off the circuit board (also don't apply too much heat to the board or you may damage other components). Once removed, soldering the new switch on was easy, but I recommend not over heating the switch (allow it to cool sufficiently between soldering each leg). The temperature limits for the switch are shown on the datasheet at Digikey (above link) if you need to refer to it. You can damage this switch if you don't pay attention to this and apply too much heat. Just be quick about it and remove the heat ASAP and you should be fine (no excessive paranoia required).I'm happy to say that the PV now works great!
I should say that this particular button is not as "clicky" as the original was and requires a slightly softer key press. Some people may not appreciate that since it might be easier to fire by accident if it's in your pocket, etc., but I kinda like it. It's super easy to fire in comparison to how I had to squash it down before just to get it to fire properly. Definitely a good trade-off in my opinion. I feel enough of a "thunk" under my finger when I press it to let me know the switch is engaged and it has been operating perfectly every time. I had purchased a Vamo V3 as a backup (great PV by the way and I recommend it), and now that I have the Segelei working properly again, I've made the Segelei my "run out the door" PV using a smaller 18350 battery in it's shortest configuration.I hope this helps anyone else out that might have been considering doing something similar but just didn't know what replacement switch to buy or where to buy it. I'll be sure to post back if I notice any problems over the longer term with this replacement switch, but having used it for a week or so, it has been working perfectly so far and I don't expect any issues. Cheers!
