View Full Version : Argh...I broke my DBAL!
So after ages of waiting, I was finally able to get a TAPS SYNC for my SBR.
Plan was to use the Surefire cable on my Arisaka M300 and plug the Crane lead into the Vis Override port of my DBAL-A3. Easy, right?
Well, I got it all put together. Everything pushed in easy, no problems, but I noticed after I had it all buttoned down that there was a little kink in the lead to the laser. NBD, just unplug it, straighten it, and plug it back in.
Except, when I tried to unplug the lead, the whole socket just slid right out of the laser body!! I didn't even pull hard, either. It's like there was nothing holding it in place except a little dab of RTV.
So, some questions:
1) WTF?
2) Seriously...WTF!?!
3) How do I get this switch cable removed without monkey-****ing the entire thing? It seems like it's really latched in there...
4) I assume this is some kind of defect with the DBAL...I mean, it has to be, right?
5) Have any of y'all dealt with Steiner for repairs like this? What kind of an ass ache am I in for?
6) Come, on...WTF?
The DBAL came from JRH and the TAPS is fresh from TNVC, so I'm pretty confident it's all legit stuff.
Ugh...
ncalphadog
01-01-21, 23:24
Same thing happened to me. Brand new DBAL A3. Zero rounds fired. Only difference is that I plugged the Crane plug into the far right socket. When I attempted to unplug it, the socket held until it didn’t. When the socket did separate from the DBAL body, it was pulled free with enough force to also separate the two wires from the plug. I called Steiner customer service. The person that I
spoke with asked a few questions; purchase date, serial number, round count. He said that this was a known issue, and emailed me a prepaid UPS shipping label. said that they would take care of me under warranty. I received a confirmation that it was delivered to their facility on 24 December. I haven’t heard back from them yet, but hopefully will have it back soon since the holidays are over.
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I had it happen to me too... All I plugged in was a Surefire dual switch. I bought my DBAL and the SF switch from Primary Arms. PA was awesome and they had a replacement to me the next week. After the fact I researched and found this isn’t uncommon for this to happen, so a bad design. I was on the fence with the switch anyway so I sent it back too.
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Robert from JRH here- first off thanks for your purchase. Second- shoot me an email and we will get you squared away with Steiner asap.
You got a factory new factory sealed A3 box from us, so it's definitely legit.
First I've heard of this problem before reading this thread- and we sell a ton of A3s.
Please shoot me an email at
robert@jrhenterprises.com
with a pic and description and we will get you squared away asap.
Thanks
Robert
I've heard a bunch of these things happening recently.
I would wonder if this was a bad batch because I've not heard about this until recently.
I've had great results from Steiner CS, so I'm sure you guys will get set.
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Thanks for the feedback everyone!
It's a bummer to read that this isn't an isolated incident, but good to know that Steiner CS is easy to deal with.
Robert - Thank you so much for your offer to assist...It's greatly appreciated! I sent you an email with details as requested.
To everyone else reading this - If you're looking to purchase NV, give Robert at JRH a call! He's fantastic and will get you taken care of!
You got it! Steiner is closed for a few days but we should hear something soon.
OP,
FYI, my issue was back in June. Steiner told me 4-6 weeks turn time to which my reply was BS... I immediately contacted Primary Arms where I bought it and they shipped a replacement immediately and provided an RA for the defective unit.
Hopefully Robert can push them if the lead time is long.
I’ve purchased two sets of NVG from JRH and he’s been good to deal with.
Thanks for the feedback everyone!
It's a bummer to read that this isn't an isolated incident, but good to know that Steiner CS is easy to deal with.
Robert - Thank you so much for your offer to assist...It's greatly appreciated! I sent you an email with details as requested.
To everyone else reading this - If you're looking to purchase NV, give Robert at JRH a call! He's fantastic and will get you taken care of!
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OP,
FYI, my issue was back in June. Steiner told me 4-6 weeks turn time to which my reply was BS... I immediately contacted Primary Arms where I bought it and they shipped a replacement immediately and provided an RA for the defective unit.
Hopefully Robert can push them if the lead time is long.
I’ve purchased to sets of NVG from JRH and he’s been good to deal with.
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Thank you for your business!
SeriousStudent
01-03-21, 12:55
Lowdown3/Robert - thanks very much for stepping in to help a customer, that always brings a smile.
Much appreciated!
just a scout
01-03-21, 14:15
Best spot to mount it? 12 o’clock?
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Best spot to mount it? 12 o’clock?
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Doesn't have to be.
Almost all of our family's lasers are mounted sideways. Never had a problem going that route.
Steiner approved my RMA, so it’s on its way back to the mothership for repair. 4-6+ weeks.
Quick update: Steiner repaired the laser under warranty with no questions asked and no drama. I got it back on 3/4, so 55 days end to end...Closer to 8 weeks than 4-6, but whatcha gonna do.
So now, the question is should I continue to use the fancy TAPS and risk busting it again, or just bail on that and skip slaving the vis laser to the white light. I'll have to think about that. Honestly, I'm not sure I trust either the DBAL or the TAPS anymore. At the end of the day, I'm just LARPing with this stuff anyway, so maybe it doesn't matter.
I wonder if squirting some dielectric grease into the socket before plugging that fat-ass TAPS plug in there would keep things lube enough that I could get it apart again down the line without wrecking everything? Anyone ever tried that?
Glad to hear it. I had an adjustment screw for the illuminator come out, but I was able to get it reinstalled.
ncalphadog
03-09-21, 14:42
Received my DBAL-A3 back from Steiner on February 2nd. It came back fully repaired, and looking like new. Fully covered under warranty. Works fine with the remotes that are supplied with the device, as well as the Unity TAPS. I’m still hesitant to try the Mini Mod Button, which is the one that pulled the socket out of the body when I attempted to remove it.
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Glad to hear they are doing warranty work a little ahead of their estimates (I've heard much worse time frames).
So I asked Unity customer support about putting dielectric grease on the TAPS plugs. They said that they will sometimes recommend that for the Surefire plug, but that they do not recommend that it be used on the Crane plug for the laser.
Instead, they suggest this:
If you experience notable resistance when removing a Unity Tactical or other remote switch plug from your laser device, DO NOT use force to unplug the cable without properly supporting the socket by using a non-metallic shim to separate the plug from the socket or you may risk damaging your device. If you encounter an issue with an excessively tight port, please contact the manufacturer of your laser device for assistance.
Seems to me, if you need some kind of a lever tool to separate their shitty plug without wrecking your laser, they should have included it.
Anyway, that switch is now dead to me.
Mike Miller
03-10-21, 12:31
I don't understand why they say to contact the laser manufacturer for an aftermarket plug being tight.
As part of the description for the TAPS Sync, they advertise that they intentionally made it tighter than the factory plug. If tighter is too tight, why are they putting the burden on Steiner to address this?
I have a TAPS Sync as well, and it's definitely tighter.
intentionally tighter so that they don't come loose under recoil https://www.ar15.com/forums/armory/New-TAPS-Sync/18-503758/#i5186966
I don't understand why they say to contact the laser manufacturer for an aftermarket plug being tight.
As part of the description for the TAPS Sync, they advertise that they intentionally made it tighter than the factory plug. If tighter is too tight, why are they putting the burden on Steiner to address this?
I have a TAPS Sync as well, and it's definitely tighter.
intentionally tighter so that they don't come loose under recoil https://www.ar15.com/forums/armory/New-TAPS-Sync/18-503758/#i5186966
Interesting.
I don't understand why they say to contact the laser manufacturer for an aftermarket plug being tight.
As part of the description for the TAPS Sync, they advertise that they intentionally made it tighter than the factory plug. If tighter is too tight, why are they putting the burden on Steiner to address this?
I have a TAPS Sync as well, and it's definitely tighter.
intentionally tighter so that they don't come loose under recoil https://www.ar15.com/forums/armory/New-TAPS-Sync/18-503758/#i5186966
Yeah, I don't get it either...
I'm considering chopping off Unity's plug and grafting on one from the Steiner Y-cable included with the DBAL. It might pop out here and there, but at least I'll be able to use the switch without fear of busting the laser again.
The Surefire plug is retarded-tight as well, but at least those endcaps are fairly cheap all things considered.
Yeah, just another comment for the record, I have a dbal and put the Surefire DS-SR07-D-IT switch on it. Works great, but that plug in the dbal is not coming out no-way, no-how. Figure I don't need it out right this second and will try a shim if I need to get it as discussed in this thread.
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