Review and some modding U-King Stealth or ZQ-X916 ( updated with pic of damaging stuff in post 9)

OK OK Stealth is the name I have given it.
here is the official page: http://www.tmart.com/U-KING-ZQ-X916-XM-L2-1000LM-5-Modes-Waterproof-High-Brightness-Flashlight-Black_p350845.html
Saw a review of a light like this on BLF (branded Ultrafire) and could not help but think about stealth things. The curves, triangles and general smoothness.

Some people look at me not understanding what I mean, others see it.
Anyway, when tmart asked me if I could do a review on it last September I gladly accepted for I was eyeballing the Ultrafire but am not a big fan of Ultrafire branding.
This cute little (fire)fox logo looks a lot better.
Great joy when it came and was an early production sample without any logo!

Thanks Ray, for the review sample, the patience and for the code to bring the price a bit down for BLF! CODE IS King6

The U`KING ZQ-X916 comes in a U`KING box with a lanyard.

When I took it out the very smooth nice feel appealed greatly to me.

There is no knurling but the size and edges of the tailcap make it not slip out of my hands. The cigar grip is my favorite way of holding it.

Compared to a Convoy C8

It fits my fattest and longest 18650 cells without a problem

Elegant tube

Tail, switch peeks out no tailstanding stock

Head and non AR coated lens

Reflector heavy OP

So OK after using it for a while stock i really loved the feel and how it handles, lack of tail standing, cold white tint not so much.
So what could we do to improve it?
Check what kind of parts would fit:

Aha those are some standard sizes and the easy to remove pill makes working on it not that hard.
But wait, first some beamshots stock:

House 100m low

House 100m med

House 100m high fogbank passed

House 30m low

House 30m med

House 30m high

Ceiling

So all in all stock not a bad light, preferences in look and feel make it a really nice light for me.
Now I had Kronos X5 that I baked.

“Olive drab” was the color named and well beside the small 14500 giving me too short runtimes for my liking this color was not ideal IMHO.

So I decided to use the good parts of that little light.
And well see what baking the U-King would do.
After taking it apart and putting it on the flames I realised this was a mistake.
It took very long to change colors, just as the X5 had behaved. but it was starting to change so no way back.
I removed the biggest head section from the flames when it just had start changing and was red, thinking two tone could be a nice result.
And indeed, no shiny coppery/platinum colors, the rest became olive drab.
Hmm, but putting the two colors next to each other I kind of liked it.

Scuffs and marks from months of use, flashlights seem to not like being carried in a pocket with keys and all sorts of EDC tools :wink:

An extra washer and the switch is not deeper so tail standing is now possible.

Again dings and nicks from extensive use.

The cold white XML2 replaced by the 3A XPL Hi
That LED is happy :slight_smile:

Applied thermal grease on the screws of the pill, it warms up pretty fast (faster then a Kronos X6 or Bistro/XPLhi fitted C8) so cooling is good,
This light is a little less of a giggle maker as the X5 was. But the much longer runtimes, nice feel, interesting two tone coloration make it one I really like and people seeing several lights next to each other tend to grab this first.

House 100m

House 30m

Ceiling


And now a question.
I would like to remove the anodisation entirely
I have read about heavy chemicals.
We have septic tanks so flushing down stuff like that is not an option.
However I can bring it to chemical waste if needed.

Would removing the ano ose the risk of it losing its smooth feeling?

Thanks for the review, Miller!

Ano removing can be tricky, if you keep the parts moving and you stop at the exact right moment, you can get close to shiny aluminium, but if you wait too long or the removal is uneven (clean the parts very well with soap to make sure there is no grease blocking the chemical reaction), the parts are etched in by the caustic soda, and the finish is not nearly as smooth. But there’s nothing that can’t be polished to a mirror finish in many many hours :confounded:

About disposal of caustic soda: I would just dump it somewhere in the soil around the house. It will react away over time leaving only harmless reaction products (water, salt).

I made a video last year, you may not have seen it and it can be useful?

Thanks for the review Miller. It certainly looks different to the usual C8. I’ve only used laundry bleach for removing anodising.

Thanks guys
Well I just keep on carrying it all day in my pocket then :wink:
Lots of heavy work with chainsaw and what not ahead. Costs e several phones but can now continue to slowly remove the ano for me :smiley:

Hmm I had expected a little bit more responses here.
Bit looking at the pics from it being in use for many months mainly in the same pocket with some really ano-unfriendly stuff the modded result might seem worse then is to be expected, I will ad a photo of what it was sharing the pocket with later :wink:

Yeah i’ve seen this light, nearly bought it, i like the design (in black).
Quite a bit smaller than a C8, more like an Eagle Eye X6 size.

That looks pretty nice, Miller:

Too bad you didn’t like it.

If you pay shipping I send the empty host to you

Ah finally here is the pic of what is in the same pocket of this light

The Ganzo hangs on the outside when doing light work, but using a nore heavy tool like chainsaws I hang it inside.
Looking at all those metal things the U-King stealth is holding its ground pretty decent after 4 months in that hostile environment I think :wink:

So we have
Ganzo
Little knife
Little multi tool
Two screwdrivers
Two thingies for poking and nuts
Keys of the sheds and siton mower.

When doing chainsaw work I also add a larger tool for chain adjustments.

Yeah those pics of the Stealth looking all damaged would have looked much much better if I just had used it in an empty pocket

What driver did you put in it?
How bad was the original driver? Mode Memory?
I can replace the LED easy enough but I have difficulty replacing drivers without a retaining ring unless they are press fit and fit perfectly.
I have a hard time soldering to aluminium .

The driver side has a small lid so the Kronos X5 driver both fitted like a glove and then that little lid makes sure there is good contact.

If (Jerommel) didn’t claim it, I’d like it.

He hasn’t responded, let’s give him 24 hours.
No reaction and it is yours crz6662

Hey, i didn’t read that yet. :slight_smile:
Sounds like a good idea!
I’ll PM you right away.

Sounds good. Thanks.

OMG, I can’t stop……

Damn you, BLF…

Wowser! I've been missing a lot for a while now as I am way for days at a time. I missed this thread. That is a sexy light stock, but man is it a knockout with that two-tone mod. Thank you for the review and sharing your mods.

I saw you comment in the GAW thread about not considering yourself a modder. Truth be told, I don't believe I am worthy of that title either. Especially, when I look at the talent on this forum. I would classify myself more on the level of a tinkerer (not implying you are at that level. You gots skills). On the other hand, I like the thought that anyone that changes something more to their liking is a modder and that there are just different levels of skill and accomplishment.

haha thanks from one tinkerer to another :slight_smile: