Utorch 1x AA 500+ Lumen Review

If the light turns on try the paperclip trick.

My UT01 just arrived, and it’s very impressive for 1xAA. I really like the mode selection and it’s enormously bright on high even with just a AA. I ordered a 14500, so I’ll let you guys know how that works out when it arrives.

This is what I am worried about. The Xtar protected 14500 cell IS marginally longer than the NiMH cell that DOES work.

I have tried screwing the tail cap down as hard as I dare. To me, it seems to screw all the way down.

Anyhow, there is no switch in the tail cap. Is it not just a spring contact, or is there more to it than that?

There should be only a pcb and springs.

Please try briding the end and switching it on.
As your NiMH works it should light up.

If it does bend a wire e.g. from a paperclip to a ring bending around the battery. Put that ring in the cap.
Use a copper paperclip (lower resistance) steel works too

I could try briding the cell contacts and the spring I suppose. I will try it tonight.

But the cells charged OK on the charger (indicator light changed when fully charged) so it seems like it shouldn’t have a coating on or anything. It +looks +clean. I have two cells and neither works.

The fact that NiMH cells work means the flashlight contacts should be clean?

The Xtar is sold as an AA-sized protected 14500. It is a little longer than AA but only marginally.

I hesitate to buy unprotected 14500’s could be more money wasted.

Yes, the contacts in the lamp should be clean.

As I’ve read the Xtar is 1mm longer and a gab is a gab even at 0.001mm.

Joe

*Quote kzb:*

"This is what I am worried about. The Xtar protected 14500 cell IS marginally longer than the NiMH cell that DOES work. I have tried screwing the tail cap down as hard as I dare. To me, it seems to screw all the way down. Anyhow, there is no switch in the tail cap. Is it not just a spring contact, or is there more to it than that?"

Look inside your tailcap. See that gold colored ring at the base? Now look at the end of the battery tube. See that silver shiny ring at its end? Those two surfaces have to touch to complete circuit.

You may think it's screwed all the way down, but with a longer cell the tailcap contact ring may NOT be making complete contact with the silver shiny battery tube contact. This is because a battery that is too long for the tube will not permit the tailcap ring to contact the tubes shiny ring.

The failure to work with protected 14500’s was reported quite a while back and is a known feature (I wouldn’t even call it a defect since the light was built that way).

The threads are anodized black which is non-conductive.

When I started in this hobby I started with protected batteries but came to learn that you really don’t need protected batteries in single cell flashlights. In real life when the battery gets low and the light gets dim you change it before it is fully depleted. I no longer use protected batteries in my multi cell lights either. I do date my batteries when I buy them and keep sets together for my multi battery lights.

I have two unprotected Efest 14500 batteries charged and waiting for my Utorch to come in.

Bob

The threads may be anodized black, but the end of the battery tube is NOT. If it were, the torch would not light.

Yes.

He only has 21 posts so I just wanted make sure that he knew that the anodizing on the threads isn’t conductive.

Bob

:+1:

Thanks everyone, I had a look at it last night and I realise what you are on about. The only point of contact between the tube and the tailcap contact is the unanodised end surface of the tube. If the battery is a fraction too long it won’t make contact.

So at this point in the story, the working hypothesis is that Xtar Protected 14500 cells are in fact too long.

Possibly I could get it to work with a ring of copper wire or paperclip made into a ring to fit between the battery tube and the tailcap contact. Or ideally a copper or brass washer of the right size, if I could find one, I guess.

Quote kzb:
Possibly I could get it to work with a ring of copper wire or paperclip made into a ring to fit between the battery tube and the tailcap contact. Or ideally a copper or brass washer of the right size, if I could find one, I guess.

Now you got it… :+1:

I didn’t buy it for a bodgit job though. I’m disappointed, but then I thought it was too good to be true at the price.

If they’d made the tube just 0.5mm longer it would probably work with Xtars.

If it works with the paperclip bodge, I might try for a better bodge by obtaining a copper washer of the appropriate dimensions.

I never use protected in a single AA/14500 setup. And I really don’t see a need to. So, problem solved. I knew I’d use non-protected before I even ordered UT01. Simple.

YMMV :wink:

I cut a length of cable long enough to make a ring within the tailcap. Stripped off the insulation, twisted it a bit to keep the fibres in place and put it in the tailcap so that it makes contact with the battery tube end.

Result ! The flashlight does indeed function with Xtar 14500 cell with this bodge in place. The copper stays wedged in place also.

Anyhow I hope this is useful information for others considering buying this.

It seems all protected cells, *including those purporting to be “AA-sized*” are too long and won’t work in this flashlight. Unless anyone knows of a shorter cell than the Xtar of course.

It is verry hard to find a PROTECTED LiIon 14500. They are normaly longer than the nominal 50mm.
Xstar are short with arround 51mm others more on the 52mm side.

Sanyo UR14500P 14500 840mAh from FastTech. HEIGHT: 49.3 mm.

Are these definitely Protected? It’s not clear from the FastTech site. In fact there is another Sanyo cell advertised, “Sold Out”, that is 50mm. Maybe that is the protected version, and how do we know the 50mm is not “nominal”?