Discussion : - Utorch UT01

Latest lights are reported with 4000K Emitter

I just got a “NW 5000K” that I ordered around 11/11. Yes, the tint is definitely more like 4000K.

It’s an okay tint, but I think it has a tiny bit of green in it. I don’t hate it but I would have preferred a genuine neutral white.

I am tempted to order a 6500K if there is another deal for 10 bucks. Normally I don’t like cool white but this light is a bargain.

Interesting. My NW UT01 is really rosy and not green at all.

I guess they changed emitters recently, here’s a (shortened) quote from the Lumintop EDC05 thread

I hope the UT01 I have arriving from GB doesn’t have ugly green tint, I could deal with the Convoy 4C comparative but not the green. Also hope I get a good switch.

I’ll be looking for feedback to see how this Lumintop version pans out, I really like the tail magnet.

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I ordered the UT01 as an alternative to an 18650 light that’s about the same size with about the same output “(DQG Tiny 4th)”:https://www.gearbest.com/led-flashlights/pp_271697.html

DQG Tiny 4th: 86mm x 22mm (850lm)
U-torch UT01: 84mm x 19mm (800lm)

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I was afraid of the smallish size, non recessed button on the DQG, I’ll be sacrificing a lot of battery capacity but the UT01 appears to have a larger button, plus it has a reflector and the nice programmable UI. Although I’m really impressed by the size of the DQG, being it’s about the same size as a 14500 light.

I have the DQG 18650 Tiny 1st version (Twisty) and like it, and unlike many others have reported, I’ve had absolutely no problems with mine whatsoever.

Maybe I mistake the green tint for the warmer light (I don’t have any light warmer then 5000K) so I opened the box and checked it again.

Externally the only difference is that the new UT01 have smaller text on the tailcap.

The new UT01 to the RIGHT.

Did some beamshots with my crappy Chinese phone camera just to see the difference.

The new UT01 to the LEFT.

Hard to see with bad pictures but you clearly see a difference.

I can’t do single beamshots of each flashlight to shine at a white cealing since the camera autofocus would ruin them.

Decide for yourself but that new UT01 went back in the box.

waiting for mine to arrive from Gearbest, $9.99 What are the chances of getting one with a good switch? From all I read I’m a bit paranoid. But I love programmable lights.

I think your chances are pretty good. Out of four, I got three that seem to be perfect, and one that was a bit ‘off’ to begin with - but a piece of wire in the tailcap, and constant use seems to have worked out the kinks.

There are some things that might be worth paying attention to before you ever put a battery in .

Check the five little prongs on the back of the driver to see if they stick up very high. If they do, trim them before you install a battery. If a flat top 14500 were installed, all they’d have to do is stick up higher than the “+” bump on the driver to possibly cause a short.

Check to see if there’s any gap between the tailcap and the tube. Some of mine have measurable gaps, while the problematic one had no gap at all, and I think the ano on the cap was meeting the ano on the tube shoulder before the circuit was made. A circle of copper wire inside the tailcap fixes that., and even adds enough length to accommodate slightly longer batteries.

I’ve only had experience with the one troublesome light (which is no longer troublesome), but I have learned a bit and tried to put to use some of the clues posted about the UT01. The foregoing only might help. I can’t comment much on possible 14500 issues; I don’t use them.

You mentioned the switch (as have several others). Mine had a ‘crunchy’ feel to it when it arrived, almost like 3 or 4 steps in the brief length of its travel. I think it was internal debris of some sort; it actually smoothened itself out to where now it’s indistinguishable from the rest of them. Others have reported worse problems, so YMMV.

I’ve been using this ‘problem’ light hard. It has rarely left my hand since it arrived a few weeks ago, and it’s gone through about three NimH cells and a couple of Lithium primaries as a night light, a table light, and to light up rooms instead of flicking on a wall switch. I’ve been trying to make it fail, and instead it just got better.

I’ve been lucky; I hope you will be too. I think your chances are pretty good.

Is there any more permanent fix to the short battery tube problem?

I have one UT01 (another on the way) and I need to tighten both ends very tight to make electrical contact.

A ring of wire works fine but I was hoping for something more permanent.

What you think about a couple of tiny solder blobs on the copper contact ring? Just to raise the connection point a hair.

That never occurred to me, but it should work very well.

P.s. Others have mentioned that their drivers are loose.

Mine are stuck in completely solid, and so are the front rings holding the lens & reflector in place. If I tried any harder to get them loose I’d surely damage something.

I might try it.

I suspect they machine the battery tube to correct length, anodize it fully, and then to remove anodization on both ends they come back and manually grind a fraction off. This last step is where the margin for error lies. Some workers take too much off. Just my guess.

FYI, here are my two UT01s… CW and NW. White balance in camera was set to 5K.

Feel like I'm seeing conflicting info ... Will the UT01 accept Ikea Ladda Batts?

I think they probably will; most of mine accept Eneloops and Imedion NimH. If they are too long, I’d definitely try the ‘copper-wire-loop-in-the-tailcap’ trick. A circle made from thin silver solder wire works too, and it’s easy to form.

One of my lights was ‘iffy’ until I added a bit of length that way. Works perfectly now.

I think the tubes and tailcaps have manufacturing variances in their lengths. Incidentally, if you can find one of those cheap, skinny little split rings that sometimes come with key tags from the Dollar Store, they fit inside the tailcap perfectly and add a millimetre or so.

If I were getting any more, I’d check one thing before I ever put in a battery - if there’s zero gap between the tailcap and the corresponding shoulder on the tube, I’d address the length issue before risking crush damage to the driver with a too-long cell.

Thanks for your help! Have a UT01 on the slow boat from China and was going to pick up some Laddas. I'll let y'all know if they work.

me also. shipped on 12/11. Should be getting close :wink:

arrival! I was inspecting the light, it looks good. Didn’t know it had double springs in the tailcap. I’ll report back later after playing with it.

by the way here is the tracking site that works: http://www.sky56.cn/english/track/index

I was using that track17 one and got nothing. This new one showed my light had arrived in the USA on Dec 22nd! So 15 days in the U.S. until it reached me.

edit: light works great after adding the wire in the tailcap. Would not come on before that. Thanks for the tip Forum! I have neutral tint and it is very pleasing to me. Running on a NiMH. Great offering at $10.

I just got a UT01. First issue was that it was touchy about length of cells; longer protected 14500s did not allow the tailcap to make contact, and a small piece of copper wire inserted in the tailcap did indeed resolve that. The second, more substantive, problem has not been resolved. After you turn the light on it will go through the levels OK, but when you turn it off it won’t turn on again until you loosen the tailcap to break the circuit (this is stock, without the additional wire in the tail) and then tighten it again. It does this with every type and length of battery; it appears to be a driver issue (?). Any one have experience with this fault? Also, the one I received did not have the ability to go into the program mode to adjust output levels, which is not as big a deal.

My Ut01 is scheduled to arrive this Monday or Tuesday. Wonder what my fate holds in store for me concerning the flashlight. Work or no work is the question. My Lumintop Edc05 seems to be lost in transport. No update info since December 25, 2017.

I have the same problem as Rock with the one I received recently.

I have 4x UT01 now. Two work perfectly. Two have the common issue with requiring a power-cycling after being turned on once with unprotected 14500.

I’ve observed that battery length and perhaps clearance in the head seems to be an important contributor. My hypothesis is that the spatial tolerances in the head are such that with too much pressure components pressing against things they shouldn’t. This leads to cracks in solder, which leads to a open or higher resistance in some key circuit. The excess pressure probably comes from trying a long cell, like a protected 14500.

Swapping in a shorter cell, relieves the strain and allows the cracked joint to make contact again. Putting in a longer cell, like an un-protected 14500 opens up the gap again.

The glue holding the driver board breaking loose could also trigger the problem because it allows the driver assembly to be pressed further/harder into the head.

Replacing the switch itself may not actually be what solves the problem. Rather, the process of replacing the switch may close the cracked joint again. If the replacement switch is slightly smaller, that may also help by reducing the pressure that causes the break in the first place, and opens it under too much pressure.

Rotating the driver board slightly to center the switch may move the switch out of the way of something in the head cavity it interacts with and/or it may give the driver assembly slightly more room because of lack of uniformity in the depth of the adhesive between the top of the driver and the ledge in the head cavity it presses against.

My earlier observations that battery voltage seemed to be a contributing factor may actually be explained by the fact that my NiMH cells are slightly shorter than the alkaline I tried, which are slightly shorter than the flat-top LiIon 14550 I tried.

When I get a chance, I’m going to see if putting something between driver and the ledge of the head cavity helps.