Manker E11 Switch(?) Problem?

Just received another Manker E11 light, a cool white (CW) version this time. Previously bought a neutral white (NW) version.

On using an AA Eneloop cell, the E11 CW light didn't switch on despite trying the power switch several times!?

Removed the cell and checked the base spring and associated base contact and also checked the bezel contact for any dirt etc. The bezel contact looked a bit "dirty"(?) so I cleaned it using a cotton bud, and while I was at it, I also cleaned the base contacts and the body from any residue/dirt.

There was very little "dirt" cleaned off. Tried to switch on the light again, but still wouldn't switch on!?

I thought I had a faulty light now!

Tried another newer Eneloop instead of the first Eneloop cell (which was older and had lower charge), and this time the light switched on! I thought the first cell voltage maybe too low to run the light, so I recharged it.

I was able switch on the light with the newer Eneloop cell, select different modes and also able to (re)program light mode outputs (a long winded procedure!).

Switched the light off and put it down (gently) on a table. Picked the light up a bit later on to check it out again, and once again the light didn't switch on!!?? I swapped the "newer" Eneloop cell for another newer Eneloop cell, and again the light didn't switch on! I also recharged the newer cell (although it didn't really need it).

I knocked the light (gently) to check for a loose connection, and also tried cleaning all contacts again using cotton buds. But the light still wouldn't switch on!

I wound up recharging the second newer Eneloop cell also, but it didn't really need it (it was near full charge).

Swapped (fully charged) Eneloop cells into the light and somewhere in the process the light now decided to switch on and work! And as of now the light seems to be running OK without any further issue.

I'm beginning to suspect the issue may be due to the power switch as I had some problem with my first E11 here also.

It appears that after "working" the power switch to "break it in", the light now seems to work.

As mentioned in my linked post, the Utorch UT01 and to a lesser extent the Lumintop EDC05 lights had/have more serious switch problems according to various posts in forums, but very few (if any) have had switch problems with the Manker E11.

I'm beginning to wonder if Manker are now using different switches (compared to earlier runs) within the E11 as earlier E11 lights had no switch issues(?)

Just received another E11 CW version, and this time the power switch works fine with no issues!

Maybe using different switches in some of the E11's? Or maybe there are quality control issues with the switches which affects some lights?

I remember having some trouble using Ni-MH cells, a while ago! I can’t remember exactly how the light behaved. I just know that using Li-Ion cells never gave me trouble!
Also, check if the PCB /spring in the tail is correctly “glued”. Mine “unglued” once and it gave me some issues as well.

Other than this, I never had issues with the switch on the light (bought in November 2016, I guess)!

i had a u11 and the switch fell apart after about a year of not too heavy use
pretty sure it’s different from e11 though
wle

I hope these E11 switches don't fall apart!

So far the E11's with NiMH Eneloops I'm presently using seem to be working fine! Hope it stays that way as well!

Apart from very slight possible dirt or corrosion(?) on the second light positive button/contact, there are/were no (obvious) indications that the negative contact springs and/or the positive contact buttons were loose or damaged etc.

Maybe coincidence, but the first two E11's with the (slight) switch problems were from an earlier batch of lights (serial numbers ending in . . 110 and . .115 respectively). The latest E11 with no switch problems (so far) ends with serial number . . 153. However, the year and and week of manufacture of these lights are the same (week 30 of the year 2013)! Maybe the switches were changed during this period of manufacture? Or maybe just coincidence that some switches don't work properly initially (due to QC issues?)?

One of my three E11 lights has become faulty, with hardly any use at all!

It is difficult to switch it on; usually requires several button presses.

Comes on at low level brightness, and brightness levels can no longer be changed.

Can't switch the light off either! Have to unscrew base cap to break electrical connection!

Tried freshly charged cells.

Cleaned base and head end contacts using cotton tips.

Still the light doesn't work properly.

Suspect either the switch, or the driver, or maybe both are faulty?

What to do now?

No comments?

Anyway, the faulty E11 with suspected faulty switch has been put aside and is scheduled to be disassembled when (if) I get some tools more suited for working on this light.

Now a second E11 light is starting to play up! It will not always switch on after attempting to switch it on (in moonlight mode). However, it is suspected this issue may be due to low voltage of NiMH cells after not using the light for some time (couple of weeks or so). The light seems to work better after using fully charged NiMH cells. But another issue is that the switch does not always switch the light on in some occasions (even with a fully charged cell in it), it requires pressing the light button in a certain way to get the light to work.

My third E11 is the ONLY light which seems to work fine with no switch issues, even when the NiMH cells have been drained a bit.

So only one E11 out of three that I have is working properly!

This seems to indicate that these lights do not appear to be reliable, which is a shame, as I was going to get maybe one or two more E11's. Now I'm looking elsewhere for more reliable replacement lights with similar features and functions to that of the Manker E11's.

That seems to be a problem when assembling switch, maybe! Bad connections/soldering, who knows?
The switch never gave me problems but different cells acted differently…

About this, Lumintop EDC05 and Utorch 01 are te most comparable lights, but both had batches with problems, with switches and other stuff, if I remember well.

Klarus Mi7, Sofirn SP10A/B (old or new versions) are suggestions, in case you need. Olight S1A is another, and you also have Fenix lights! For side switches, this is…

And, the much appreciated Wuben E05, probably one of the best around lately! The UI differs more from the E11, but is a neat little light !

I had a U11 fail. It has a very bad button design, which can fail many ways.Not sure if it is the same but it is a spring steel disk , sort of glued to the back of the rubber button cover.

If it comes off, the switch will not work and there is no real way to be sure it goes back right, it is very flimsy.

And for other reasons the switch cannot be removed and replaced easily.

This light looks like a Utorch s10 i think, i also failed that one, again the switch.

wle

Thanks for the comments!

It seems there are switch related problems for (some models of) Utorch, Manker, and Lumintop lights, based on comments in this forum and elsewhere.

Overall the Utorch UT01 light seems to have more switch issues compared to the Lumintop EDC05 and to the Manker E11. Apparently the E11 is supposed to have the least amount of switch problems. But unfortunately two of the three E11's I have seem to have switch problems. This is not good!

I'll maybe disassemble the really bad E11 I have and see if I can fix it(?)

The Utorch UT01 was considered to be purchased, but given the relatively bad reputation of switch problems for this model, I decided against getting this light as there was a high risk of getting one with a faulty switch.

I bought the Manker E11 lights instead as there were supposedly less chances of getting a light with switch problems. As it turns out I appear to have two faulty (switch related) E11's! Bad luck!?

I ordered a Lumintop EDC05 months ago from GB, but they still haven't shipped it, despite GB showing that shipment would be from a few days after order placement!? On querying the delay in shipment GB say that the light was not currently available and I should wait (or maybe buy another light instead).

If not currently available then why show the light available for sale and shipment of the light to be just a few days after ordering?

I've just cancelled the EDC05 order.

I'm looking at alternative lights to replace these E11's, based on comments here and elsewhere.

Bought a Manker E11 a month ago, the switch was intermittent out of the box, then stopped working after a few minutes of playing with it.
Two ugly things I’ve noticed on this new batch of E11’s, compared to the E11 I had a couple years ago: The AR coating was missing, you get the plain glass only and the head was glued onto the body.
Tried unscrewing the head but scratched the body, the driver was also glued tried pushing and destroyed a few SMD resistors and caps. Trashed everything and saved only the LED and 14500 battery.

Noted!

Seems Manker (& Utorch) have definite (switch) reliability issues.

I won't be buying any (more) lights from these two manufacturers, unless they sort out the reliability issues!

those switches are terrible in about 6 different ways

main one is, they use a spring steel ‘dome’ that is only glued to the rubber membrane that you actually touch

if it comes out of its attachment, the dome comes off, cannot be reattached or reassembled, switch cannot work

then the driver is glued in making disassembly impossible

and the switch cannot be unsoldered without that

and it is some proprietary weird thing that you cannot find

so
no manker no more

wle

Interesting!

I have put aside my two faulty Manker E11's with the intention of possibly repairing them. But it seems this may not be possible, or at least quite difficult to do given how the switches etc are assembled!?

I might just trash these two lights instead(?)

i;d just keep them til you can try to fix
maybe the drivers yours are not glued in
((actually mine was a U11, not an E11 but they seem to have the same switch and design))
( i would expect that they are, and that a fix will be difficult, but on the other hand
a. flashlights are small
b. you might learn something from it
c. i ultimately trashed mine but after investigating )
mine failed like this:

  1. button cover fell off–impossible to put back without disassembly
    ( to me this is the biggest design problem, this cover comes off and cannot be put back )
  2. inner switch was exposed, waterproofing gone
  3. steel contact spring/dome fell off and got lost
  4. light inoperative, cannot disassemble to replace switch or dome
  5. switch is surface mounted, would be major pain to remove and replace
    6, switch is proprietary, probably impossible to find new one
    wle

Sorry for digging up this old thread. I noticed there seemed to be issues with manker’s switches as well. I have an E11 and E03H. Both have difficulties switching on. With the same battery, I would have to remove them and screw them back in. Then the lights would switch on. That is very unreliable and I rarely use them now not because I don’t want to, but because they don’t switch on whenever I need to use them. If anyone has a solution to this, kindly advise. It would be a waste to stop using them as they are really seldom used. Also, I don’t think I will be buying another manker light since my only 2 purchases (separated by few years) had the same issue.

JJ