Review: Manker MK36 (3x18650, 6xHXP50.2, Floodlight, USB-C, Powerbank)

Budda · January 2, 2020, 8:21am

I received the MK36 from Manker for the review.
.
The MK36 is a compact 6xXPH50.2 floodlight, powered by 3x18650 cells. It is rechargeable via a USB C port, and using the same port, is able to act as a powerbank using a universal USB-C male to USB A cable, provided.
.
The MK36 is available with Cool white and neutral white versions. I got the cool white one.
.
The MK36 comes in this box. The MK36 comes with manual, 2 cables (one regular USB-C male to USB male to charge the light, and a USB-C male to USB female to use it as powerbank), pouch, lanyard and spare o-rings.

.
.
The MK36 has a distinctive light grey anodisation on the central part, while tilacap and the head bezel are black.

.
The MK36 is very compact for a light of this output, 110 mm x 53 mm. On one side of the head, there is the backlit electronic switch

.
.
and on the other, the rubber cover that protects the USB-C port

.
The tailcap is flat and wide, with a deep groove to host a lanyard (and still tailstand well even with the lanyard in position)

.
The head has some cooling fins and hosts the 5 XHP50.2 emitters, with TIR optic and an AR treated glass on it.

.
The body gets unscrewed from the head, revealing the 3 slots for 18650 batteries that are milled into the body.

.
The threads are square cut and anodised, so physical lockout is possible

The head has a physical protection against polarity inversion of batteries, and the contact point is flat. So the MK36 only works with very short, button top, unprotected IMR batteries.
.
As said before, the USB C port can be connected to a cable with a USB female port on the other hand (provided),

.

.
And from there you can use whatever cable you want to power your device. Here I used a micro USB cable to charge my phone.

.
.
The cordura pouch that comes with the light, is MOLLE capable and has a plastic D-ring.

.
.
UI
I have several Manker lights and the MK36 has more or less the same interface as some of them.
I here quote Manker website.

When flashlight is off, one click, access to moonlight mode (left part of the figure), one click to circle: Moonlight-Low-Medium-High-Medium-Low-Moonlight. Long press for off.
When flashlight is off, long press 0.5second to access to the mode which your use last time (left part of the figure). one click for circle. Long press for off.
When flashlight is off, double click access to Turbo (right part of the figure), one click for circle Turbo-Strobe-S.O.S.-Beacon-battery indicator. Long press for off.
When flashlight is on, double click to switch between two groups (left and right part of the figure)
.
Side switch battery indicator:
Blue: 50% –100%
Purple: 20% - 50%
Red: less than 20%
.
Lock out:
Long press 4 seconds, side switch battery indicator will be lighted. Flashlight enter lock mode. Long press 4 seconds in lock mode, flashlight will be unlock and turn on low mode.
.
Engineering Mode (Choose output level for Moonlight mode):
Long press for off and still hold on, the side button battery indicator will turn on and then quick click for 4 times to get access to engineering mode. One click to check different level and long press to make your final choice.
.
.
Output and runtime
Tested with Sony Murata VTC6 button top unprotected batteries.

.
.
Beamshots
40 meters

.
.
My thoughts
The light is well built and finished.
I like the UI with direct access to Highest and lowest mode. I like the fact that the lowest mode is programmable.
The Turbo mode only lasts few seconds, but before the stepdown, the head of the MK36 measures almost 70C, according to my thermal camera.

.
.
It is impressive that such a small light can produce an ouput of 3000+ lumens with minimal stepdown after several minutes.
The 3 parallel cells configuration offers a good compromise between runtime and size-weight of the light, but in order to keep the power, you will need to use quality high capacity IMR batteries, that needs to be also button top (either the Sony Murata VTC6 I used, or the Samsung 30Q).
I like that the USB-C is adopted, and the chircuit allows to charge the batteries in the light quickly (when paired with a good power supply), and that the circuitry allows the 3x18650 cells in the light to be used as a powerbank, with a universal cable.
.