Review : Utorch UT01 Flashlight (XP-L V6 / AA & 14500 / e-switch)

What is the factory default output level for each mode? Is it M?

I am not sure, I suspect its not Turbo at the brightest though.

I got one of these last Friday. It was briefly my favorite flashlight, but it’s developed an issue. When I load up a battery and close up the light, the first time I turn on the light with a short press, it works great. Once I turn it off though, I have trouble turning it on again, either I can’t turn it on at all, or I have to get the timing just right — too short, no light, too long, it comes up in the last mode used. If I power-cycle the light by unscrew the head or tailcap enough to break the circuit though, and then screw it down again, it works properly again, once.

At this point I’m pretty sure it’s not mechanical or thermal. I thought it might be a flakey switch, as others have experienced, but the problem only happens after the light has been turned on and off once. If I power cycle the light it always turns on first click. When it is on, it responds to short, long and double clicks properly.

I’m going to ask Gearbest for a replacement, but I thought I’d share my experience to see if anyone else has had similar issues.

I got mine yesterday, cool light. I like the whole package a lot, UI and size particularly, though it could be a lighter.

Mine (neutral) has a surprisingly warm tint, quite orange. It looks orange next to my Emisar D4 3D and even my BLF A6 5A.

eas
I have pretty much the same issues.
plus:

- it doesn’t works if I take the UT01 from the drawer.

  • if I put the lamp in my pocket for 10 minutes it works.

so I took it apart and no errors without the casing. If I assemble it’s dead.

A repair advice would be really nice.

WHOA!!

My UT-01 kind of does the same thing as eas. I can only turn it back on after interrupting the power by unscrewing the tail cap once. So I can’t power cycle it ON-OFF-ON-OFF, without doing this…. ON-OFF-Loosen/tighten tailcap-ON-OFF-Loosen/tighten tailcap-ON-OFF-Loosen/tighten tailcap

I never noticed it before because I always unscrew the tailcap…ALWAYS, to eliminate parasitic drain and accidental turn on in my carry scenarios noted above. Strangely it only does this with a 14500 cell. Eneloops work fine. I am not sure if the UT01 has always been this way from the start. I have no way to tell since I always unscrew the tailcap from day-1.

The Manker E11 does not exhibit this condition at all.

I may replace the UT01 with another, I don’t think I really need to though.

I only used my UT01 with Eneloops (and will keep doing that) so I did not notice it.

My newest UT01 in NW came yesterday and is having the same issues as have been described above with the whacko non re starting after battery removal.
Also this one would not go into programming like the old one by double clicking and selecting from strobe group.
The non drop down turbo was not in the strobe group.

However after using a Eneloop and giorgoskok’s method described here (in the OP from a thread back in Dec2016 Review : Utorch UT01 Flashlight (XP-L V6 / AA & 14500 / e-switch) ) to get into programming, now the flashlight seems to behave normally and the programming option is now added to the strobe group.
Here is his method;

Light has programmable output levels for every mode . Here is a how-to :

1) Turn on the flashlight , navigate on the highest mode , and turn off the light
2) Press the button until it blinks two times (it will turn on in highest mode , and flash 2 times after 7-8 seconds)
3) After it blinks twice , release the switch and double click again (It will enter strobe , beacon etc and a constant current output level & regular modes )
4) Now navigate with single (short) click to the lowest mode
5) It will ramp through 3 different output levels . Single click confirms selected output level of mode and goes to the next one
6) Do the same for all the modes , and when you are in strobe turn off the light with a “long” click .

Now the light will accept battery changes in both 4.2 and 1.2 volt batteries.
HTH and thanks giorgoskok!
Later,

Keith
P.S. I also now just unthread the head to change batteries, seems easier threading than the small tailcap.

Very interesting. Thank you all for your reports.

Hmm. I first used the light with an eneloop. I think I noticed this problem after trying 14500 cells, though now I have it with Eneloops as well.

After looking more closely, it seems like something bit in to the wrapping at the top of the 14500 I tried. I’m pretty sure that was is the three leads poking through the PCB. Mine look to be quite a bit (~1mm or so) longer than what I’ve seen in photos of other people’s lights. It looked like one of them was bent towards the middle one and may be making contact. I tried straightening it out and trimming the leads. Unfortunately, the problem persists.

Joeinchina, it is interesting that the problem goes away if you run the light without the casing. That makes me think that your problem, and perhaps mine, has a mechanical aspect, like a short or open circuit contact when under pressure. Either way, my operating hypothesis is that whatever it is, it leaves either the MCU in some sort of “wedged” state, or the main mosfet and/or its driving circuitry isn’t able to fire more than once.

I’m thinking on using this driver in another host. Is the switch mainly to blame for many of the troubles or are there problems with the driver as well? I’m tryinf to decide if it is generally reliable enough to repurpose. Any out there had a reliable UT01 for a good amount of time?

I don’t believe the problem is with the switch. Its an e-switch though… so who knows. My light works perfectly fine in every other aspect.

So this light just regain popoularity recentlt, i see
For 10$, im sure this light is one of the best bang for buck
I am having one, for half a yeah i guess, is there any changes in new batch, if not, i am considering getting another one

I wonder if perhaps they’re more ‘14500’ sensitive than we think.

I’ve been using my two at every opportunity since they arrived, using only Energizer Ultimate lithium primaries, and so far I can’t even coax an error from either. I’ve tried loosening the tail cap (even when lit), cycling modes rapidly, and using them for long periods as candles. So far, not a flicker of misbehaviour. I’m amazed at the runtimes; while I haven’t been keeping track or doing any formal runtime tests and using all modes indiscriminately, these things act like they’re never going to die!

Alternately, since these are being offered at what feels like a ‘clear out’ price, I wonder if there might be a high incidence of problems and Utorch simply wants to empty the shelves. I’m reminded of the Thrunite Neutron 2-AA of a couple of years back. IF you got a good one, you had a wonderfully efficient and truly outstanding flashlight. The trouble was, there was a high incidence of problems, so the model was dropped in favour of the not-quite-so-efficient Archer.

I have two more inbound that I intended for gifts. I’ll put them through their paces as well when they arrive (I don’t want to gift ‘problems’), but so far I’m really impressed. At $10 apiece, even if I get two good ones out of the four, I’ll still feel I got a bargain.

My two get only eneloobs. Both have the same symptoms.

Hmm? Anyone know which component to change to lower the max output a bit? I need it a bit lower anyway, to run a low vf, low current led.

Use an Ultrafire battery :slight_smile:
Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Had for while using only NiMH no problem. Ordered another

Mine works fine from day 1 to now.

I recently ordered another one for $9.99 and i hope it’ll be good too, but after reading the recent posts here, i think i can expect some trouble…

Juts to be sure, aren’t the 14500 problems you guys mention due to the limited length of the battery compartment?
I modded the tailcap of mine to gain space for protected button top 14500s, otherwise i couldn’t get the tailcap to screw on all the way.
But the problems i just read sound like they have a different cause… :frowning:

:smiley:

But you could stick with NiMH batteries, which gives a lower output than 14500.

I ordered one today for $10, OK $12 somethiing with priority line to get it faster and tracking. Hope the SW is good. I will certainly put a few switches in my cart for the next electronic order.