Utorch SF-01 - UI doesn't seem to do anything

wle · 2018-12-31T16:50:08.000Z

Utorch SF-01 - UI doesn’t seem to do anything

using a new cr123a cell, all it does is turn on and off

no high/level or strobe

what would cause this?

at first it would switch but at random.
i would press the button while power was off, if it went to a good mode, i would press it in and it would stay
then that got intermittent, now all it seems to do is HIGH (though since it will not switch, i can’t really tell HIGH from LOW)

shouldn’t it be switching modes, with power on, every time i do a button tap?

?

i have tried AA alkalines and AA NiMH, same thing

not a bad light, though it is too big for a cr123 really
the light color is a good neutral, i like the pattern - big hot spot, wide floody area too

?
wle

pennzy · 2018-12-31T16:59:41.000Z

From off , half press 10 times and hold on the last press. It will change modes and shut off. You are now in a different group. Either H only or H,L or H, strobe, low.

Henk4U2 · 2018-12-31T17:01:44.000Z

The Utorch SF-01 has a so-called 10-tap system identical to the one of Streamlight.
With 10 taps you get from one “program” into the next “program”. See also Link.
The three available programs are: - high/strobe/low, - high only, - low/high

Could it be you are stuck in “high only”? And you have to 10-tap your way out of it?

SIGShooter · 2018-12-31T17:03:54.000Z

I had problems similar to yours as well as the lights flickering when I got my 3 SF-01s. However when I went through the programming modes they became rough solid, except for 1 flaky tailcap. Try going through the programming modes and see if that helps.

And all 3 lights were dimmer with a new cr123 than an AA Eneloop for some reason.

The difference between high and low really isn’t noticeable unless one is paying close attention. Maybe yours came programmed as high only?

wle · 2018-12-31T17:04:29.000Z

how can you tell what group it is in?
just try it and see?
wle

pennzy · 2018-12-31T17:06:52.000Z

Yes. It will cycle between the three each time you 10 tap.

wle · 2018-12-31T17:08:12.000Z

is it supposed to change modes while the power is on?

my switch doesn;t seem to interrupt power unless you click it - but then it is off

wle

pennzy · 2018-12-31T17:09:10.000Z

Also, when off, half press quickly to cycle through the modes . Full press to select the desired one.

pennzy · 2018-12-31T17:11:12.000Z

Being a forward clicky, it changes modes when off.

SIGShooter · 2018-12-31T17:31:08.000Z

Mode changes are done on a half-press when the light is on and it has to be quickly done. For example when the light is off and it’s in high/low mode a half-press will turn it on in low and an immediate half-press will put it in high. Fully pressing the switch will leave the light on in high.

wle · 2018-12-31T17:32:01.000Z

hm, ok, thanks, all that seems to be right, it is working now

boy the instructions sure do not tell you any of that!

they even say the switch is ‘reverse clicky’

geez
waste of paper!

wle

pennzy · 2018-12-31T17:39:04.000Z

I know what you mean . My first impression was the same.

wle · 2018-12-31T17:41:23.000Z

i’ve been around the block a few times with various lights, (weird) UIs and (bad) instructions

these have to be the worst ever!

wle

Henk4U2 · 2018-12-31T17:44:20.000Z

Don’t tell us you are UI-challenged

pennzy · 2018-12-31T17:45:42.000Z

Someone here discovered it was a 10 tap . I don’t know how he figured that out except it looked like the original.

wle · 2018-12-31T18:24:50.000Z

pennzy:

Someone here discovered it was a 10 tap . I don’t know how he figured that out except it looked like the original.

that’s great! you have to hack the instructions - guess what they are and see if it works!

the WORST!

wle

Plotthound · 2019-01-02T12:02:40.000Z

I’m definitely UI-challenged. As bad as this one is, it’s even worse that it’s not marked “SF-01” anywhere (mine are now) for when you need to search for instructions.

wle · 2019-01-02T14:51:37.000Z

Plotthound:

I’m definitely UI-challenged. As bad as this one is, it’s even worse that it’s not marked “SF-01” anywhere (mine are now) for when you need to search for instructions.

yeah that too - yet another factor in this winning WORST INSTRUCTIONS EVER 2019

that was with heavy competition too

wle

SIGShooter · 2019-01-02T16:02:11.000Z

Best thing to do is to use the streamlight instructions that you can find using a google search.

wle · 2019-01-02T16:07:10.000Z

i’ve got it now, thanks

now i think my switch is flaky though - not debounced or something, i have it set to HIGH/LOW mode ( no strobe ), and it is still hard to pick the right one

wle