# [Review] Manker Quinlan U11 (XP-L V5, 1x 18650, Rechargeable)



## _UPz (Feb 27, 2016)

*

 
Manker Quinlan U11*
*LED:* CREE XP-L V5
*Battery:* 1× 18650
*Modes:* 16 (13 intensities, 3 stroboscopic, programmable)
*Switch:* Electronic switch at the head
*Date:* February 2016

*INTRODUCTION:*
The latest offering from Manker, after its recent surprising T01 launch, is this new Manker Quinlan U11, a single 18650 rechargeable compact flashlight not so focused on the search for extreme throw but with outstanding specifications for its size.









The product presentation is very similar to what we find in the production version of the T01, since the flashlight comes in a rather compact cardboard box with protective foam cut outs perfectly fitted to the dimensions of the flashlight and in which we find a user manual in two languages ​​(English, Chinese), a set of replacement o-rings, a wrist strap and a USB charge cable.
*
EXTERIOR FINISH:*
The machining of the U11 is quite similar to the T01. The entire machined aluminum of the flashlight is anodized in matte black. It is especially this lustrous anodized finish with its porosity free of any cheap-looking glossiness which gives a special touch to the lantern and blends perfectly with the accents in steel and the sandblast-finished clip.





The dimensions of this flashlight are certainly compact. It looks similar to the MH20 by NiteCore or the TX25C2 by Eagletac in size, with dimensions and weight that make it more suitable for daily-use EDC, and that fits in most pockets.


 












This time the Manker head optics don’t focus on far-reaching throw but feature an XP-L V5 (with dome) and OP reflector for a more balanced projection. An ultra-clear lens with AR treatment concludes the optics enclosed behind a smooth steel bezel.



 



The head has a laterally placed switch, seemingly identical to the one seen on the T01, only now it has a backlight. On the opposite side of the switch, we have a microUSB port through which we can recharge our flashlight battery in place.





The head is surrounded with few massive cooling fins. As with the T01, the whole body of the flashlight is machined in one single piece of aluminum, with the tailcap being the only removable part.





Inside the body we can make out the spring as the positive contact on the driver disc. The spring will make the flashlight run on any type of 18650 battery, be it button tops or flat tops.
The body of this compact flashlight has very elaborate machining, with many details and complicated forms, but the angles are all well finished with no sharp edges remaining. The ergonomics of the flashlight leaves, in my opinion, some room for improvement. Much of this evaluation is due to the unlikable pocket clip, which hinders comfortable holding of the torch. The clip itself is decent enough, very similar to what can be found on the T01, which the user anchors near the end of the flashlight body by snapping it with pressure into a machined groove. The finish of the clip is in the classic “bathed titanium”, with that dark metallic color and suppressed shininess. Being of the “low carry” type also doesn’t help with the comfort when unscrewing the tailcap of the flashlight.





The threads are anodized and have a trapezoidal cut. They came clean and properly lubricated off the factory.





Finally, we have the tailcap of the flashlight which is machined to a flat base in order to allow stable tailstand. The knurling around the tailcap greatly facilitates grip for the screwing and unscrewing. This time Manker has machined a tiny hole through which we can attach a wrist strap or any other accessory item to let the torch hang safely.





The tailcap design really allows you to leave the flashlight in a solid tailstand.
*

USER INTERFACE:*
The Manker U11 has a really complex user interface consisting of two separate mode groups. In the “General” mode group we have five fixed intensities and two hidden strobe modes, and in the “Pro” group mode we can set the intensity of the five brightness levels, while the hidden blinky modes have some interesting features which are not present in the General mode group.







*On and off:* You need to keep the switch pressed for half a second, for turning on the flashlight or turning off.




*Changing modes:* With the flashlight on, a simple click on the switch will advance through the five brightness levels, in ascending order.




*Strobe modes:* The sequence of blinky modes is accessed through a double click, no matter from flashlight on or off. It starts off with strobe. Single clicks further, in the “General mode”, we have SOS followed by the “breath light” mode.




*Direct access to moonlight mode:* A single click from the flashlight off activates the moonlight mode.








​

*“Breath light”:* This curious feature lets the blue backlight behind the switch cover perform a fade-in and fade-out while the flashlight is in stand-by mode, so that we can locate it easily in complete darkness.




*Mode memory:* U11 remembers the last used brightness level and reactivates it when the flashlight is turned on again from off (by pressing half a second). Blinky modes are not remembered.




*Mode groups:* We have two distinct groups of modes. The “General” mode has default values, which include five predefined intensities (Moonlight, L1, M1, H1, T3) and the three aforementioned strobe modes. To switch between the “General mode” and “Pro mode”, from the flashlight off position, we need to keep the switch pressed down for about 5 seconds (10s according to the manual) until a confirmation signal is emitted at the end of this selection procedure (1 flash for having entered the “General mode”, 2 flashes for “Pro mode”).




*“Pro Mode”:* This is an alternative group of modes in which we have more control over the intensity of each brightness mode, a “constant” turbo mode, an indicator of the state of charge of our battery, and a beacon mode.




*Programming:* In the “Pro Mode” group, you can select the preferred intensity for each brightness mode by choosing among three different available levels. To program, you need to enter the sequence of 




blinky modes and progress to reach “custom setting”: The torch will start with the low mode, alternate between three different available intensities (L1, L2, L3) in intervals of about two seconds. When we have the desired intensity, simply make a simple click to memorize it and go to the next set of intensities (M1, M2, M3) where we repeat the procedure with the memorization. These memorized modes are only available within the “Pro mode” group, since in the “General mode” group the brightness modes always default to the pre-fixed intensities (L1, M1, H1, T3).




*Charge status indicator:* In “Pro mode”, within the special modes, we have a battery charge status indicator. It is a number of flashes that will indicate roughly the state of charge of the battery with 1 flash for every 25% of available capacity: 4 flashes fully charged, 3 flashes for ~ 75%, 2 flashes for ~ 50% and 1 flash for ~ 25% or less. Moreover, the switch backlight will also signal low battery voltage with a warning light.




*Constant turbo:* As discussed in the next review section, the U11 has by default time-controlled stepdowns in its Turbo modes. Being aware of the controversy which such practice can provoke among users, Manker has provided a “constant” Turbo mode hidden in the series of blinky modes and programming options. This function will use the previously programmed Turbo mode (T1, T2, or T3) and try to maintain it “constant” throughout its runtime. This function causes an excessive flashlight temperature, so it should be used with caution.




*Blockout:* We may lock out the flashlight by partially unscrewing the tailcap, thus preventing accidental or unintentional activation during transportation.







 
_(All measurements are taken following the ANSI/NEMA FL1 procedure, taking as value the highest reading between 30 and 120 seconds after initial activation on a fully charged battery. More details here.)
_
Measurements of the different modes in the integrating sphere show a very good agreement with the manufacturer’s specifications, with small variations in some ways. The intensity distribution is quite homogeneous, and the ability to program the intensity modes, except for the moonlight, gives us the ability to finely adjust the distribution of intensities to our tastes or needs.
*
PERFORMANCE:*
Leaving aside the power limitations of the 14500 or NiMH batteries in AA format which the T01 had to deal with, the new U11 powered by a powerful 18650 should, on paper, perform much stronger and more spectacularly than its sister pocket rocket.





The test result of runtime vs output in the integrating sphere is really good. All three Turbo levels have a stunningly high output. T3, the brightest of all, maintains its output above 1000LM for over one minute.





The ability to “override” the stepdown by the hidden “constant current” mode also allows us to see the difference between the two T3 power methods. 
After the stepdown, the brightness always lands on the T1 level. For a better understanding of the overall performance, here a comparison against competitive lights.





Compared with other similar lights, the U11 is to date the brightest, most powerful single LED single 18650 flashlight which has passed through my hands. Click here for a higher resolution image.(link is external)
*

BEAM PROFILE:*
Manker has equipped the U11 with a balanced combo of LED emitter and reflector, because its XP-L and OP reflector generate a very versatile mixed projection together.

















The projection is very similar to what we would find with an XM-L2, a medium-sized hotspot with smoothed corona and uniform spill, without particular artifacts or rings as seen in the T01 with XP-L HI emitter and smooth reflector.
























The XP-L V5 tint is pretty good, cool white with a very slightly tinted smoothed out corona surrounding the hotspot.
*

PERSONAL CONCLUSION:*
These people from Manker, relatively new on the block, again surprised me with an exceptional torch, small in size and with outstanding performance.


 


 
_*DQG Tiny18650 · Manker U11 · Nitecore EC21 · Eagletac TX25C2 · Nitecore P20UV
*_
*Negatives:* The only improvable point of the U11 is in my opinion the system whereby the clip has been incorporated, as to me personally it generates two notable drawbacks, both related to the ergonomics of the flashlight usage. On the one hand, the clip is extremely annoying when you hold the flashlight, as its natural position is rotated 90° to the switch location, so it is in a hardly comfortable position for the hand when you try to grasp the flashlight with the switch pointing upwards. On the other hand, it is very cumbersome to unscrew the tailcap because we cannot unscrew the cap in full turns but have to do fractions of rotation with the finger tips.
*
Positives:* Remarkable output combined with good regulation and an intelligent way to manage the multiple modes including customization make the U11 a great flashlight for all those enthusiasts or just “ordinary” users who like to have the greatest control over the possibilities that a device can offer. Manker has not only added some improvements to the prior known T01 interface but also enhanced it with some new features and packaged everything in a much more versatile flashlight.



_Manker U11 sample provided by manufacturer for review._​


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## RBWNY (Mar 1, 2016)

Wonderful review! :thumbsup: Although you didn't mention the charging function. I assume the blue backlight illuminates during a charge, but what happens when the charge is completed? 

I have a U11 on order. I'm sure I'll enjoy programming the Pro Mode intensities. So once those are set, a 5-10sec hold (with blinking confirmation) will allow access to them correct? When it's turned off in pro mode, does it come back on in pro mode with a 1-sec hold of the switch? ... or does it default to the general mode?


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## Valmet62 (Mar 1, 2016)

Same here, I already have one of these on order, hope that I like it as much as I think I will. Thanks for the review !!!

Valmet62


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## kreisl (Mar 4, 2016)

Thanks for the helpful review!

"good regulation" … Can you give us some (comparison of) numbers which express the efficiency of the regulation?

I have the U11 too, not very expensive flashlight, and i removed the clip after a day or so, now i like holding the light in my hand very much! It lies very comfortably in the hand.

The UI is complex and sometimes i would get into the strobe modes because i clicked too fast for advancing in the brightness level order. Let me call that "accidental activation of strobe modes" 

Output, efficiency, and tint - i think these are the main positives of the light, apart from the compact dimensions, short, and slim in the hand.

The double spring construction is nice.

However there is a limitation as to the length of accepted 18650's, not all protected 18650's will fit. For example, generic protected NCR18650B's, the ones with the clear wrapper and button top, are 1mm too long for the light.

Other than my 18650 Jetbeam beater/loaner, the U11 has become my most used light for indoors and outdoors. Short 18650 lights with electronic side switches are great all-rounders. And this Manker product feels robust too!

The aesthetic design is okay too, never a concern. One must appreciate the slim head design, gone the bulkiness!

Yeah, SC600 is shorter .. but U11 has USB-rechargeable port :thumbsup:


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## Valmet62 (Mar 4, 2016)

What brand of protected 18650 battery fits this light ?

Valmet62


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## andrewnewman (Mar 5, 2016)

I just ordered one of these. I have a question about the UI, however. For those who own the light, in "breath mode" does the light go to the next "disco" mode when single clicked or does it go to moonlight? Likewise, when you long-press the light from this mode does it go off or does it go to the last memorized brightness level?


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## _UPz (Mar 6, 2016)

andrewnewman said:


> I just ordered one of these. I have a question about the UI, however. For those who own the light, in "breath mode" does the light go to the next "disco" mode when single clicked or does it go to moonlight? Likewise, when you long-press the light from this mode does it go off or does it go to the last memorized brightness level?



From "breath mode", single click goes to SOS. Long click turns off.
For night stand use, I suggest long click (turn off the light) and then single click (turn on in Moonlight mode). It's still not the optimal setup and I don't recomend it as a mistake can turn the SOS (1000LM blast) blinding your eyes.


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## _UPz (Mar 6, 2016)

Valmet62 said:


> What brand of protected 18650 battery fits this light ?
> 
> Valmet62



I'll test fit tomorrow.


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## emarkd (Mar 15, 2016)

Great review! I have one of these lights and just thought I'd add, in case anyone comes along who's curious, that its really simple to do an emitter swap in this light. I would agree that the factory XP-L is "okay" for most uses, but I found it a bit too cool for my preference. So out it came and an Nichia 219c went in its place. Overall output dropped about 10% in my light box, which is probably to be expected, but its not much of a difference for a greatly improved tint. 






Bottom line, in my opinion - this is a much better light than the other similar ones on the market, like the Nitecore MH20 that I haven't touched since I got this Manker.


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## Tachead (Mar 15, 2016)

emarkd said:


> Great review! I have one of these lights and just thought I'd add, in case anyone comes along who's curious, that its really simple to do an emitter swap in this light. I would agree that the factory XP-L is "okay" for most uses, but I found it a bit too cool for my preference. So out it came and an Nichia 219c went in its place. Overall output dropped about 10% in my light box, which is probably to be expected, but its not much of a difference for a greatly improved tint.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Did you swap out the whole star/noctigon or reflow the new emitter onto the stock one? Could you go over the details of your swap a little please? Thanks:thumbsup:


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## emarkd (Mar 15, 2016)

Tachead said:


> Did you swap out the whole star/noctigon or reflow the new emitter onto the stock one? Could you go over the details of your swap a little please? Thanks:thumbsup:



I reflowed onto the existing mcpcb. You could probably swap in a copper noctigon for even better thermals but you can see what an odd shape the board is, so it would require quite a bit of cutting/filing/sanding to make it fit. The factory mcpcb is also quite thin, so a "normal" copper noctigon would probably cause the bezel to not tighten down all the way.

But the factory mcpcb is dead simple to remove - unscrew the bezel and the lens and reflector just drop out. Then unsolder the two leads to the board and unscrew the two screws. There's some thermal paste under the board so you have to get under it and lift it a bit, but its not an adhesive so its not hard to do. Then just reflow the new emitter onto the board. You can do that in a frying pan on your stovetop -- heat the board in the pan until the solder runs, pluck the XP-L off with some little tweezers and drop the new emitter into its place being aware of polarity. Remove from the heat to cool. Done.


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## Tachead (Mar 15, 2016)

emarkd said:


> I reflowed onto the existing mcpcb. You could probably swap in a copper noctigon for even better thermals but you can see what an odd shape the board is, so it would require quite a bit of cutting/filing/sanding to make it fit. The factory mcpcb is also quite thin, so a "normal" copper noctigon would probably cause the bezel to not tighten down all the way.
> 
> But the factory mcpcb is dead simple to remove - unscrew the bezel and the lens and reflector just drop out. Then unsolder the two leads to the board and unscrew the two screws. There's some thermal paste under the board so you have to get under it and lift it a bit, but its not an adhesive so its not hard to do. Then just reflow the new emitter onto the board. You can do that in a frying pan on your stovetop -- heat the board in the pan until the solder runs, pluck the XP-L off with some little tweezers and drop the new emitter into its place being aware of polarity. Remove from the heat to cool. Done.




Thanks man:thumbsup:

What is the approximate temp the pan needs to be?


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## emarkd (Mar 15, 2016)

200C is the target for most solders. Really though, just watch it close and be ready to go when the solder on the board liquifies.


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## Tachead (Mar 15, 2016)

emarkd said:


> 200C is the target for most solders. Really though, just watch it close and be ready to go when the solder on the board liquifies.



K, thanks. I might have to try it. I had better use a non-teflon pan so I dont poison myself lol. I bet a scientific hotplate would work even better.


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## emarkd (Mar 15, 2016)

Yeah a hotplate is much better I just mentioned the frying pan method since everybody's got access to that. But yeah, you don't want to use a nonstick pan and do be aware that heating a dry pan that hot can cause some of them to warp. So proceed with caution. You don't want the wife pissed cause you warped her favorite pan.


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## Tachead (Mar 15, 2016)

emarkd said:


> Yeah a hotplate is much better I just mentioned the frying pan method since everybody's got access to that. But yeah, you don't want to use a nonstick pan and do be aware that heating a dry pan that hot can cause some of them to warp. So proceed with caution. You don't want the wife pissed cause you warped her favorite pan.



Lol, yeah a cheap on sale frying pan just for this use or a piece of 1/4" steel plate would be best I think for low cost options.


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## _UPz (Mar 16, 2016)

Valmet62 said:


> What brand of protected 18650 battery fits this light ?
> 
> Valmet62



Panasonic and sanyo protected 18650's doesn't fit, too long.
The only protected battery I own that fits is a Nitecore NL188, and it's very tight fit.


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## _UPz (Mar 17, 2016)

http://www.forolinternas.com/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=11784

This thread (in spanish) have some infos about emitter and mcpcb swapping.


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## rbarbara (Mar 18, 2016)

Why sometimes when I remove the USB cable the flashlight turns on? It doesn't turn on immediately, takes about 2 seconds.


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## gwhiz (Mar 23, 2016)

rbarbara said:


> Why sometimes when I remove the USB cable the flashlight turns on? It doesn't turn on immediately, takes about 2 seconds.



Same here, every time I unplug the USB connection the light turns on after a few seconds. Not in a normal mode - it cycles repeatedly through 3 brightness levels. Must click to stop it. 

So, is this a defect? Well, it was my first light with built in charger and not impressed. Guess I will stick to the known brands.


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## shilent (Apr 5, 2016)

gwhiz said:


> Same here, every time I unplug the USB connection the light turns on after a few seconds. Not in a normal mode - it cycles repeatedly through 3 brightness levels. Must click to stop it.
> 
> So, is this a defect? Well, it was my first light with built in charger and not impressed. Guess I will stick to the known brands.



Mine seems to do this as well.

I also noticed my Low1 and Med1 is way too bright. Low1 is obviously over 100 lumens, so I took a tailcap reading and got 330ma on low1, and 630ma on med1. Both the same in normal and advanced mode.

gwhiz, could you get a tailcap reading on low1?


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## Clinda (Apr 21, 2016)

Really got confused with the self-define mode since I am new to flashlight.


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## czajunia (Apr 26, 2016)

Do you know which of the sellers stocks original Manker products? I was considering either Banggood or Fasttech but I am not sure if they have genuine torches.

Thanks.


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## Valmet62 (Apr 26, 2016)

Mine came from Fasttech and it is a factory original. As a matter of fact, I purchased a second one from them. Very pleased !!


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## somnambulism (May 3, 2016)

emarkd said:


> Great review! I have one of these lights and just thought I'd add, in case anyone comes along who's curious, that its really simple to do an emitter swap in this light. I would agree that the factory XP-L is "okay" for most uses, but I found it a bit too cool for my preference. So out it came and an Nichia 219c went in its place. Overall output dropped about 10% in my light box, which is probably to be expected, but its not much of a difference for a greatly improved tint.


It is indeed really simple to do an emitter swap, and it is indeed a greatly improved tint -- here's my before and after comparison:











The size difference is because apparently I didn't put my camera back in exactly the same location after doing the swap, but the settings are identical ('daylight' white balance). I like it much, much better now.


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## Valmet62 (May 3, 2016)

Vinh did my LED swap with a 3000K 90CRI XPL and I love it !!! Great tint ( for my taste) at lower levels plus great brightness at higher levels. I liked it so much that my second U11 that arrived went directly to Vinh to swap the LED with a 3000K XPL HI for better throw. I can't wait to get it back !!! I am very happy with this light !!!


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## somnambulism (May 4, 2016)

Ooh, the idea of one with a 90CRI XPL is very tempting...


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## Manker (May 24, 2016)

Thanks to UPZ for the great review.
We have NW version for U11 now, you can check on amazon.
we also have several models will be available soon.
Hope all you enjoy Manker flashlight.


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## wle (May 24, 2016)

Manker said:


> Thanks to UPZ for the great review.
> We have NW version for U11 now, you can check on amazon.
> we also have several models will be available soon.
> Hope all you enjoy Manker flashlight.




bugs:

leave in DRAGON BREATH more than 10 sec, single-click goes to MOON mode, not SOS

moon mode is not remembered - long click from OFF goes to last non blinky mode UNLESS that was moon mode, then it starts on LOW

lumen levels not correct - LOW is at least 200 lumens, even when set on the low setting [should be 40]

.07 lumens for firefly is unuseable, too dim

i think the low-battery warning comes on too early - it will blink under heavy load, then the BAT LEVEL mode will still report 3 'bars' [blinks]


the light has USB - can it be programmed by the user????????????????????????????????????????????????? that should be easy!!!!!!
probably a lot of geeks would pay $2-5 for an app or pc program to set levels themselves, and possibly the weird UI can be corrected by the user
or manker could just make up some more UI themes and sell them as upgrades
or for free.....:???



wle


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## brightnorm (May 24, 2016)

Thanks for this excellent review. A direct comparison with the Nitecore MH20/MH20GT would be very interesting. Any possibility of that?

Brightnorm


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## shilent (May 24, 2016)

wle said:


> bugs:
> 
> leave in DRAGON BREATH more than 10 sec, single-click goes to MOON mode, not SOS
> 
> moon mode is not remembered - long click from OFF goes to last non blinky mode UNLESS that was moon mode, then it starts on LOW



Not sure if it's a bug, but I like that it behaves like this. If I turn mine off while in moonlight, it still goes to the last (non moonlight/blinky) mode used. Meaning, if turn it off while on medium, it turns on medium when I do a long press from off. Then if I cycle to moonlight then turn it off, another long press from off still goes to medium.



wle said:


> lumen levels not correct - LOW is at least 200 lumens, even when set on the low setting [should be 40]



I have a total of 4 Manker U11's, two of them from Fasttech. Both of the ones I received from Fasttech has this issue, Low1 and Med1 being too bright just like yours. My first one from Fasttech measured 300mA on Low1 which is way too high. 2nd one measures about 100mA, still a little too high. They should be under 50mA I think.



wle said:


> i think the low-battery warning comes on too early - it will blink under heavy load, then the BAT LEVEL mode will still report 3 'bars' [blinks]



All 4 of mines, I get a low battery warning around 3.2V with the light on turbo, seems about right. What doesn't seem to work properly though is the battery level indicator in advanced mode, it's 4 blinks all the way down to 3.4V. At around 3.3V is where it blinks 3 times. This makes the battery level indicator useless to me.

Also, all 4 of my lights are NOT waterproof. Water is able to enter the bezel area.


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## somnambulism (May 24, 2016)

shilent said:


> I have a total of 4 Manker U11's, two of them from Fasttech. Both of the ones I received from Fasttech has this issue, Low1 and Med1 being too bright just like yours. My first one from Fasttech measured 300mA on Low1 which is way too high. 2nd one measures about 100mA, still a little too high. They should be under 50mA I think.


According to this post on another forum, there is a hidden 'Engineering Mode' on the Manker T01 and U11 that can be used to recalibrate the brightness of the lower modes. Maybe that will help?



> Acturally, there is a hidden Engineering Mode on T01.
> Off—long press over 10 seconds(flicker twice)—Pro Mode—Double click—one click———-
> —one click till to Custom settings Low1/2/3(brightness changed automatically)—
> —(Choose the brightness you need)One click — Medium1/2/3—Double click—Engineering mode
> ...


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## wle (May 25, 2016)

somnambulism said:


> According to this post on another forum, there is a hidden 'Engineering Mode' on the Manker T01 and U11 that can be used to recalibrate the brightness of the lower modes. Maybe that will help?



it does reduce the too-bright-on-LOW 
it;s kind of tricky to use though
google "u11 engineering mode youtube"

or here
this post on another forum,

wle


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## babyslim (Jul 26, 2016)

All very helpfull. Love those torches.
Not much to add but even beside this great review (s) , I notice for some mysterious reason which must be only pure chance, I see zero klarus product throughout this whole review block. 
I will not give the review for the Klarus xt12 here. But because I'm at the bottom of the column or thread here maybe someone will notice.
No reviews on multiple Klarus torches? I will try to have one soon. They are imo the best light out there but in the operational aspect they are superb and Innovative beyond... I hope to see more so I know what to buy..lol.


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## Screwball69N (Mar 20, 2017)

My U11 does not work thinking about taking it apart it turns on one mode and turns off will not do anything else the button is also lit when you screw the cap tight it also will not shut off at all has anyone else had this issue or no of a fix or possible reset


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