# Manker Quinlan T01 (XP-L HI, 1xAA/14500) Review: BEAMSHOTS, RUNTIMES, and MORE!



## selfbuilt (Jan 15, 2016)

Manker is a relatively new manufacturer on the scene. Here I have the shipping version of their popular 1xAA light, the Quinlan T01. Using the latest Cree XP-L HI emitter (optimized for throw), the T01 has impressive specs on both standard AA and 14500. Let's see if it lives up to them. :wave:

*Manufacturer Reported Specifications:*
(note: as always, these are simply what the manufacturer provides – scroll down to see my actual testing results).


CREE XPL-HI LED. 
Max Lumen Output: 500LM (drive byEneloop Pro NI-MH battery). 
Max Lumen Output: 900LM (drive by Lithium Battery 14500). 
Peak beam intensity: 10,000 cd (drive by Eneloop Pro NI-MH battery). 
Peak beam intensity: 20,000 cd (drive by Lithium Battery 14500). 
Beam distance: 925ft/ 282m. 
4 brightness levels plus 3 modes: Turbo - high - mid - low - strobe - SOS - Location Beacon
IPX-8 waterproof standard of up to 2 meters/6.6 feet. Protects the light from strong water drop and heavy rain
Impact resist up to 2 meters/6.6 feet. 
Offers General and Pro two operating modes: Long press for 10s to change modes
Compatible with Ni-MH AA, Li-ion 14500 and LiFeCOPO4 batteries: Easy to find and replace with
Max 150 hours run time, suitable for outdoor and emergency use
HA-III military standard hard anodized, original color. 
Tail stand
Titanium coated two-way clip
Machine from aerospace grade solid aluminum bar
Size:Length 84mm Head Diameter 29MM Tail Diameter 20mm 
MSRP: ~$63
Although it is not specified above, there are actually three possible settings for each constant output mode – making a total of 12 possible output levels. I will explain the programming feature later in this review










My T01 review sample came in simple hard cardboard box with cut-out packing foam. Included with the light were a pocket clip and simple wrist lanyard (both attached) and manual.













From left to right: Panasonic Eneloop Pro AA NiMH; Manker Quinlan T01; Zebralight SC5; Nitecore EA11; Olight S15; Thrunite Archer 1A V2; Skillhunt DS10.

All dimensions are given with no batteries installed:

*Manker Quinlan T01*: Weight: 61.7g, Length 84.5mm, Width (bezel) 29.8mm

*Fenix LD12*: Weight: 52.3g, Length: 99.9mm, Width (bezel): 21.6mm
*Nitecore MT1A*: Weight: 54.6g, Length: 104.6mm, Width (bezel): 22.7mm
*Olight S15*: Weight: 46.4g, Length: 87.0mm, Width (bezel): 23.1mm
*L3 Illumination L10*: Weight: 20.7g, Length: 79.4mm, Width (bezel): 17.1mm
*Lumintop ED15*: Weight: 59.7g, Length: 100.2, Width (bezel): 21.9mm
*Skilhunt DS15*: Weight: 52.0g, Length: 92.1mm, Width (bezel): 24.0mm
*Thrunite Archer 1A v2 CW*: Weight: 66.9g, Length: 109.6mm, Width: 23.1mm
*Thrunite Neutron 2A 2014 (1xAA form)*: Weight: 57.6g, Length: 95.6mm, Width (bezel): 25.6mm
*Zebralight SC5*: Weight 58.3g, Length 81.5mm, Width (bezel): 22.6mm, Width (max) 27.0mm
*Zebralight SC52*: Weight 39.5g, Length 79.0mm, Width (bezel): 22.6mm, Width (max) 25.4mm






















The overall build of the T01 seems to be of above average quality. Machining looks good, although the knurling and ridge detail is very smooth. There was no damage or chips on the light gray "natural" finish on my sample. 

Switch is an electronic switch mounted on the head, slightly recessed, with a relatively grippy textured button cover. Switch feel is fairly typical for an electronic switch, and is easy to find by touch alone.

Screw threads are square-cut and anodized for tailcap lock out. There is a dual-spring design in the tailcap. The lighter secondary spring is presumably to provide a lower resistance path, which will be helpful on the high-current draw modes on 14500.

Note that the body tube is also a little short, and won't easily take protected 14500 batteries without a lot of force when screwing down the tailcap (and even then, may not connect). I was not able to use anything other than my AW protected 750mAh 14500s. The light may be best suited to unprotected 14500 (e.g. IMR). Also, flat-top 14500 batteries will not work in the light, due to the raised metal ring around the contact disc in the head.

The light comes with a removable metal pocket clip, and a reasonable wrist strap (that can only attach to the clip, as there is no attachment point on the body). Clip fits the body fairly firmly.










The head is relatively large for a 1xAA light, with a deep and smooth reflector for maximum throw. There is a luminescent green o-ring in the head, between the glass lens and bezel. Centering of the emitter seems pretty good – scroll down for beamshots and direct measures.

*User Interface*

The T01 has two control interfaces – a General Mode and a Pro mode.

General Mode

General mode is fairly straightforward. Press and hold the electronic switch to activate the light in its last memorized level (press and hold again to turn Off). 

Single click to advance modes when on, in the reoccurring sequence of Lo > Med > Hi > Turbo.

There is a shortcut to the Lo mode from Off: simply click the switch (press and hold to turn off).

Double-click the switch when On to enter into the blinking modes. When in the blinking mode set, single click to advance through the following modes, in a reoccurring loop: Strobe > SOS > Beacon. Double-click again to exit blinking modes and return to constant output modes. There is no mode memory for the blinking modes.

To switch between General and Pro mode, press and hold the switch (from Off) for 10 secs, until the light blinks rapidly and turns off.

_Pro Mode[/u]

Pro Mode is superficially similar to the General mode, but all the programming features are now available under the blinking mode set.

See the General Mode instructions above for basic light operation. As before, double-click (when On) enters you into the blinking modes.

Mode sequence in the blinking set is different now. You will now move through in reoccurring sequence (upon a single click) the following modes: Strobe > SOS > Beacon > Full Power (direct-drive) > Battery Readout > Lo Mode Setting > Med Mode Setting > Hi Mode Setting > Turbo Mode Setting.

The Mode Setting for sub-levels above are a little unusual. When you enter into the first one (Lo Mode setting), the light initially shows the lowest possible Lo mode sub-level (Lo 1, "2 lm"). After two seconds, it will advance to the second choice (Lo 2, "7 lm"). After another 2 seconds, it will advance to the third choice (Lo 3, "10 lm"). It then re-starts in 2 seconds, and runs through all these sub-level options again.

You select the sub-level you want by single clicking the switch when the light is displaying the mode you want. If you do nothing, the light will simply keep cycling between these 3 choices indefinitely.

Once you have made your Lo mode selection, the light advances to the Med mode, and runs through the 3 sub-levels there is exactly the same way. Click to make your choice.

This is then followed by the Hi mode, and then the Turbo mode. Upon your final selection, the light will return to Strobe mode, and will cycle through the blinking mode sequences again on successive single clicks.

To exit without reprogramming any level, press-and-hold to turn the light Off.

What this means in practice is that if you want enter the re-programing step for any level, you MUST re-program not only that level, but any lower level that comes before it. It runs through the programming level in sequence, requiring you to reset all the earlier levels. :shrug:

The memory settings for the sub-levels are retained, even with battery changes. Note that if you return the General mode, you will get only the original default sub-levels for each output mode. However, if you re-enter the Pro mode, you will find the light returns to your previously set sub-levels (i.e., the memory for the sub-levels is specific for the Pro mode only, and is not erased by switching between operational modes).

Here is a chart from the Manker website, shown in the manual, that explains the user interface in a flow-diagram fashion:






Default output levels

The manual indicates that by default, the General mode is set to L1 > M2 > H2 > T3 (i.e., the lowest low, and highest Turbo).

However, my T01 sample was inconsistent on the Hi level, and occasionally defaulted to H1 or H3 instead.

*Video Overview*: 

For information on the light, including the build and user interface, please see my video overview:



Note that my video was taken early in testing, so I have a few more annotations than usual in the final video - I recommend you have annotations turned on with all my videos. 

As an aside, if you want to get an instant notification for every new review that I post here on CPF, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel (the vids go public at the same time). Just mouse over my logo watermark on the top right-hand corner of the video for the subscribe feature to open up. You may need to tap or click, depending on the platform you are using to watch. :wave: 

*PWM/Strobe*

The Manker T01 shows no signs of pulse width modulation (PWM) on any level. The light appears to be fully current controlled. See example M2 mode trace below, as an example.






Strobe:





The strobe mode is a disorienting 15.3 Hz tactical strobe. 

SOS:





A fairly rapid SOS mode.

Beacon:





Beacon is a full power flash, once every ~1.1 seconds (~0.9 Hz)

*Standby Drain*

A standby current drain is inevitable on the T01, due to the electronic switch in the head. There is no difference between the General and Pro modes. Here is what I found on my sample:

5.5 uA on Eneloop Pro NiMH
18.0 uA on 14500 3.7V

Assuming a Panasonic ~2500mAh Eneloop Pro NiMH, that current would translate into over 50 years before the battery would be drained – clearly not a concern.

On 14500, the higher drain and lower capacity (750mAh) means that a standard 14500 would be drained in about 4 years and 9 months – still not much of a concern.

You can fully break this current - and physically lock-out the light - by twisting the tailcap a quarter turn.

*Beamshots:*

All lights are on Max output on Panasonic Eneloop Pro AA NiMH. Lights are about ~0.75 meter from a white wall (with the camera ~1.25 meters back from the wall). Automatic white balance on the camera, to minimize tint differences. 





























































As you can see, that's an incredible amount of throw from a single 1xAA light running standard NiMH. The T01 is also very highly driven on standard AA, though not as much as the floodier Zebralight SC5.

1x14500 (AW Protected 14500) Li-ion Comparison:

















































Scroll down for actual beam intensity measures.

*Testing Method:* 

All my output numbers are relative for my home-made light box setup, as described on my flashlightreviews.ca website. You can directly compare all my relative output values from different reviews - i.e. an output value of "10" in one graph is the same as "10" in another. All runtimes are done under a cooling fan, except for any extended run Lo/Min modes (i.e. >12 hours) which are done without cooling.

I have devised a method for converting my lightbox relative output values (ROV) to estimated Lumens. See my How to convert Selfbuilt's Lightbox values to Lumens thread for more info. 

*Throw/Output Summary Chart:*

My summary tables are reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. Please see http://www.flashlightreviews.ca/FL1.htm for a discussion, and a description of all the terms used in these tables. Effective July 2012, I have updated all my Peak Intensity/Beam Distance measures with a NIST-certified Extech EA31 lightmeter (orange highlights).

Let's start with an overall comparison, including throw:











As you can see, that is a lot of throw from a single 1xAA light. oo: Clearly, the combination of a heavily-driven circuit, XP-L HI emitter, and relatively deep and smooth reflector has paid off.

But to understand the 14500 results, keep in mind that I am using older AW protected 750mAh ICR cells.

Let's look at the relative output levels, for each sub-mode and battery type:






Manker's specs for standard NiMH AA match my estimated ANSI FL-1 output measures correlate remarkable well, across the board oo: It is just the lowest L1 level that seems more "moonlight" like on my sample.

Again, 1x14500 specs seem fairly accurate for the Lo, Med and Hi sub-levels (although L2 and L3 are exactly the same). However, the specs for the Turbo sub-levels seem to over-estimate output relative to my testing.

One possibility is that the standard AW protected 750mAh ICR 14500 batteries used in my testing may not be able to provide the maximum possible output in the T01. They are also not new, and have received a fair amount of testing use already.  However, I was not able to test any of my newer protected 14500 from other makers (e.g. Olight), as I was unable to screw the cap down tightly enough to make contact on the T01. :shrug:

If you are curious, initial max output on 14500 in my lightbox was ~750 estimated lumens (although it rapidly drops off the for the ANSI FL-1 measures at 30 secs shown above). But again, you might do a bit better with newer cells. And I expect unprotected IMR cells may indeed get you closer the rated T01 specs.

As an aside, I presume the low-voltage cut-off on standard cells suggests there is an equivalent one for Li-ions as well - but I can't confirm that until I get some unprotected 14500s on hand to test.

*Output/Runtime Graphs:*

Note that I currently use Eneloop Pro NiMH anyway (2550mAh typical capacity) in my testing now. And all my standard runtimes are done under a cooling fan, as always. 
























The performance of the T01 is very impressive on standard AA batteries. It performs with very flat regulation and overall efficiency comparable to the best current-controlled competition (although the Zebralight SC5 does still have a slight edge). Note the timed step-down on Turbo.

Unlike the SC5, you don't get the defined step-downs as the batteries drain here. And there seems to be a slightly early termination on the T01 (some sort of circuit cut-off perhaps?). This means you won't over-drain your NiMH – but it also means you may find yourself without light when the batteries are nearly exhausted (on both AA and NiMH).

As an aside, these results further support the T01 being current-controlled.










On 1x14500, you can see the T01 is struggling to maintain regulation (at least on my AW protected 750mAh ICR batteries). For the most-part, this regulation pattern is pretty close to direct-drive. That said, overall efficiency is still top-notch. But since max output is not that much higher (at least on my AW protected ICR batteries), you are really best sticking with NiMH AA for maximum runtime and flat regulation on the T01.

Again, unprotected IMR 14500 may get you a higher initial output, and improved regulation.

*Potential Issues*

Due to the very throwy nature of the light, you can expect some artifacts in the beam hotspot – although these are only really noticeable on smooth surfaces.

Given the heavily-driven nature on the highest levels, stick with good quality NiMH. Alkaline batteries will not perform well at all on these levels. 

Body tube is a little short, and not all protected 14500 cells will fit and work in the light. Only my AW protected 750mAh cells would work (and even then, a fair amount of force was required).

The T01 output specs are remarkably accurate – except for the Turbo sub-levels on 1x14500. However, that may be due in part to the older AW 750mAh protected ICR cells that I am using in my testing. Newer cells – especially unprotected IMR – should be capable of somewhat higher sustained output.

The default sub-level settings of the T01 in General mode are good – although I found the Hi level would sometimes activate in Hi1 or Hi3 (and not consistently in Hi2, as expected).

The sub-level programming of the Pro Mode is a little unusual, and requires you to reset each output level in sequence (from the Lo to Turbo). While you will need the manual initially to program, it is straight-forward and easy to do on the fly, once you get used it.

Due to the electronic switch, there is a minimal stand-by current - but it is so low as to be completely negligible in practice. You can always lock out the light at the tailcap to prevent accidental activation.

*Preliminary Observations*

The T01 is very impressive offering from a new manufacturer. It has outstanding throw, output and runtime performance, and support for both standard AA and 14500 Li-ion. oo:

Manker has certainly spent some time getting a good circuit put together, as you can see by the lack of PWM, excellent efficiency, flat regulation (on standard AA), and good range of output levels. The AA specs are bang-on here, and there are no issues with the performance of the light. The programming interface may not be the most intuitive, but it works well once you get used to it (and is easy to use in both General Mode and Pro Mode).

Performance on 14500 is very good for this battery class, but there are some issues. Foremost is the difficulty in getting modern protected 14500 batteries to fit in the light – it takes a lot of force to screw down the tailcap, and I was unable to get some brands to work (due to length). Also, the light is largely direct-drive on 14500 (at least on the higher levels tested here). Turbo output was lower in my testing than the specs indicate, but that may have to do with the age of the cells I had on hand (i.e., none of my newer 14500s would fit). 

I would expect unprotected IMR 14500 to have greater sustained output on Turbo. I plan to order some of these on my next battery batch purchase, but it will likely be a few months before I can update this review. In any case, 14500 has much lower work capacity than modern NiMH - and so would underperform in runtime at lower levels. Unless you really need the extra turbo output, I recommend you stick with quality NiMH AA.

Beam pattern is incredibly throwy for a light this size – this is a real pocket rocket. oo: There are some artifacts in the hotspot, but these are really only noticeable at close range on smooth surfaces. 

If you want to impress people with how far a 1xAA can throw, this is the light for you.  I'm glad to see they haven't skimped on the circuit design or feature set, and performance is right up there with other top lights in this class. It is certainly a distinctive new offering! 

P.S.: I will update this review once I get some IMR 14500 cells in to test. :wave:

----

T01 was supplied by Manker for review._


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## scs (Jan 15, 2016)

Thanks for the review!


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## kreisl (Jan 15, 2016)

Thanks selfbuilt for the excellent review!

I own this light too and it is my most impressive AA light. I shared some of my info on *cut-off voltage* and *stand-by current drain* in UPz's CPF review thread. I'll try to get my hands on another unit. It's also available with black anodization, refined machining, thicker pocket clip, silent updates and such down the line. 
:thumbsup:

Here a list of some other reviews:

_2015-09-15_ Trevilux : MANKER MK-T01 XP-L Hi (AA/14500) (ForoL, Spanish) 
_2015-09-16_ placebo : MANKER T01 - 800lm (1xAA/14500) (TLF, German) 
_2015-09-22_ circumlucens : Kurzreview Manker Quinlan-T01 (TLF review, German) 
_2015-09-24_ write2dgray : Manker Quinlan-T01 (BLF, English) 
_2015-09-24_ livesmith : Manker Quinlan T-01 Review (BLF review, English) 
_2015-09-24_ livesmith : Manker Quinlan T-01 Review (CPF repost, English) 
_2015-09-24_ Johnny : Review: Manker T01 Prerelease Sample (BLF review, English) 
_2015-09-24_ Johnny : [Review] Manker T01 EDC Prerelease Sample (CPF repost, English) 
_2015-09-30_ amaretto : Manker Quinlan T01: Review / Test (TLF review, German) 
_2015-10-02_ Trevilux : MANKER QUINLAN T01 (XP-L Hi, 1XAA/14500) Review (LuxL review, Spanish) 
_2015-10-04_ Bluzie : Vorstellung: Manker Quinlan T01 (TLF review, German) 
_2015-10-09_ amaretto : Passaround Manker Quinlan T01 (TLF passaround, German) 
_2015-10-11_ brucejiang : Brief Review of MANKER T01---Compared with SUREFIRE mods (CPF review, English) 
_2015-10-15_ Nexxos1412 : Manker Quinlan T01 - PA Reviews, Test- und Erfahrungsberichte (TLF passaround reviews, German) 
_2015-10-20_ candle lamp : Manker QuinLan T01 - Pre-production (XP-L HI, 1xAA or 1x14500) Review (CPF review, English) 
_2015-10-20_ candle lamp : Manker QuinLan T01 - Pre-production (XP-L HI, 1xAA or 1x14500) Review (fonarevka repost, English) 
_2015-10-21_ candle lamp : Manker QuinLan T01 - Pre-production (XP-L HI, 1xAA or 1x14500) Review (OHLED repost, Korean) 
_2015-10-31_ turboBB : In-depth vid review: Manker Quinlan T01 Compact Thrower (XP-L HI | 1 x AA / 14500) (BLF video review, English) 
_2015-10-31_ turboBB : In-depth vid review: Manker Quinlan T01 Compact Thrower (XP-L HI | 1 x AA / 14500) (CPF repost, English) 
_2015-11-01_ UPz : MANKER T01 (RdL review, Spanish) 
_2015-11-01_ UPz : MANKER T01 (XP-L HI V3, 1x AA/14500) (ForoL repost, Spanish) 
_2015-11-03_ UPz : [Review] Manker T01 (XP-L HI V3, 1x AA / 14500) (CPF review, English) 
_2015-11-03_ UPz : [Review] Manker T01 (XP-L HI V3, 1x AA / 14500) (BLF repost, English) 
_2015-11-03_ UPz : [Review] Manker T01 (XP-L HI V3, 1x AA / 14500) (fonarevka repost, English) 
_2015-11-08_ msitc : Review: Manker Quinlan T-01 XP-L HI 1 x AA 900 Lumen max. pre-production sample (HT, German) 
_2016-01-15_ selfbuilt : Manker Quinlan T01 (XP-L HI, 1xAA/14500) Review: BEAMSHOTS, RUNTIMES, and MORE! (CPF, English) 
_2016-05-07_ Budda : Review of Manker Quinlan T01: pics, test and beamshots. (CPF review, English) 
_2016-05-08_ Budda : Review and modding of Manker Quinlan T01 (BLF repost, English) 
_2016-07-03_ Budda : Manker T01 - Unboxing, Review, Runtime and Beamshot (youtube, English)
_2016-07-14_ WalkIntoTheLight : Review: Manker T01 (1xAA / 14500) (BLF review, English) 

NOTE: TLF pictures/photos don't display until you're registered and logged in to TLF.
( _last really researched 2015-11-03_ )


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## scs (Jan 15, 2016)

Hey, beat Ryp for once.


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## selfbuilt (Jan 15, 2016)

scs said:


> Hey, beat Ryp for once.


I haven't been posting as frequently lately, so I suppose it's harder to prepared when I put one up! :laughing:


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## scs (Jan 15, 2016)

Excited to see an alternative to Zebralights' top of the class regulation. Would be even better if NW were available.
Glad to see that a new contender has spent the resources to produce their own boost circuit that can match ZLs. Eagerly awaiting an 18650 version buck+boost that can do the same.

With regards to the light's appearance, I can do without some of those edges. It would make pocket carry easier and machining would be cheaper too for Manker right?


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## selfbuilt (Jan 15, 2016)

kreisl said:


> I shared some of my info on *cut-off voltage* and *stand-by current drain* in UPz's CPF review thread.


Thanks for the link. I see you found similar standby currents. And good to know what the voltage cut-off is for 14500, since I don't have any unprotected cells on hand to test it.


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## MAD777 (Jan 15, 2016)

Quite a well performing little light. I've been looking at a couple of their offerings. This bodes well for the brand. Thanks for another thorough review, selfbuilt!


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## Beamhead (Jan 15, 2016)

Excellent review as always, who sells these?


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## kreisl (Jan 15, 2016)

In the brightness graphs, the Thrunite Neutron 2A 2014 (1xAA) would fit well in imho. Seems to have similar efficiency to the Manker T01. Almost the same. In many ways the Neutron (not the Archer 1A!) is the direct competitor against the Manker, next to the SC5. On the other hand, the point has already been proven thru the review that the T01 is reallly efficient and well-regulated on Eneloop. Just an opinion, it'd be appropriate to see both T01 and Neutron 2A in the same graphs, instead of the Archer 1A.

I use unprotected Sanyo 14500 batteries plus a mini neodymium, otherwise the plus pole wouldn't make contact with the driver disc. Not the best idea since the magnet could short-circuit the 14500 battery if it got in accidental contact with the reverse polarity protection spacer ring.

Looking forward to your the output with your new 14500 batteries! And yes, many protected 14500 batteries either do not make contact with the driver disc (flat top battery) or they are too long.

Unprotected 14500's with a nub would be the optimal choice of 14500 for this flashlight.


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## selfbuilt (Jan 16, 2016)

kreisl said:


> In the brightness graphs, the Thrunite Neutron 2A 2014 (1xAA) would fit well in imho. ... Just an opinion, it'd be appropriate to see both T01 and Neutron 2A in the same graphs, instead of the Archer 1A.


That's a good point, the Neutron 2A is a better comparator. I have just updated all the Hi-mode graphs, and some of the Med graphs where I have data, to replace the Archer with the Neutron.



> I use unprotected Sanyo 14500 batteries plus a mini neodymium, otherwise the plus pole wouldn't make contact with the driver disc. Not the best idea since the magnet could short-circuit the 14500 battery if it got in accidental contact with the reverse polarity protection spacer ring. ... And yes, many protected 14500 batteries either do not make contact with the driver disc (flat top battery) or they are too long. ... Unprotected 14500's with a nub would be the optimal choice of 14500 for this flashlight.


Yeah, it's a little surprising for a light that emphasizes its ability to run 14500 that it is so restricted in what it can handle (i.e., only unprotected 14500 with a positive nub are sure to fit and work in the light). I presume this is because they would prefer you to use unprotected higher-drain-rated cells - given the circuitry's built-in protections, and high drive levels on Turbo. 

In any case, I also do not recommend the use of mini neodymium magnets. Frankly, I think it would have been better if they had just skipped the physical reverse polarity feature on this model, and allowed flat-top cells to be used. :shrug:


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## kreisl (Jan 16, 2016)

Hello selfbuilt, thanks for having included (or substituted) the brightness graphs of Neutron 2A. Seems that the top brightness of Neutron 2A is higher than the T01 but the area under the curves is about the same. T01 doesn't perform well on Energizer Lithium, i see.


selfbuilt said:


> P.S.: I will update this review once I get some IMR 14500 cells in to test.


Do you mean these very ones?





7.5€ apiece ouch. 
Hopefully its nub is protruding enough to make contact with the driver disc!


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## Swedpat (Jan 16, 2016)

Thanks Selfbuilt for the review of this little cool light! Maybe I include one next time I place an order from Banggood.


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## Gordo (Jan 22, 2016)

Does anyone else hope that Zebralight takes the hint and makes a Turbohead SC5 and SC600?


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## DPRoberts (Jan 23, 2016)

Several people in this thread have recommended the Thrunite Neutron 2A as a competitor to the Manker Quinlan T01. Is the Neutron 2A still in production? I don't see it listed on Thrunite's website, and I can't find it on Amazon (their official store) or any other site.


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## kreisl (Jan 24, 2016)

i've seen neutron on amazon, you can google the term < _neutron amazon thrunite_ >


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## Phlogiston (Jan 24, 2016)

If you're considering a Thrunite Neutron 2A, you might want to search CPF for members' experiences first. A number of quality control problems have been reported.


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## kreisl (Feb 5, 2016)

I have placed an order for Unprotected white Tangsfire 14500 "1200mAh" nominal, i've spotted them on GB and DX. The DX site quotes 850mAh real capacity. I just don't want to use unprotected flat-top batteries with neodymium magnet anymore and my old protected Trustfire flames 14500 were an okay fit. Most protected 14500's don't fit in the T01 (too long!) and or don't make connection with the driver disc (too flat-top), i'd say, so unprotected 14500's with a button top are the only assured way to go.

Less than 2.5$ shipped including tracking number, cheaper can't go 






I'll report and share photos!


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## Tachead (Feb 5, 2016)

These Quinlan series lights look nice. I have to say though, they sure look a lot like the Nitecore MH20. They could have been a little more original with their design.


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## Tachead (Feb 6, 2016)

Any chance you are going to review the U11 as well Selfbuilt? Thanks for this review, its great as usual:thumbsup:


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## selfbuilt (Feb 9, 2016)

kreisl said:


> I have placed an order for Unprotected white Tangsfire 14500 "1200mAh" nominal, i've spotted them on GB and DX. I'll report and share photos!


Let us know if they work. For me personally, I'll stick with eneloops - it's still crazy bright and throwy, and there's something to be said to telling people who ask: that is on a standard AA battery. 



Tachead said:


> Any chance you are going to review the U11 as well Selfbuilt? Thanks for this review, its great as usual:thumbsup:


No immediate plans, and my docket is pretty full at the moment - quite a backlog of other lights I have to go through.


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## Tachead (Feb 9, 2016)

selfbuilt said:


> Let us know if they work. For me personally, I'll stick with eneloops - it's still crazy bright and throwy, and there's something to be said to telling people who ask: that is on a standard AA battery.
> 
> 
> No immediate plans, and my docket is pretty full at the moment - quite a backlog of other lights I have to go through.



Thank you for the reply sir:thumbsup:


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## recDNA (Feb 10, 2016)

I was all set to purchase until I saw the ui and finicky battery tube. I always though ZL should use xp-l hi instead of xhp 35. I like the extra throw. This ui just doesn't compare to ZL imo. I like to be able to start in any mode I want... Like long press for turbo and double click for hi short click for low etc. I hate memory cuz mine isn't good enough to remember what mode it was in last.


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## kreisl (Feb 11, 2016)

Time to share, sharing is fun!

My geman dealer has the revised version in stock, it's in black ano, and early owners of the black version can check if their unit coincides with my new unit. Mine came with the Manker lanyard but i prefer a low profile generic wrist strap:





The black finish is as matt as the natural anodization of selfbuilt's unit and similarly matt as the original SC52 silver-grey finish before the Zebralight ano got glossier.

I like the black pseudo-matt finish bely much:




Can you tell that the bezel is in a glossier finish? Production batches from different days eventually result in such minimal differences between flashlight parts, oh well no big deal.

It's actually quite hard to capture the nature of the finish on photo. Very noticeable in RL but not so visible in my photos. How about a direct comparison to Eagtac anodization? All black Eagtac anos are super shiny, super glossy, yeah one can tell on the following pic:




Check out my old TX25C2 review for more Eagtac photos. Even though i never use the TX25C2, it doesn't feel very robust tbh, it's a keeper in my modest collection of flashlights.

I would say that Fenix ano isn't as glossy as Eagtac. And Manker ano isn't as matt as Armytac. Btw i am no fan of Eagtac or Fenix glossy finishes, they look/feel cheap imho. Hence we have the relation, 
Armytek(=matt) < Manker (=matt/glossy) < Fenix (=glossy) < Eagtac (=super glossy), 
check the reflection of the shininess on the four surfaces to verify the relation:





So what's new with this version? The UI, short click from OFF to Low (L1/L2/L3) was already mentioned in other recent reviews; disadvantage, possible accidental activation in the pocket. Wouldn't be too bad, it's the Low mode only. Or do a tailcap lockout. 

The clip is new. Its ring is now seated 100% flush in the ring groove. The face side of the clip has now 2 cute holes at which i attach my wrist strap in a symmetrical way. The flashlight body has 3 longitudinal grooves, their width matches the width of the clip:




( _click to enlarge_! )​ 
I positioned the clip 180° opposite to the switch so that the clip rides in the longitudinal groove. In the following pic, part of the clip profile can't be seen because it is covered by the depth of the very groove. Also note that the tip of the clip does not touch the flashlight head or else. Hehe i actually had to bend the tip with my Vinox Spirit X a little, otherwise the tip would have touched the anodization. The clip is a deep-carry clip. In practice however the deep-clipping opening is too narrow to accept the brim of a jeans pocket, especially with the wrist strap attachment in da way, and with the bulky T01 head shape it'd be plain awkward to use the clip for actual clipping purposes anyway imo:





The most important change about the new clip is its thickness. All early clips were 0.80mm thick and felt too flexible because of the long clip length: the longer a clip is, the more flexible it is. This new clip is extremely strong with its 1.00mm thickness, as thick and sturdy as Armytac Tiara stainless steel pocket clips. Even if nobody uses T01 clips for actual clipping purposes (because of the T01 head shape), now nobody can criticize anymore that the clip feels flimsy or too flexible:



( _click to enlarge_! )​
On the above pics, why were there arrows pointing to the cooling fins? It's new on this version! Here i am detailing, the edges are chamfered/bevelled, not sharp anymore hooray:





The bevelling is on both edges of 1 cooling fin, of course:





What's also new, the reflector room is free from dust, particles, or whatsoever. Dusty reflectors were the standard in early production units. The maker did some cleaning since:





In all fairness one can still see something itsy-bitsy on the following pic. Well, that's dust on the glass lens (not the reflector!). I don't live very clean lol:





The battery compartment hasn't changed much. The inner diameter of the reverse polarity protection (RPP) ring is wider, okay. But the rest is the same. By measuring different depths of the T01 body, the distance to the disc center, the distance to the RPP ring, i found out that the battery (+)nub needs to be longer than 1.00mm. No problem with AAA w/ AA adapter, Sanyo Eneloop, or Ni-Zn battery, from left to right:



( _click to enlarge_! )​ 
The button top of my 5pcs protected TF flames 14500 has horrible tolerances but their average nub length is 1.1mm. All 5 samples are ≤51.00mm long and make contact with the driver disc; the distance to the center of the driver disc is 52.5mm, which means that the longest supported battery (without copper washer as spacer in the tailcap) is 52.5mm, as long as that battery does have a nub longer than 1.00mm. From left to right: unprotected Sanyo UR14500P (no connection!), unprotected Sanyo UR14500P w/ neodymium, protected Trustfire flames 14500:



( _click to enlarge_! )​ 
To reiterate the conditions of 14500 fitment:
The battery must have a protruding nipple _longer _than 1.00mm *AND *the total length of the battery must be _below _52.5mm. Since there needs to be some clearance for the thickness of the double spring, probably the max acceptable total battery length is somewhere between 51.0…51.5mm. Clearly, if your battery (with a 1.1mm nub) has a total length of exactly 52.5mm, then it won't run in the T01 because of the missing clearance for the compressed tailcap spring!

The tailcap has a double spring for low resistance. When i measure tailcap current draw with UT61E, then the total resistance of my measurement system (probes, probe cables, shunt) will be higher than the original double spring resistance. Hence the following UT61E measurements are lower than the actual current (with no DMM in series):
new Sanyo UR14500P cell#1: 1.65A @4.2V t=1sec
new Sanyo UR14500P cell#2: 1.63A @4.2V t=1sec
old Trustfire flames 14500 cell#1: 1.40A @4.2V t=1sec
old Trustfire flames 14500 cell#2: 1.33A @4.2V t=1sec
old Trustfire flames 14500 cell#3: 1.36A @4.2V t=1sec
old Trustfire flames 14500 cell#4: 0.99A @4.2V t=1sec
old Trustfire flames 14500 cell#5: 1.34A @4.2V t=1sec

Some other measurements:
flashlight total length: 84.15mm
bezel diameter: 28.95mm





no comment 

SC52 can clip stand, T01 cannot clip stand. At least not if a lanyard is attached to the front holes of the clip. I have arranged the clip position to match my SC52 flashlight. Look how perfect the strap attaches to clip and the hand automatically has something to hold on to:





Last but not least, what's up with that button cartoon? Looks like a troll if you ask me:





Since the light is so throwy, i wouldn't mind a Fenix-style diffuser lens. Or a diffuser cap/cone. Anything. Needs to fit 29.0mm diameter. Olight, Fenix, Tank007 are known to make a wide range of diffusers but afaik none of them fit 29.0mm. Did anyone find a 29.0mm diffuser?


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## scs (Feb 11, 2016)

Thanks for the pics and impressions, kreisl!

It's a good looking light. How's the ergo? Any discomfort after prolong use caused by the difference in head and body diameters?


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## kreisl (Feb 11, 2016)

ergo .. it's lies very comfortably in the hand, that's why i had to create'n share the animated GIF as proof haha. the light is a bit short but that fact is balanced by the side switch operation. imagine a short torch with a rear switch, not good as edc. i mean, it has ergos similar to SC52 tbh. T01 feels like a little tank, does look good, and is, in its revised version, totally likable. rounded fins, short-cut to Low from OFF, tough clip, clean reflector/lens, and beautiful uniform CW tint (no corona tint shift). things which should be better in future makes (Mk II): thicker tailcap threads. i'd also like to try a chamfered/rounded stainless steel bezel, flat with no scalloping. almost all sunbayman flashlights have SS bezels. i am not saying that a SS bezel would look better on the T01 but it's worth a try imho.


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## KeepingItLight (Feb 11, 2016)

Thanks, kreisl, for your detailed review of the updated *Manker Godmes T01*. The single-click that turns it on (instead of a press-and-hold) is big change.

BTW, I recall reading that the image on the button is of the Godmes character. I believe Godmes is a popular cartoon or TV superhero in China. I do not know the details.


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## kreisl (Feb 11, 2016)

KeepingItLight said:


> The single-click that turns it on (instead of a press-and-hold) is big change.


From OFF: short click => turns ON in Low mode (any of L1, L2, or L3)
From OFF: long press => turns ON in the last memorized mode (e.g. H3)
From OFF: "normal" double click => turns ON in strobe mode
("normal" double click means "not tooo fast" double click  )

Zebralight UI distinguishes between short click (from OFF) and long press (from OFF) too :thumbsup:


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## Tachead (Feb 11, 2016)

Now they just need some neutral white and/or Hi CRI emitter options. Someone tell Manker to please make some NW versions.


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## Swedpat (Feb 14, 2016)

I agree that it should be available in neutral tint as well. But it's still attractive: good performance even with alkalines except from the higher modes.


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## saypat (Feb 20, 2016)

There are at least 2 UIs. Mine does not have the 1 click access to the low mode, on your video yours did. Here is the weird thing. I get into the programming mode, and set all the levels. Now, if I go to the flashy modes I get strobe, SOS, beacon....... then turbo, battery, etc. (I am still in programming mode!). I have to actually hold the button down from off for 10 seconds to EXIT the programming mode!


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## RBWNY (Mar 22, 2016)

I just got the light...in silver (probably the previous version from what is decsribed above by kreisl). Anyway, like you said, Olight 14500's don't fit. But Efest IMR's do! And like you said...I'm pretty convinced that with the Efest, it's much closer to the stated output. I took a couple of outdoor shots on turbo using an Eneloop Pro and the Efest. There's definitely a difference the eye can see! They're not on the computer yet, but when they are I'll post `em here.


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## mrheosuper (Sep 25, 2016)

I am considering this light with nitecore ec11
ec11 has a better dual button interface, has a red led( i don't what will i do with this led, but it's better, more is better)
Manker t01 has more throw(i guess), newer xpl-hl, can use the both ni-mh and li-ion
I want a pocket thrower, so, what should i choose
Btw: is it true that the manker can push to 500 lumen with single nimh battter?


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## Octavian (Jan 12, 2017)

Great review as always !

I receive the T01 II.
What a flashlight…I love it !
Incredible power light on AA NiMh battery, I find it more useful on AA NiMh configuration than 14500 because is real bright and have better runtime.
Button top battery (NiMh or 14500 ) *is a tight fit* ! sometimes don’t work. With flat battery is ok.
I used an unusual method to fit the button top NiMh, I smash the button with a hammer (but with max precaution ) and now is real ok, works great. 
Don’t do that with LiIon battery !!!




If would have also a mini usb charger on board was great, but anyway I’m impressed, nice little light ! My sample have a neutral light which I like.
No other comments for the moment, good built quality, nice finishing, nice throw, even nice form factor with the big head comparing with the body


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## Umbrosoccer (Feb 3, 2017)

I recieved a black manker t01. There is a yellow Spot in the middle of the beam when getting to 4 + feet away. Also my LED is quite off center. Is this normal for this model?


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## kreisl (Feb 5, 2017)

noh its not


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