# [Review] ULTRATAC K18 (XP-G2 S2, 1x AAA / 1x 10440)



## _UPz (Nov 15, 2015)

*ULTRATAC K18*
*LED:* CREE XP-G2 S2 CW
*Battery:* 1x AAA / 1× 10440
*Modes:* 3 (+ hidden Strobe)
*Switch:* Digital, head.
*Date:* November 2015
*
INTRODUCTION:*
Today we have again a new brand under scrutiny: UltraTac, and his new small flashlight keychain, the K18.
UltraTac is a relatively young brand, founded in 2014 by three Flashaholics, and has a team of people, some of them professional engineers with over six years’ experience in different brands such as Olight, Fenix or Lumintop.
As I’ve been told by the manufacturer, the K18 we will review today began to take shape in 2014, and after 7 redesigns to round up the model, the first units built have been testing during the last three months before the official launch a few weeks ago.








Initially the flashlight is available in three anodizing colors: Blue, Red and Black, but I’ve been told that soon we will see some more sophisticated finishes such as stainless steel, brass, nickel and golden plating.



 



The presentation of the flashlight is very good. The packaging consists of a small telescopic box inside a sleeve where we can see each and every one of the main features of the model, with color printing.





Inside the box, along with the small flashlight, we found a small plastic bag with a pair of spare replacement o-rings, a small aluminum carabiner and a brief but concise manual, and a small warranty card.

*EXTERIOR FINISH:*
The Flashlight shows excellent finish. My unit is anodized in black, with a bit glossy touch, though fairly discreet. The main features of this Flashlight are quite compact finish with a rectangular knurling both in its central region and around the flashlight head.


 




Its measurements and weight are fairly contained, thanks to its side switch on the head is extremely easy and convenient to use.



 

 


 



The optics of the small UltraTac K18 consists of an XP-G2 S2, with its small OP reflector. The LED emitter is reasonably well centered in my unit. The optical assembly is topped with a glass lens with AR treatment on a flat bezel. The optical finish is clean and well resolved.



 



Right in the center of the head knurling track we have the greatest atraction of this small flashlight: a digital switch by which we will completely control all the user interface of this flashlight. This switch is covered by a silicone button, were we can read the word “MODE” extruded therein.





The switch protrudes just 0.9mm from the flashlight profile, but it’s simple and easy to locate by touch. This switch also helps keeping the flashlight from rolling if placed on a flat surface.





We have two engravings placed on the head: we have right under the switch brand and model letterings, and on the opposite side we find a unique serial number that identifies the flashlight.





Inside we have direct view of the driver and its container, which seems to be machined from brass and seems to be easy to remove for possible upgrades or LED emitter replacements.





Flashlight threads are anodized and feature the classic triangular cut. They arrive correctly lubricated and clean. The play between the two threads is minimal, and one can feel perfectly as the o-ring contacts the inner walls of the flashlight when screwing both parts.





Inside the tube are a spring located at the bottom of the battery housing, which has a fairly high tension. The space for the battery, even having quite strong tension spring is generous and allows use protected 10440 batteries, which are usually always one or more millimeters longer than unprotected or usual AAA’s.
The flashlight body is almost completely covered by a rectangular knurling, and has two flat tracks to secure the pocket clip in two directions.



 



The tail of the flashlight features a large opening with a pre-installed split-ring. This anchor point has a rounded finish, so the torch cannot be placed tailstanding.



 



Finally, the manufacturer has included with this sample a small silicone diffuser, which is sold separately and which can turn the flashlight in a small portable lamp. The diffuser is very similar (or identical) to what we can be find in the Maratac AAA series, and is compatible with almost any AAA flashlight in the market.







A curious detail is that the diffuser is made of a material that glows in the dark, so that after turning off the flashlight the diffuser cap will continue glowing for several hours, making this extremely easy to locate in the dark.
*
USER INTERFACE:*
Although the flashlight features a “new” switch style in its segment, the operation is very similar to what we are used to in other larger flashlights employing similar digital switches in the head.



 

 





*On and off:* To turn on the flashlight, we must press the digital switch by half a second, and repeat the operation if we want to turn off the flashlight.




*Changing Modes:* With the flashlight on, just make a simple click on the digital switch to change modes, alternating between three intensities in ascending order: L-> M-> H




*Memory:* The K18 has mode memory function. This will remember the last used mode used prior to turn off, and will turn on in this mode in the next activation. The memory is retained even when the battery is removed off the flashlight.




*Strobe Mode*: As in other small AAA flashlights, strobe is a hidden mode, which can be accessed by a quick double click with the flashlight on. The frequency of the strobe is not too high, so it will be very useful as a locator/waring signaling.




*Block-out:* Having the switch quite exposed, fortunately we block out the flashlight when we don’t plan to use it to avoid unwanted involuntary activations. To do this, and thanks to its anodized threads, simply rotate a quarter turn of the head thread. Doing this will also stop the (always present in flashlights with a digital / electronic switch) parasitic consumption/standby current. After measuring the standby current necessary to maintain in “alive mode” the circuit of the flashlight, I have around 75uA (0.075mA) with an eneloop ( 1.4V) and around 18uA (0.018mA) with a 10440 ( 4.1V). Making a rough calculation, the K18 will completely drain by standby current a 800mAh AAA battery in 14 months, and a 320mAh 10440 in two years, of course regardless in both calculations of the self-discharge rate of the batteries themselves.




 
_(All measurements are taken following the ANSI NEMA FL1 procedure, taking as value the highest reading of between 30 and 120 seconds after activation. More details here.)
_
The distribution of modes is fairly balanced and proportional between the two battery types. We have certain discrepancies between specified by the manufacturer and what the integrating sphere collects, although in general the K18 shows a concordance “in the usual” given the peculiarities of the calibration of our device.

*PERFORMANCE:*
The use of an XP-G2 in a AAA flashlight is nothing new, although it is rare to see a working flashlight, officially, both AAA’s as 10440’s. The K18 is one of those rare exceptions, and it is time to see how flashlight behaves in the usual test of time vs runtime, in which we will see how is the regulation of the flashlight to detail.







With an AAA eneloop and the High mode we have a really good performance with output that exceeds slightly the 110LM at activation, although the torch seems to maintain a constant slightly decrease till approximate 50 minutes, where the voltage is insufficient drops to much lower output, without turning completely off, surpassing the 70 minutes.












With a 10440 have a similar regulation for the same High mode, though far more powerful and therefore for less time. With nearly 400LM the activation, the torch begins its particular descent to reach 12 minutes (approx.), where the decline is becoming more pronounced, reaching more than 20 minutes on. In the Medium mode, we have a much more linear regulation, which provides a more or less constant output by just over 90 minutes.







Comparing AAA eneloop High mode curve thus the Medium mode obtained with 10440, we will see how the K18 is much more efficient with the small Li-Ion cell.







Comparing the curves, we see how the K18 is something above the Olight I3S and Bronte RA01 as referred to runtime, leaving only below the D25AAA Mini as a regulated output is concerned.







With 10440, we see again the K18 gets a great result, as one of the flashlights (of which I have seen) that work best with this battery, keeping the curve quite higher than most competitors, although accusing this in total runtime.
Finally, K18 modes are achieved by PWM, although it’s a quite high frequency so it is hardly noticeable, even by shaking the flashlight at its lowest output in front of a mirror.
*
BEAM PROFILE:*
The beam profile of this flashlight is virtually identical to what we find in many other AAA flashlights that use a combination of OP reflector with XP-G2 emitter, so there is not much to say here as this is one of the most widespread combinations in this segment of small flashlights.

















We have a hotspot of medium-large size that blends smoothly and fairly evenly around the spill light. Thanks to the small size of the reflector beam along the edges of the illuminated area is not sharp, and instead we have a pretty nice soft gradient.
























The tint used is cold white, and though the bin XP-G2 is quite high, S2, we have no clear dominant color.
*
PERSONAL CONCLUSION:*
Again a newcomer offers, almost at first, a truly well-rounded and interesting product that will make for sure up the colors to more than one already established manufacturer. UltraTac has been able to see a hole in the already saturated market niche of small AAA Flashlights for keyrings, incorporating a new concept that, although we have already seen many times in other segments, so far afaik no one had been reproduced in flashlights of this size. A digital switch in the head of a flashlight always makes it more comfortable to use, especially if it is a short flashlight that cannot be hold like a tactical one. It also prevents the action of twisty in compact flashlights, which we have to finish threading his head screwed on and make quick-unscrewed to change modes. The user interface is easy and really intuitive, for its similarity to other flashlights of similar performance and design.


 


 
*Fenix LD01 · Ultratac K18 · Nitecore T2s · Tank007 E09 · Eagtac D25AAA Mini · Olight i3S EOS · Nextorch K10
*
*Negatives:* I have only one real complaint about the K18, and as it cannot be otherwise relates to the design of the tail end. The design of the tail, with that rounded machining anchor point prevents us from placing the flashlight in tailstanding, and considering that there is a cylindrical mini-diffuser, UltraTac is missing a fantastic opportunity for providing the small K18 an extremely practical function: A tailstanding lamp.

*Positives:* Starting with mechanical finish, following with the round and friendly user interface, its performance actually above the most popular AAA flashlights or its compatibility with AAA batteries (primary, rechargeable) and 10440 (rechargeable), I think UltraTac has done a great job with their first AAA light, comparable to any other already established brand. Instead of having persecuted astronomical numbers, for example using an XP-L, they have adhered to the well-known XP-G2, we know from experience that offers a balanced beam really useful for this kind of support flashlight such as that brought in our keyring or hanging from your backpack’s zipper. The user interface is similar to that found in other larger flashlights with a switch of the same characteristics, so we get to it in a matter of seconds without having to go through a learning process. If you want a powerful, compact and one hand easy to use flashlight, working both with AAA’s & 10440, the K18 can be your answer.

_*UltraTac K18 review sample provided by manufacturer for Test & Review._
​


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## BowHunter1 (Nov 15, 2015)

Cool review and cool little light!! Thanks for posting


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## kreisl (Nov 15, 2015)

Very helpful review, thanks for the great work!

I love your review style, i think it's one of the best in the community.


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## _UPz (Nov 15, 2015)

Thanks!


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## snowlover91 (Nov 15, 2015)

Great review and nice light, haven't heard of this one before. Only problem I foresee it the side switch activating in the pocket, can it be locked out by loosening the head slightly?


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## ultratac (Nov 15, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> Great review and nice light, haven't heard of this one before. Only problem I foresee it the side switch activating in the pocket, can it be locked out by loosening the head slightly?



The K18 could be locked out by loosening the head slightly for anodized type.


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## _UPz (Nov 16, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> Great review and nice light, haven't heard of this one before. Only problem I foresee it the side switch activating in the pocket, can it be locked out by loosening the head slightly?



Hello, as stated in the review the K18 can be easily blocked by just partial unscrewing the head:

*Block-out: Having the switch quite exposed, fortunately we block out the flashlight when we don’t plan to use it to avoid unwanted involuntary activations. To do this, and thanks to its anodized threads, simply rotate a quarter turn of the head thread. Doing this will also stop the (always present in flashlights with a digital / electronic switch) parasitic consumption/standby current. *


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## lhwiin (Nov 17, 2015)

Professional review and perfect light.


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## theafterlife (Nov 23, 2015)

Awesome review. I have been looking to add a few AAA lights to my systems. Do you have a recommended retailer for these? Having trouble finding someone who sells them.


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## KeepingItLight (Nov 24, 2015)

Thanks for your very thorough review. Well done!


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## Str8stroke (Nov 24, 2015)

Great work on this review. Interesting little light. Not being able to tail stand is a bummer, so I agree. It is kinda confusing to offer the diffuser, yet not be able to stand it up. Oh well. All they need to do is make a raised collar with cut outs for the ring and you could have both the real nice ring mount and a tail stand. Why others haven't done this is beyond me. It seems so simple. I should patent the design. 
Next, I would like more of a matte finish. Of course Cu would fix it all. lol 

Thank you!


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## _UPz (Nov 24, 2015)

Thank you all for the feedback!

I have been told by the manufacturer that they have on schedule for 2016 a re-dessign of the light, this time with better (or non) PWM, and with a flat tail end. 

Thank you all for reading!


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## kreisl (Nov 24, 2015)

What's the length of your 10440?

Can protected 10440 fit?


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## yizhiren (Nov 25, 2015)

theafterlife said:


> Awesome review. I have been looking to add a few AAA lights to my systems. Do you have a recommended retailer for these? Having trouble finding someone who sells them.



I found it is selling on goinggear.com


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## Bela16 (Nov 25, 2015)

Nice small flashlight, the side button is very usefull.


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## _UPz (Nov 25, 2015)

kreisl said:


> What's the length of your 10440?
> 
> Can protected 10440 fit?



The longest 10440 I own is a protected trustfire from FT which does ~47mm and still fits in the K18.


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## _UPz (Nov 25, 2015)

Bela16 said:


> Nice small flashlight, the side button is very usefull.



Nice pics, thanks for sharing!


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## theafterlife (Nov 26, 2015)

yizhiren said:


> I found it is selling on goinggear.com



Thanks mate!


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## _UPz (Nov 27, 2015)

theafterlife said:


> Thanks mate!



hkequipment.net also stocks it.


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## F.i.l.a.s (Dec 4, 2015)

Hello Upz,
nice review . 
I have ordered black one Ultratac for myself and I would to buy red one as a gift. But in the pictures It looks little orange, something between. Can someone confirm real color of this version, please?


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## kreisl (Jan 11, 2016)

i got the polished version now and since i like it so much i feel motivated to share my own quick thoughts.

weight measurements on my +1g kitchen scale, feel free to compare with official specs:
O'Pen : 22g (w/ preinstalled clip)
LD12G2: 52g (w/ preinstalled clip)
LD01 : 14g (w/o clip)
LD01SS: 35g (w/ mini split ring)
TiS : 24g (w/o keychain, w/o clip), 26g (w/ keychain, w/o clip)
MiX6SS: 17g
WormSS: 27g
SP11SS: 23g (w/ mini split ring)
K18SS : 30g (w/ preinstalled clip)

what's not so good:
- arbitrary alignment of tail loop versus switch location (EDIT: i got perfect alignment on my 2nd K18SS unit!!)
- clip was preinstalled, hmm.
- clip is same as in other lights (Olight AAA, TiS). i won't use it because i don't think that it attaches securely to the light or that it can withstand notable force. there are several reports of similar clips getting lost or breaking off. yes you can attach it nicely to a shirt pocket, but i wouldn't seriously try it on a hat (baseball cap) and for sure(!!) not clipped to pants pockets. clearly, Olight AAA/TiS/K18 pocket clips are not strong clips in any respect. 
- weight. imho unacceptable for actual keychain carry. my personal limit was reached at 23g. (EDIT: i got a 2nd unit and have started to EDC it, we'll see)
- i don't believe in the durability or longevity of the switch rubber; it's just a believe though.
- switch rubber 'MODE'-label is misaligned (as seen in the review). that's nitpicking, though. (EDIT: it's perfectly straight aligned on my 2nd K18SS unit!!)

what's not so bad imho:
- the arbitrary alignment of tail loop versus switch location isn't so bad because the threads are not anodized, which means that one does not need to fully tighten the head! posers like kreisl could simply twist the body a bit until perfect alignment is reached. 
- general looks. has similarities to LF2XT
- polished like TiS
- tail. looked shocking on pictures but is cute & unimposing in RL. was a concern, not anymore.
- in theory as long as LD01 but feels shorter
- PWM in Low and Med. easily detected thru rapid hand fan movement. it_ is_ high frequency but ppl who _really _hate PWM at any frequency level should steer clear. it's high frequency, so it's not bad. i've seen higher frequencies though in other PWM lights!
- my protected grey UF 10440's don't fit. their length is 47.03-47.11mm. but it's not too bad because a copper washer (conductive spacer ring) is _not _needed since the threads are not anodized
- clip is, in theory, reversable. in practice, i wouldn't rely on the clip; it's not as strong as a Fenix LD01 clip. it's not so bad because for keychain duty i have removed the clip. i could leave the clip on for decorative function but i would not dare to use it/rely on it other than for office shirt carry.
- premium-like packaging. includes generous set of accessories (see also comment on o-rings).
- from UPz's review: good efficiency on NiMH and 10440. There is a handful of lights (like Maratac Copper AAA) with higher efficiency on NiMH but except for the D25AAA none of them is compatible with 10440's. 
- all 3 supplied o-rings (1 installed, 2 spares) were imo too small. o-ring thickness should be 1.0mm, agreed. However the correctly fitting o-ring size would be 9.0×11.0×0.95mm (tested, OK), 9.0×11.0×1.05mm (tested, OK), 10.0×12.0×0.95mm (tested, OK), or even 10.0×12.0×1.05mm (untested, assumed OK). Luckily i found such an o-ring in one of the small accessory bags of my AAA lights, so it's not so bad. (EDIT: my 2nd unit came with 10x12x1mm o-rings, perfect!)
- my polished version deserves  a mini pouch/holster/case. i got 2 copies of the very well-made well-built Eoslamp pouch, it's a perfect fit. that mini holster would be suitable for belt carry but i use my flashlight holsters only for bag carry. the entire product exudes premium feel, so why not include such a mini holster in the packaging? since the Eoslamp pouch isn't soft, it does leave micro scratches in the polished finish, hmm. 
- has a serial number printing. nice touch.
- new brand by a young company. who knows if they'll still be around in a year or if anyone cares then. says 2.0yrs warranty. choice of brand name unfortunate, UltraTac almost sounds like UltraFire which is an old and infamous brand.
- tailcap lockout or head lockout is not possible because the threads are not anodized. only electronic lockout is possible: double-click from OFF state. I'd prefer triple-click for reactivation, as seen on Nitecore D11.2 flashlights.
- the light has mechanical reverse polarity protection, meaning that the plus(+) metal contact of the driver disc won't be touched/reached by the negative(-) flat terminal of the AAA battery. In other words, if a battery is reversely inserted, there will be no voltage (right direction voltage nor reverse direction voltage!) connected to the driver disc. The driver disc will be "voltage-free". However, since the threads are not anodized and the spacer ring is conductive (looks like a brass ring or so), a reversely installed Eneloop will be shorted. I have tested it! Basically, your battery (Eneloop) will be harmed, but not the flashlight itself.
- max. brightness on Eneloop is spec'ed as "110lm" (UPz had measured 97.9lm 30sec after activation on a full battery). I can tell from visuals that K12SS("110lm") < TiS-nw ("120lm"). TiS-nw is notably brighter than K12SS, both on Eneloop. But "120lm" are spec'ed for "0.5h" runtime whereas the "110lm" for 1 hour" (UPz had measured ~55min). So yes, the TiS-nw is brighter during its entire runtime period but its runtime is also notably shorter than the 55min.
- 2.0yrs warranty. unbelievable.

what makes this a winner, a keeper forever:
+ precise concentric boring. thickness of male threads, measured at 4 spots (spaced 90° apart) around the circumference: 1.12mm/1.11mm/1.12mm/1.11mm, i.e. tolerance of ±0.005mm.
+ in general, exquisite machining, with rounded edges everywhere
+ silky smooth threads, "no" head wobbliness (well, compared to competitive lights).
+ protected 10440's of _any _length work since the threads are not anodized. no copper washer needed!
+ perfectly centered LED, perfect beam profile, no artifacts, no (pronounced) corona
+ best tint. no greens, no yellows. tint looks uniformly one color: antarctic cool white (=artificial pure white with purplish spill). i've seen this kind of tint on other XP-G2 cw AA lights before (d25a clicky ti xp-g2 cw, T10S xp-g2 cw) but it's the first time that i see it on an AAA light.
+ no tint shift on Low and Med. probably due to the PWM?
+ super bright on 10440's and nothing to sneeze at on NiMH.
+ absolutely likable, from the beginning to the end
+ what adds to the likability is its affordable retail price. i feel different, less enthused about a great product, if i pay much money, an unfair price for it, but that's just me.

I don't care for anodized keychain lights anymore. I retired my beloved black LD01, a 40$ flashlight om*g!, a while ago when i noticed abrasion of the anodization, and even the E09 cheapo is too nice to be banged up. So now i am all in for SS AAA lights, copper and titanium aside. The TiS starts with Firefly and it is a hassle to twist thru the modes with 2 hands until you're in High mode. However it is a winner and keeper for its great NiMH performance, very light SS weight, beautiful NW tint, and popularity, i might rank it even higher than the K18SS. 

I wouldn't enjoy the K18 in anodized version but in SS it's imho a completely different game. To sum up the most striking points, the K18SS is a keeper for its bright beam, superb tint performance, pretty good driver efficiency, amazing build quality/machining — all Pro's which it shares with the TiS xp-g2 nw — and what makes it extraordinary are: the UI (incl. 1-handed operation and mode memory), official support of 10440, and lucky support of protected 10440's. In RL/in practice, the length, the tail loop, the clip (100% identical to TiS clip!), the PWM are imho of no concern. The only grave downside to be called out is imo the weight. My personal limit for actual EDC keychain duty was 23g (without battery) and i can indeedy feel if the light weighs 27g, 30g, or crazy 35g instead. Luckily a blue unprotected Ultrafire 10440 weighs only 8.5g, as opposed to Eneloop AAA with 11.7g, which accounts for a 3.2g difference.

SP11SS+Eneloop = 23g + 11.7g = ~34.7g
K18SS+UF10440 = 30g + 8.5g = ~38.5g
=> weight difference ~3.8g or 11% increase. Okay, that sounds acceptable on paper, i could live it.

Bottom line is, my K18SS is going to stay in my collection Pelican case most of the time. I will carry it sometimes in shirt or jacket pocket when i plan to use it that night, e.g. for showing off, showing to friends.

I highly appreciate the existence of this SS light, am thankful for the successful creation. I bought my unit from HKE thru ebay and i am thinking of getting another unit to see how it holds up during actual keychain duty. Btw i also own 2 units of TiS, both in mint condition.


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## F. Premens (Jan 13, 2016)

UPz, do you know if they are going to make a Ti version?


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## Gryffin (Jan 13, 2016)

F. Premens said:


> UPz, do you know if they are going to make a Ti version?



I hope not. As hard as they push the LED @ 3.7v, stainless steel isn't really a great idea, titanium would be a Really Bad Idea. The only way to dissipate that amount of heat would be copper or aluminum and the good grip of a fleshy hand.


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## _UPz (Jan 14, 2016)

F. Premens said:


> UPz, do you know if they are going to make a Ti version?



AFAIK, they planned to launch Stainless Steel & Brass _solid_ versions as well as Nickel & Gold platted versions. Copper version was also discussed, but not sure if they will go for it or not.


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## _UPz (Jan 14, 2016)

F.i.l.a.s said:


> Hello Upz,
> nice review .
> I have ordered black one Ultratac for myself and I would to buy red one as a gift. But in the pictures It looks little orange, something between. Can someone confirm real color of this version, please?



Thanks!
Sorry, at the moment I only have the black anodized unit. Hope someone can help!


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## _UPz (Jan 14, 2016)

kreisl said:


> ...



wow, mate. Impressive post, thanks for sharing!
Looks like you have now a new AAA winner, isn't it? :nana:


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## Paul6ppca (Jan 14, 2016)

I got the polished version yesterday as well, it seems like a great light, for me it will be a great EDC to supplement my keychain cooyoo quantum. Both are compact and easy to carry.

I like the positive feel for the switch, one of the best new electronic switch feel I have used.
- switch rubber 'MODE'-label is misaligned (Not on mine, it appears even). 

It is unbelievably bright on high, gets warm not too hot when running it for a few minutes. Great tint on mine, great build, simple easy to use UI, love that it has memory and 10440 support! silky smooth threads.


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## kreisl (Jan 14, 2016)

_UPz said:


> Looks like you have now a new AAA winner, isn't it? :nana:


I'm by now the biggest fan of this particular model, the SS, not the aluminum. 
Fenix had charged 49.95€ for the LD01SS, so the low price of K18SS is part of the enjoyment. But even at 49.95€ i would prefer it to my esteemed LD01SS. All LD01SS XP-G R5 have super poor green (or green-yellow) CW tints.

I have a big collection of prominent China made mass-produced AAA flashlights and i would venture to claim that this will prove as my #1 favorite, my #1 best light among them. Yes, _the _winner.

And there is no need or point to determine which one is the winner or must-have between TiS xp-g2 nw and K18SS xp-g2 cw. Both are handsomely affordable and both are must-haves imho. And i would ditch, sell all my other AAA lights for them without looking back, including cremes de la creme like my MiX6SS, MiX6Ti, D25AAA, EoslampSS, LD01, LD01SS, ES12, Preon's, Olight i3's, WormSS, DQG AAA's.

We'll see how the rubber boot holds up.

I am sure that american-made Titanium AAA lights, Maratac AAA, maybe Surefire AAA are great too .. but this is where my search and wanting ends. The Ultratac leaves nothing to be desired on a keychain (where i won't leave the clip on) and why pay more? A no brainer.

"The search ends here." - That's what i had said 4 years ago when i finally got hold of the LD01. Maybe in another 4 years there will something better and more desirable than K18SS but how much better can it get? I hardly mentioned in my 'review' the greatness and convenience of the side switch because it's too obvious, that's where it all starts: of course a side-switch is more convenient, comfortable, likable than a twisty. 1-handed operation vs. 2-handed operation. So great and so obvious!

I'm going to get more units of the K18SS. Can't get enough of it. And all that greatness for such a low price. Crazy! 
Party time!!


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## KITROBASKIN (Jan 14, 2016)

Sometimes a side switch can take extra time to find (activate or extinguish), as opposed to a tail switch. Have any of you owners discovered a technique, whether with flashlight light placement, or a strategy to avoid excess time searching for the side switch?


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## Blue Steel (Jan 14, 2016)

KITROBASKIN said:


> Have any of you owners discovered a technique, whether with flashlight light placement, or a strategy to avoid excess time searching for the side switch?


For the 18650 lights I own that have a side switch, I usually put the pocket clip on the opposite side. This way when I hold the light, my four fingers grip the pocket clip and my thumb rests naturally where the side switch is located. This should work with AAAs, as well.


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## Gryffin (Jan 16, 2016)

Blue Steel said:


> For the 18650 lights I own that have a side switch, I usually put the pocket clip on the opposite side. This way when I hold the light, my four fingers grip the pocket clip and my thumb rests naturally where the side switch is located. This should work with AAAs, as well.



I don't own that many side-switch lights, but I prefer to put the switch and clip 90° apart. That way, when clipped in a pocket, the button isn't pressed against the wall of the pocket *or* against whatever else is in the pocket, it's facing to the side. It's worked for me so far.

Since AAA lights are so much smaller, I don't think your method would position your thumb the same way. In fact, while I'm still waiting on mine, I plan to line up the clip with the switch. I figure when I grip it, the clip will index between my fingertips and palm, in line with my thumb; also, the clip might provide some protection against accidental activation of the button, since I see this as a keychain light, with the clip mostly there for roll prevention.


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## moodysj (Jan 27, 2016)

Would love to see the performance on a Energizer ultimate lithium primary


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## Blue Steel (Jan 28, 2016)

Gryffin said:


> I don't think your method would position your thumb the same way.


 It might not depending on the way you would carry it. I hardly attach the lights to my pocket. The smallest side switch light I own is the Olight S1; it works just fine the way I described it, but that is just my preference.


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## Capolini (Feb 6, 2016)

I just ordered the light. I already have Efest IMR 10440's.

Notice how much better it does[according to the reviewer] than the LIR 10440!! @ 18 minutes it will be approx. 270 lumens when the LIR battery will be around 35 Lumens! Sounds too good to be true!

I hope I read the chart right,,,If 2000=360L then 1500=270L, 1000=180L ,,ect.


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## kreisl (Feb 6, 2016)

Capolini said:


> I just ordered the light. I already have Efest IMR 10440's.
> 
> Notice how much better it does[according to the reviewer] than the LIR 10440!! @ 18 minutes it will be approx. 270 lumens when the LIR battery will be around 35 Lumens! Sounds too good to be true!
> 
> I hope I read the chart right,,,If 2000=360L then 1500=270L, 1000=180L ,,ect.



What is LIR 10440? What is 2000, 1500, 1000? Wrong thread?

The chart shows that after 18mins on a 10440 the K18 outputs 35 lumens, i.e. it is as bright as a Fenix light with a 35lm ANSI FL-1 specification.


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## Capolini (Feb 6, 2016)

kreisl said:


> What is LIR 10440? What is 2000, 1500, 1000? Wrong thread?
> 
> The chart shows that after 18mins on a 10440 the K18 outputs 35 lumens, i.e. it is as bright as a Fenix light with a 35lm ANSI FL-1 specification.



I am not sure if it is the LIR 10440 he used,maybe another cheap 320Mah 10440 cell..anyway look at the chart in my post # 34 and see how much better the Efest IMR 10440 performs compared to the 320Mah 10440 UPZ uses!

see post # 8 in the thread below,same graphs I posted in my post # 34! The 2000, 1500 and 1000 are the numbers on the left side of his graph that i estimated to its lumen output!


http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-(XP-G2-S2-1xAAA-Ni-MH-Alkaline-Li-ion)-Revie


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## Capolini (Feb 6, 2016)

SO ARE THE THREADS ANODIZED OR NOT????

Quote from *kreisl *below:


what's not so bad imho:
- the arbitrary alignment of tail loop versus switch location isn't so bad because the threads are not anodized, which means that one does not need to fully tighten the head! posers like kreisl could simply twist the body a bit until perfect alignment is reached. 


Quote from *candle lamp *review:


The screw threads are triangular-cut of good quality. Threads are well machined, and anodized which allows the light to be locked-out. As supplied, threads are lubricated. Screw threads action is smooth with no cross-threading or squeaking in my sample. 
.


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## gunga (Feb 6, 2016)

Kreisl has the stainless one. You didn't see that? He mentioned it like 6 times.


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## Dubois (Feb 6, 2016)

Capolini said:


> SO ARE THE THREADS ANODIZED OR NOT????



Don't forget kreisl has the SS version.

edit>> woops, gunga beat me to it.


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## Capolini (Feb 6, 2016)

gunga said:


> Kreisl has the stainless one. You didn't see that? He mentioned it like 6 times.




I would not have asked if I saw that! I did not read his entire post,,,,,I may still be reading it!

Anyway,hopefully he sees what I am saying about the different batteries and the corresponding charts.


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## kreisl (Feb 6, 2016)

Yes, mine is the stainless steel version; it has electronic lockout. The aluminum version does not have it because it has mechanical lockout instead. I am ordering more of the SS version, so nice stuff.

Yes i am getting it with the different batteries and the corresponding charts. No doubt, the Efest IMR10440 has better battery performance!

With UPz 10440(Hi) the light manages to stay above 300 Fenix lumens for the first 10 mins. 10440(Med) is about 50 Fenix lumens. 300/50 = 6.0
In Bela16's graph the 300lm could correspond to ~1750. And 10440(Med) to ~425. 1750/425 = 4.1

By the way, i asked selfbuilt about the light and he plans to review the SS version. From UPz review we know that the average light output on Eneloop 800mAh is around 75 Fenix lumens, not flat constant, but with good runtime of 50+ mins, so the efficiency is pretty good, nothing to be ashamed of. All my other recent AAA Eneloop lights are a bit brighter (New Preon P1, Thrunite AAA, Lumintop AAA) yet with shorter runtime (~30mins), which results in the same efficiency, and they don't support 10440 nor protected 10440. So while the Eneloop efficiency is basically the same among these new lights, the K18SS has the advantage of supporting 10440 and protected 10440 (of any length!). Very cool.


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## Capolini (Feb 7, 2016)

^^^ Thanks,,,,,,

Where did you get the ss version?

For HIGH output[360 L].........It looks like the Efest 10440[Bela16's graph] maintains ~ 270L @ the 18 minute mark compared to a similar output AT only THE 11 minute mark w/ Upz 's 10440!

I hope te charts are accurate! That would be 7 more minutes of run time at that output with my Efest IMR 10440..only a $3 battery!


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## maukka (Feb 7, 2016)

The SS version can be bought from hkequipment. I have the brass version coming and will test when it arrives.


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## kreisl (Feb 7, 2016)

The UPz charts are very accurate. You can compare the output against your own fenix lights.

I got my SS from ebay.

HKE is nice, i just ordered pd32 2016 for an apple and an eye from them.


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## Capolini (Feb 7, 2016)

Ok hopefully Bella 16 are also,,that is also very important!


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## Capolini (Feb 8, 2016)

Just ordered the SS version! I think I will give the BLUE AL. Version to a friend!,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,or a back up!


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## kreisl (Feb 8, 2016)

Congrats to the purchase!

I have the SS version as backup for my SS version haha.

I need 1 unit to stay in mint condition for my showcase collection, while the other unit is being used for actual keychain duty. Loaded with 10440 battery, also because 10440 is so light-weight.


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## LightObsession (Feb 9, 2016)

Thanks for the reviews.

I was excited about this light until I saw that it had mode memory and no way to go directly to low, unless it was the last mode used before turning it off.

I definitely like the side switch.

If I bought one, I would glue the clip on, since it would replace my Microstream clipped on my back pocket.

I do like that the clip can be reversed for hat brim hands-free use.

I'll probably go with a new Preon 1 instead, because of the UI.

I don't have any 10440 cells, so that ability is less important to me.


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## Capolini (Feb 11, 2016)

I think my experience tonight proves that no TWO batteries are exactly alike even though they are the same make/model ect.!

I got this light a few hours ago and only One[1] out of the Two[2] EFEST IMR 10440 FT[Protruding] worked! 

I would like to find an IMR BT if possible! Any recommendations? I do NOT want an Ultra Fire battery,,,,,,I may have to settle for a reputable protected AW or something?

I would say the light is almost as bright as my i3E w/Efest 10440. That light has a slightly raised contact spot.


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## kreisl (Feb 22, 2016)

Capolini said:


> I would like to find an IMR BT if possible! Any recommendations? I do NOT want an Ultra Fire battery,,,,,,I may have to settle for a reputable protected AW or something?



More and more dealers seem to be picking up this light (SS/BL:46/49), it is now also available from the EU dealer NKON.nl, see under "Tank007"  
But that place seems to be out of stock of 10440's currently. They never stock *****Fire batteries


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## Capolini (Feb 22, 2016)

^^^

I will have some in the beginning of March from my dealer,in my home town!,,,,,,,,,,,custom made Efest IMR 10440.

When he gets them and posts them on his website I will post it here,,,

In the mean time I got my other FT to work!,,,so both FT work!

www.liionwholesale.com


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## kreisl (Feb 23, 2016)

here an unboxing of the stainless steel version:


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## Capolini (Feb 23, 2016)

This is for me,whatever others do is their choice!

NEVER AGAIN! For the first time in a few years I ordered a few lights from CHINA[K18 SS and Olight i3s CU]. The i3S CU had 15 lights in stock when I placed my order. I emailed them for an ETA and they said they were out of the light and had to wait for Olight to send them more! WTF!:shakehead You list 15 in stock and your out! I would have NEVER ORDERED IT ON BACK ORDER!

That was 5 days ago and they have yet to respond to my email!

Saving $3 to $5 for a light that may take weeks to get here is NO WAY WORTH IT! This is a final lesson for me ordering other than USA DEALERS where I get my merchandise in 2 to 4 days!,,,,,,SKYLUMEN.COM :thumbsup:ILLUMNS, GG, Mt. Electronics. LIIONWHOLESALE.COM[MY favorite home town best priced L. Ion battery place!]

Who knows when I will get the Olight i3E!,,,,,Maybe by the end of March! The K18SS was supposedly shipped on 12th of February DURING Chinese New YEAR which surprises me!

*SORRY UPz *For venting on your thread!


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## Capolini (Feb 23, 2016)

kreisl said:


> here an unboxing of the stainless steel version:




Thanks for the video,it made me laugh! White Gloves, UF BATTERIES AND 20 minutes long! lol! 

No offense to you.I am very direct and also have a brutal sense of humor sometimes!

*HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY KREISL! *


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## Capolini (Feb 25, 2016)

Got the SS K18 YESTERDAY......It is on my key chain instead of the aluminum version[which is a lot lighter as expected!]

The extra weight is no big deal as it is on my carabiner w/ a half dozen keys.....I like the electronic lock out,,,,,,,,,,it is a nice looking light.


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## kreisl (Feb 26, 2016)

Did you check the output at night? How would you describe the tint, in your words?

My collection of AAA flashlights is complete with this. I'll try to make a beamshot video of my AAA lights, including the Tool Ti, this weekend. Should be interesting to watch!


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## Capolini (Feb 26, 2016)

^^^^^^^

No...I only use ALL my light during the day!!! lol! 

It has plenty of output for a key chain light,,,,I could walk the dog w/ it[as far as output goes] but my high powered throwers have more battery capacity!

I would describe it as cool White which is not my preference[use to be as a beginner] but is certainly fine with me because that is what it is suppose to be!

I got use to all the de domed tints which I like better,warmer side of cool white and neutral White ~ 4000k/4500k.


I look forward to your video.


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## LetThereBeLight! (Mar 9, 2016)

Which is brighter on the Efest 10440: the K18 or the Lumintop Tool?


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## Trevilux (Mar 12, 2016)

K18 with 10440 Efest IMR Vs Tank007 E09 and Bronte Ra01 with 10440 Efest IMR


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## kreisl (Mar 12, 2016)

LetThereBeLight! said:


> Which is brighter on the Efest 10440: the K18 or the Lumintop Tool?




[h=3]



New Preon, Tool Ti, Ti5T, K18 SS : A layman's review[/h]


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## Capolini (Mar 12, 2016)

When my Olight i3S CU gets here I am comparing it to my K18 SS w/ Efest IMR 10440.

From a visual perspective my Olight i3E on Efest 10440 was a bit brighter than my K18 SS.:naughty:

Nice thing[besides the side switch] about the K18 SS is that I can run it on max longer w/ out worry of an ill advised battery that is against recommendation for my Olights!


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## LetThereBeLight! (Mar 13, 2016)

kreisl said:


> *
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Fantastic review! But unless I skipped over it, I didn't locate an answer to which is brighter on a 10440.


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## kreisl (Mar 14, 2016)

k18 is brighter on 10440


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## Capolini (Mar 15, 2016)

"When my Olight i3S CU gets here I am comparing it to my K18 SS w/ Efest IMR 10440."

*ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED,,,,,,,,,,,I put my simple test results on the appropriate threads below: :shakehead* ​


http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...t-Impression-(Pics-and-runtime)&p=4860053#top


http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...bout-Olight-I3S-CU-Ti-Gold-I3S&p=4850808#post


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## jon_slider (Mar 20, 2016)

_UPz said:


>



Looks like both the Ultra*tac* K18 and the Mara*tac* offer the same diffuser, and use the same reflector with ring around the LED as the Lumintop Tool and Worm

Left to right, Maratac, Tool, Worm, and the diffuser that came with my Maratac





my guess is Lumintop is making all of them, and the Prometheus Beta as well.


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## kreisl (Mar 21, 2016)

there is little doubt that the diffuser comes from the same source, maybe an independent supplier who is also on Aliexpress, Alibaba, Taobao with 1000pcs MOQ. but from what i know, Ultratac and Lumintop are friendlies yet competing companies on the AAA flashlight market. As the UPz review states in the first paragraph, workers now at Ultratac were former workers at Lumintop, Olight, and Fenix, and gathered to start their own venture. Check out the Ultratac website, typical for a startup company, only few yet original products like the K18.

Lumintop, DS Prometheus, Maratac, et al. that's an entirely different story which i won't go into. Most of the Chinese flashlight makers are glad to do biz cooperations in form of OEM and ODM contracts. And often the cooperations are so obvious that one doesn't need to ask questions.

Doesn't matter anyway whose doing coop with whom.

i got an Ultratac.

now i want a Maratac.

no matter what.


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## jon_slider (Mar 21, 2016)

kreisl said:


> Doesn't matter anyway whose doing coop with whom.


I agree completely. And each product has a unique feature set that may appeal to different segments.

imo the Maratac has some of the nicest knurling Ive seen, and to me the form factor is very appealing. The latest model no longer has PWM, which is important to me. I prioritize N219 LEDs, which Maratac does not offer, but I lego a ReyLight head.

the K18 also has a number of great features, including the switch and LiIon compatibility. Fortunately for me, the PWM removes it from temptation.

You seem particularly interested in Titanium, and Maratac offers a very nice version, although, being a twisty, I suspect its threads will not be as smooth as a Copper or Brass version.. imo, titanium is a better match for a clicky light.

fwiw, the Titanium Tool will not Lego with the Titanium Maratac, whereas the copper versions do play lego well together.

Thank you for sharing your broad experience.


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## Capolini (Mar 21, 2016)

I checked out their website. *

HOW CAN YOU SELL A PRODUCT W/OUT ANY SPECS. OR DETAILS?!!!:shakehead

*EXAMPLE: *T21 AND T15,,*Especially T21 which has NOTHING,Zero INFO.,,,,,,,,T15 just states lumens and nothing else about the light!


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## shk (Mar 22, 2016)

Capolini said:


> I checked out their website. *
> 
> HOW CAN YOU SELL A PRODUCT W/OUT ANY SPECS. OR DETAILS?!!!:shakehead
> 
> *EXAMPLE: *T21 AND T15,,*Especially T21 which has NOTHING,Zero INFO.,,,,,,,,T15 just states lumens and nothing else about the light!



so far i know, that those models are still not available in the market


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## kreisl (Jul 27, 2016)

I'm so selfish, i got now 3 of the K18SS for myself, one on my keychain (the finish is holding up extremely well, still brilliantly shiny!), one spare copy in mint condition for my pelican case collection, and another mint one gifted from the Forol Edition. Some retailers like amazon also sell the official K18 accessories like the diffuser (GITD!), extra pocket clip, 10440 battery, and USB charging module. I like the stuff, sharing is fun!!

The charging module is small, made out of SS, and clearly states "3.7V Li-Ion Battery Charger", so it is not for NiMH/Eneloop AAA batteries:






Needless to say, for the charging one needs to substitute the module for the K18 flashlight head duh. The contact disc of the module has a raised plus pole for better connection with flat-head 10440's like some protected 10440's and two or what brass retainer rings for the negative pole. The contact disc is labeled with 'Ultratac' i see. Oh and the 10440 battery has got a blue tube and comes shipped in a clear shrink-wrap to keep it fresh i guess?






The battery has protruding tip, button top, like any other AAA battery. The 10440 is an unprotected 10440:






The label on the battery is "+ ICR10440 3.7V 350mAh -", with no marking of manufacturer or brand. The nominal capacity is 350mAh, the nominal voltage is 3.7V, we'll see about that:






I used my new Quick Charge 3.0 USB wall charger, the BlitzWolf BW-S7, to power the charging module through a short thick USB charging cable (not a USB data cable!). The USB doctor displayed an initial current of up to "0.33A" delivered by the QC3.0 wall charger. The USB doctor is super cheap **** and the displayed values (current, capacity) aren't exact, precise, accurate or whatever but we get the idea. The charging module draws about ~0.3A current and probably also charges with ~0.3A during the CC-phase. That's a charge rate of about 1C, good good:






For this test, the battery had offline a resting voltage of 3.091V (=totally depleted energy). The LED of the charging module turned green after *75min*; depending on how early (SOC) you recharge the battery, your charging time will be less than that, maybe 60-70mins! After taking the battery out, i measured 4.153V, which looks like conservative safe charging. The USB doctor displayed "321mAh" as charged capacity (Don't trust this value!). 






Since i didn't trust the USB doctor, i also tested the battery capacity more accurately at another occasion with MC3000 (TERMINATION 0.03A, *-0.35A*, CUT VOLT 2.80V) logging directly to DEX. Discharging with 350mA is a discharge rate of about -1C. At that rate the average voltage was measured to be 3.6V, and capacity 324mAh, which is 26mAh lower than the nominal capacity:






I also tried to measure the current draw of the K18SS High-mode on this unprotected 10440 battery at fully charged state; with my DMM-in-series measurement technique i got ~"1.05A", so the actual current draw should be higher because of the internal resistance of my DMM. Maybe i should have tested the battery with *-1.05A* in the MC3000; in any case another discharge test at a higher rate (TERMINATION 0.03A, *-1.30A*, CUT VOLT 2.80V) returned 203mAh. If we take 325mAh as the nominal capacity, then discharging with 1300mA would equal a discharge rate of about -4C. That's imho a bit high for an ordinary Li-Ion cell, no wonder why we got 203mAh capacity only:






On a rainy day i'll retest the battery at -0.2C (= *-0.07A*) to see if i get anywhere near the 350mAh specification. 
Not looking forward to it yawn, my hobby is so boring. 
My old cell results were: 321mAh 3.683V 1.186Wh 04:35:57.
My new cell results are: TBD.


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## Dobtruckers (Oct 9, 2016)

I purchased a K18 in brass and it worked great for a week and I was going to buy more. Then I charged the battery and when I went to put it back together, as soon as the tail section touched the body the light lit up. I thought maybe it was a mechanical switching function until I screwed it together and no matter how I worked the switch I couldn't get the light to turn off. Tried different batteries (Efast 10440, ReCyclo AAA) to no avail. Tried contacting UltraTac thru their website three times with no reply. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks


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## defbear (Oct 9, 2016)

I bought one on Amazon. It arrived DOA. Battery unwrapped. Obviously sold a second time. Cheaply made light.


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## akoposilester (Oct 20, 2016)

Dobtruckers said:


> I purchased a K18 in brass and it worked great for a week and I was going to buy more. Then I charged the battery and when I went to put it back together, as soon as the tail section touched the body the light lit up. I thought maybe it was a mechanical switching function until I screwed it together and no matter how I worked the switch I couldn't get the light to turn off. Tried different batteries (Efast 10440, ReCyclo AAA) to no avail. Tried contacting UltraTac thru their website three times with no reply. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks




mine is also DOA. 2 of them actually.
lighted for a minute then gone.
i also emailed, send message on facebook but they didnt reply.
last ultratac for me.


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