[Review] Manker T01 EDC Prerelease Sample **Updated 20150925**

[snowlover91]

But it says exactly that - PRERELEASE sample unit review, cant you see that?

For the rest, especially squirrel, complaining - I understand that you cant live without runtime graphs, but obviously asking for all reviews to be the same is what youre looking for, arent you? But coming to someones else review and then moaning how bad it is and how much you need SOMEONE ELSE to make a review that should satisfy you, well, you hit the new low folks, really... Makes all the rest of reviewers post here so much more after reading this... NOT!

As for light itself - if not for the natural anno, to which ZL doesnt own patent lol, it doesnt remind me of ZL too much, designs change and move forward, neither ZL's all of design elements are unique, nor any other lights, just like with cars, they evolve.

It's more than that though. The side switch design, placement of knurling, fins on the head, even the output on NIMH is a claimed 500 lumens just like the ZL SC5. That's not a coincidence and this was confirmed when the spamming began a few days ago by a different poster calling this T01 the Zebralight "killer." It's obvious it was designed off of the Zebralight model which is not cool in my book.

JM, thanks for the updated comments and looking forward to finding out when this actually releases what the final UI will be like and the final details. The PWM on all modes is a big deal for many on here I would think.

 

[more_vampires]

Everyone ease up, please.

Let's not trainwreck this thread like the "other 2 threads" that went down and were locked.

 

[Harold_B]

I hope it is acceptable to post additional data on someone else's review (nicely done JohnnyMac) but I don't think my information warrants a separate thread. I received a pre-release T01 as well and have good intentions of getting it in the integrating sphere but we're a bit swamped at the moment. What I have done is to set up the T01 on a rail in a dark room (walls are painted black, no windows, etc) and captured data at 1 meter using an AsenseTEK ALP-01 portable spectrometer. I'm not posting output data until I have a power supply instead of a battery connected. The question of color temperature has come up so I thought I could answer that:
In Mode 1: CCT 5958 K, 77 CRI
In Mode 2: CCT 6114 K, 77 CRI
In Mode 3: CCT 6118 K, 77 CRI
In Mode 4: CCT 6131 K, 77 CRI

Typically LEDs in parabolic reflectors have a fair amount of color separation over the viewing axis. As measure at the edge of the spill:
In Mode 2: CCT 5688 K, 76 CRI

Less than 600K change over the viewing axis isn't bad at all. This is an indicator of the color uniformity of the LED and the parabolic reflector design. For comparison a first generation XM-L in a Carclo TIR has as much as 2700K color change over the viewing axis.

This is a traceable portable spectrometer, not an integrating sphere the primary difference being the CCT and CRI data are for a 10mm diameter aperture area of the projected beam at 1 meter not a blended (integrated) output.

 

[JohnnyMac]

I hope it is acceptable to post additional data on someone else's review (nicely done JohnnyMac) but I don't think my information warrants a separate thread. I received a pre-release T01 as well and have good intentions of getting it in the integrating sphere but we're a bit swamped at the moment. What I have done is to set up the T01 on a rail in a dark room (walls are painted black, no windows, etc) and captured data at 1 meter using an AsenseTEK ALP-01 portable spectrometer. I'm not posting output data until I have a power supply instead of a battery connected. The question of color temperature has come up so I thought I could answer that:
In Mode 1: CCT 5958 K, 77 CRI
In Mode 2: CCT 6114 K, 77 CRI
In Mode 3: CCT 6118 K, 77 CRI
In Mode 4: CCT 6131 K, 77 CRI

Typically LEDs in parabolic reflectors have a fair amount of color separation over the viewing axis. As measure at the edge of the spill:
In Mode 2: CCT 5688 K, 76 CRI

Less than 600K change over the viewing axis isn't bad at all. This is an indicator of the color uniformity of the LED and the parabolic reflector design. For comparison a first generation XM-L in a Carclo TIR has as much as 2700K color change over the viewing axis.

This is a traceable portable spectrometer, not an integrating sphere the primary difference being the CCT and CRI data are for a 10mm diameter aperture area of the projected beam at 1 meter not a blended (integrated) output.

Excellent data, Harold, and much appreciated for your adding it here. I never have a problem with people adding more info to a review. After all, getting as much info as possible about a light is why we all read them in the first place. I view flashlight forum membership as a helpful brotherhood, not a competition. The more information shared the better for all of us.

 

[more_vampires]

Nice! That's more like it!

 

[Harold_B]

"The more information shared the better for all of us." - JohnnyMac

Agreed and I'm glad you're cool with it.

 

[rickyro]

Thank you for taking the time to do a review. This light has many positives and I am always looking for pocket throwers that are actually comfortable in ones pocket.

The UI would not interest me personally but you have said the final production light will be different so we'll see.

My input is that any light with electronic switch should allow instant access to 3 modes preferably programmable by user like long press for turbo, short press for medium, double click for low. Obviously shouldn't copy ZL so my suggestion would be to just call these modes 1, 2, and 3 and let user program which output with which initial type of click (s). This would be better than the ZL ui which requires the highest output on a quick click and the lowest output on a long click. Personally, I would want to set the quick click to whichever mode I personally use the most. Personally, I hate mode memory based on last used mode because I never remember which mode I used last. With an electronic switch I do not wish to have to scroll through each mode to get the one I like. I want to know what output I will get before I click on.

The above is just my suggestion and not meant to be a criticism of Manker nor the reviewer.

Great comments about the ZL like UI.

I also hate the ZL UI being quick single click for high, double click for medium but passing high first.

But if as you proposed, short press for medium, double click for low, I don't know if by double clicking the light will go to medium first and then drop to low. If the light performed in this way just as they are doing right by going to high first and then dropping to medium then that will be bad as well.

So I would rather propose that single short press for low, double click for medium, long press for high.

 

[TOPFUELMAN]

Information for Manker T01 shows it works with 14500 batteries. I have been using Olight 750 mAh 14500's in my Zebralight SC52 L2 for over a year and they work fine. In the Manker T01, they do not work at all. If "specific" brand 14500's were required, this info. should be made clear by EDC Gear. I ordered this flashlight with the expectation it would work with these Olight batteries as my Zebralight does. Ordered through Amazon.com and now am returning batteries and flashlight I ordered. Tried to contact EDC Gear through Amazon's email system w/no response. Tried to contact EDC Gear through my personal email also over a week ago w/no response. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, and you know the rest! Would not buy a "Manker" or "Godmes" or whatever they call themselves product in the future. Hopefully I can get my money back! BEWARE MANKER/GODMES AND EDC GEAR!

 

[kreisl]

If "specific" brand 14500's were required, this info. should be made clear by EDC Gear. I ordered this flashlight with the expectation it would work with these Olight batteries as my Zebralight does.

I have this light too by now. I put a little magnet on top of my 14500 and all works fine! I love the magnets, i even put them on my unprotected NCR18650A in my DDT40 Imalent light. Works like mr charming.

I didn't expect my 14500's to work with the light. I read the reviews, and there are plenty, and they state that the T01 light has mechanical reverse polarity protection, meaning that cells with rather flat tops aren't guaranteed to work.

Eneloop have a nice protruding tip. They are guaranteed to work.

Sure you can blame the manufacturer for not specifying the 14500's which are guaranteed to work. But look around, how many manufacturers ever do that?

I have entire collection of 18650's, protected and unprotected, and only 1 model among my 18650's works with the TM15, it's the blue label Eagtac 2400mAh cell.

Hope you can get your money back.

 

[paojerokid]

Please recommend which 14500 brands/model no. are guaranteed to fit perfectly and work with the manker t01. Thanks.

 

[paojerokid]

Will this fit and work well?

 

[bykfixer]

I was gifted this fine little light and last night all was well. This morning it's stuck on high with a 1.5 volt fuel cell. Works normal with 3.6 volts.
Anybody had this issue? Can it be fixed? Am I doing something wrong here? I have trouble programming flashlights so I wonder if I've just got it stuck in some hidden mode or if it's broken.
Thanks.

Disregard, it went back to working normal.