Manker Striker Mini Tactical Torch Review
Manker Striker Mini⌗
- Specifications
- Introduction
- Torch in use
- Build quality
- LED, bezel, lens, reflector and beam
- Size and comparison
- User interface
- Batteries and charging
- Performance
- Beamshots
- Conclusion
- Price
- Product page
Specifications⌗
| Brand/model | Manker Striker Mini |
|---|---|
| LED | Osram KW CSLNM1.TG |
| Maximum lumens | 635 lm |
| Maximum beam intensity | 46,225 cd |
| Maximum throw | 430 m |
| Battery | 1*14500 Li-ion, 1*AA Ni-MH, 1*AA Alkaline |
| Onboard charging | Yes (USB-C battery) |
| Material | Aluminium |
| Modes | 2 |
| Blinkies | Strobe |
| Reflector | Smooth |
| Waterproof | IP68 |
| Review date | December 2023 |
Introduction⌗
The Manker Striker Mini is a tactical AA-sized torch with a large two-way stainless steel strike bezel. It can produce a beam capable of reaching a distance of over 430 metres due to the Osram KW CSLNM1.TG emitter and the smooth reflector.
The strike bezel can be unscrewed and flipped around so that the torch comfortably fits in a pocket for every day carry.
The driver supports multiple battery chemistries: 3.7V 14500 Li-ion, 1.2V AA Ni-MH, 1.5V AA Alkaline.
Here is a video demonstrating the Manker Striker Mini:
Manker kindly sent this torch for review. I have not been paid for this review nor have I held back my opinions of this torch.
Packaging⌗
The Manker Striker Mini comes in an orange and black box with an image of the torch on the top.
The following was included in the box:
- Manker Striker Mini.
- Manker protected 14500 920mAh 3.7V Li-ion cell (4A CDR) with USB-C charging.
- USB-A to USB-C adapter.
- Lanyard.
- Spare o-ring.
- User manual.
- 7* 6mm*1.5mm glow sticks.
Torch in use⌗
The Manker Striker Mini fits comfortably in my hand when the pocket clip has been removed.
The two-way pocket clip allows the torch to be carried head up or head down in a pocket.
I like the how thin this AA-sized torch feels compared to the 18350-sized torches in my pocket thrower comparison.
The tactical ring (cigar grip) is fun to use!
I keep holding the Manker Striker Mini in an overhand grip with the cigar grip between my index and middle fingers. This allows my thumb to easily push down on the firm forward clicky tailswitch.
A lanyard can be attached to the pocket clip or to one of the two holes in the tactical ring.
The torch can tailstand but it is easy to knock over.
Build quality⌗
The body and tactical ring of the Manker Striker Mini are made of aluminium and they have a black anodised finish. The torch is also available in army green and there are various titanium versions.
There is plenty of grip on the tail.
The strike bezel is made of stainless steel.
The tailswitch is made of stainless steel and it has a brushed finish.
The tailswitch feels firm and it gives a satisfying click. But it rattles around when the torch is on.
The glass lens came with a protective sheet of film that needed to be removed.
There are six slots in the tail to install 6mm*1.5mm tritium vials or glow sticks. The button also has an extra 6mm*1.5mm slot.
It was nice of Manker to include seven glow sticks.
Here is a tutorial that I made for installing tritium vials.
The strike bezel is fun to unscrew! It spins and spins. There are so many little threads.
The head and tail unscrew smoothly.
All of the threads have been anodised. The torch can be mechanically locked out by slightly unscrewing the head or the tail.
That said, the anodising is starting to wear off from continuously unscrewing the tailcap.
The tactical ring can be removed. There is an o-ring underneath the tactical ring to try to stop it from rotating (it can rotate when force is applied).
There are plenty of o-rings to improve water resistance.
The tailswitch and driver are held down with brass retaining rings. I tried to unscrew the retaining rings using: tweezers, circlip pliers, forceps and a camera spanner wrench tool but the tools kept slipping. I might try some needle nose pliers in the future.
There is a physical reverse polarity protection notch on the driver. This helps protect the driver against accidentally inserting a battery backwards. This also prevents certain flat top cells from working.
LED, bezel, lens, reflector and beam⌗
The Manker Striker Mini has a cool white (6500K) Osram KW CSLNM1.TG emitter, a smooth aluminium reflector, a glass lens and a stainless steel strike bezel.
The glass lens appears to have an anti-reflective coating.
CCT, CRI, and duv⌗
I have taken Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) and Colour Rendering Index (CRI, RA of R1-R8) measurements with the torch positioned one metre away from an Opple Light Master Pro III (G3) for each mode except for 14500 High where I positioned the torch two metres away.
The CCT is around 5895K. The CRI is around 67.
The Delta u, v is slightly positive (green) on lower modes and it is close to pure white on High.
The beam produced has a very narrow hot spot, a green corona, and a wide spill. Artefacts may appear if there are fingerprints or smudges on the glass lens. The spill looks pretty sharp when the lens is kept clean.
| Cell | Mode | CCT (K) | CRI (Ra) | x | y | Duv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ni-MH | Low | 5557 | 65.8 | 0.3311 | 0.3516 | 0.0059 |
| Ni-MH | High | 5950 | 68.1 | 0.3228 | 0.3361 | 0.0019 |
| 14500 | Low | 5818 | 66.6 | 0.3253 | 0.3434 | 0.0044 |
| 14500 | High | 6257 | 68.7 | 0.3174 | 0.3281 | 0.0004 |
Calculate Duv from CIE 1931 xy coordinates
Dimensions and size comparison⌗
Dimensions⌗
I took the following measurements using a digtal caliper.
| Measurement | Unit (mm) |
|---|---|
| Length | 102.13 |
| Length with strike bezel | 114.16 |
| Strike bezel diameter | 35.13 |
| Head diameter | 30.81 |
| Tube outside diameter | 20.05 |
| Tube inside diameter | 14.8 |
| Tube length | 50.48 |
| Button diameter | 11.36 |
| Battery length | 50.4 |
| Battery diameter | 14.06 |
Weight⌗
I took the following measurements using a digital scale.
| Weight | Unit (g) |
|---|---|
| Torch | 75.72 |
| Battery | 21.16 |
| Torch with battery | 96.88 |
Size comparison with its competition⌗
From left to right: Manker Striker Mini, Lumintop GT Micro, Mateminco FT01
From left to right: Manker Striker Mini, Lumintop GT Micro, Mateminco FT01
User interface⌗
The Manker Striker Mini has a forward clicky tailswitch.
It can be half pressed to momentarily cycle between High and Low.
There are two main modes: High and Low. And there is a hidden Strobe mode.
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Half press | Momentary on (High) |
| Off | Half press again between 0.5 and 1 second | Cycle (High, Low) |
| Off | Double half press within 0.5 seconds | Momentary Strobe |
| Off | Half press and click within 0.5 seconds | Strobe |
| Off | Click | On |
| On | Click | Off |
Mode memory⌗
There isn’t really mode memory.
The torch defaults to High when it has been off for two seconds.
Strobe⌗
Strobe appears to have a constant 20 Hz frequency. The lumen output is similar to High.
Low voltage protection⌗
The torch does not appear to have low voltage protection.
I recommend using the included protected 14500 cell because it has low voltage protection. The included protected 14500 cell cut off at around 2.68V at the end of a runtime test for the High mode.
I tested low voltage protection by connecting the head of the torch to a bench power supply and then by lowering the voltage from 4.2V to 0V for a 14500 Li-ion cell and from 1.5V to 0V for a AA cell.
| Cell | Mode | LVP? | Cut-off voltage | Current |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14500 | Low | No | 2.87V | 14mA |
| 14500 | High | No | 2.35V | 19mA |
| Ni-MH | Low | No | 0.58V | 75mA |
| Ni-MH | High | No | 0.27V | 130mA |
PWM⌗
I did not notice any visible PWM (flickering).
What I like about the UI⌗
- The forward clicky tail switch is simple to use.
- Defaults to High (useful for a tactical torch).
What could be improved⌗
I am happy with the user interface for this type of torch. But an advanced UI would be cool to cater for EDC and tactical use!
For example:
An advanced UI with general and tactical mode groups. The general mode group could have Low (5 lm), Medium (50 lm) and High (635 lm) with mode memory. The tactical mode group could have High (635 lm), Low (50 lm) and Strobe (635 lm, 20 Hz) without mode memory.
Batteries and charging⌗
Battery⌗
A Manker 14500 920mAh 3.7V Li-ion cell with built-in USB-C charging and protection was included. It arrived with a voltage of 4.03V.
I measured a capacity of 930mAh by discharging the cell at a rate of 0.5A using a Vapcell S4 Plus.
A piece of insulating film was included to prevent the torch from being turned on while in the packaging.
I tried the following cells:
| Cell | Top | Compatible? |
|---|---|---|
| Manker 14500 Li-ion 920mAh 3.7V 4A CDR USB-C | Button | Yes |
| Vapcell H10 14500 Li-ion 1000mAh 3.7V | Button | Yes |
| eneloop pro AA Ni-MH 2450mAh 1.2V | Button | Yes |
| Shockli Orange 14500 Li-ion 1000mAh 3.7V | Flat | No |
Physical reverse polarity protection prevents certain flat top cells from being used.
Charging⌗
The battery has USB-C charging built-in.
Please see my review of the Manker E05 II where I charged the same battery.
Power supply compatibility⌗
I tried the following power supplies with the built-in USB-C charger:
| Power supply | USB Type | Protocol | Does it charge? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple 61W Power Adapter | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| Google Pixel Power Adapter | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-A | QC | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-A | Yes |
USB-C to USB-C charging works.
Performance⌗
Specifications from the user manual:
14500
| FL1 STANDARD | Low | High | Strobe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output (lumens) | 50 | 635 + 260 + 8 | 635 |
| Runtime | 6h 30min | 2min + 1h 15min + 40min | |
| Beam Distance (metres) | 130 | 430 | |
| Beam Intensity (cd) | 4,225 | 46,225 |
Ni-MH
| FL1 STANDARD | Low | High | Strobe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output (lumens) | 8 | 265 + 100 + 8 | 265 |
| Runtime | 30h | 40s + 1h 32min + 1h | |
| Beam Distance (metres) | 60 | 265 | |
| Beam Intensity (cd) | 900 | 17,556 |
Alkaline
| FL1 STANDARD | Low | High | Strobe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output (lumens) | 8 | 220 + 80 + 8 | 220 |
| Runtime | 26h | 1min + 36min + 12h 30min | |
| Beam Distance (metres) | 60 | 250 | |
| Beam Intensity (cd) | 900 | 15,625 |
I used an eneloop pro AA Ni-MH 1.2V 2450mAh cell and a Manker 920mAh 3.7V Li-ion cell for the following tests.
Lumen measurements⌗
I used a UNI-T UT210E clamp meter to measure the current at turn on.
| Cell | Mode | Amps at start | Specs | Lumens @turn on | Lumens @30 sec | Lumens @10 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14500 | Low | 1.61 A | 50 | 64 | 62 | 62 |
| 14500 | High | 3.35 A | 635 + 260 + 8 | 730 | 643 | 244 |
| Ni-MH | Low | 0.09 A | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Ni-MH | High | 2.12 A | 265 + 100 + 8 | 239 | 233 | 92 |
Runtime graphs⌗
I used my own DIY lumen tube with a TSL2591 sensor and forked bmengineer’s project RuTiTe to record runtimes.
Note: Lumen measurements may be off by 10% with my DIY lumen tube.
The room temperature was approximately 19 C.
Runtime⌗
Here is a summary of the runtime results:
| Cell | Mode | User manual | Runtime | Turn off | Final voltage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14500 | High | 2min + 1h 15min + 40min | 1h 10min 56s | 2h 19min 32s | 2.68 |
| 14500 | Low | 6h 30min | 6h 26min 58s | 6h 26min 58s | 3.15 |
| Ni-MH | High | 40s + 1h 32min + 1h | 2h 42min 58s | 3h 33min 53s | 0.93 |
| Ni-MH | Low | 30h | 23h 16min 7s | 23h 16min 7s | 0.89 |
“Runtime” is the time until the output reduces to 10% of the output at 30 seconds (as per the ANSI/PLATO FL1 2019 Standard).
“Turn off” is the time until my DIY lumen tube no longer detects more than one lumen.
“+” indicates that the light remained on after recording had stopped.
Low with a AA Ni-MH cell fell a bit short by more than six hours. Otherwise, the runtime results are pretty close to what Manker claimed.
The output is well regulated. Look at those straight lines!
I am pretty impressed with the quality of the drivers that Manker has been producing.
Throw⌗
I took lux measurements with a UNI-T UT383BT at 30 seconds. Each mode was measured at five metres.
| Cell | Mode | Specs (cd) | Specs (m) | Candela measured (cd) | Distance (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14500 | Low | 4,225 | 130 | 5,650 | 150 |
| 14500 | High | 46,225 | 430 | 59,825 | 489 |
| Ni-MH | Low | 900 | 60 | 725 | 53 |
| Ni-MH | High | 17,556 | 265 | 19,750 | 281 |
The beam distance is slightly better than expected with a 14500 cell.
Beamshots⌗
I went to a local park and aimed the Manker Striker Mini at a tree 70 metres away while using High.
Beamshots were taken using a Sony RX100M2 using 3.2", f3.2, ISO 100, 5000K WB.
Manker Striker Mini (High)⌗
Manker Striker Mini with strike bezel (High)⌗
Lumintop GT Micro (Turbo)⌗
Lumintop PK27 (High 2xAAA)⌗
Mateminco FT01 (Turbo)⌗
Conclusion⌗
The Manker Striker Mini is a well built little tactical torch.
The user interface is definitely better for tactical use instead of EDC use. It defaults to High.
This torch feels like it could be a great option for people that want to EDC a pocket thrower.
The titanium versions of this torch might be worth a look for EDC collections.
The runtimes are pretty good. The beam distance is slightly better than expected. And the lumen output is pretty close to what Manker claimed.
The Manker Striker Mini is like the torch equivalent of KNIPEX Cobra XS Water Pump Pliers. It is an incredibly niche tool. The quality is excellent. It does what it says it does. But it is so tiny!
There is a larger 18650 version called the Manker Striker. It has a similar runtime and similar beam distance but it produces twice the amount of lumens and has a larger hot spot with a Luminus SFT40 emitter.
Pros:⌗
- Excellent build quality.
- Great beam distance.
- Good runtimes.
- Well regulated output.
- Simple user interface (defaults to High).
- Two-way strike bezel.
- Tactical ring.
- Supports multiple battery types.
- Protected 14500 cell with USB-C charging included.
Cons:⌗
- Low voltage protection didn’t work when I tested it.
Price⌗
The aluminium Manker Striker Mini is US$49.95 from mankerlight.com.
The titanium Manker Striker Mini is US$99.95 from mankerlight.com. It is available in a raw (polished) finish and a stonewashed finish.