So for starters this will be used primarily for my police academy. The light will be carried on my gun belt. I plan to purchase a kydex retention holster rather than use the cheap nylon one provided. I have narrowed my choices down to three. All of which are Fenix. The UC35 I like because it is rechargeable, bright, and I have handled one. But the only draw back is that it is $89 everywhere.
The PD35 is the second up for $69. It is not rechargeable, but I could also get rechargeable batteries (haven't checked into prices on the rechargeable batteries). Basically it is the same specs, as far as I can tell anyway, as the UC35.
Then today while looking at the UC35 I seen the TK09. A little different design. A little smaller as well. It runs $59. Same deal with not being rechargeable.
I like the fact that the UC35 is micro USB rechargeable, so if I forget to charge it at night I have a 30 minute or more car ride to my academy that I can charge it. My android phone uses the micro USB so I have plenty of charging cables laying around. There are a few negatives to the UC35 for me though. One being it's size. While it will spend most of its time on my gun belt I would also like to use it for carry outside of the academy. I do not see it fitting in my pockets very well. Also, I haven't handled the holster I want for it, but from pictures it looks like it sticks out quite a bit. I will already have a large ASP and I feel that another item sticking out high would become annoying.
The price is another for the UC35. While I understand that $89 isn't all that bad I do have a lot of other things I need to get. But I also think that I would spend more than the $20-30 difference keeping batteries in the other lights that I can't recharge. I also have considered that this light will more than likely last through my academy and that I will be able to use it after getting hired.
We do not practice with weapon lights in my academy, even though the department I will work for issues a TLR2 with your Glock. So for building searches I will need one hand for my gun, and the other for my light. I am not sure if it will be ideal to handle both together with the UC35 being as large as it is.
I guess my overall goal here is to get a few things from you guys on the UC35. Any LEO's opinions would be valued as well. I want to know which light you guys would choose for this purpose and why? Also, do you think spending the extra $20-35 is worth adding the micro USB recharging ability? Do you think that the UC35 may become an annoyance on a gun belt?
The PD35 is the second up for $69. It is not rechargeable, but I could also get rechargeable batteries (haven't checked into prices on the rechargeable batteries). Basically it is the same specs, as far as I can tell anyway, as the UC35.
Then today while looking at the UC35 I seen the TK09. A little different design. A little smaller as well. It runs $59. Same deal with not being rechargeable.
I like the fact that the UC35 is micro USB rechargeable, so if I forget to charge it at night I have a 30 minute or more car ride to my academy that I can charge it. My android phone uses the micro USB so I have plenty of charging cables laying around. There are a few negatives to the UC35 for me though. One being it's size. While it will spend most of its time on my gun belt I would also like to use it for carry outside of the academy. I do not see it fitting in my pockets very well. Also, I haven't handled the holster I want for it, but from pictures it looks like it sticks out quite a bit. I will already have a large ASP and I feel that another item sticking out high would become annoying.
The price is another for the UC35. While I understand that $89 isn't all that bad I do have a lot of other things I need to get. But I also think that I would spend more than the $20-30 difference keeping batteries in the other lights that I can't recharge. I also have considered that this light will more than likely last through my academy and that I will be able to use it after getting hired.
We do not practice with weapon lights in my academy, even though the department I will work for issues a TLR2 with your Glock. So for building searches I will need one hand for my gun, and the other for my light. I am not sure if it will be ideal to handle both together with the UC35 being as large as it is.
I guess my overall goal here is to get a few things from you guys on the UC35. Any LEO's opinions would be valued as well. I want to know which light you guys would choose for this purpose and why? Also, do you think spending the extra $20-35 is worth adding the micro USB recharging ability? Do you think that the UC35 may become an annoyance on a gun belt?