Well, I've had the UC35 for a day or so, and so far it's a keeper. It's my 4th LED light (counting a Petzl headlamp) and the brightest by far. As for the micro-USB connector... I'm happy to have it. I have a couple USB chargers (Samsung) in the house and a generic one in my car that I use to charge my phone, Bluetooth headset, tablet, etc. Now I can use them to charge my UC35 too. :thumbsup:
When all else fails, read the instructions...
When I first got the light I plugged in the USB charger but got no feedback that it was charging. As it turns out, after plugging in the charger you have to switch-on the tail-cap switch. The side switch glows
Red while charging then goes
Green when complete. When a USB charger is connected the flashlight's Cree XM-L2 main LED does not come on when the tail-cap switch is switched on, but instead initiates a charging cycle. An added bonus to this is that when the USB charger loses power, like in a power outage, the UC35 comes on providing emergency lighting.
The light came with a USB cable that fits the micro-USB port on the light
pretty well :ironic: but all my other cables seem to lack the ubiquitous tactile snap-into-place feedback that I get from my other devices. It's more of a snug-fit, but does seem to work fine. Time will tell.
The environmental cover over the micro-USB port is only intended to keep out dust, rain, and splashes IMHO, which I think it will do just fine. As seen in the image here...
http://cdn1.bigcommerce.com/server4...48AM14267__18177.1413485773.1280.1280.jpg?c=2
Image tags removed see Rule #3 Do not Hot Link images. Please host on an image site, Imageshack or similar and repost – Thanks Norm
The (silicone?) cover attaches to the light on the right hand side by way of a slot machined into the body; right of the connector. When closed it's held in place by a snug friction fit in the recess above and below the connector. The left side, where it opens from, doesn't seem to have any active sealing characteristics only passive by way of laying snuggly in the slot. I feel that the psychics of water pressure on the soft silicone will indeed provide the necessary seal to keep water out of the micro-USB connector when the light is submerged. This light is not intended to be a dive light with only an IPX8 rating so all this talk of submerging is a bit pointless. That said...
In my unscientific testing I filled my kitchen sink with water, seven inches deep, turned the UC35 on low and dropped it into the water. After about 10 seconds I saw a very small air bubble forming on the right hand side of the micro-USB cover where it's attached. It floated to the surface, and then another formed. If air is coming out, then water is going in. I removed the light from the water immediately and dried off the exterior of the light. I opened the connector cover and found
no water in, or around the micro-USB connector
or anywhere under the USB cover. To me, this meant that the water was going into the slot that holds the cover to the light. This slot may not penetrate the body all the way to the electronics and may not be an issue at all. I didn't want to find out. Perhaps Fenix can reply and elaborate on this anomaly.
Overall I'm happy with the UC35 and it will be my primary light.
Happy holidays all.