Posted: 3/30/2016 2:10:47 AM EDT
I'll preface this and say I'm a Streamlight fan and there are probably lots of other "reviews" out there. This is more of a first impression and to sum it up, the ProTac USB is quite good so far. I figured it would fit well with accessories as it's an accessory to my handgun.
When I was initially looking at a smaller rechargeable to compliment my Streamlight Stinger LED HL I started at the time honored Strion LED HL. What caught my eye about the ProTac USB was the "Ten Tap" programmable switch and the ability to start on low instead of high. 850 lumens was also a significant improvement over the 500 on the Strion, however both were rated at 10,000 candela. Being micro USB rechargeable instead of using a cradle was also a selling point. The only downside is the ProTac USB is only rated at IPX 4 for water resistance. What that means in real life only time will tell. I will be using this light as a backup on patrol and primary off duty.
ProTac USB specs:
I purchased part number 88052 from Amazon. This part number includes both 12v and 120v USB adapters and a Micro USB cord. The difference in price between this version and the version with just the cord was only $10. Package contents:
The included charging accessories seem to be of decent quality. The 12v adapter fits snugly in the various 12v outlets I tried. The pocket clip is sturdy and holds onto the light firmly yet can be easily removed. I don't know that I will be pocket carrying this light in anything but a cargo pocket though as it is fairly large. The included holster though is quite frankly junk. Pic of the holster:
The collar on the light slips down to expose the charging port. The collar is held tight by 3 O-rings(1 top, 2 bottom). Streamlight recommended these O-rings be greased periodically. These O-Rings are the only things keeping water out of the light. I would almost believe the reason why this light isn't IPX7 rated is the O-rings probably leak in 1m of water. I would be surprised if they leaked in day to day use from exposure to the weather or even being dropped in a puddle.
Here is the light with the bezel, reflector, and collar removed:
You can see below the Micro USB charging port is an LED. The LED is red when it's charging and green when it's charged. You can use any Micro USB cord to charge this light. The only downside is it takes 7 hours to complete charge.
Some comparison pics:
Left to right: Surefire 6P, Streamlight ProTac USB, Streamlight Stinger DS LED HL, and a 2D Mag-Lite. As you can see the 6P and Stinger have seen a decent amount of use.
Night time pics:
ProTac USB on High.
ProTac USB on Medium.
ProTac USB on Low.
Stinger HL on high. Only 640 lumens but you can see how intense that 22,000 candela beam is. Great for burning through window tint and brighter than most spot lights.
Surefire 6P with Malkoff M61L LED in it(175 lumen version, great all purpose light).
The iPhone camera doesn't really pick up the difference between Medium and High all that well, however there is a significant one. The light was fully charged.
The supposedly anti roll head is merely the collar you slide down to access the charge port. The collar has flats machined into it that are supposed to prevent rolling. I can tell you right now those flats only appear to keep the light from rolling away if you set it down. A good drop will still send the light rolling. The Surefire on the other hand might roll a couple times but then it's done. The Stinger... well I've chased it more than once because the included rubber thing is useless and broke after a week. The head of the light is smaller than the Surefire 6P so unfortunately it won't fit any 6P holsters in the bezel down configuration. With the clip removed the ProTac USB fits most 6p holsters in the bezel up configuration.
I plan to use this light as a primary on patrol for a couple weeks. I currently have the Ten Tap programming configured to "Low, Medium, High". So far it seems very intuitive to operate. I'll update this post after I've gotten some more use out of the light, however if it just keeps on working I'll be pleased. Based on my initial impressions for $106 this light seems to be a winner. Lifetime Warranty from Streamlight. Their customer service is great and they take care of their customers. Even when it's the customer's fault something breaks
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