[candle lamp]

TK35UE is single MT-G2 P0, dual switch interface, and high-output light from Fenix.
Packaging is standard Fenix cardboard box with molded plastic insert. Inside you will find the light, a holster, lanyard, spare o-ring, user manual, warranty card, and etc.




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Manufacturer Specification from user manual :
• Utilizes Cree MT-G2 LED with a lifespan of 50,000 hours
• Uses two 18650 rechargeable batteries (Li-ion) or four 3V
• CR123A batteries (Lithium)
• 165mm (Length) × 44mm (Diameter) × 52mm (Head)
• 265-gram weight (excluding batteries)
• Digitally regulated output - maintains constant brightness
• Reverse polarity protection to protect from improper
• battery installation
• Low-voltage warning function to remind users of low power
• Dual button switch in the tail, convenient operation
• Made of durable aircraft-grade aluminum
• Premium Type III hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish
• Toughened ultra-clear glass lens with anti-reflective coating


Notice : The above mentioned parameters (lab-tested by Fenix using ARB-L2S 18650 Li-ion battery) are approximate and may vary between flashlights, batteries, and environments.
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The body plan of the TK35UE is fairly straightforward. The light has a cylindrical head, but the battery tube is a rectangular shape. The rounding off the battery tube turns into more fluid & comfortable shape to outline & grip (i.e., comfortable to hold and handle). Black anodizing (type III = HA) is matte finish, and without blemishes on my review sample. Lettering is clearly legible in light gray, not bright white.
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The light has mainly 2 parts (i.e. head and battery tube). There is a quality battery carrier in the tube.
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There are "hot surface" warning and some cooling fins on the head.
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The light uses a LOP (Light Orange Peel) reflector, with slightly deep proportions for the size of the head. So I would expect very flood beam profile (Let's see it later on). Neutral white MT-G2 P0 emitter is slightly off-center on my sample (but it doesn't affect the beam quality). The light uses AR coating lens and the purple hue is reflected on it.
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There is a positive and negative contact on the back of the head.
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The light lacks knurling to speak of on the body, and instead has a large number of tiny ridges along the both narrow sides of the rectangular battery tube similar to LD41. While this helps a bit with grip, I think the light somewhat slippery overall, but it isn't slipperier than expected (i.e., acceptable).
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There are the positive and negative contact springs on the head, and are the circular negative contact plate surrounding the central positive contact plate on the battery carrier.
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The light uses a battery carrier to hold the 2x18650 or 4xCR123A cells. Quality seems good. Note that all the material is plastic, aside from the contact plates. But the carrier seems good quality. Batteries fit securely within the carrier, so they doesn't have a tendency to pop out easily. There is absolutely no battery rattle inside the light when shaking the light laterally with fully loaded. The cells are arranged in series, for each of the two channels of the carrier - the two channels are in series. So the battery carrier has a 2S or (4S with 2x2 layout). The positive contact plate is very slightly raised, and the negative contact spring has good elasticity in each channel of the carrier. So all types (i.e., true flat-tops, wide and small button-tops) of 18650's work fine.
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This is the front part of the battery carrier.
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This is the rear part of the battery carrier. The left (small) & right (large) are the mode changing & on-off button respectively.
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The light uses dual switches interface in the tailcap to control on-off and mode changing.
When seeing from the head to the base of the battery tube, you can see the black small rod (left) and the white large (right) button. If you assemble the carrier & tube, these are linked to the electronic mode changing switch and the mechanical (or physical) on-off clicky switch in the battery carrier respectively.
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The tailcap has cut-out which provides comfortable activation of the switches. There is a lanyard attachment. There are 4 external screws tightly fixing the aluminum tailcap - which hold the inne switch part - to the battery tube. The screws seem good quality. The on-off switch is a forward clicky switch, and has a good feel but slightly stiffer than expected. The mode changing switch produces a definite but slightly quieter click sound & minimal travel than the on-off switch when pressed. The switches are intuitive, and work well like LD41. The two switches protrude out the tail end, but the light can steel tailstand wobbly similar to the leaning tower of Pisa.
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The light has a good number of anodized thick square-cut screw threads, but that doesn't really matter too much to head lock-out since the current is carried through the battery carrier only and the negative spring contact in the head is protruding. However lock-out is still possible, turning the head about one and a half turns to the left on my sample (i.e., quite similar to LD41). The only issue I have is that the crest width of the end part of the screw threads is too thin. So they are not smooth with squeaking when tightening or loosening the head on my sample. :thinking: The overall build quality seems high.
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User Interface
On-off is controlled by the larger forward clicky switch (press-on for momentary, click for locked on), and mode changing is controlled by the smaller electronic switch. There are two modes (i.e., general mode & flashing mode).

1) General mode
Output changing is controlled by the smaller electronic switch. Click and release to advance through output modes, which proceed in sequence from Low -> Med. -> High -> Turbo, in repeating sequence. The light has mode memory, and remembers the last output level used when you turn the light off and back on, (even after a battery change).
You can't set the output level while the light is off. The electronic switch only works when the light is powered on by the on-off switch first.

2) Flashing mode
The Strobe is accessed by pressing and holding the smaller switch for more than about 1 sec when on. To access SOS, press and hold the smaller switch more than about 3 sec when on. To return to the general mode, just click the smaller switch once, or turn off & on the light. The flashing mode has no memory. The light always turns on in the memorized general mode, so there is no danger of strobing accidentally (also it means you can't directly access strobe without turning on the light in general mode first). The UI is quite the same as LD41.
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Overheating Protection
After 5 mins of continuous runtime on Turbo output, TK35UE drops down to Hi output for the rest of the time to avoid overheating the light. If Turbo is needed for extended run time, just press the smaller switch once after dropping down to Hi or turn off & on the light during working on Turbo.
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Standby Current Drain
There is no standby current because the small electronic switch only works when the light is turned on by the on-off switch first.
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The TK35UE comes with a nice nylon holster with a velcro strap on the upper part. The light fits in the holster head-up only.
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From left to right, VicLite Protected 18650 (2600mAh), OHLED Combat Double (4xMT-G2 P0), Blackshadow Terminator NW (4xXM-L T6), Niteye EYE40 (4xXM-L U2), Fenix TK35UE (1xMT-G2 P0), Fenix TK75 (3xXM-L U2).
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The head size & light weight excluding battery of four lights are as follows :
Combat Double : 63.7mm / 357g, Terminator NW : 63.4x63.4mm / 427g, EYE40 : 66.0x66.0mm / 509g, TK35UE : 51.7mm / 272g
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Measured dimension & weight

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PWM


NO sign of PWM at any level of the light, leading me to conclude the light is current-controlled. I notice there is noi buzzing sound at all output levels on my sample.
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Runtime


The above runtime graph is on Turbo and using 2xVicLite Protected 18650 (2600mAh) cells.
Note that the labelled as "Accum." is an accumulated runtime curve reset at every step-down.
The TK35UE steps down on turbo to High after 5 mins runtime. This is a timed drop-down feature to avoid overheating the light. As with the other Fenix lights, the regulation pattern and runtime efficiency of the current controlled circuit seems excellent. The manual says "the TK35UE has a low-voltage warning function. when using the 18650 Li-ion battery, if low voltage is checked in the low output level, it will blink three times per second every five minutes. The light will not turn off automatically until the battery runs out completely. this function do not support other types of batteries." That is you should replace the battery or it will cause damage to your unprotected 18650 Li-ion cells. I didn't check this low-voltage warning blinking as I didn't keep my eyes upon runtime test. But just found the protection circuit of my protected 18650 cells kicked-in and the light turned off abruptly.
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Beamshot
1. White door beamshot (about 50cm from the white door) on Max. output
- ISO100, F/9.0, 1/200sec, Auto white balance

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- ISO100, F/9.0, 1/500sec, Auto white balance

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- ISO100, F/9.0, 1/1500sec, Auto white balance


There is no artifact near the hotspot and a nice transition from spot to spill on my review sample. The tint is a really good neutral white.
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2. 6.5m Indoor Beamshot on Max. output
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1/13sec, Auto white balance



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3. 55m Outdoor Beamshot on Max. output
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance



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4. 60~65m Outdoor Beamshot on Max. output
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance




The TK35UE is not a good throwy but a more floody light, and clearly has a very wider spillbeam like other multiple XM-L ligths, thanks to the small and relatively deep LOP reflector with large MT-G2 emitter. :thumbsup:

TK35UE provided by gooutdoor.co.kr for review.