My first purchase

[justmutantjed]

I got my first UltraSabers just the day before yesterday (10/9/14) and I am thrilled about it!
I ordered a Dark Catalyst with the "Blazing Red" LED, and it can light my entire apartment from one corner (not that it's a terribly large apartment -- just that it can is sw33t)! I also ordered a grab-bag saber, which turned out to be a Dominix LE v3, which I requested in Adegan Silver with the colour-discs.
Both sabers feel GREAT in my hands.
The Dark Catalyst (which, BTW, doesn't seem to get enough love on this forum, that I've seen yet) is a sleek lookin' piece of black-anodized aluminum goodness. The machined grooves at the back of the handle feel good for grip, although with a full-sized blade in it, the balance is somewhat forward of the emitter. I'll probably get an "Initiate" (24 inch) blade for it later, and possibly put a small packet of steel BB's in the pommel, secured by Gorilla Tape, for ballast. Being that the LED unit is inside of the choke-point right under the emitter, the blades and blade plug don't sit too deeply -- maybe an inch, possibly less. I'll hafta hack down the plug just a tad, but that's not any kind of rocket-surgery. I'm even more stoked for next year to roll around; if I can swing it, I'm gonna have the Obsidian Sound-Board installed.
The Dominix LE v3 I paid slightly less than sticker price for, because it was a "grab-bag" model, and I still think I got at least twice my money's worth. I requested it in "Adegan Silver" (ie, white) with an assortment of colour-discs to drop in under the blade, the idea of which thrills my former stage-technician side. I bought it mostly so that I'd have something for a friend if they wanted to join me. The only downside to Adegan Silver is that with only one red colour-disc under the blade, it ends up being a shade of pink that I'm pretty sure is copyrighted under a certain line of MATTEL dolls. HOWEVER -- the dark blue disc turns the white blade into an ethereal silvery-blue colour that is just AWESOME, even in a lit room. The grooves in the Dominix's handle also feel really good -- I guess I just dig groovy stuff, right?
Not having any formal training in swordsmanship, these guys make me eager to learn. All in all, great products. I'm glad I spent this money.

[Zren Tobas]

Nice purchases. Yeah either Catalyst sabers doesn't get any much love around here. I am interested in one though. Love the regal look of the saber and either version could go either way I think.

[Zren Tobas]

Also get some pics of that red blade up. Or just do some awesome ones in the Red Wraith army. Lol.

[justmutantjed]

For sure! I need a day off to take some pics... that, and I need to clean my pigsty of an apartment.
Oh, dear, I just disappointed myself; I found out that I can't get sound on-board since I bought a STUNT Dark Catalyst. According to the FAQ, it's not sound-compatible. Bummer, but it's still bad-a$$. Looks like I'll just hafta plug the holes in the pommel, because I live in a rain-forest, and the one thing I do NOT want in my Saber is water.

[gebhac]

The Dark Catalyst is sound capable, you probably just purchased the saber from the Stunt category.  See http://www.ultrasabers.com/product-p/sound-darkcatalyst.htm for the sound capable Dark Catalyst.  If you have the standard setup or the Li-Ion setup, you'll need to have that upgraded to Li-Ion with integrated speaker and then add the Obsidian Board as well.  I do believe you would be able to ship it back to Ultrasabers for upgrading at additional cost or if you have electronics expertise or someone you know has electronics expertise, then see this page http://www.ultrasabers.com/category-s/92.htm for parts related to adding sound.  I would also email Ultrasabers asking for the cost of upgrading your saber or what parts are necessary.  Similarly you can search the The Obsidian Order and/or Technical sections of the forum for that info as well.  The community on this forum as well as the folks at Ultrasabers are exceptionally helpful and knowledgeable.  Don't hesitate to ask questions.

Hope this lessens the disappointment a little.

[Zren Tobas]

Maybe that's all he could afford for now or don't really want sound. Just a thought. My first saber was without sound but it was an older Liberator anyway way before Obsidian came out or US2.5 even which I still have that board. Lol. Plus stunt sabers are good for practice and such if you don't want it loud or anything.

[justmutantjed]

Maybe that's all he could afford for now or don't really want sound. Just a thought. My first saber was without sound (...). Plus stunt sabers are good for practice and such if you don't want it loud or anything.

You basically have it pegged, Zren Tobas; I had a limited budget I set aside for this purchase. I *DID* get the Lithium-Ion setup with the BuckPuck, but bought it from the "Stunt" category. I hadn't really planned on doing much with it just yet, and the sound was for NEXT year's frivolity-related purchase, possibly with the added install of either an AV switch or a recharge port. Plus my apartment has some thin walls. Given the thrum of a 'Saber filtered through a wall COULD potentially sound like, well, an aide d'amour and that I'm nocturnal, well... I can imagine my landlord giving me a VERY awkward call the following morning.
gebhac, do I understand correctly that I could probably get my Stunt DC upgraded to sound-capable by replacing my "regular" Li-Ion setup with the one with the speaker in it? 'Cause that would, y'know, rock pretty hard.
This is great information guys, thanks for the help!

[Darth Calico]

Welcome to the US family. I have a catalyst with Obsidian, a guardian blue LED, and a blue AV switch. The saber is great to hold as it fits nicely in the hand. I really am impressed with how bright the AV switch is and the ability of the little speaker to pump out some sounds!  The Catalyst is a great saber!

[justmutantjed]

Hey everyone! I just posted my video review of the Dark Catalyst on Youtube.com.
Here's the link:  http://youtu.be/Wiwq-qIMkRo
Hope you enjoy -- sleep deprivation made me a bit spastic (been up since 3 PM yesterday... stupid night job and loud neighbours).