TecTecTec ULT-X
“TecTecTec ULT-X” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue does it? But for what it’s worth, the company has perhaps earned their clunky name. The company that sounds more like they sell your laptop RAM than golf gear actually made its first splash in the industry a few years ago with the TecTecTec VPRO 500 which wa s our best budget golf rangefinder back in 2016. Since then, there’s been a flood of cheap off-brand rangefinders from China chasing this space which litter the rangefinder listings on Amazon. But TecTecTec stays competitive with a solid upgrade to the budget golf rangefinder market with its ULT-X.
Their gear is praised for its strong features and its (relatively) affordable price tags. Granted, rangefinders are not cheap, plenty cost the equivalent of a driver, many of these options will only cost you a wedge’s worth.
Here, we evaluate whether the ULT-X rangefinder is competitive with some of the $200-400 rangefinders so you can decide if this is the right rangefinder for your golf bag.
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Features
User Friendliness
One of the great things about this rangefinder is that it is exceptionally easy to use. To use it, you just juice it up and take it to your favorite course. Granted, more and more rangefinders have moved in this direction as modern technology circumnavigates the need for lengthy, complicated software installations.
But the entirety of the device is geared this way. In addition to being respectful of your bank account, the ULT-X is also respectful of your time. It doesn’t ask that you ride a challenging learning curve—most features are so easy a caveman could use them.
Take the slope function as another example (we will talk about it in detail a little bit later). To activate the slope feature, you simply pull the lens outward a little bit. A yellow band at the base is then revealed so that your playing partners are aware it’s activated.
These no frill features, along with the palatable price tag make it a good option both for beginners, and people with some experience that just want to save themselves a few dollars.
Accuracy
One of the most important elements of any rangefinder is accuracy. After all, if it’s not reliable, you’re better off just trying to figure out if the faded yardage marker stake is blue, or black, right?
Accuracy isn’t a problem with this device. TecTecTec advertises an accuracy rating of .3 from within 300 yards.
Realistically speaking, there probably isn’t any golfer in existence that needs more accuracy than that. With this level of precision, the ULT is about as precise as anything else on the market, making it a competitive bargain priced option.
Lock on Mode
The unit is also able to lock on to its targets, and indicates by vibrating when its reading has been finalized.
Lock on mode is a pretty standard component of just about any rangefinder that you are ever likely to come across.
It’s handy because it helps you to figure out when you’ve zeroed in on your target and held the line long enough to produce an accurate reading. Ultimately, it’s a pretty basic component of any device, but is also an important feature to have.
Slope Features
Slope detection used to be unheard of. It’s a lot more common now, but you also don’t always see it when dealing with bargain priced rangefinders, making the inclusion great to see here.
Basically, the feature does exactly what the name suggests. When taking data on the proximity to the hole, it will also measure for slope.
We talked a little bit ago about how easy this feature is to activate. To use it you simply pull the lens out until a small yellow band at the base becomes visible. The band indicates that slope mode is on.
This indicator is actually important because it’s the feature that will let your playing partners know if you’re trying to cheat.
Yeah, this rangefinder is tournament legal, but the slope feature is not. As a result, most units with slope mode feature some sort of indicator that it’s activated so that you can use the rangefinder in tournament play without anyone accusing you of trying to pull a fast one.
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Things You Might Take Issue With
There was one thing we noticed that might get under your skin fairly quickly throughout the course of an eighteen hole round. The slope feature.
While it works fine, and it’s very easy to activate, there is one problem: it’s also extremely easy to deactivate. The lens doesn’t really lock into place once you pull it out, so when it comes time to stow the rangefinder away again, chances are decent that you will turn the slope mode off in the process.
Huge deal? Not hardly, and considering the competitive pricing of this unit, it’s probably a problem that most people will be able to readily overlook. Still it is something to keep in mind.
How it Compares With the 500
If you are a proud owner of the 500 you may be interested in knowing whether you should make the upgrade. Or perhaps you’re a first time buyer who’s just curious if it would make more sense to save a little bit of scratch on an option that’s a few years older.
The differences between the 500 and the ULT-X are actually fairly slim. The ULT-X features a longer range (600 yards as opposed to the 560 you get with the 500) and it is more precise (accurate to within .3 yard instead of 1 yard).
Otherwise the differences are marginal at best.
Bargain shoppers may in fact favor the 500 because in growing older it’s also grown a little bit more affordable.
However, if you want to stay current with technology, it won’t cost you all that much to go with the newer ULT-X. Either way, you get a handy little rangefinder with lots of value.
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Conclusion
There really is a lot to like about the TecTecTec ULT-X. Though the product is not quite as refined as say, a Bushnell range finder, the company has managed to carve out a clear, well-defined niche: the bargain range finder.
The ULT-X gives you access to cutting edge features at an extremely competitive price. What more could you ask for?
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