HDS Systems EDC # 16

[John_Galt]

What happens to an old hds 42 or 60 when you do an emitter replacement?
how bright would the lowest level be compared to a new edc 120?
how bright would the locator flash be? Too bright?
would each level be three or four times brighter?
did you replace the reflector to change beam pattern?
any emitter better or worse for fit?
hi-cri or max. Ln.?

Led efficiency has improved dramatically. So basically with any new led youll see a large increase in output.

Iirc hds lights have an 8mm opening in the heatsink. So you^ll need an 8mm round mcpcb with your new led (or a 10mm one sized down to 8mm) and copper shims to shim the new led^s die to the same height as the old led's.

A ssc p4 should be the simplest mod, or a luxeon k2. Both are basically the same size and shape as the current luxeon in your light.

 

[DrewDT]

It seems like many people, myself included are concerned about how much L.E.D. technology has advanced during the wait periods for our lights. I hope Henry will be able to incorporate newer, more efficient L.E.D's in the lights we'll be receiving. That'll certainly be appreciated and take the sting out of waiting for these lights IMHO.
I realize that HDS isn't about using the newest in technology, but I think more efficient L.E.D's are in abundance and will hopefully be considered. It would be a great customer service overture.

 

[P_A_S_1]

I'm pretty sure they will use up what they have in stock first. Besides, they advertise their lights as meeting a certain output/runtime and as long as the LED meets those given specs it doesn't matter if it's a two year old LED or the very latest. I too would want the latest and best bin in my incoming light, an xpg2 would be nice, but I highly doubt it will happen.

 

[the.Mtn.Man]

Henry tends to rigorously test his components before putting them in his lights, so you're not going to see him offering up the latest and greatest emitters the minute they hit market. I wouldn't expect another emitter update any time soon.

 

[DrewDT]

I totally understand not using the latest and greatest, but since many have waited approximately a year for their lights, I'm hoping some testing of L.E.D's even from six months ago would be welcome. If all his time was consumed with finding a reliable vendor, that is understandable. It would be unfortunate if no testing or research and development happened in that time.
In any event, I'm excited to hear production should be ramping up with deliveries to follow.

 

[P_A_S_1]

My eight week wait period is going on twelve weeks now but I dare not complain, not when guys have been waiting a year, wow that's a long time. My main concern is the emitter and tint. I had the last generation with the GDP which is suppose to have more throw and be warmer in color. I'm worried the cree cool white might be too cool. Guess I'll know eventually.

 

[CarpentryHero]

My eight week wait period is going on twelve weeks now but I dare not complain, not when guys have been waiting a year, wow that's a long time. My main concern is the emitter and tint. I had the last generation with the GDP which is suppose to have more throw and be warmer in color. I'm worried the cree cool white might be too cool. Guess I'll know eventually.

The GDP is a little throwier than the xpg, and for lack of a better term the GDP tint is more ghostly (less natural) than the xpg.
The coolwhite xpg2 is a little ghostly too but that's not being put into hds lights yet as far as I know (modders might be)

 

[P_A_S_1]

The GDP is a little throwier than the xpg, and for lack of a better term the GDP tint is more ghostly (less natural) than the xpg.
The coolwhite xpg2 is a little ghostly too but that's not being put into hds lights yet as far as I know (modders might be)

OK. I realize tint is subjective but which one do you find to be closer to a pure white and which one do you prefer overall?

 

[CarpentryHero]

In use, I like the xpg better. The color is pretty close for coolwhite, the color rendering is in my eyes better with the xpg.
If your really into a better led experiance get the hi cri xpg or a Nichia 219 put in

 

[P_A_S_1]

Thanks. I was going back and forth between the HCRI and the 200 Rotary but decided to go with the 200. As long as the tint isn't blue I'll be fine with it. My SF Minimus has a poor tint and it bothers me.

 

[CarpentryHero]

You'll be happy with the 200, I had a rotary for awhile but the lack of clip bugged me after awhile. I was always using my 120 simply because it had the clip.

 

[eh4]

When the 200 came to me by mistake I came down with a bad case of confirmation bias, looking at the beam trying to understand if it was possible that the new hcri might just be a lot cooler than expected. The color rendition was good enough for me to delude myself for a little while, a very clean cool white. But while blues and greens popped, reds and oranges did not, and various shades of brown in leaves, bark, dirt were all shining back closer to shades of grey.
Not what I needed but it was definitely a high quality cool white.

 

[John N]

What happens to an old hds 42 or 60 when you do an emitter replacement?
how bright would the lowest level be compared to a new edc 120?
how bright would the locator flash be? Too bright?
would each level be three or four times brighter?
did you replace the reflector to change beam pattern?
any emitter better or worse for fit?
hi-cri or max. Ln.?

Here is a swap I did a while ago on my U85 (same as the EDC/Ultimate 42/60). I used an XPG R5, and I'm (totally) guessing it runs at about 200 lumens at max output. I'm not up on current LEDs, but the XPG had a similar power profile to the original LED (cept brighter and more efficient), so it was a good replacement.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?307121-HDS-U85-upgrade-to-XP-G-R5-(picture-heavy)

-john

 

[Johnbeck180]

A quick question if I may, I was messing with a mini mag-lite my son has last night. Sitting in the dark bedroom I was comparing color rendering of the mag and my two HDS 120 & 170. Of course the mag had better rendering, just not as bright as the other two. My question is, how does a HDS hi cri compare just on the color rendering scale to a mini mag? not beam pattern or brightness. I've had a hi cri on order for some time. Just curious. Thanks.

 

[eh4]

I don't Know the answer, but the cri of the hcri HDS should be 90+, I think I've seen 92 or 93 quoted.
The incan mag light should be 100.

The HDS is whiter, incan makes it look closer to cool white, cool white makes it look yellow, and I've managed to almost match the hcri HDS to sunlight just as the sun was going down recently at it's most yellow near the horizon.
It was one of those golden evenings where the sunlight makes dead brown leaves shine almost like copper.

 

[Johnbeck180]

I don't Know the answer, but the cri of the hcri HDS should be 90+, I think I've seen 92 or 93 quoted.
The incan mag light should be 100.

The HDS is whiter, incan makes it look closer to cool white, cool white makes it look yellow, and I've managed to almost match the hcri HDS to sunlight just as the sun was going down recently at it's most yellow near the horizon.
It was one of those golden evenings where the sunlight makes dead brown leaves shine almost like copper.

Thanks!! My HDS lights have actually taken a back seat to the mini-mag to navigate the house at night just because its so pleasing to the eye.

 

[eh4]

I really enjoy the tint at the lowest levels where the cri doesn't come seem to come into play due to there not being enough light to see color that well.
It's possible that there might even be a little color shift to a lower temp, the tint is a lot whiter than burning embers but there's a similar aesthetic with the lowest range settings.
With the Rotary you can just dial it in for the distance and keep that low effect as you shine it further out.

 

[davidwestonh]

Here is a swap I did a while ago on my U85 (same as the EDC/Ultimate 42/60). I used an XPG R5, and I'm (totally) guessing it runs at about 200 lumens at max output. I'm not up on current LEDs, but the XPG had a similar power profile to the original LED (cept brighter and more efficient), so it was a good replacement.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?307121-HDS-U85-upgrade-to-XP-G-R5-%28picture-heavy%29

-john

Fantastic.
thanks

 

[kaichu dento]

Thanks!! My HDS lights have actually taken a back seat to the mini-mag to navigate the house at night just because its so pleasing to the eye.

I'm in the same boat as I like the color of the warmer emitters for pleasure, but go towards the more truly neutral lights for critical purposes.
If you look at some of the warmer hCRI tints in XP-G and from Nichia (119/219) as well you'll find some very incandescent looking tints there.

 

[Planz]

Thanks. I was going back and forth between the HCRI and the 200 Rotary but decided to go with the 200. As long as the tint isn't blue I'll be fine with it. My SF Minimus has a poor tint and it bothers me.

Have you got your 200 Rotary yet?
Let us know what your opion of the tint is.
Beamshot would be great.
Thanks.