Free Discussion: HDS EDC Executive Pass Around Light

[aramid]

Now it is true, I could have calibrated it to overdrive the LED and give more output than that emitter normally did, or I could have calibrated it to run far under what the LED is capable of. There are several LED options available right now, including a group buy for 4 different color temperatures which is exactly why the emitter in this pass around is unimportant.

The build, the feel, the UI, the programming, the ruggedness... that is the heart of the light, not the emitter which already has several options available. If you don't understand that, you don't understand HDS lights.

Speaking as someone who has no stake in this discussion, having just stumbled across both threads, I think perhaps you shot yourself in the foot on this goal by pushing it so hard. If you hadn't added the stipulations about discussing the LED and output, then as you say, nobody who understands HDS lights would have cared. At most, they would have commented that they'd order theirs with a different LED. But by pushing so strongly to keep that information out of the discussion, you actually called more attention to it. From where I'm sitting, the lumens and LED being used are currently the most interesting thing about the pass-around light, specifically because they're mysterious. Psychology is funny like that.

 

[Zak]

This phenomenon is so well known as to have a name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect

 

[spaceminions]

If you do, I might read it.

 

[spaceminions]

I want to remind everyone that the point of this thread is to allow uncensored discussion, but its existence should not be taken as a criticism of the passaround. I have tried to make sure to emphasize that this was created partly as a humerous response to being told to make my own thread or be quiet and partly to let the tin can and string people have somewhere to discuss the light with a more favorable climate to that community. I think it's great to send out a light for people to try, but communication can be an issue sometimes, and explaining that the led in it was *just what was on hand*, and that the emitter attributes are not meant to be representative of HDS might have been a better approach. (It's a "sorry, try not to hold the quirks against me, but check out the other stuff" instead of "this doesn't matter, don't talk about it!" At that point, when people are already primed to be understanding about the numbers, there's no need to even hide the lumen output it's set to except for fun. Just say it was set to the oddball number X because it's not a light you can actually buy and so it's a meaningless number, or that you'd like people to keep the number secret in order to not spoil the fun of guessing. Put it in a spoiler maybe, whatever works so people can have fun. Maybe force is not the way to get people to ignore something. I think the "Why XPG" question is very well explained by "because that's what I had" and the explanation that this isn't primarily a marketing thing (even if it can certainly serve as one) but rather an impulsive pass around. It was briefly thought that this was more of a thought-out marketing thing mixed with a social experiment rather than a harmless little passaround. Communication like that took awhile to come around, and I think some people got upset about it. Keep it friendly folks, nobody means anyone any harm.

 

[tech25]

The passaround was meant to give the ability to handle (fondle?) an HDS and compare it to the other lights. Mostly for size and UI comparison. For those following in the main and passaround threads, Hogo mentioned he was using one of his lights with a cool white led for the passaround, an Executive as that was what Gurdygurds wanted to try out. He also added a guessing game for output- I believe in part, to test peoples perception of what useful output is. A bunch of people (myself included) were asking for a bump in output -just to have on tap. Hogo stated a few reasons why it is staying the same- for safety with CR123 batteries, for runtime in a cave and he also challenged people as to how much light they need or usually use.

At work, I carry a Malkoff MD2 with a M61N~ 300 lumens and wanted more flexibility that a rotary HDS can afford. Out of work, I use a Okluma DC1 and use full blast mostly for fun. My general usage is about 250 lumens, give or take (I never measured but it is a bit less than my M61N) I intend to test this against my M61N and a few other lights. This passaround is giving me the opportunity to check out the size and UI. I do intend to buy a rotary but have always wanted to try an executive. As weird as it sounds to us flashaholics, this was never about the actual Led or tint, it was a chance to play with an HDS before buying... or not.

 

[bykfixer]

Well Put Tech25.

Good comments here.

 

[gurdygurds]

This is it right here people. What tech25 said. Handle the light, try the UI, feel the weight, sniff it, look for lick marks on the reflector, and see if it calls out to your soul....or not. Reading about it doesn't tell you much especially since other people's perceptions are going to different than yours. From what some people have said, I was expecting the light to either weigh 2 pounds and be impossible to carry in the pocket, or to be the most wondrous lighting tool ever created. Wanted to figure it out for myself and was luckily able to do that without going through the hassle of buying and selling. This whole thing is just a nice gesture from another human being. Anyone who is annoyed with what is happening or all heated about how it was presented should take a deep breath and realize we're talking about a flashlight here. I like the mystery aspect as it let's you decide if it's bright enough or not, and you may be surprised, or not, by what the actual output is. Seems really smart to me. Anyway, Hogo, I appreciate ya brother. For you haters, if you don't calm it down and start being nice I'm seriously going to tell my mom on you.

 

[RCS1300]

This is a very valuable thread for HDS Systems. It shows that the future market for their products may be driven/segmented by LED emitter choice. Towards that end, HDS Systems might offer, as they do now but to a larger extent, the ability to build a custom flashlight and choose your emitter.

I know my selection of flashlights today is now driven by the emitter (Yesterday, ordered a High CRI Clicky from HDS to complement my Standard Rotary). When I first got into LED's it was because they were brighter, lasted longer, and pushed a light beam further than anything in my collection of Maglites. Now, as emitters and powersources have become better it is now possible to also get good color renderings of reds, browns, and yellows with High CRI lights. That way not everything will have a blue tint, hue.

So keep at it. Talk more. Maybe HDS systems will take a poll and get the size of the future flashlight market for LED customization among those that can spend $300 on a flashlight.

 

[peter yetman]

That way not everything will have a blue tint, hue.

I cannpt imagine for a moment that Henry would have let a light go out like that.
Have you had one like it, then?
P

 

[RCS1300]

I cannpt imagine for a moment that Henry would have let a light go out like that.
Have you had one like it, then?
P

I do not know enough about LED's to respond. My current HDS Rotary pushes 250 lumens of an awesome pure white light. However, when shown against the wood in my house next to a High CRI light it shows a blue tint wheras the High CRI shows a deep light brown rendering. "Tint" is probably the absolute wrong word to use here. Instead, let's say the High CRI emitter rendered brown better than the non-High CRI emitter.

So, I ordered the Clicky style HDS High CRI light also. I want both for different reason. One is a nice bright weapons support light and the other will be used personally as an easy on the eyes, find your way around the house light, and see plants and furniture in High CRI. So, on my most recent HDS purchase I shopped for the emitter but also wanted a pocket clip so the light did not roll on my night stand, and a clicky (non-Rotary) so I can get to 4 custom lumen levels very fast.

 

[peter yetman]

That's interesting, thank you.
P