HDS Systems #23

[jon_slider]

send it back to HDS for a boot replacement

that is what I did.. Henry only took 3 days to ship it back

i'm interested in replacing mine with a raised button

Henry can do that too

 

[LRJ88]

that is what I did.. Henry only took 3 days to ship it back

Henry can do that too

I would, had it not been a trip across the ocean and half the cost of a new light in shipping back and forth. I'd rather just buy some to have them and change it myself instead.

 

[desert.snake]

One time I received a new, unused flashlight. I used the 16340 for a long time and the button was always flat, then at one point my 16340 ran out of charge and installed the CR123, the next day the button became convex, possibly due to the gas emitted by the batteries. She couldn't get flat anymore. Now I have received a couple of the same unused ones and in one of them so far I only use 16340 and no changes in the state of the button. Perhaps this is how gas affects neoprene or am I mistaken? It would be nice to conduct more extensive observations, but I don't have enough money yet to buy a bunch of new HDS

 

[LRJ88]

One time I received a new, unused flashlight. I used the 16340 for a long time and the button was always flat, then at one point my 16340 ran out of charge and installed the CR123, the next day the button became convex, possibly due to the gas emitted by the batteries. She couldn't get flat anymore. Now I have received a couple of the same unused ones and in one of them so far I only use 16340 and no changes in the state of the button. Perhaps this is how gas affects neoprene or am I mistaken? It would be nice to conduct more extensive observations, but I don't have enough money yet to buy a bunch of new HDS

What brand was the CR123? Mine got like this with the original Duraleak that came with the light.

 

[desert.snake]

What brand was the CR123? Mine got like this with the original Duraleak that came with the light.

SF and Battery Station. Both smell and can be felt when I open the desk drawers in which they are stored. But this is still only an assumption that gas from the batteries is to blame

 

[LRJ88]

SF and Battery Station. Both smell and can be felt when I open the desk drawers in which they are stored. But this is still only an assumption that gas from the batteries is to blame

Others have mentioned that the boot, after having been deformed, has stuck that way. I'm unsure how much of that is the cell itself and how much is the boot material, regardless it's a bit of a pain.

 

[Mr. LED]

I've never used CR123 on this light, only 18350.

 

[Lithium466]

I'm not sure what to blame, I have some lights that have 10 years and the boot is still impeccable, and others more recent where I had to replace it. I use a mix of CR123 from various brands (Panasonic/Energizer/Duracell, all probably made in the same US factory) and 16340/18650.

 

[Mr. LED]

I have an orange clicky from 2010 with the boot perfectly intact. And a few months old 18350 tube has a puffed up boot. What's the purpose of a bullet proof light with a boot so fragile?

 

[kerneldrop]

And a few months old 18350 tube has a puffed up boot. What's the purpose of a bullet proof light with a boot so fragile?

You can't even use that light as a photo prop for those sweet hard-user FB pics

 

[LRJ88]

You can't even use that light as a photo prop for those sweet hard-user FB pics

To be fair it's a legitimate gripe with how the boot seems to be inconsistent. One of the pros about having a flat boot is supposedly being able to tailstand it. I know it's a risky business with the one i have since it's close to tipping over and happily spins around the boot when attempting it.

The question is then why the quality is so uneven in the flat boots alone, the raised boots don't seem to at all suffer from the same type of swelling or cracking, so is it in part due to how they're manufactured, the materials, waiting times, exposure to cell chemistries, or bloody aliens making it so one flat boot will last a decade with no issues and one puffs up faster than some snotty kid at a chocolate factory?

 

[ilikeguns40]

I would much prefer a metal button. It will always be flat and last pretty much forever.

Make it user replaceable as well, because if there's rubber or plastic underneath I'm sure it'll need replaced at some point. Everything else on the light is bombproof, besides that rubber switch boot

One reason why I never purchased a rotary, yes Henry is great and will replace it and take care of you, but I don't want to have to keep sending it in for boot replacements and jeopardize the chance of USPS losing the package. Just something I'd rather not deal with down the road

Also considering the cost of these lights and parts you shouldn't have to be sending anything in for a very long time

 

[kerneldrop]

To be fair it's a legitimate gripe with how the boot seems to be inconsistent.

I don't disagree.
And folks are hesitant to send in their light because they don't know when it'll be returned.
HDS hard-users feel suffering is a right of passage to owning an HDS light.

 

[thermal guy]

Wait, has anyone got hold of Henry to ask what it is? This can't be that hard to figure out.

 

[LRJ88]

Wait, has anyone got hold of Henry to ask what it is? This can't be that hard to figure out.

IIRC this has been brought up in earlier threads too and people have talked to Henry about it as well, for all i've read it just seems to be a coin flip as to how it'll hold up and if it'll be good or crack. Reconsidering boot material might be the easiest way to deal with it, and while i'm not too happy about purchasing more of something risky i'd happily cough up $10 for a boot in a material that didn't swell up or crack like this is wont to do.

 

[thermal guy]

god I remember going through this 15-20 years ago with the boots on the old generation. " U45/U60's". We were all looking for ones that would tail stand. Didn't know a problem still existed.

 

[JohnSmith]

The lack of user serviceability of the boot is the big sore thumb of the rotary design. The guy who recently demonstrated the removal of the tailcap and PCB had my attention because someday this is something we'll have to deal with ourselves.

 

[LRJ88]

The lack of user serviceability of the boot is the big sore thumb of the rotary design. The guy who recently demonstrated the removal of the tailcap and PCB had my attention because someday this is something we'll have to deal with ourselves.

That guy may or may not have been me. In all fairness i thought it'd be harder to perform any kind of maintenance based on the atories etc. about how the Rotary is built, but i don't know how much that differs from one generation of light to the next as well. I'm very rarely hamfisted in cases like these and i have the patience to take it slow rather than force something that doesn't feel right, being a machinist by trade and having quite the passion for throwing incense and annointing oil at things until the machine spirit cooperates helps too.

 

[jon_slider]

incense and annointing oil

I hear Rum works too.. lol

 

[LRJ88]

I hear Rum works too.. lol

It works, but i'm more wont to use methods some find… unnatural.