HDS Systems EDC # 19

[AZPops]

Haha I always have one open to the site. I don't really care much for the 18350, though. Just more $ being burnt from my wallet

Geez, thanks! At least you have HDS on it. ... :thumbsup: ... I'm still feeling a bit embarrassed though, being the only one refreshing the accessory page! ... :laughing:


Anonymous, .... OK, OK, it's Pops!

 

[INFRNL]

I'm not sure how much more runtime we would get from an 18350, so i am not sure what i think yet. I honestly do not see much of a gain but I guess every little bit counts. Probably not enough to justify buying an 18350 body but maybe if someone didn't have a 123 yet; then it would possibly be worth buying the 18350 version over the std.

I guess we know we can count on you to notify us, so we don't need to keep checking:laughing:

 

[gunga]

I think capacity increase is 15-25%? I like the increase but won't likely pay $150 for a rotary body for a bit more runtime. A new light possibly ...

 

[indigon]

I totally agree, or go with the 18650 if you really need the runtime..

 

[INFRNL]

so 15-25% of not much= not much more...
Giving the benefit of the doubt 25% more of approx 30mins on a 16340 is 7.5 mins more. Definitely not worth what the cost is of a new body. New light if you don't already have the smaller size, yes.

I agree, if runtime is needed, get the 18650 or carry some spare cells I suppose. Good thing I picked up both and a lot of you have a collection going.

I do have an 18350 light on order from someone else, will see how that goes when it arrives in a few months.

What i would be more interested in than an 18350 body would be an 18650 that is shorter. I am not sure what is involved in the heads of these but they are a bit longer than other lights. I'm guess all that room is needed for the driver and what not.

 

[LedTed]

Originally Posted by FroggyTaco
Get the lights wet & the knurling somehow becomes "sharp" & very grippy.

I have two HDS lights. Both are from the last long waiting period. Both of my lights become noticeably slippery when wet.

I used to employ my lights primarily for inspection. Now after only one week of using my 350 rotary as a main work light, spots of anodizing are coming off. I'm afraid the light will only continue to loose grip.

I'd hate to be forced to perform a partial machine rebuild just to retrieve my dropped light.

Has anyone chased / deepened their knurling, by hand, with a file?

 

[the0dore3524]

Does the grip come from the anodizing or the metal underneath itself? Sorry if I'm missing something...

 

[Ozythemandias]

What i would be more interested in than an 18350 body would be an 18650 that is shorter. I am not sure what is involved in the heads of these but they are a bit longer than other lights. I'm guess all that room is needed for the driver and what not.

The clicky is only about .25" longer than the Convoy S2+, a light many carry as an EDC. Granted, it's not as short as an SC63W (the cr123 size is basically the same as that one), but I consider it a reasonable size, especially for what you get.

 

[indigon]

Originally Posted by FroggyTaco
Get the lights wet & the knurling somehow becomes "sharp" & very grippy.

I have two HDS lights. Both are from the last long waiting period. Both of my lights become noticeably slippery when wet.

I used to employ my lights primarily for inspection. Now after only one week of using my 350 rotary as a main work light, spots of anodizing are coming off. I'm afraid the light will only continue to loose grip.

I'd hate to be forced to perform a partial machine rebuild just to retrieve my dropped light.

Has anyone chased / deepened their knurling, by hand, with a file?

HA hard anodize, while very durable; will eventually wear down some with use. Cerakote coatings are even less durable.

I strongly recommend attaching some type of lanyard to any tool that has the potential of being dropped somewhere you wouldn't want it to fall.

edited to add: -referring to working aloft, engines/machinery, over bilges/water etc.

Ron

 

[AZPops]

Nevur mind, not worth it. Please delete this post. Thanks.

Pops

 

[gunga]

So I've been informed of a 45% increase in runtime using 18350. I guess that is using aw capacity numbers of 550 mah and 800 mah. I'm not sure I believe that but I guess that is best case. My 18350 are 700mah. I'd hedge towards 25-30% increase but it's all speculating without real tests.

 

[recDNA]

Finally made it home to check out my twins (poor quality pic)

325lm 123/ hicri 219b 18650


On the 18650 head you will notice it looks dirty, these are the way they arrived. Initial impressions:

Minor dislikes: you will notice they used 2 different stop screws (the Philips head looks cheap for a high end light
The stop tab/nipple has fairly sharp/rough edges and can be bothersome on occasion but mostly not an issue
Knurling is pretty smooth and does not serve it's purpose. With it's smooth texture it serves mostly for aesthetics


Overall build quality and design are great.

I can see now, why many of you prefer the 123 size, but i do not find the 18650 too big/long (18650 runtime trumps 123, so 18650 will probably be my choice)
I like the rotary ui, it is a nice change from the various clicky ui's and side switches.

I really like the tint of the 219B and 200lm output does not appear to be too far off from the 325lm. The 325lm is closer to a borderline neutral/true white tint, not nearly as bad as i was expecting. on lower levels, i can see some of the tint issues that have been mentioned but they seem more apparent when shining on walls. In actual use It does not appear to be as much of an issue. I haven't had much time to play with them yet. The 325 may stay as is or I may try a lee filter, but it only needs a shade or 2 to get close to where it needs to be.

When shining a malkoff M91T or M61HOT (which have a slight hint of blue) next to the 325; the 325 actually appears neutral with a slightly creamy tint to it. This is not quite the case when shining the 325 by itself.

Overall i am happy with my purchase. I do not really need 2 HDS's/rotaries but it will be hard to decide between the 2 sizes. Tint definitely goes to the Nichia. too early to tell but the beam profiles seem really good as well; nice amount of spill and good range for typical use. I do believe the 325 does have a slightly broader profile with it's larger emitter.

I think that is all I have for now

On a white wall by itself what color tint do you see from the 325? Greenish?

 

[INFRNL]

So I've been informed of a 45% increase in runtime using 18350. I guess that is using aw capacity numbers of 550 mah and 800 mah. I'm not sure I believe that but I guess that is best case. My 18350 are 700mah. I'd hedge towards 25-30% increase but it's all speculating without real tests.

my aw ICR123's are 750mah, KP16340/700mah
my xtar(unprotected) 18350's are 850mah and kp 18350(protected/900mah, Older aw 18350(unprotected) are 700mah iirc

On a white wall by itself what color tint do you see from the 325? Greenish?

I'll double check tomorrow after my eyes readjust(been looking at neutral all day doing some runtime tests)
But right now i can kind of see what you guys have been talking about. On low levels it's more noticeable and at close distances. It's more yellowish but I think i can kind of see a very slight greenish tint in it around the outer edge of the hotspot only. It's not like mountain dew green or anything and i have to fight to call it greenish.

From what i gather the reason for this is to a point is; when you put it on the lowest setting and look at the emitter, you can see the yellow in the light around the emitter. i do not know why it glows like this but it definitely gets transferred to the wall. Kind of reminds me o those lights at the dentist or doctors/hospital(at least the oldshool ones)
On my nichia, It's all one color or rosy. However if I shine it at the wall at say 18' away, I would have to seriously fight to see even the yellowness. On higher levels it's also definitely less of an issue close up and a non issue at distance. I'm not exactly sure what i think of the tint to begin with since i really like neutral.

I've only found a few of those filter colors that may possibly work, but i do not like any of them when compared to a nichia or even a good neutral emitter. I went through that book probably half a dozen times with no luck in finding exactly what i want. Although if i do not use any other lights at all, I think I might be able to choose from a few that would be ok. I'll also say that that filter book will not work on anything that produces heat. I wanted to find a filter for a couple malkoff lights and the filters started melting/crinkling.

I haven't had a chance to really get to use these outside yet. I can tell the 325 has a slightly wider spill and is slightly brighter with a different color tint obviously, but that's about it so far. I do like the length of the 123 more but it's hard to beat the runtime of the 18650, and the 18650 is still easily edc-able. It's a tough call, but time with use will give me a better idea if i end up with a favorite size. I should hopefully be going back out on the road on tuesday, so i should be able to get to really check them out this week.

 

[wimmer21]

I'm ready for my second Rotary. I suppose I'll go for the xpl emitter this time, although I'd rather have an xpl hi. I would be bummed though, if that became an option soon after my purchase.... maybe I should hold out for a while. :tired:

 

[Ozythemandias]

I'm ready for my second Rotary. I suppose I'll go for the xpl emitter this time, although I'd rather have an xpl hi. I would be bummed though, if that became an option soon after my purchase.... maybe I should hold out for a while. :tired:

No worries there, Henry told me in an email he will not be using the XP-L HI.

 

[wimmer21]

No worries there, Henry told me in an email he will not be using XPL HI:

Oh ok, thanks for the info. Yeah I like the xpl emitter, I just really enjoy the extra throw the hi provides. No worries... xpl it is.

 

[scout24]

While the info is appreciated, I'd ask that you review Rule 10 regarding private communications. I removed the quote from your post... Thanks! :thumbsup:

 

[wimmer21]

I wonder is Henry would consider dedoming one? j/k... pardon me while I go jump in the river.

 

[Ozythemandias]

While the info is appreciated, I'd ask that you review Rule 10 regarding private communications. I removed the quote from your post... Thanks! :thumbsup:

Sorry!

 

[scout24]

No worries! Just a friendly reminder. :wave: :welcome: