How To Install a Clip Under the Bezel of Your HDS Rotary

[Kalsu]

Isn't a bezel up carry have more chances to scratch glass ?

Like @Mr. LED said the glass is pretty recessed and protected by the bezel. There is always the sapphire lens.

 

[jon_slider]

Tickled pink I am ;-).. Rotary w sw45k.

Thats a Darksucks Titanium clip, their Surefire model.. needed enlarging the ID of the ring on the clip. An extremely kind member gifted it to me, already clearanced.. Fits perfectly!

The 2mm x 18.5mm ID O ring is available from the O-Ring Store as mentioned in the OP.. they cost $15 shipped. That size is not available on ebay.

 

[ilikeguns40]

Looks great 👍

 

[Hogokansatsukan]

Nicely done! Looks great!

 

[jon_slider]

Looks great 👍

The clip works really well for me, for several reasons.. The clip on the light is very comfortable to hold, and does not interfere with the rotary dial. The shape and postion of the clip also make it really easy to slide onto a seam, using only one hand..

And, I like that the bezel up carry puts the tailswitch and rotary dial, naturally at my finger tips when I pull the light from a pocket. I also like that when I clip the light back over a pocket seam, Im pushing on the bezel, not the tail. Less chance of turning the light on accidentally when pushing it into a back pocket.

Im also a big fan of pocket clips as anti roll devices, even when I carry inside a jacket pocket, instead of clipped to a pants pocket. The clip lets me lay the light on a table or nightstand without worrying about the light rolling onto the floor..

Plus, I like the bling factor of Titanium.. ;-)

Now some nitty gritty details.. when the clip ring is installed between the reflector and the head, no O ring changes are needed, but, it affects the beam, it creates a ring in the outer spill, and at very close range (2") it makes a shadow shaped cross in the center of the hotspot.. pics in this album also show the beam without the pocket clip, which is much cleaner, because the reflector is not lifted away from the LED.

By swapping to the thicker O ring, it is possible to keep the reflector spacing at stock distance, so the beam does not change. This uses the clip between the reflector and the bezel, as the OP recommends.

Another issue to be aware of, the clip rests lightly on a part of the body that turns when removing and installing a battery. It is helpful to lift the clip slightly while installing and removig the body from the head. There is also some fine tuning that may be desireable to increase clip retention pressure.

I still respect the oft repeated warnings that clips are more prone to having a light fall out of pocket, than carrying unclipped, inside a pocket. Its good to have choices. I sometimes wear pants or jackets with zippered pockets.. if Im seriously concerned about my activity level creating a risk of losing a pocket clipped light, I move it to a more secure pocket.

 

[Hogokansatsukan]

All excellent reasons for a clip. Bezel up really is the best way to do it with the Rotary, as you mentioned, it won't interfere with the tail.

 

[jon_slider]

it won't interfere with the tail.

agree
and it is a reversible mod that does not require permanent changes to the host. The scariest part, for me, is the part of the process when the reflector is not covered by the lens. I like to use some painters tape over the reflector, when placing the ring clip. But there will still be a moment when the reflector will be exposed, while placing the thicker O ring on the edge of the reflector, just before putting the lens back to cover the reflector again.

I also like this clip install option:

but Im not set up to drill and tap, and the changes to the body are not reversible.

 

[Mr. LED]

By swapping to the thicker O ring, it is possible to keep the reflector spacing at stock distance, so the beam does not change. This uses the clip between the reflector and the bezel, as the OP recommends.

Another issue to be aware of, the clip rests lightly on a part of the body that turns when removing and installing a battery. It is helpful to lift the clip slightly while installing and removig the body from the head. There is also some fine tuning that may be desireable to increase clip retention pressure.

I still respect the oft repeated warnings that clips are more prone to having a light fall out of pocket, than carrying unclipped, inside a pocket. Its good to have choices. I sometimes wear pants or jackets with zippered pockets.. if Im seriously concerned about my activity level creating a risk of losing a pocket clipped light, I move it to a more secure pocket.

Installing the clip between the reflector and bezel is the way to go.

The clip you installed is slightly longer the the clip the OP and others are using, it's the Oveready clip that sits exactly on the head, so it doesn't interfere when removing the head from the body.

Anyway, yours look great, bling bling! Can't see myself using the rotary without a clip.

 

[scalpel_ninja]

I also like this clip install option:
View attachment 44012
but Im not set up to drill and tap, and the changes to the body are not reversible.

It's not too difficult. I did mine with a drill press and hand tap. One guy on Reddit did it with a hand held drill and tap.

 

[jon_slider]

I did mine with a drill press and hand tap.

congrats.. I dont own those tools, and seriously considered reaching out for your help.. but.. so far.. Im enjoying exploring ring clip options. There are three different ring clip options Im learning about, more details in this album

 

[Hogokansatsukan]

It is one of the issues (pocket clip) we are working at fixing on the new light. While neither Henry nor I are pocket clip guys, it is important we have a more elegant solution than that gawd awful Universal Clip... I have other reasons for disliking that Universal Clip as I'm the poor slob who has to put those tiny screws in them!

 

[Duster1671]

@jon_slider - the photo you showed of the ring in the outer part of the beam when the clip is installed between the reflector and the head looks familiar.

The very first Rotary I bought in 2011 had a beam like that in its stock form. I think this was the first XP-G model (it was a 200 lumen cool white XP-G) and the reflector design had not been updated yet for optimal focus with that LED.

Edit: I dug up a couple of old photos... (btw, this Rotary has the nicest looking orange peel I've seen on an HDS. The newer style have definitely suffered in quality, but it doesn't seem to affect the beam. Just a cosmetic thing, and only looking at the light the wrong way!)

 

[jon_slider]

clip comparisons in progress...
fwiw, the Oveready clip is 1/4" shorter than these 3 options:
the two HDS clips fit without modification. The Darksucks Surefire clip needs the hole enlarged to fit HDS, it is different than the Darksucks HDS clip that is made with a larger hole.


photo on left credit emarkd. Both clips have had the holes enlarged to fit HDS