Ra Clicky (HDS Systems EDC) - Part 11

[experimentjon]

240?!? I swear, I need to stay away from CPF, because the technology keeps getting better...this makes my recent Rayban Wayfarer sunglasses purchase look like a great buy...those will (hopefully) never be out of date.

This talk makes me wonder who picked up the rare 240/200 lumen lights? I suspect that it would be difficult to tell the difference though between a 200 and 170 though...maybe I'm just trying to comfort myself into not desiring a new light.

 

[Votekinky06]

Well, our suspicions of this new light not being a clicky OR a twisty are confirmed by this leaked photo. Gentlemen, the HDS PULLY:

 

[Bucky]

Remember, each LED is individually calibrated. So even if there have been some LEDs that could have been used as 200 or 240 versions, they could easilty be calibrated down to run longer at 140 lumens instead and then be sold as 170s.

I would guess that they have received several LEDs capable of being 200 or 240 versions, but have instead chose to increase the 140 lumen runtime and sell them as 170s. Until they receive enough qualifying LEDs to make a 200 or 240 lumen version a standard offering, it is probably in their best interest to keep the 170 the top version until they can offer the high lumen models with some consistency. Otherwise, the 200/240 versions become what everybody unrealistically hopes to purchase, and sales of the 170 version take a serious hit.

I don't blame Henry one bit for taking that tact; I would do the same exact thing. But considering we had 200 lumen models as far back as March of 2009, I would have to think that at least a 200 lumen model would become a standard offering in the near future.

 

[Harry999]

I was comparing my 170T Clicky against the Surefire LX2 and E2DL, both of which are rated at 200 lumen, on a white surface. There is not that much of a difference to my eyes. I still preferred the beam pattern of the 170T to be honest and that is what I use when I am not using the 100 CRI.

The main interest in eventually having the higher lumen emitters to me is the far greater efficiency and potential increase in run times on the ultra low and low levels. More and more I find myself using the lower lumen levels as I start to use the right amount of light for the task or activity I am involved in.

My most used levels are the sub 0.3 levels on the High CRI Clicky (for night time reading) and the 140 Twisty (for navigation around the house in the late evening).

 

[Captain Spaulding]

Well, our suspicions of this new light not being a clicky OR a twisty are confirmed by this leaked photo. Gentlemen, the HDS PULLY:

I will take two!

That gave me another idea... Clap on, Clap off, clap on clap off, the HDS clapper?

 

[gottawearshades]

My 170cn's will not be outdated just because there is a 240-lumen model. It will continue to light up when I press the button.

I will still probably buy one because I'm a collector and it's fun. However, I use several "out of date" flashlights all the time.

Right now in my pocket there's a U60GT. Yes, Milky updated the emitter, but that was about three years ago with a K2 tffc that is now a little out of date. It works just fine, the beam is perfect, and it does everything I need.

240?!? I swear, I need to stay away from CPF, because the technology keeps getting better...this makes my recent Rayban Wayfarer sunglasses purchase look like a great buy...those will (hopefully) never be out of date.

 

[michelkenny]

Well, our suspicions of this new light not being a clicky OR a twisty are confirmed by this leaked photo. Gentlemen, the HDS PULLY:

That's awesome!

 

[KDOG3]

I'm actually puzzled as to why Henry hasn't put XPGs in the Clickies yet. They are pretty much a drop in replacement - the work great with the stock reflector and produce a great beam (from the pics I've seen here on CPF) And you get the higher outputs on the higher levels and longer runtimes to boot. Could be the inventory issues he discussed earlier. I guess we will find out at some point.

 

[DM51]

Gentlemen, the HDS PULLY

LOL !! I've always wanted a crazy light like that!

 

[edc3]

I'm actually puzzled as to why Henry hasn't put XPGs in the Clickies yet. They are pretty much a drop in replacement - the work great with the stock reflector and produce a great beam (from the pics I've seen here on CPF) And you get the higher outputs on the higher levels and longer runtimes to boot. Could be the inventory issues he discussed earlier. I guess we will find out at some point.

That would be my perfect "wider beam" version. Most of my usage is short to medium so throw is not that important. And my 170T throws well enough for me.

Judging by this post, the XR-E emitters didn't meet his specifications. Maybe the XP-G don't either.

Originally Posted by HDS_Systems

There is more to a flashlight than an LED manufacturer's specification sheet. When we build a light we are only interested in one thing: which LED emitter can be purchased in production quantities and meet our rather stringent specifications. We are interested in high lumen/minutes out the front window. In the end, nothing else matters.

We looked at the Cree XR-E LEDs and they could not meet our specifications. So we did not use them. And relatively few other flashlight manufacturers used them - probably for similar reasons.

New emitters are announced on a regular basis. There is a lot of gamesmanship (i.e., marketing hype) in most press releases. It is often 6, 9, 12 or more months before you can purchase an LED that does that the press release claimes. There is a huge difference between being able to ship a single emitter that meets a certain specification and being able to ship production quantities of an emitter that meets a certain specification. You only have to ship a single emitter for the press release to be "accurate".

Suffice it to say we are always looking for an emitter that can better what we have. And we build prototypes on a regular basis to test new emitters. But building one is not the same as getting something into production. That takes a lot more work - and testing. There is a lot more to putting an LED under the hood than meets the eye.

Henry.

 

[the.Mtn.Man]

Sounds like an argument for another Clicky

My wife already thinks I'm nuts for spending $150 on a flashlight. I think she would have me committed if I bought a second just so I could run my batteries down.

At any rate, a pair of rechargeable batteries and a charger is under $25 from 4Sevens, so I think I'll save up my money and go that route and hang onto my primaries for emergencies. That way I'll always be able to keep the light "topped off". In the meantime, I've knocked the highest setting down to 70 lumen (second highest setting) to extend the battery life a little by staying away from the energy sucking 100 lumen burst mode.

 

[MikeG1P315]

Anyone else see this? Good for Henry!

http://www.onlineprnews.com/news/55...-to-launch-nationwide-marketing-campaign.html

 

[Connor]

At any rate, a pair of rechargeable batteries and a charger is under $25 from 4Sevens, so I think I'll save up my money and go that route and hang onto my primaries for emergencies.

By all means, go for rechargeables. I have just one thing to say: Guilt-free lumens.
Once you go there, there is no turning back. :devil:

 

[edc3]

Anyone else see this? Good for Henry!

http://www.onlineprnews.com/news/55...-to-launch-nationwide-marketing-campaign.html

That's great! And also great for the government employees who get to use his quality products.

Note also another mention of the new upcoming product:

Their pioneering ways include the first regulated output of 15 lumens for an LED flashlight in 1998 to the world's first networked multi-processor flashlight with advance user interface in 2010.

 

[etherealshade]

I have no idea what that could be, but I'm definitely looking forward to finding out.

That's great! And also great for the government employees who get to use his quality products.

Note also another mention of the new upcoming product:

 

[KDOG3]

Maybe someone here with a little more "pull" with Henry can find out what is coming out as far as the new light and clear up the whole "240" thing - whether it uses an XPG or its simply a freak OGD...

 

[wyager]

Their pioneering ways include the first regulated output of 15 lumens for an LED flashlight in 1998 to the world's first networked multi-processor flashlight with advance user interface in 2010.

Say what? Now we have networked lights? :thinking:

 

[the.Mtn.Man]

By all means, go for rechargeables. I have just one thing to say: Guilt-free lumens.
Once you go there, there is no turning back. :devil:

Yeah, I'm thinking I should have gone with them in the first place.

 

[pjandyho]

Yeah, I'm thinking I should have gone with them in the first place.

Not only do we get "guilt free" lumens, we have the flexibility to always charge up the battery before we leave the house. That is what I so favor about RCR123 or any rechargeables and HDS lights are all geared up to take Li-Ions so what's not to like about it?

 

[ever4ever]

Sorry for taking the discussion to a different direction again but I have another RA modification question. :fail:
-I'm trying to make a decent lanyard for my clicky. don't like clips

Anyone got any lanyard suggestions / pics?