HDS Systems EDC # 19

[the.Mtn.Man]

Just leave the cell out for a full minute when changing so the light does a soft reset and re-detects the cell chemestry.

Alternatively, switch the light on before removing the head. This will force an immediate soft-reset.

 

[the0dore3524]

If you take the Rotary body and stick it onto the Executive head, will it function as a rotary? Or are the parts even interchangeable? Sad question, ik, but... yah

Edit - found my answer nvm

 

[Lithium466]

No, but you can send your light to Henry to have it reprogrammed as a rotary or tactical - for $45.

I suppose we reach here a limitation of the hardware's memory, or a deliberate intention of its programmer! Or maybe it is just too complicated to have the tail "recognized" as a rotary or a clicky, don't know. Since the rotary tail appears to use a sort of gray code to communicate, maybe the head can only "receive" the position of the rotary knob?


Edit: stupid question for those who have a rotary on hand : what happens when you push the button while rotating the head? Just the white disc behind the rubber button rubbing on the button?

Won't an optical reading system be more robust than the actual (already very robust) mechanical sensors?

Edit 2: Just some random thoughts... Does anyone here have v2 and v3/4 lights? I noticed that when you activate momentary, select turn on preset on the lowest (or one of the lowest) modes, and let the light off for a few time (~1h is enough), the first time you press the button, there's a ~1s delay before the light actually lights up. This happens only on the v3 (never had a v4 on hand), and not on v2 lights. Also if you check the parasitic drain between v2 and v3, there's a slight difference, the v3 parasitic drain is fluctuating a bit, whereas v2 don't.

 

[emarkd]

stupid question for those who have a rotary on hand : what happens when you push the button while rotating the head? Just the white disc behind the rubber button rubbing on the button?

Won't an optical reading system be more robust than the actual (already very robust) mechanical sensors?

It blinds me because I somehow forgot that mode A on my light is max.

Jokes aside, I'm not sure what you're asking. I can click-n-hold the button while I rotate the tail and it doesn't do anything unexpected. From off I've basically got momentary Rotary, from on I've got momentary high like always, but when I release the output is of the new rotary position.

Also I think I read once that the mechanical mechanism was chosen for its power efficiency as much as anything. Optical and magnetic systems would use more power, shortening runtimes. I don't know it that's true, but I've seen it somewhere.

 

[Lithium466]

I was asking on a mechanical point of view, you answered perfectly, thanks :) Looks like a well thought design! Also +1 on the power efficiency of an optical system.

Also I bet the clicky could easily have a different circuit with a bump in efficiency, but that would necessitate 2 separate drivers.

 

[the0dore3524]

Not, but you can send your light to Henry to have it reprogrammed as a rotary or tactical - for $45.

I suppose we reach here a limitation of the hardware's memory, or a deliberate intention of its programmer! Or maybe it is just too complicated to have the tail "recognized" as a rotary or a clicky, don't know. Since the rotary tail appears to use a sort of gray code to communicate, maybe the head can only "receive" the position of the rotary knob?


Haha didn't know about that...just thought it was a software update until I read more closely! It'd be cool if you could switch it without having to send it in though...

 

[indigon]

Continuing my OCD quest to find a decent clip/lanyard setup
I'm trying these with good sucess..

Pic below (top to bottom), all sporting a triple-constrictor lanyard knot
snugged in with 5/8" o-rings top and bottom..

I also adjust the clip to where if you line the nub on the rotary dial with the clip,
(before you stick it in your pocket), it fires up in med-lo (7-8 setting), which I prefer.

1) 140 Clicky Nichia 219A with Convoy S1-S2+ long clip.
-This is a strange light in that it is incredibly bright for a 140,
almost as bright as a 200, with the best CRI (for me) I have ever seen..
(Better than my new 200-HiCRI, which seems a little brown).
Bought it as a user, previous owner had sent it in for an UI upgrade.

2) 200 Rotary XP-G with Convoy M1/M2 clip. Bought as a beater user,
had the rare firmware blinky glich and a badly cracked flush rubber tailswitch cover.
Decided to send it in for an $45. upgrade, Henry replaced the rubber switch cover & upgraded
the light (No charge). :twothumbs -Has a really nice cool-white spot-thrower beam.
Kinda Blingy for my taste, but great light for reading gauges at a distance/inspections.

3) 325 Tactical XM-L with a Jetbeam RRT clip & Four Sevens finger grip.
My go-to work light. Has a warmer-wide 100ft beam reach, and nice if you need to use both hands.
Great for setting up controls up close or helping my crew navigate through a dark area.

Anyway always on the hunt for new ideas and appreciate seeing the innovations others have come up with here, keep it going!

 

[Lithium466]

Interesting thoughts about the 140, these were supposed to have a CRI of ~88, and color temp around 4500°K. Does yours has a ring in the beam? I never really liked the 170 neutral with Nichia 219B, but the 140 had a different feel, a bit like the GDP. Maybe that's just because I like the tint on 219A.

Did you receive your Ultimate 60 yet? Also nice catch on the rotary!

 

[emarkd]

I'm pretty jealous of the Ultimate 60 catch. If I'd seen it first it would be coming to my house. Enjoy that thing, but if you don't like it when it arrives and you want your money back, you know who to pm...

:)

 

[indigon]

I read somewhere a handful of 140 219A went out as HiCRI (over 90), and many were over spec on lumens, which was never a concern or documented, as long as they met minimum standards.. Don't know the history of this 140, sweet tint though. After experimenting with different reflectors, found a standard with almost no ring showing up in the beam.. :) Seems like all my standard reflectors have a slightly different texture which changes the beam.

Totally stoked scoring the ultimate 60, especially since I have an extra old HDS tail in my parts bin.

Have a WTB for a Rotary 325 4k, if any of you ever want to part with yours, PM me :)

 

[the.Mtn.Man]

If you take the Rotary body and stick it onto the Executive head, will it function as a rotary? Or are the parts even interchangeable? Sad question, ik, but... yah

Edit - found my answer nvm

The Rotary actually has a second brain in the tail that interfaces with the head to make the dial do its magic, so the heads are not interchangeable.

 

[the.Mtn.Man]

I was asking on a mechanical point of view, you answered perfectly, thanks :) Looks like a well thought design! Also +1 on the power efficiency of an optical system.

Also I bet the clicky could easily have a different circuit with a bump in efficiency, but that would necessitate 2 separate drivers.

The dial mechanism is actually very robust. Each brush has a number of "fingers" on it that would all have to fail to render the dial non-functional, and even in a worst-case scenario, a Rotary can always be operated like a Clicky, so it's a virtually fail-proof flashlight.

I don't know if you've heard but Henry's design process includes beating the hell out of a prototype until it fails, strengthening whatever broke, and then repeating until he's satisfied. He designs his lights specifically for spelunking where a flashlight can literally mean the difference between life and death. It's why the HDS slogan is "The light that gets you home".

 

[the.Mtn.Man]

Not, but you can send your light to Henry to have it reprogrammed as a rotary or tactical - for $45.

I suppose we reach here a limitation of the hardware's memory, or a deliberate intention of its programmer! Or maybe it is just too complicated to have the tail "recognized" as a rotary or a clicky, don't know. Since the rotary tail appears to use a sort of gray code to communicate, maybe the head can only "receive" the position of the rotary knob?

Haha didn't know about that...just thought it was a software update until I read more closely! It'd be cool if you could switch it without having to send it in though...

It may be a memory limitation, or perhaps the code for the Rotary and Clicky is sufficiently different enough that they can't easily be combined. I'm sure Henry would love to have a common head since it would make production and inventory a lot easier.

 

[the0dore3524]

I can't wait to watch the torture test video...any updates on that front? Also is there any other previous videos?

 

[ven]

The HDS has to be one of the toughest(if not the) on the planet that can be bought anyway..................Mine means too much so gets babied(but used all the same). But i do baby most of my lights anyway other than designated work/beater lights and these are bought accordingly and with hard/heavy use in mind.

Although the HDS is for hard stuff, it means too much(sentimental value for one) so gets used as part of my EDC/house/camping applications. As they say(and its true imo) once dinged and marked, you enjoy a light more.................

 

[Lithium466]

Nice setup :twothumbs
I have the same problem as you, and it extends to cars too...

Still waiting for my new rotary to arrive :candle:
And my Marketplace-bought modded clicky to come back from Henry's...that's why I decided to post a WTB! My Ultimate 60 is too beautiful to be carried carelessly!

PS: on the Novatac front, I noticed more and more flickering with an exhausted primary battery. Not much flickering with a new primary or a RCR.

 

[the.Mtn.Man]

My Rotary is anything but babied. There are several nicks in the dial, a couple of scratches on the body, and the bezel has a couple of rough spots where the light has hit pavement. I love the worn look.

 

[the0dore3524]

My Rotary is anything but babied. There are several nicks in the dial, a couple of scratches on the body, and the bezel has a couple of rough spots where the light has hit pavement. I love the worn look.

You're lucky...so hard for me to carry mine knowing it'll get worn out. Once it does get a little wear, though, I'll probably use it without regard for it's aesthetics [emoji24]

 

[AVService]

You're lucky...so hard for me to carry mine knowing it'll get worn out. Once it does get a little wear, though, I'll probably use it without regard for it's aesthetics [emoji24]

But it won't "get worn out" it will just develop its own character.

I have one cerekoted in OD and that one I am scared to take out?

The coating is,well.....a coating and will come off the light but I try to take baby steps with it anyway.

I try to think of these as a tool and like any other I need to use it for it to be useful to me.

The first scratch is the worst maybe.

 

[defbear]

The Rotary actually has a second brain in the tail that interfaces with the head to make the dial do its magic, so the heads are not interchangeable.

When I was buying a 2xAA battery compartment with a 325 Tactical head. I wanted to swap it with a 325 Rotary head and do some Lego-ing with a floody reflector etc. The upshot is that I asked Henry about where does the programming reside. (I knew the answer) Henry says it stays with the head. Use what ever battery compartment you like. I have 5 HDS lights now (Thank you CPF :) All are either Rotary or Tactical. They interchange fine. But a Rotary head on a Clicky Tube. Hmmm. Limited functionality?