HDS Systems #23

[ilikeguns40]

This is a great place for tritium. Shipping is fast to USA as well:

Tritium Glow-Fobs

Titanium, Brass, Copper and Stainless Steel Keychain and pendant glow-fobs for tritium vials. Customise your fob with a combination of tritium colours.

tritiumworkshop.com

 

[indigon]

This is a great place for tritium. Shipping is fast to USA as well:

Tritium Glow-Fobs

Titanium, Brass, Copper and Stainless Steel Keychain and pendant glow-fobs for tritium vials. Customise your fob with a combination of tritium colours.

tritiumworkshop.com

Great prices also, thanks!

 

[Jeff S.]

Just a completely random post, but a reminder how much I love the HDS and sw45k combo. Took my terrier, Moose, out last night, and he immediately was interested in something under our porch/stoop. I thought it was one of the neighborhood stray cats, so I called Moose back and he came right away, and glad he did because it turns out it was a skunk. (Super lucky he didn’t get sprayed).

To the point, it was so easy to identify the skunk with the emitter/reflector. Everything is just so crisp and easy to see. Sometimes it’s easy to dismiss 200 lumens as “only” 200 lumens, but it really is an incredible amount of light.

I didn’t want to scare the skunk and have it spray, but I also didn’t want it comfortable under the porch. I believe they hate light, so I wanted to shine some light on it for awhile. I went inside and grabbed an Olight that’s rated at 1800. It has a TIR, which I’ve always thought makes for a sort of blurry hotspot. The tint was so green and the hotspot so blurry that it completely washed out the skunk and porch. No joke, you could miss the animal if you weren‘t looking for it, and even knowing it was there, might not be able to 100% identify it. And, while the 1800 “rated” lumens was a couple of steps-up in brightness compared to the HDS, it wasn’t really all that much brighter.

Random little reminder how much I love the tint and reflector combo of the HDS and sw45k.

 

[kerneldrop]

Sometimes it’s easy to dismiss 200 lumens as “only” 200 lumens, but it really is an incredible amount of light.

There's a point to where more lumens up close doesn't make a difference.
I imagine up-close is how most use their HDS.
Shine it over a pea field or the edge of a tree-line and you'll see the noticeable output difference when next to a light pumping out more lumens.

I'm not knocking 200 lumens...200 lumens is 170 more than I need.

 

[muichimon]

Just a completely random post, but a reminder how much I love the HDS and sw45k combo. Took my terrier, Moose, out last night, and he immediately was interested in something under our porch/stoop. I thought it was one of the neighborhood stray cats, so I called Moose back and he came right away, and glad he did because it turns out it was a skunk. (Super lucky he didn’t get sprayed).

To the point, it was so easy to identify the skunk with the emitter/reflector. Everything is just so crisp and easy to see. Sometimes it’s easy to dismiss 200 lumens as “only” 200 lumens, but it really is an incredible amount of light.

I didn’t want to scare the skunk and have it spray, but I also didn’t want it comfortable under the porch. I believe they hate light, so I wanted to shine some light on it for awhile. I went inside and grabbed an Olight that’s rated at 1800. It has a TIR, which I’ve always thought makes for a sort of blurry hotspot. The tint was so green and the hotspot so blurry that it completely washed out the skunk and porch. No joke, you could miss the animal if you weren‘t looking for it, and even knowing it was there, might not be able to 100% identify it. And, while the 1800 “rated” lumens was a couple of steps-up in brightness compared to the HDS, it wasn’t really all that much brighter.

Random little reminder how much I love the tint and reflector combo of the HDS and sw45k.

I too like the SW45. If I had to EDC just one of the lights, I would get this one most of the time. I like that the illuminated object is really easy to see and doesn't have weird colors. Also, for everyday use, 200 lumens is enough.

 

[choombak]

Just a completely random post, but a reminder how much I love the HDS and sw45k combo. Took my terrier, Moose, out last night, and he immediately was interested in something under our porch/stoop. I thought it was one of the neighborhood stray cats, so I called Moose back and he came right away, and glad he did because it turns out it was a skunk. (Super lucky he didn’t get sprayed).

To the point, it was so easy to identify the skunk with the emitter/reflector. Everything is just so crisp and easy to see. Sometimes it’s easy to dismiss 200 lumens as “only” 200 lumens, but it really is an incredible amount of light.

I didn’t want to scare the skunk and have it spray, but I also didn’t want it comfortable under the porch. I believe they hate light, so I wanted to shine some light on it for awhile. I went inside and grabbed an Olight that’s rated at 1800. It has a TIR, which I’ve always thought makes for a sort of blurry hotspot. The tint was so green and the hotspot so blurry that it completely washed out the skunk and porch. No joke, you could miss the animal if you weren‘t looking for it, and even knowing it was there, might not be able to 100% identify it. And, while the 1800 “rated” lumens was a couple of steps-up in brightness compared to the HDS, it wasn’t really all that much brighter.

Random little reminder how much I love the tint and reflector combo of the HDS and sw45k.

Cool. I think HDS is the only company that states 200 lm "calibrated" lumen output. Except for a handful of quality brands, most output lumens are inflated and purely a marketing gimmick.

A friend recently got into flashlights, and as always is chasing lumens for now. He cannot fathom why I have an Arc AAA on my keychain, and a HDS in my backpack. :)

 

[WarriorOfLight]

The good point is if 200 lumens is not enought, you can buy a 2nd or 3rd, ... HDS. Than you also have a backup and a backup for the backup. I did this years ago and I definately do not fear the darkness anymore. :)

The old HDS users know that picture, today my wooden bowl is far not large enough anymore. But that HDS lights together are more than 2000 lumens :D
[bimg width=600]https://i.imgur.com/ELh3jbs.jpg[/bimg]

 

[ironhorse]

I'm not saying you have a problem, no wait yes I am.
You sir have a problem.:)

 

[troutpool]

What a happy problem to have!

 

[LRJ88]

I’ll likely never get tired of seeing the insides of some things. HDS tailcaps being one of those things. After playing around with the one i bought from @scalpel_ninja (thank you once more) i figured i’d do the most dreaded thing on this site after promoting TACTICAL 20,000 LUMENS TELESCOPIC SWAT flashlights, i took the tailcap apart. The whole process was leaps and bounds easier than i feared given the multitude of horror stories related to DIY screwups, considering some of the things i work with daily this was a walk in the park. After all my work removing the retaining plastic i was rewarded with this beautiful sight (and what looked like some light rust inside the cap itself) and i wanted to share it with you all.

P.S.

Is there anyone in Europe selling rubber boots for HDS? The one here is good, but the flat tailcap on my SDR50 has started to bulge more and since it doesn’t go back after equalising i consider throwing on a raised tailcap instead.

D.S.

 

[slumber]

Knives and Tools sells the complete tail caps for the Clicky, but not the boot alone. You can get a tail cap for a Clicky and remove the rubber boot. I'm not 100% sure the boots are the same, but they feel and look the same.

 

[desert.snake]

Looks like the button switch has gold plated legs, cool

 

[LRJ88]

Knives and Tools sells the complete tail caps for the Clicky, but not the boot alone. You can get a tail cap for a Clicky and remove the rubber boot. I'm not 100% sure the boots are the same, but they feel and look the same.

I haven’t been able to verify them being the same, dropping €30 plus shipping on a boot i can’t trust has felt more like a kick in the nuts. I did send them a mail the other week suggesting they stock the boots as well though and they said they’d have a looksee. I’d rather pay for it here than buy it directly from HDS with that $55 shipping slapped on.

If there was a group buy to Europe that’d make things way easier, but i’ve yet to see that.

 

[scalpel_ninja]

I seem to recall reading Hogo stating the boots between the clicky and rotary are the same, but don’t quote me on that.

I have taken a flat clicky boot and installed it in a rotary tail before. That was actually my first successful disassembly of a rotary tail many moons ago.

 

[LRJ88]

I seem to recall reading Hogo stating the boots between the clicky and rotary are the same, but don’t quote me on that.

I have taken a flat clicky boot and installed it in a rotary tail before. That was actually my first successful disassembly of a rotary tail many moons ago.

I think i might have to wait for Hogo to answer that, i know there's a lot of shoulds, but i also know my damn luck most of the time.

 

[Lithium466]

View attachment 49766
Is that a French made switch?

Speaking of which, Neolumen in France used to be a dealer (for the boots). Haven't checked if they are still in business.

 

[Mr. LED]

I’ll likely never get tired of seeing the insides of some things. HDS tailcaps being one of those things. After playing around with the one i bought from @scalpel_ninja (thank you once more) i figured i’d do the most dreaded thing on this site after promoting TACTICAL 20,000 LUMENS TELESCOPIC SWAT flashlights, i took the tailcap apart. The whole process was leaps and bounds easier than i feared given the multitude of horror stories related to DIY screwups, considering some of the things i work with daily this was a walk in the park. After all my work removing the retaining plastic i was rewarded with this beautiful sight (and what looked like some light rust inside the cap itself) and i wanted to share it with you all.

View attachment 49766


P.S.

Is there anyone in Europe selling rubber boots for HDS? The one here is good, but the flat tailcap on my SDR50 has started to bulge more and since it doesn’t go back after equalising i consider throwing on a raised tailcap instead.

D.S.

Amazing! We’d love a video tutorial, if possible.

 

[neco]

@LRJ88 Do you have any photos of the tailcap rust mentioned? I’m interested to see what that looks like. Thanks!

 

[LRJ88]

View attachment 49766

Is that a French made switch?

Speaking of which, Neolumen in France used to be a dealer (for the boots). Haven't checked if they are still in business.

i have no idea, the closest i can find are these. The switch is good quality though o no complaints from me.

I just checked Neolumen, a brief look turned up nothing.

Amazing! We’d love a video tutorial, if possible.

I’m not sure i can do that, but more pics might be possible.

@LRJ88 Do you have any photos of the tailcap rust mentioned? I’m interested to see what that looks like. Thanks!

I don’t at the moment, but i plan on taking it apart soonish again and slap in some more grease along the retaining strip to keep that part more lubed too. I think it might be a result of the finishing process along with just time, not so much regular red rust. I’ve seem very similar rust when i’ve blued other steels before it’s been wiped cleaned and oiled. Regardless, i can say with a measure of confidence that it didn’t affect the function in the slightest, so people getting sweaty while reading it needn’t worry.

 

[Lithium466]

The original Neolumen site looks gone, address is different from what I remember and they only sell Olight apparently. A shame as that was a nice European dealer...but I can understand now.