HDS Systems #23

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Hogokansatsukan said:
They do. My favorite is the Drakkar. This is about 30 years old.

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Everything on this photo is hawt as hell.
Jacket look similar to my Bullson. You have a good taste[emoji106]


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Was going through my parts bins and found my old and worn Novatac storm that I bought cheap back before I knew what a good high end flashlight was. Now, I know there was a lot of controversy about this design and that Henry wanted no part in it's sale which I agree with totally. However at the time it was what I could afford. I used it almost a year with it's low battery time and other faults then went to a AA maratac and finally zebralight. I had this chrome clip left over and believed I'd never use it again so tried on the novatac. After opening the internal diameter a little more it fit without any other mods.
Nova tax by William Hill, on Flickr

It looks ok maybe, and is functional. Don't know about the early proper HDS lights but can assume these clips will work on those as well.
Novatac 2 by William Hill, on Flickr

Just in case anyone might be interested.
Novatac 3 by William Hill, on Flickr
 
It's interesting that you are mentioning these flaws regarding the Novatac, as it was already a very decent light back in the day!

Now the "storm" being made in China if I'm not mistaken is probably a very cheaply built version of the first Novatac, but I'd still say they compare decently to a modern clicky, even on the runtime aspect (or maybe I just got lucky and/or you unlucky, there was a lot of variability).

Even the UI has its charms (once "unlocked"), with the temporary access to any setting you want without saving them. My main complain about them would be the random flickering in low modes, that comes and go, software issue apparently that Novatac never fixed. And the build quality....but when they sold for $50-60, they were just worth that.

All in all they were a "cheapened" version of the previous HDS Basic/Ultimate, with a surprisingly modern UI. And yes, the spring in the battery compartment was a PITA.
 
Lithium466 said:
It's interesting that you are mentioning these flaws regarding the Novatac, as it was already a very decent light back in the day!
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I went back and checked to make sure I'd written "Novatac storm" as that was the only light I had experience with and even turned the light so that it could be easily identified so I'm not sure what you mean.

Lithium466 said:
Now the "storm" being made in China if I'm not mistaken is probably a very cheaply built version of the first Novatac, but I'd still say they compare decently to a modern clicky, even on the runtime aspect (or maybe I just got lucky and/or you unlucky, there was a lot of variability).

Even the UI has its charms (once "unlocked"), with the temporary access to any setting you want without saving them. My main complain about them would be the random flickering in low modes, that comes and go, software issue apparently that Novatac never fixed. And the build quality....but when they sold for $50-60, they were just worth that.

All in all they were a "cheapened" version of the previous HDS Basic/Ultimate, with a surprisingly modern UI. And yes, the spring in the battery compartment was a PITA.
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I did not mention I was using a rcr123 at the time which might have caused the 30min or so runtime. My bad. However the light coming on at random times while on my side (static elec discharge I suspect) was a pita. Also to unlock it was a nightmare, only to have it reset by itself some time later. I didn't mean to imply it was unusable but it certainly was the low point of the run.
 
That's very weird...well the late Novatac aren't especially known for their reliability, but I have quite a few of them and none have that kind of problems...but like I said I could just be lucky!

As for the 30 minutes runtime with RCR...that's pretty much what a ~600ish mAh RCR gives you when you're pushing ~1A through the led, with a buck/boost driver, no miracles there sadly. Modern emitters and also batteries have come a long way!
(30 min is pretty much what you get in a current HDS with a similar battery and burst mode disabled...maybe a bit more with latest emitters)


edit: by "very decent" I meant compared to what I call supermarket style lights
 
Lithium466 said:
That's very weird...well the late Novatac aren't especially known for their reliability, but I have quite a few of them and none have that kind of problems...but like I said I could just be lucky!

As for the 30 minutes runtime with RCR...that's pretty much what a ~600ish mAh RCR gives you when you're pushing ~1A through the led, with a buck/boost driver, no miracles there sadly. Modern emitters and also batteries have come a long way!
(30 min is pretty much what you get in a current HDS with a similar battery and burst mode disabled...maybe a bit more with latest emitters)


edit: by "very decent" I meant compared to what I call supermarket style lights
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I agree with you about what was available in the supermarkets at that time anything that was sized for pocket carry was 10 lm or so which is why I bought the storm. Mainly because of the higher output and it wasn't to big. Money was tight back then. That light was used and abused as well as the ones that followed. Covered in grease and oil washed with gojo and hot water several times a day, dropped on concrete over and over, that probably is what made it act like it did, although it still works. The AA maratac died after about 3 months. The only one to survive that job was the Zebralight (used a AA eneloop) much longer run times same abuse for 2 years, it's beat up but still works without issue today.
 
I will probably receive an answer that seems downright obvious once I’ve read it but:

How do these things handle encounters with sand, mud, and silt? I am ashamed to say I have never taken a Rotary into such conditions because the Clicky comes instead every time.
 
carrot said:
I will probably receive an answer that seems downright obvious once I’ve read it but:

How do these things handle encounters with sand, mud, and silt? I am ashamed to say I have never taken a Rotary into such conditions because the Clicky comes instead every time.
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Keep taking the Clicky...
It won't hurt the Rotary, but you can get grit in there which would be annoying... unless you want it be like a pepper mill.
 
carrot said:
I will probably receive an answer that seems downright obvious once I’ve read it but:

How do these things handle encounters with sand, mud, and silt? I am ashamed to say I have never taken a Rotary into such conditions because the Clicky comes instead every time.
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The only way that would ever happen to me would be if I stepped in quicksand.
I have to say that I treat my HDS lights like royalty.
I have actually dropped a couple and my heart stopped as I check my baby for and dents or scratches.
 
doctordun said:
The only way that would ever happen to me would be if I stepped in quicksand.
I have to say that I treat my HDS lights like royalty.
I have actually dropped a couple and my heart stopped as I check my baby for and dents or scratches.
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Henry just felt a disturbance in the force.
 
When I drop an HDS I check the floor/pavement/ground or whatever I dropped it on for dents, scratches or damage[emoji3]
 
doctordun said:
The only way that would ever happen to me would be if I stepped in quicksand.
I have to say that I treat my HDS lights like royalty.
I have actually dropped a couple and my heart stopped as I check my baby for and dents or scratches.
Click to expand...

Not such a good metaphor if you treat it like French or Russian royalty... I believe HDS actually shot one at point blank on purpose.
 
From my experience which I do not wish to repeat, the HDS Rotary deals pretty well with muddy silt, but it was just a brief swim. I was using it up in the rafters of a shelter. It fell about 8-10ft, bounced off the concrete flooring and landed nicely in a muddy mess. It was still on when it landed. Once I cleaned off the mud, the only damage was some new dings in the ano that just add character.

It has only been to the beach a couple of times, and on those it remained in the pocket or hand, so it hasn’t had to experience the grittiness.
 
Someone here posted a picture about a few years ago of his HDS which he kept in his toolbox drawer for a long time rattling around with heavy tools. It was an impressive image of wear and ding. I think it was tolkaze - in 2015.
 
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Slight shift in topic... however when I do drop my HDS I really am more concerned about what it landed on then another ding / scratch. I use my lights... not abuse .. but really use them.

So, I love, love the rotary. however lately I have been taking my new gen clickly out and about as I feel it is more robust to the sand/ mud rocks/ I now find myself in. That said I have noticed the tail is getting chewed up and was wondering if the clickly is going to get the stainless steel upgrade for the tail as the rotary recently had? Any guesses? Hoping we could buy that part independently someday.
 
klackey said:
...when I do drop my HDS I really am more concerned about what it landed on then another ding / scratch.
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Indoors, yes. Outdoors, depends. It would cost me more to repair certain areas of flooring around the home than to replace an HDS outright.
 
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