A question (philosophical?) about RA Clicky

[sinthemau]

I am wondering why all this love for a light that has till now problems as I read from the owners.
Please bear in mind that I do not want absolutely to polemize, it's just to try to understand a phenomenon that has more of "feeling" than "practice".
I own a Novatac and I really like it, I was also tempted to buy a RA Clicky but resisted because I have not the "sacred fire" that a lot of CPF people has, I prefer to wait.
Look to me like when we found in love for a woman...maybe we cannot understand why...is it correct? Anybody can explain this love for a particular flashlight?
Need to say: Great forum and thanks for sharing your feelings:wave:
maurizio

 

[HoopleHead]

I really liked my NovaTac 120P, but it was just a bit lacking IMO. I loved the Twisty, seemed bombproof to me. I hoped the Clicky was a Twisty with a clicky button, and like a NovaTac 120P on steroids.

Turned out I was right, and I'm glad I got the 140-Cn on preorder. Haven't had many problems with it at all and any there I can totally live with, and I'll probably get another at some point.

 

[karlthev]

I have quite a few HDS lights, a Novatac and now a Ra proto and 120gtc. No matter how satisfied with what you have, your eye can wander when something new comes up! There is ALWAYS a new light being offered and when that light is offered by an individual/company with a strong reputation, that is something I have a hard time resisting!:shakehead




Karl

 

[Henk_Lu]

Difficult to say...

When I got it, it was not love at first sight. I had to play with it for half a day to discover it. You have to open it, feel the toughness, install a battery and use force to close it again. In a dark room, I enjoyed the smooth beam and the lowest low ever seen. Then it was love!

It's the first flashlight that I have that I just had to stick in my pocket and use all around...

Now it's on the way to Henry to get a new lens (my fault...) and to solve the flickering issue. I miss it and hope that I will get it back soon in mint condition, to stick it in my pocket again!

Clicky, come back!!! :mecry::thinking:

 

[shomie911]

I got a Clicky 140-Cn straight from Henry with all the latest fixes and well...it is perfect.

No other EDC is like it, it just does such a great job at everything.

140 lumens all the way down to 0.07 lumens with no flickering, it's just awesome.

You have to hold one to understand. :laughing:

 

[m16a]

I got a Clicky 140-Cn straight from Henry with all the latest fixes and well...it is perfect.

No other EDC is like it, it just does such a great job at everything.

140 lumens all the way down to 0.07 lumens with no flickering, it's just awesome.

You have to hold one to understand. :laughing:

I think that sums it up rather nicely. No other light can match the versatility given to you by the clicky!

 

[sinthemau]

I'm reading with a lot of interest your thoughts.
Thanks for now

 

[matrixshaman]

I think Henry is one of the best flashlight designers on the Planet. He may not get everything perfect right out the door but he will take care of you from what I've seen. The Ra Clicky is an evolution of his line that started with the Arc 4+ and that was the best light by far available at the time it came out. His lights continue to improve upon previous technology and thus the latest light while it's having some problems initially I'm sure will prove to be better than anything previous to it and thus is one of the most advanced, rugged and best UI's available in any light.

 

[richardcpf]

Because...

There is a point when prople love so much their flashlight, it won't be a tool anymore, it will become a collectors' item, a classic, and even a piece of art.

My flashlight definition stands in the middle of the practical and cosmetical. A really nice looking flashlight that can't perform as well as a cheap WhateverFire, or a nice performing light that looks like a poorly crafted ugly bong, are not worth my money.

 

[Gary007]

a shot of the ARC4

 

[tebore]

The Arc4(+/X) was the best commercial offering at the time. The only other lights/line of lights to offer similar functionality was custom work (Mr. Bulk comes to mind).

The Problem with the Arc4 series was the problematic switch. The switch was sensitive to battery length. The method of switching and lack of a tail guard function made it vulnerable to drops on tail. The switch pushed the battery in to the head to push the switch in to the head. Another weak area of the light(that was finally addressed in the Novatac incarnation) was the lack of adequate bezel protection from the factory. A drop on the front of the light could deform it. The Arc4 is very difficult to upgrade, most difficult of all the incarnations.

Still despite the above the Arc4 in my opinion was the best looking incarnation.

 

[SaturnNyne]

I am wondering why all this love for a light that has till now problems as I read from the owners.

I think m16 got it about right:

No other light can match the versatility given to you by the clicky!

But to expand upon that.... Honestly, I think the reason there's so much love from us is largely because we don't have any alternatives. The Clicky is clearly one of the best lights on the market today, and not because it does one or two things really well but because it's an excellent package throughout. However, if there were another light that could offer everything that it does but without any problems at the same price, these flaws that we've been encountering would indeed have a serious impact on our love and our purchasing. Lack of alternatives will make you much more forgiving of flaws, a somewhat sad fact that applies to love of lights and of anything else. I'm bothered that my expensive new light will have to go back to fix an old issue that should have been caught at the factory, and I don't like that I had to discard the clip and source my own, but what can I do? No other light will give me four channels of output customized to whatever calibrated level I want, going all the way down to 0.07, with no conspicuous gaps in the output options, excellent efficiency, the option of choosing a preferred tint, perfect beam, perfect regulation, and a very well thought out interface. All of that comes in a very robust package from a good man who inspires confidence and loyalty in us, so there's a human element to it too. I refer to my HDS/NT EDCs and Ras as "Henry-lights," there's a name and a face attached to them, they weren't designed by a team of bean counters and mass produced in a far off factory; they were made by Henry, an experienced flashlight user who wants to build the best lights available. So what it comes down to is that I love my Clicky, because it's a great light even if it disappoints in a few ways, and it's the only light that can serve my needs so well.

I learn new things everyday. Did a Google search:
http://www.hdssystems.com/Legacy/XArc4.html
(img)

Please remove your hotlinked image, using Henry's bandwidth violates forum rules.

 

[Moka]

But to expand upon that.... Honestly, I think the reason there's so much love from us is largely because we don't have any alternatives. The Clicky is clearly one of the best lights on the market today, and not because it does one or two things really well but because it's an excellent package throughout. However, if there were another light that could offer everything that it does but without any problems at the same price, these flaws that we've been encountering would indeed have a serious impact on our love and our purchasing. Lack of alternatives will make you much more forgiving of flaws, a somewhat sad fact that applies to love of lights and of anything else. I'm bothered that my expensive new light will have to go back to fix an old issue that should have been caught at the factory, and I don't like that I had to discard the clip and source my own, but what can I do? No other light will give me four channels of output customized to whatever calibrated level I want, going all the way down to 0.07, with no conspicuous gaps in the output options, excellent efficiency, the option of choosing a preferred tint, perfect beam, perfect regulation, and a very well thought out interface. All of that comes in a very robust package from a good man who inspires confidence and loyalty in us, so there's a human element to it too. I refer to my HDS/NT EDCs and Ras as "Henry-lights," there's a name and a face attached to them, they weren't designed by a team of bean counters and mass produced in a far off factory; they were made by Henry, an experienced flashlight user who wants to build the best lights available. So what it comes down to is that I love my Clicky, because it's a great light even if it disappoints in a few ways, and it's the only light that can serve my needs so well.

Well put... :thumbsup:
I think you summed it up perfectly!

 

[Gary007]

fixed.


Please remove your hotlinked image, using Henry's bandwidth violates forum rules.[/QUOTE]