HDS Systems #23

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I have been complaining about Rotary clips since Rotaries came out. HDS is one of my favorite flaslight companies but the fact is they could not care less about whether or not we want proper Rotary clips. Removing the screw hole option because five people who didn't use them couldn't look at them there without losing their minds was the dumbest thing HDS ever did.
This is what I use and it works fine.
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HDS clips by William Hill, on Flickr
 
I have a Rotary(several years old) that random turns on by itself. Happens several times per week. When it turns on I can't turn it off but have open the battery compartment to reset the light. I guess the light needs to be sent in.
 
I have been complaining about Rotary clips since Rotaries came out. HDS is one of my favorite flaslight companies but the fact is they could not care less about whether or not we want proper Rotary clips. Removing the screw hole option because five people who didn't use them couldn't look at them there without losing their minds was the dumbest thing HDS ever did.

It's fixable...

5 minutes, caliper, drill, tap.

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My point on the clip was if you are starting with a "clean sheet" start for the next gen rotaries it would be the prefect time to integrate a better design. ....

The tragedy is that only the holes/threads are missing. The area the screws go into is still there internally.

Someone should 3d print a collar that you slip the light into. The screw holes would be lined up for drilling.

Or better yet... he could simply put the holes back!
 
The chance of having screw holes back in the light for a clip... there is a greater chance for Cerakote to come back... if it should freeze over and a snowball makes it.
"The holes are ugly! Give us a different solution!"

HDS comes up with a solution that doesn't require holes.

"The solution is ugly! Give us back the holes!"

Sometimes you just can't win.
 
The holes can be concealed, used to use filler screws provided by member arewethereyetdad on the old cpfmarketplace to fill in the holes on my HDS lights when I wanted to go without a clip.

But I agree with the post above, no matter which way you go a group of people aren't going to be happy about it.
 
The holes can be concealed, used to use filler screws provided by member arewethereyetdad on the old cpfmarketplace to fill in the holes on my HDS lights when I wanted to go without a clip.

But I agree with the post above, no matter which way you go a group of people aren't going to be happy about it.
Really have to ask yourself, "what's best for the light". It's not about you or me.

Therefore... tapped holes.
 
Oh, we read and know what was written .... just do not understand why the option is not offered. Seriously, screwed or not doesn't seem like a difficult skew number choice for a next gen light.

Really, just wanting to make the two camps "happy" as the current clip "solution" sucks......... and should not be carried over to the "next gen" iteration.
 
This is blunt, but what I think is that the whining about the holes gave him the motivation to make the new clip. And since it fits pretty much all his lights, and we know he has a problem hitting delivery deadlines, that makes for little motivation to abandon it. Just makes more work.
 
I personally never saw the big deal about the holes, but people raised an even bigger stink about them than anybody today is about not having them, so I suspect Henry considers that a win.
 
I personally never saw the big deal about the holes, but people raised an even bigger stink about them than anybody today is about not having them, so I suspect Henry considers that a win.
The stink was huge. It is like the stink with mismatched natural HA. People forget.
 
"The holes are ugly! Give us a different solution!"

HDS comes up with a solution that doesn't require holes.

"The solution is ugly! Give us back the holes!"

Sometimes you just can't win.

Taking the holes off of a light like the Clicky which had lots of good aftermarket clip solutions and a simple place to install wasn't that huge of a deal. But the Rotary was released with NO clip options which was insane. The Uni clip came out later just to make something that kinda worked. The clip was completely an afterthought. It's hard to win when you don't even show up to the game.

The stink was huge. It is like the stink with mismatched natural HA. People forget.

I have been following HDS since there were holes. I recall people putting fillers in them but I don't recall the incessant complaining for years on end on the forum like there has been since the release of the Rotary about the clip solutions. If I felt motivated I could try to find evidence of that in the very old threads, but I don't remember it. In any case, I have long since given up hoping for an elegant Rotary clip. The prototype two way clip for the Universal clip was a nice improvement for what we have at least, but of course that never went into production. Glad I bought one when I had the chance. My other Rotary has a Moddoo clip under the bezel which Henry doesn't like but works well and looks nice at least.
 
Couldn‘t be happier with my new NB45 and 18650 tube. The NB45/sw45k has been on my radar for a good while now, as I love rosy tints, and this doesn’t disappoint. In fact, I’d only call it ever-so-slightly rosy. Great color that looks good indoors and out.

As for the 18650 tube, I’ve never liked the aesthetic of the longer tube. But I’ve been burning through primaries using my other executive as a sort of night light while I read and my wife sleeps (so rechargeable made sense), and I wanted longer runtime while using it with a bottle of water as a makeshift lantern while camping/backpacking… so 18650 was the choice.

And now that I have it, I’m so ecstatic that I went with the 18650. In pictures, it looks long, and even awkward. But it feels great in hand. With XL hands, I can palm a normal HDS, whereas the 18650 tube extends half an inch in both directions, giving me way better leverage, and an overall better grip. It doesn’t seem so long at all. In fact, it feels perfect, and now my other two HDS’s almost feel antiquated.

Other notes, the tint it perfect. The beam is artifact and ring free (this is the best beam I’ve ever had from any flashlight, but that’s more of a whitewall hunting statement). I like the decoration clip. The finish is the best sample I’ve ever had from an HDS, and I’ve had nothing but great samples. The finish feels smoother, more refined; and the silver bezel is more matte as opposed to my other executive that is more polished (I like the matte a lot better). I’ve been lucky, as all my executives have always tailstand, but this sample is the best feeling “clicky” yet. It feels solid, and even the sound is great.

This is my grail light.

Ramble over.



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Nice review. I have a similar set up for dog walking. F89/NB45. I use all the modes - main one is flash for visibility on the road at night. I like the rotary too though.

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Love the 18650 but rarely need the extra juice, to be honest. As per the entire rediculous clip thing, I literally never need a clip. Why ruin perfect?

Sheaths are the clear answer and the aftermarket kydex is great also.
 
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