HDS Twisty is here!

[FrogmanM]

ah yes, cool diagram! I remember hearing from a few that they did not like the spring. this thing's gonna be great! McGizmo for my Bday den HDS for Xmas! Its A Festivus miracle!


Mayo

 

[Tempest UK]

Which model does everyone prefer?

Regards,
Tempest

 

[Oddjob]

ah yes, cool diagram! I remember hearing from a few that they did not like the spring. this thing's gonna be great! McGizmo for my Bday den HDS for Xmas! Its A Festivus miracle!


Mayo

Yes indeed, a Festivus for the rest of us. After the airing of the grievances and the feats of strengths I'll be ready to play with the light.

 

[FrogmanM]

I'm looking forward to the TR70 version, 70 lumens sounds about right, but I'm really interested in the low red mode. Plus you can't go wrong with 1 hour runtime on high! I hope that Henry comes out with a bunch of different battery tubes. As for the twisty, it sounds rocksolid, and I already have enough "tactical" torches. (for now)

Yes I just started watching Seinfeld reruns good stuff!


Mayo

 

[gadgetnerd]

After a few months of post-Novatac CPF boredom, finally something to actually get excited about! Personally I think this is a great move by HDS, since I couldn't really see how he was going to go head to head with Novatac, which already uses all of his bells and whistles. Instead, to me this looks like a worthy successor to the Longbow Micra (still one of my faves) as an indestructible, simple, ugly, twisty CR123. Actually I'm joking about ugly, it just looks functional to me.

All he needs to do to stitch up the competition is introduce a 1xAA version (should have no probs getting 70lm) , and/or a cheaper polymer version.

I can feel my credit card squirming in my wallet already!

EDIT: Just talked myself into ordering a 70TR from Battery Station

 

[Hans]

These lights look very interesting. I'm still not sure I actually *need* one of them, as my HDS lights are still going strong and I personally don't find their UI much of a bother.

On the other hand I really like the idea of a light that's nearly bombproof and still has different levels. The spacing (0.3, 17, 70) looks almost perfect to me, Not sure about the red option yet. I find red lights useful, but in many situations I find a very low white even more useful. At the moment I use a Surefire filter on my HDS whenever I need red light. Works fine.

Hans

 

[Valolammas]

How did I miss this? Wow, that looks like... well, sounds like a great light! A truly great light. I love simplicity and ruggedness, so this one could be a real winner. I can't wait for the reviews on this one to start rolling in.

 

[iocheretyanny]

Nice light, but I miss the programmability function which made the lights so attractive (strobe, locator ,auto turnoff, pick any 20 levels, memory etc...)

I think it was the programmability that made an HDS an HDS. Also wish the light sacrificed some run time but was smaller size - CR2.
A twisty is usually a smaller flashlight and thus if you go with a twisty design then make the light as small as possible.

Also I rather have a high level as bright as possible - maybe 170 lumens for 15 minutes.. and I will use the lower levels to conserve the battery. The 1 hour runtime at max does not make sense to me as most people will use the 17 lumens level most of the time.

I wonder if there will be different HDS offerings?

That said - the Red LED is a nice touch.
Suprised there have been no pictures of the dual LED's yet?

 

[mousehunter]

While I am not 100% sure that a tritium illuminator is 100% compatible with this lights mission - I would really like to see that as an easy to add user option - along with a clip.


This is a dangerous thread to read - I see a post Christmas present (to me) in the works. This light puts a big damper in my thoughts about buying a litefux.

 

[flashy bazook]

after all the agonizing over the design to be chosen and the great features everyone wanted, what do we get?

--3 output levels (ugh; not very cutting edge?)
--toughness (OK, good, lots of lights have it these days, and for the record only the Novatac, Inova, and the Tektites have demonstated the run-over by a truck and survive test; the HDS has not yet done so, even though interestingly enough people assume it to be true)
--supposedly "efficient" and "robust" LEDs (but not together, one must choose one or the other?!); I don't see the efficient part, personally, the runtime/LED output tradeoff seems already well behind the times. (Fenix, Fenix, Fenix.....I don't know why they are so hard to beat along these dimensions, but apparently it is so).
--the option of a low red LED to preserve night vision (why? is 0.3 lumens but in white color going to destroy your night vision? According to which McTheory?).

ah, well, let's wait for HDS v.2.0, maybe then the promises will be fulfilled. For those who buy it, please post a review!

 

[dcjs]

--3 output levels (ugh; not very cutting edge?)

Who else offers 3 output levels that are chosen just by turning the head? Is a christmas tree with 47 modes more "cutting edge"?

--supposedly "efficient" and "robust" LEDs (but not together, one must choose one or the other?!);

HDS could just be claiming "50.000 hours of bulb life" like the LED manufacturers do, or better yet "lifetime LED bulb", like Fenix does. Chances are the "efficient" version uses a Seoul/Cree/Rebel LED, which other manufacturers claim will "never fail". Why do you think HDS doesn't just claim the same? Because they are stupid and don't want to sell their lights? Or maybe they know better, there are less efficient but more reliable alternatives and they don't want to fool their customers?:shrug:

I don't see the efficient part, personally, the runtime/LED output tradeoff seems already well behind the times. (Fenix, Fenix, Fenix.....I don't know why they are so hard to beat along these dimensions, but apparently it is so).

Yeah, paper values are hard to beat if compared to measured real world values. If you take the theoretical LED output claimed by the manufacturer to have been achieved under laboratory conditions and state this as the actual output value of the light, no one who measures output from a real flashlight with heat buildup and reflector and glass window losses is going to be able to compete. Again, it would be much easier for HDS to just make the same claims as Fenix. They chose not to.

--the option of a low red LED to preserve night vision (why? is 0.3 lumens but in white color going to destroy your night vision? According to which McTheory?).

It's not a theory, it's a fact that is caused by the construction of the eye. If you ask like this, I doubt you really want to know.


Overall, I'm glad to see a manufacturer who is not trying fool his customers the same way most others do - by competing for the highest exaggerated claims. I like "engineered" lights and manufacturers who explain why they choose to design their product the way they do.

 

[Oddjob]

after all the agonizing over the design to be chosen and the great features everyone wanted, what do we get?

--3 output levels (ugh; not very cutting edge?)
--toughness (OK, good, lots of lights have it these days, and for the record only the Novatac, Inova, and the Tektites have demonstated the run-over by a truck and survive test; the HDS has not yet done so, even though interestingly enough people assume it to be true)
--supposedly "efficient" and "robust" LEDs (but not together, one must choose one or the other?!); I don't see the efficient part, personally, the runtime/LED output tradeoff seems already well behind the times. (Fenix, Fenix, Fenix.....I don't know why they are so hard to beat along these dimensions, but apparently it is so).
--the option of a low red LED to preserve night vision (why? is 0.3 lumens but in white color going to destroy your night vision? According to which McTheory?).

ah, well, let's wait for HDS v.2.0, maybe then the promises will be fulfilled. For those who buy it, please post a review!

I don't think Henry was intending this light to be cutting edge per se. I think people were expecting something with a big WOW factor from Henry especially considering his previous creations. A simple well thought out light is probably not what people were expecting. He seems to have gone in the direction of simplicity increasing reliabilty and I find it refreshing considering some of the trends that are happening on CPF.

With regards to comparing efficiencies with Fenix, if you look at selfbuilt and chevrofreaks runtime graphs for the P2D on turbo, they are all less than an hour with estimated lumens (in chevrofreaks graphs) averaging between 100 and 110 lumens on RCR and CR123 primaries. Based on previous tests of HDS lights, their lumen ratings and runtimes are usually dead on with their claims whereas Fenix has in the past overstated their numbers. Don't get me wrong, I like Fenix lights I just do not find them in the same category as HDS when comparing them more than just on paper. My intention is not to start a debate and I agree with some of what you have said. At any rate, I am still looking forward to the light.

 

[StandardBattery]

...
--the option of a low red LED to preserve night vision (why? is 0.3 lumens but in white color going to destroy your night vision? According to which McTheory?).

Well To me this is one of the most interesting features.

I just don't like that I have to give up one 'white level' to enjoy it.

I've been using my red leds more, and finding them very useful. Although .3 lumens is pretty nice, I feel a noticable decrese in eye strain if just after I wake up I use the red light.

The other factor is what if you need more than 0.3 lumens, but still want to preserve night vision? The answer is Red!

So I wish it was 5 levels: red, 0.3 lumens, 10-15 lumens, 70 lumens, 240 lumens.

dcjs has a point on the UI, I don't know of another light that provides 3 nice levels reliably with a simple linear twist, and apparantly it can be done single handed. Now this is a new switch design, so it will have to prove itself.

 

[this_is_nascar]

Who else offers 3 output levels that are chosen just by turning the head? ...

Since you asked, I believe there's a new light out called a Titan that does this. It can have 3-output levels just by turning or 1000-output levels or anywhere in between.

 

[paulr]

If you're going to count the Titan (which is not a true twisty in the sense that it's not using displacement along a helix to set the level) you should also count the Spy 005, which has a six level rotary switch that's wonderful. I guess you should also count the Surefire U2 and maybe even the Peak First Responder.

 

[thermal guy]

I think we were all thinking that Henry was going to come out with a light very much like HIS old lights,but he my not be able to do that now because of some legal issues with novatac.This is just a guess of coarse what do you think?

 

[mspeterson]

I think we were all thinking that Henry was going to come out with a light very much like HIS old lights,but he my not be able to do that now because of some legal issues with novatac.This is just a guess of coarse what do you think?

I think it would be better to listen to what Henry has stated repeatedly instead of guessing?:thinking::shrug:

 

[thermal guy]

I must of missed what he said. Do you mean that he can in fact make lights that are very much like his old hds?

 

[mspeterson]

I must of missed what he said. Do you mean that he can in fact make lights that are very much like his old hds?

IIRC, he said he still has the rights to make all of his designs.


He has also said that the Twisty is the first of several new products comming out in the "near future", so there is little need to ramble on about this light if a person feels it is not to their liking. It is very much to my liking.

It would also be helpful to read the pertinent threads before posting baseless crap, for instance this:

"--toughness (OK, good, lots of lights have it these days, and for the record only the Novatac, Inova, and the Tektites have demonstated the run-over by a truck and survive test; the HDS has not yet done so, even though interestingly enough people assume it to be true)"

In case some don't know, HDS/Henry designed the Novatac, a light which he formerly sold under the name HDS EDC, both of which have been extensively tested for toughness. Perhaps Henry just forgot everything he knew when he made this new light, or maybe its not "people" that are "*** uming"?:green::shrug:

stolen from the HDS thread in the marketplace...

mmm..... facts are so much more useful:kiss:

 

[joema]

3 output levels (ugh; not very cutting edge?)

At least the HDS levels are rationally set, and take into account the eye's logarithmic sensitivity. By contrast many Fenix lights have output levels so similar, it's hard to visually differentiate.

I don't see the efficient part, personally, the runtime/LED output tradeoff seems already well behind the times. (Fenix, Fenix, Fenix...

Comparisons/conclusions mean little without independent tests on both lights. You can't do comparisons based on manufacturer specifications.

the option of a low red LED to preserve night vision (why? is 0.3 lumens but in white color going to destroy your night vision?

Yes, 0.3 lumens is too bright to fully preserve night vision for up-close work. The red low level is a real-world-useful feature.

At least HDS was smart enough to get the main things right. E.g, the very first product is knurled for good grip. Fenix hasn't learned that yet, despite making many different products.