I am thinking of getting a novatac or maybe waiting till HDS realeases a new light and see what price point it is. But between the 2 novatac given the only difference is different bin led, would i be better to save the 40 dollars and in the future send the 85p to milky and get it modded for around 70 to a new generation led with better efficiency in like say 6 months at the rate we are going with new leds. Or should i spend the 40 upfront and get a better led and stick with it for a while and then maybe upgrade in the long run (1-2yr). I realize once we mod it the warranty is gone. I plan to get either 120p or 85p get a UCL, Stainless bezel with trits, and GITD O-ring and reverse the clip along with cleaning and lubing the threads. What would you do get 120p, 85p or wait till henry realease a new light hopefully around same price point as novatac
Novatac 120p VS modded 85p
- Thread starter faiz23
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this_is_nascar
Flashaholic
Get the 120P now and be done with it for the next year or so.
this_is_nascar
Flashaholic
I have no information on this, but that would surprise me, based on the HDS of the past.
Oddjob
Flashlight Enthusiast
I haven't read anywhere if Milky has modded any Novatacs yet. I agree with Nascar, buy the 120p now and you'll be set for a while. If history has taught us anything its not to hold our breaths for new lights.
Steve L
Flashlight Enthusiast
I think the difference in output (120 vs 85 lumens) has more to do with an extra level that is pushing the LED harder(more current) than having a special binned LED. It seems people are getting about the same runtime on max on an 85P(85 lumens) as the 85 lumen setting on the 120P. If it was only a better binned LED you should get better run times on the 85l setting of a 120P than max setting on an 85P. I went with the 120P
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THE_dAY
Flashlight Enthusiast
well, i am gonna wait for the new HDS but if you really need one now then get the Novatac.
from what i've read it seems that the 120 and 85 have the same LED because the runtimes for the 120 and the 85 are the same at the 85 lumen level which is ~60min.
i'm hoping more Novatac owners can test their runtimes so we can get a more clearer picture.
EDIT: Steve L beat me to the punch
Yep, i'm pretty certain the only difference between 120P and 85P is the firmware (1 extra brightness level in 120P).
For most practical applications, the difference between 120 and 85 lumens is barely noticeable. Whether or not it's worth extra $40 to you, I don't know.
For most practical applications, the difference between 120 and 85 lumens is barely noticeable. Whether or not it's worth extra $40 to you, I don't know.
Steve L
Flashlight Enthusiast
The thing is, if you take a 120p and a 85p and down the road decide to mod them with the same latest and greatest binned emitter the 120p will still be brighter(more current to the emitter). With more efficient emmiters the differences will be greater-say 200l vs 300l, a 50% increase about the same as 85l vs 120l.
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wow is that true the driver is much more efficient on the 120p then it is worth the 40 since you are right in the future mods will always yield higher runtimes. I am not sure if milky does novatac i was guessing since he does the hds. Anyone know what to expect from henry in terms of price in specs.
THE_dAY
Flashlight Enthusiast
faiz23, the driver seems to be the same on the 120 and 85.
Steve L
Flashlight Enthusiast
Yeah it just seems to have an extra level that is pushing the led harder(more current) but it also yield shorter runtimes(both lights being on max). I think the driver is the same except for that. At the end of the day I'd rather have the option to turn it down , but still have the capibility for max brightness if needed at the expence of runtimes.
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I went with the 120P and it just came in yesterday... It is amazing! I have the UCL, GITD O-Ring, SS Bezel w/slots, Tritium vials, and epoxy all on order, and I have already cleaned/lubed the threads (which was very necessary since they felt gritty). Instead of just reversing the clip I plan on purchasing one of the Ti clips from wvaltkis2 when they come in http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=174030.
I figure I can always swap the LED and what not in the future if I feel the need to do so.
As far as waiting to see what the new HDS looks like...I do not have that kind of patience nor do I anticipate that they will be in a similar price range. Maybe they will be similarly priced after accounting for any modding of the NovaTac... :shrug: but only time will tell.
Get the 120P and enjoy it now. There will always be better, brighter and longer running lights in the future.
I figure I can always swap the LED and what not in the future if I feel the need to do so.
As far as waiting to see what the new HDS looks like...I do not have that kind of patience nor do I anticipate that they will be in a similar price range. Maybe they will be similarly priced after accounting for any modding of the NovaTac... :shrug: but only time will tell.
Get the 120P and enjoy it now. There will always be better, brighter and longer running lights in the future.
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SunnyQueensland
Enlightened
I will chime in and say - go for the 120P now... :thumbsup: You won't regret it.
ideefixe
Newly Enlightened
Since you have plan to upgrade the LED later, get the 85p now and save that $40. You get the same UI and LED as the 120p anyway. The 120p is bright but honestly there are other brighter lights. Hopefully someone can figure out how to enable the extra level on the 85p soon...
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i honestly dont have a need for a novatac i have a 2 week old jetbeam mkIIX v1.2 with 14500 battery and it kicks *** and does the job. i have a lumapower m3 light, and dealextreme tr-c2(surefire close p60) and i have an aspheric mag being made also. I like to replace my jetbeam with the novatac since it is programmable and the momentary is nice to have versus a clickie. I like the advanced 16 modes on the jetbeam and even once i get the novatac i think i will keep it unless i never use it and then i will sell it. I am just in a situation where i have sold my old light and the profit from selling my cellphone i have enough (151.99 in paypal) to get a novatac. I dont need it but damnit i would like it but lady says to wait and see what else is coming. i told her every month a freaking new led comes out lol. so i dont really need it and i am thinking i will wait till i find out what henry has, for now even when henry makes one i am guessing it is more than novatac. I understand build quality will be a little better and maybe i am guessing 30 lumens brighter but i am guessing 50-100 dollars higher than novatac. I know this is off topic but feature and overall opinion on novatac 120p versus mclux III-pd. Which one is better, i know build quality and finish is awesome on mcgizmo and ui i really cool on novatac. But which one is good when doing price to performance ratio.
I feel the same way about the MK IIX v1.2. I just dropped in a 14500 (had an AA alkaline in it before) and it was like a whole new light. On high, I can't tell which is brighter, the 120P or the JetBeam. The fact that the UI on the NovaTac allows for lower output to be selected is a definite plus since I feel the MK IIX is a little too bright for retaining any nightvision. The clicky is much better as well but in all honesty I was slightly dissapointed when my (now $45.00) JetBeam on high was projecting a beam pretty similar (with the exception of a slight blue tint) to that of the 120P on MAX. I'm not saying that the JetBeam is a better light by any means, but that its performance surprised me. The NovaTac is of higher build quality and the fact that it has a programmable UI gives it a flexability the JetBeam could only dream of...but what should you expect for an extra $100.00.
you are right for a Chinese light it is much higher quality and the sheer output and runtime efficiency is amazing and the size factor. I like novatac because of the ui and mainly the momentary function and size. I think i will not be too happy since jetbeam has left a very nice impression and i think i am expecting a light that is 3 times as good as the jetbeam but it wont be. I guess we will see trying to convince the lady to let me buy the 120p and give it to her 3 months down the road for a 100 bucks and use that toward henrys light lol. :naughty:
As far as output goes the 120 is definitely not 3 times as good. Some may be able to argue that the UI is 3x as good but IMO it's at least 2x. Now as far as build quality, the NovaTac is definitely 3x (or more) as good, but unless you are in a line of work that subjects your EDC to a Louisville Slugger (or other extremely harsh/abusive conditions) from time to time, the extreme durability of the NovaTac is not a necessity. Don't get me wrong, it is very assuring to know that you have a very durable unit for those "just in case" situations, but one could definitely an arguement for just going out and buying another JetBeam for $50.00 if the first were ever subject to a scenario in which it failed (assuming of course that you are not in LE or using this in life threatening situations).
^^^
