Novatac vs Fenix??? Pros and Cons?

[Valpo Hawkeye]

The only things that would keep me from whole-heartedly endorsing the Fenix over the NT is the lack of a lower low level, no RCR123's (at least not if you want to keep your levels) and how smooth (non-grippy) it is. That being said, the knurling on the NT is not on par with SF or Arc. NovaTac's, in my experience, are glitchy and finicky. The company's attitude also leaves something to be desired, again, IMO.

 

[martonic]

I EDC a P1D Q5 (the twisty version of the P2D Q5) in one pocket and an L0D CE for backup in the other. Both have lanyards attached. I prefer the P1D over the P2D because it's smaller and lighter and easier to manage.

The battery for the P1D Q5 is either a LiFePO3, and all the levels work, or a regular protected 16340 and then it's stupid bright. Very satisfied with this solution.

 

[tsask]

Post a wanted ad on B/S/T ... I did that last week & was offered two in near new/perfect condition. My first one cost $159 delivered (eBay), but the second one cost only $125 delivered from a CPF member.Some people will not post a 'for sale' ad, but will reply to a 'want to buy' ad. CPF is a great place to buy your NovaTac.

I got an incredible deal on my 120P at LA Police Gear! with a CPF discount 10% and the same discount on batteries and tactical pants!:twothumbs

My 120P was $124 new!!!:twothumbs

 

[AWGD8]

I tried P2d Q2 , and P3D Rebel 100. Turbo mode on the Rebel P3D is superior than The 120P Novatac, but not much. I sold all my Fenix light and got me a new 120P Novatac.

You can`t go wrong with the 120P. there is a quality feel to it. Has a lot of lumens to choose. Small enough for me to put in my jeans small front
right pocket.

Get one and you wont` regret it.

 

[I came to the light...]

Get one and you wont` regret it.

my wallet might... I'll look into the solutions other have posted.

It's pretty convincing to have two people say it's their #1 light :huh: That right there might convince me...

Maybe this will help me: would you still pay $120 extra for the 120P if it had the same UI as the P2D? If not, how much more would you pay? Also, what about the other way around? What if the novatac was the same as the fenix except for the beam and UI? How much more would it be worth then?

martonic - thanks for the suggestion, but I think I would prefer the P2D. The size difference is negligible, and the P2D doesn't seem to be too small to use a tailcap button. The twisty sounds like it would be harder for me to use.

 

[qadsan]

I bought a couple dozen 120P's for our company, but only ended up using 14 of them. I have a half dozen of them here at my house that I use for home and business. Some of our friends also have 120P's. They've been terrific lights to all of us and they've held up extremely well for home, business, off road racing, etc. I just had my first real problem with one of my 120P's where the light was working intermittently. I called them up and they were great to work with on the phone. We both decided it was best if I sent them my light after exhausting a few other options in hopes of fixing it over the phone. Novatac had me taken care of the same week!

The Novatac lights are extremely versatile. Around my house and in & around our stables, I mostly use the lower settings, but it sure is nice to be able to quickly blast a lot of light down our horse trails when needed. This light also tail stands perfectly for candle mode which I use. In a pinch which has already happend a couple times, I can quickly reverse the clip location on the Novatac lights so I can clip the light to my hat / helmet so it provides hands free light to my work area. The UI is simple and intuitive and there are useful options available. There are also a lot of cool accessories such as different lenses, different bezels, different clips, different tail caps, different battery tubes, different lanyard rings. different diffusion filters, holsters, tactical o-ring, etc. Not everybody is going to find enough value in this light and it was a big step for me to spend this kind of money, but I'd do it again based on my experiences compared to other lights my friends and I have owned / used.

I'm more than happy with our 120P's and my experiences with Novatac.

 

[AWGD8]

I love the Fenix LED technology (High lumen) but it feels like you are holding a $20 light (maybe except the new T1). The thin slippery aluminum body isn`t for me.

I gave up the P3D rebel 100 TINT for a 120P versatility. This only tells me one thing 120P Novatac is the real deal! Hands down for me.

I bought my 120P for $130 unopened box here at B/S/T.

from the guy Below ---> :wave:

Love your 120p Qadsan! It`s mine now!

 

[qadsan]

Another interesting light you might want to consider is the O-light T10 Q5 that's currently on sale for $49.95 through Battery Junction (CPF site supporter) and even less if you use their coupon code.

My T10 Q5 has a brighter hotspot than all my Novatacs and it has a nice UI, but it doesn't have the beautiful smooth beam of the Novatac or some of the other features I like. It's also a bit slippery due to the lack or knurling, but this may not be a big deal to some folks. The beam is a bit ringy and there was some yellow / purple around the hot spot if you're into white wall hunting, but it looks great outdoors. This is a very nice little single cell 123 light that's very bright for its size. It's UI is also quick and easy to use and its has mode memory so you'll always power up on the last mode used. There are plenty of reviews and opinions here on CPF and elsewhere if you want to read more about it.

Here's the link at Battery Junction if you want to check it out.
http://www.batteryjunction.com/specialedition-t10-olight.html

 

[Fathom]

Great thread, but it got me wondering as I sit here waiting for my NovaTac 85P, ordered two days ago...

I loved the beamshots I have seen of NovaTac, but realize now that they were all 120P.

Does 85P use the same emitter, just lower current capability? I hope the 85P beam "quality" is the same.

I could not justify an extra $70 (for the 120P) for one extra tiny step in brightness, especially a step so radically inefficient for a single cell light.

But you've got me thinking about going to a local Fenix dealer in town and actually playing with some lights while I wait for my order to arrive. I've been on a buying binge the past week...

 

[Crenshaw]

unless your wallet is prepared to take a hit, dont go down there..:nana:
also there is a shot of the 120p vs the 85p on max, IMO, the diffrence is brightness doesnt much, if you dont have the spare $ to get the 120p, the 85 should do fine.

Personally, if i had to pick one to buy, i would probably pick the 120p, price not withstanding, because of its programability. I dont have either, but i do have a P1D, so i know roughly what the output of the P2D would be.

Crenshaw

 

[Fathom]

The NovaTac 85P is programmable. The 120P is $170 compared to the 85P at $100 at several places.

The only difference is that the 120 has 22 steps in brightness and the 85P has 21 steps. Difference of one step, thats all.

I am assuming the 85 lumen beam is the same on both (step 21).

Oh, Crenshaw, I've enjoyed your posts. I'm learning slowly with all the knowledge at this site.

 

[ScubaSnyder]

I am not sure if anyone mentioned the novatac comes with a polycarbonate lens and the fenix lights come with glass, not sure about the new 120 p's but mine has a shitty lens in my opinion for a $190? But I like both lights and the Q5's is brighter and will out throw the novatac hands down.

 

[Fathom]

UCL for NovaTac EDC Series - 22.8mm $5.49 (same as HDS EDC I think)
HDS EDC Mild Diffuser $2.50 (probably not needed for NovaTac's particular beam, but in a tent I need flood not throw)

I wished it came with sapphire lens! I ordered the extra lenses, newer flat clip, lanyard ring, etc. with the NovaTac order, so still have not seen them yet, maybe Saturday.

Still, not near the accessories available that Surefire and Fenix have.

 

[qadsan]

....I wished it came with sapphire lens! ...

You can buy a Sapphire lens for your Novatac at the following link (McLux III PD fits the Novatac), but they don't come cheap. Sapphire is tough stuff, but you do lose light transmision with it compared to UCL. Here's the link to the Sapphire lens if you want to buy one...
http://theledguy.chainreactionweb.com/product_info.php?products_id=740


In regards to the stock scratch resistant hardcoat polycarbonate lens with AR coating, it's my understanding that Novatac chose this lens for it's durability and impact resistance as opposed to trying to save money. Polycarbonate is a tougher & lighter weight material, especially when it comes to impact resistance. Polycarbonate is key for making bullet proof glass and it's also used in making safety glasses, shooting glasses, etc, and other optical products where durabilty and impact resistance are very important. The choice of high quality scratch resistant coatings can make the surface of a polycarbonate lens nearly as hard as glass so that scratches are significantly minimized. In fact, my polycarbonate glasses are warrantied against scratches, but only for a given amount of time under normal use. Then again, if I look at my glasses with glass lenses that I used to wear, those lenses are scratched up too, which is why I end up replacing my eyewear every year or so whether the lenses are glass or polycarbonate. At least with the Novatac, a UCL lens is only $5 where as replacement lenses for my glasses are considerably more expensive.

 

[Fathom]

You can buy a Sapphire lens for your Novatac at the following

Thanks for the tip. If I really, really like the NovaTac, I may want to spruce it up a little and be damned the transmission properties :nana:

After this weeks buying binge I may have to wait awhile. Just the info I was looking for too. Other than at Lighthound I haven't found much in the way of NovaTac accessories (but at least it has some). Still learning what is/isn't compatible.

 

[cal..45]

One important thing to consider::::The Novatac can use the rechargable batteries without problem - the Fenix cannot without loosing its modes. This can be a BIG plus for the Novatac.

sorry but this not entirely correct. the modes will work very well, all you have to do is use 3V rechargebles instead of 3,7V.


regards, holger

 

[Steve L]

sorry but this not entirely correct. the modes will work very well, all you have to do is use 3V rechargeable instead of 3,7V.


regards, holger

While all the modes will work with a 3.0v RCR123. There are problems with them. You either have a regular 3.7v RCR123 with a diode(s) to drop the voltage(power waste and heat source strapped to battery-not recommended) or you use LiFePo4 which have at best 500mah capacity(short runtime) and both require a special charger. My personal conclusion is that a good rechargeable solution for the P2D doesn't exist. It was made to run on primaries. I own the P2D SE Q2 and 120P(my EDC). Once I received the 120P the P2D just sat on shelf. Not really a fair comparison though; $150 vs $60 light(back in the day). The 120P is my favorite light, especially with the 17670 tube I got from the Hound!

 

[Fathom]

The 120P is my favorite light, especially with the 17670 tube I got from the Hound!

I considered the tube in my NovaTac order but was afraid Lighthound wouldn't deal with me out of fear I might fry his product first day. I would have used 17670 battery 3.6V though so no problem. His site did mentioned that:

There is only one version of this case, it includes a concave, knurled, removable tailcap switch with a flat button, this case generally tail-stands quite well, but this is not guaranteed. The NovaTac tailcap switch will fit on this case, but DOES NOT WORK

Can the NovaTac programmable be made to work with this tube using original NovaTac flat switch? Any issues using it (other than possibility of going beyond the 4.5Vmax by using two cells in series)?

Thanks

 

[precisionworks]

but only ended up using 14 of them

Certainly you have one or two extras that you'd want to part with

hope the 85P beam "quality" is the same

It is AFAIK. Same head, same reflector, slightly different emitter. Let me know if you don't like it, I'll take it off your hands.

novatac comes with a polycarbonate lens

Coated Pyrex windows are cheap, seems that I've seen some for about $5 IIRC. Most users find the Lexan lens better for the 120P ... I'd rather have a shattered Lexan lens than a shattered Pyrex lens.

 

[warpdrive]

I've tried a couple Fenix lights and they are decent for what they are but they are not nearly in the same league as the 120P. If I had to give up all my lights and keep only one, it would be the 120P for sure. :thumbsup:

Totally agree with that statement.

My has a slight flickering issue on the lowest three levels but that doesn't diminish my love of the 120P. If I had to go with one light, I'd sell off all my other Fenix, Surefires, Lumapower and keep the 120P. It really is still the best EDC