cslinger
Enlightened
I have been a long time fan of the HDS series of lights my Basic 60LE has gone everywhere with me and has not only held up very well but served its purpose spectaculary. My U42 has been my house light for just as long. The build quality, beams, UI, runtimes etc. are excellent on these lights. So with the release of the mass produced Novatac versions I had to pick a couple up, take them around the block and kick their proverbial tires. Here is what I found.
I ordered a 120T and a 85P from Lighthound last Friday. The lights arrived Monday (Kudos to Lighthound) and were packaged beautifully. The retail packaging of these lights is very nice and the foam used to hold the lights is very dense and well made.
The lights themselves are a lighter color HAIII then the previous HDS lights but the dimensions are pretty much idential. The Novatac lights have polymer lense while the HDS lights have glass. After a dissassembly and review of the Novatacs I must that bottom line these are GREAT lights. Yes they show signs of some cost cutting and mass production vs. the HDS lights, but in the end this doesn't take away from just how good these lights are. Some of my observations are as follows.
The HAIII on my examples looks good, but a bit thin. Could just be the coloring.
The clips are no better or worse then the HDS models. They do keep the lights from rolling and that is my primary purpose for them.
The threads on both my examples are very smooth, although my HDS lights are a tad bit smoother. This could be from use though.
The spring inside the body can fall out, but it is large and easy to keep in the body. This is, however, in my opinion the Novatac lights biggest flaw.
The UI is slightly more streamlined with the Novatac lights and I think they have moved in the right direction. Programming my 85P was easier then my U42.
The 85P tailstands with NO wobble. My two HDS lights will tailstand with a slight wobble.
The 120T will make a marvelous gun light. It is very easy to manipulate with a handgun. The button is very positive and feels great. You will not accidently turn this on in your pocket. I like the T very much.
The new beam profile of the Novatac lights is excellent and very useful. That being said I never had a problem with my HDS lights in this regard. The Novatacs throw very well but are not designed for throw per say. They are more of an intermediate distance light. They will however light up my whole backyard.
Alright on to some beamshots. Understand that I do not take very good beamshots and my pictures never really do the lights justice. So please only compare the lights between my pictures only. All appear a bit brighter and provide a bit more spill in real life.
All lights were tested at their maximum power. All lights are running on lithium primaries.
The contenders
The control picture. Dark closet.
The Novatac 120T
Novatac 85P
HDS B60LE
HDS U42
Fenix P2D
Fenix L1D-CE Lithium Primary
Surefire L1 Luxon TIR version
Surefire M2 with P61 lamp assembly
Novatac 120T ready for carry duty sir.
Novatac 85P reporting for duty as well.
So at the end of the day do I like em? Yep I think Novatac has done a marvelous job of taking an almost custom light to mass production. They do live up to my expectations. Mine have exhibited no apparent flaws and are working very well. The 120T will be replacing the B60LE as my carry light.
If I were to suggest one of these I would whole heartedly suggest the 85P. For $110 I think it provides a hell of a lot of bang for the buck. Once again, an avowed, Surefire guy whole heartedly suggest these lights over some of the competition.
I ordered a 120T and a 85P from Lighthound last Friday. The lights arrived Monday (Kudos to Lighthound) and were packaged beautifully. The retail packaging of these lights is very nice and the foam used to hold the lights is very dense and well made.
The lights themselves are a lighter color HAIII then the previous HDS lights but the dimensions are pretty much idential. The Novatac lights have polymer lense while the HDS lights have glass. After a dissassembly and review of the Novatacs I must that bottom line these are GREAT lights. Yes they show signs of some cost cutting and mass production vs. the HDS lights, but in the end this doesn't take away from just how good these lights are. Some of my observations are as follows.
The HAIII on my examples looks good, but a bit thin. Could just be the coloring.
The clips are no better or worse then the HDS models. They do keep the lights from rolling and that is my primary purpose for them.
The threads on both my examples are very smooth, although my HDS lights are a tad bit smoother. This could be from use though.
The spring inside the body can fall out, but it is large and easy to keep in the body. This is, however, in my opinion the Novatac lights biggest flaw.
The UI is slightly more streamlined with the Novatac lights and I think they have moved in the right direction. Programming my 85P was easier then my U42.
The 85P tailstands with NO wobble. My two HDS lights will tailstand with a slight wobble.
The 120T will make a marvelous gun light. It is very easy to manipulate with a handgun. The button is very positive and feels great. You will not accidently turn this on in your pocket. I like the T very much.
The new beam profile of the Novatac lights is excellent and very useful. That being said I never had a problem with my HDS lights in this regard. The Novatacs throw very well but are not designed for throw per say. They are more of an intermediate distance light. They will however light up my whole backyard.
Alright on to some beamshots. Understand that I do not take very good beamshots and my pictures never really do the lights justice. So please only compare the lights between my pictures only. All appear a bit brighter and provide a bit more spill in real life.
All lights were tested at their maximum power. All lights are running on lithium primaries.
The contenders
The control picture. Dark closet.
The Novatac 120T
Novatac 85P
HDS B60LE
HDS U42
Fenix P2D
Fenix L1D-CE Lithium Primary
Surefire L1 Luxon TIR version
Surefire M2 with P61 lamp assembly
Novatac 120T ready for carry duty sir.
Novatac 85P reporting for duty as well.
So at the end of the day do I like em? Yep I think Novatac has done a marvelous job of taking an almost custom light to mass production. They do live up to my expectations. Mine have exhibited no apparent flaws and are working very well. The 120T will be replacing the B60LE as my carry light.
If I were to suggest one of these I would whole heartedly suggest the 85P. For $110 I think it provides a hell of a lot of bang for the buck. Once again, an avowed, Surefire guy whole heartedly suggest these lights over some of the competition.
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