HDS EDC vs. Novatac Whats the diff???

Hey folks,
For those of you who have had both, whats the difference between the two? Does one have better durability, quality, etc? I have owned several HDS EDCs and was happy with them. I am considering a Novatac and others seem to be happy with them. Just wondered if they were basically the same light or what? thanks much!! Doug

I'm going to bed in a minute or two and I'm sure many, many others will follow my post but, HDSs (at least mine) seem to be of somewhat better quality. Novatac, better (easier--fewer presses) UI. I'm looking for the prototype HDS/Ra which Henry is to be sending me (they are available for all) which is supposed to be somewhat of a hybrid of the two lights and, the unveiling and receipt of the new Ra clickey, the newest design from Henry Schneiker who started with the design of the Arc 4+. Good night!

My opinion? Wait for some reviews of the new Ra clickey and then make a choice..


Karl

I've used both. Practically no difference to anybody but an extreme flashaholic.

The Novatac 120 is somewhat brighter than EDC 60 (naturally), and use a polycarbonate window instead of glass (less breakable but more scratchable). That about sums it up.

They are both great lights. But after opening and modding several HDS U60 and B60 lights, I would say that the HDS lights are better quality than the NovaTac lights by a small margin.

The heatsink on the HDS lights are threaded into the head, while the NovaTac lights are a tolerance fit and held in place with a small retaining ring. The general construction of the HDS lights is a little better overall, too. Especially in regards to the pocket clip. I would put the performance of a Seoul modded HDS U60 over that of the stock NovaTac 120P. The main edge for the HDS light is the smooth reflector. It delivers a tighter hot spot, while retaining a nice spill.

With that said, I have both the HDS B60 and a NovaTac EDC120. I like them both. But being that I prefer to have a little extra throw, I tend to grab the HDS more often. The beam on the NovaTac is a bit too diffused for my taste. If NovaTac introduced a light with a smooth reflector, I would buy one in the first week that it hit the market (assuming that I had the money at the time). If they improved the clip on the NovaTac at the same time, I would have to buy two.

So basically, you can't go wrong with either light. You just need to decide which features are more important for your uses, and then buy both anyways.

I don't have an HDS but if my Ra is an indication of the quality of that discontinued line then it is indeed of very high quality (with a price to match of course).

The UI is a personal thing. I like the HDS method of adjusting the brightness more than the ramping method of the Novatac. I think it's too easy to get in to the programming menu of the Novatac. Hand the light to someone whose never used it and they get confused. Hand and HDS over and even a 3 year old can use it and go between the 4 levels.

The build quality of the HDS is much better than the Novatac. The screw in module is much better for heat transfer. From what I've noticed is the HA on the HDS is thicker than production Novatacs. I recently had a prototype novatac and I know that Novatac could have made it thicker and darker.

The electronics is less efficient in the Novatac. The overall runtime will be longer on the HDS. Than a Novatac This is due to the HDS' ability to run super long at the low levels. There's also no flickering on low levels in the HDS where it does flicker in the Novatac.

Like many have said - I do think that my HDS was very slightly better built in terms of anodizing, and the lowest setting did not have any issues with flickering. I'm not a modder so some aspects I've not noticed or been concerned with. I prefer a few things with the Novatac - I like the UI slighly better as programming is easier, I like the OP reflector and the stainless bezel is a huge upgrade (albeit you can add one to the HDS) since that was the only weak spot on the HDS lights and the new Ra lights incorporate this as well (on steroids actually). Arguably, a Seoul mod and a stainless bezel ring and I'd have been happy keeping my HDS 42, but the rough cost of those was about what I paid used for my 85P (although the Seoul mod might have been brighter - not sure since my HDS was an XR model and did not push as much current). I like the clip on the Novatac since I tend to not use it much and when it's off there aren't the screw holes in the body.

What you've probably caught is that the differences are minimal and while they exist, many (like reflector and UI) are a matter of preference/taste.

I still maintain that the best looking lights of the family tree was the Arc 4+ that I once owned. Too bad it stopped working reliably due to the switch design, but it sure was a sleek piece of work back in the day!

To compare latest available products, we're going to have to wait for the Ra Clicky to materialize. Folks should start getting them within the next few weeks, so the wait is almost over (knock on wood).

OTOH, since the OP specified 'HDS EDC', its possible he's asking about the no longer available HDS line of lights. In that case, many here have given their opinions. But these lights are not available as new items anymore.

I can only compare my 120P to my Ra Twisty 100. The Twisty seems to be a more robust design and just gives you the impression that whenever you need it, it will be working for you. I like my 120 however. Most recently, it is an itermediate sized, longer runtime light (with the addition of a modified HDS 17670 tube and battery) that sits on my nightstand.

Dead_Nuts said:

HDS line of lights ...are not available as new items anymore

Click to expand...

There are 10x new HDS U60s for sale here...

Thanks everyone for the help, I think I will wait for the Ra clicky as has been suggested. It will be tough but hopefully I can be patient. Patience is not a strong trait of mine Doug

I did a run time test on my HDS B60LE that has been Milky Modded with SSC P4. I dropped is a 880mAh Ultrafire unprotected cell in fully charged at 12:45am. I turned the light on which defaults to high and let it stand. The high on this light to my eyes is as bright as my 120P and much more whiter. Beam is about the same with the 120P having just a tad more of a hot spot. From 10 feet from the wall there is no difference. Anyway the B60LE never went over 103 degrees on my temp gun. It dropped a level after 25 minutes. It continued to drop levels for the next 4 /12 hours until it made it down to the .03 lumens. it stayed there for about 2 hours, very smooth light. No flickering. It finally started to blink every 2 minutes or so and after the 5th blink I removed the battery. The battery read 3.23v. I'm sure it jumped up as soon as I removed it from the flashlight but I was still impressed. I pulled the battery at 7:00am. Not bad for a rechargeable. A primary would have most likely went another 3-4 hours.


I did a similar test with my 120P some time ago and in the last light stages it flickered.

I would say I would take the HDS if I could only take one. It is a more consistent light. No "I hope the low dose not flicker". Still I carry the Novatac at work everyday as it is a great light. The HDS just seems a little more refined to me..


****Update****
I retested my Novatac 120P today and it went 1 hour before I noticed it dropped in out put and in 1 1/2 hours more the light flashed repeatedly so I removed the battery. The cell had 3.03v left in it. Nice protection for the rechargeable battery. Not so long run time.....

dtsoll said:

Thanks everyone for the help, I think I will wait for the Ra clicky as has been suggested. It will be tough but hopefully I can be patient. Patience is not a strong trait of mine Doug

Click to expand...

Imagine those of us who have had Clickies pre-ordered since they were first offered!

Nevermind - I found the answer with a little searching.