Opinion of HDS lights?

I'm considering picking up one of them. However I just read a post somewhere in here where a user stated that their finish is "crap" which seemed odd since I usually hear nothing but good things about them. How would you rate their build quality? I understand they use the SSCP4 emitters instead of the Cree's. How would you rate their beam quality, tint, etc? I'm a throw junkie so how is their beam profile? They are completely made in USA correct?

I'm also wondering if I should even bother since there's probably going to be an influx of XPG lights here soon.

Any opinions would be appreciated....

I assume when you say HDS lights, you are talking about the newer Twisty, Clicky models. There were some complaints about 'pin hole' anodizing faults with the HAIII finish. My Twisty & Clicky 140Cn have these 'faults' but they are only very minor and only visible when looking at the light from certain angles.

If you like throw, the Cn model will provide more throw but still provide a nice spill beam - this model uses the Osram Golden Dragon emitter (my favourite emitter) - I have this emitter in a Nitecore D10 & EX10 also and it provides a beautiful ringless beam with a nice tint!

I would however, not describe any of the Ra Lights as 'throwers'. They provide a nicely balanced beam (far more useful in my opinion for a small EDC style light).

IMHO, my Clicky is the best built light I have ever owned. The quality of Nitecore, Quark, Jetbeam, Fenix etc is OK but the quality of the Clicky is beyond better!

My advice is to try a 140Cn or 170Cn model. Give it a couple of weeks of regular use - get used to the UI etc and you may very well become a HDS fan. I will never sell my Clicky!

James....

EDIT: I thought I would also mention the following: I use this light nightly whilst on my 60 minute run. It remains on the whole time. I can get an entire run on max (true calibrated 100 lumens OTF) + a further 1/2 hour on max/medium settings (with no notification of low battery) with a AW ICR123 rechargable - now that is efficient!

Fantastic lights - and the build quality is spectacular. (My 2 year old nephew has done his best to drop, crush, slobber on, and poke holes in my most recent HDS - and he has yet to even scratch the finish.)

If you want the brightest light with the latest LED, I'd definitely consider 4sevens' Quark line with the XP-G. He's doing a great job of bringing the newest LEDs into production lights very quickly. But the funny thing about my HDS is that while it's not my brightest light, or my smallest, or even my coolest, it's the one I trust most - and the one I usually find myself taking when I need to know my light will work. Although I love having a 300 lumen P7 in my hands, I don't usually need that many lumens. The HDS is bright enough for just about anything, has a great beam pattern, and is rugged as hell. If you want a durable, versatile light that you can rely on, you can't go wrong with the HDS. They're first class. (For what it's worth, I also have four older HDS lights, too - and all of them still work like charm.)

FYI, the *recent* HDS (now called RaLight) that I purchased had a neutral tinted LED - I loooove neutral tints - so I'm not sure whether it has the same beam profile as his other LEDs. I've always appreciated how Henry and Don (McGizmo) pay attention to their reflectors to create a really useful combination of throw and flood. But this means that HDS lights are slightly more suited to medium-distance uses. For true long-distance throw, the quarks generally have a tighter hotspot that throws better - but they're harder on the eyes at short and medium ranges. (If I remember correctly, Henry also offers a "narrow" beamed version of his lights that throws further; it sounds like this would be right up your alley.)

I've got 5 HDS lights here, and I've never regretted purchasing a single one. Out of all my <insert embarassingly high number of> lights, the HDS and my Draco are the ones usually by my side.

Hope this helps!

- FITP

HDS are great lights! Try them out. I find that I always seem to return to my 170 clicky it is just a well built light that will last forever. I had a problem when I recieved my 170 but Henry took real good care of me and it is up and running great. Just like someone else said give it a couple of weeks it grows on you.

Chef

Ok I'm slightly confused. I'm at their website. I don't see a "Cn" model. I'm liking that Ra Every Day Carry Executive for $99. The Ra EDC Tactical $109 isn't a bad deal either. I definetly want to go with one that is 120lumens or higher.....I'm leaning toward the Tactical models since they have more throw... Decisions, decisions.....

The names of the current Ra lights have changed a few times. Cn (as in Ra120Cn) was a previous designation for a Ra Clicky (as opposed to the discontinued Twisty) with a narrow(er) beam. I think the Tacticals are the narrower beams now, but I've honestly stopped worrying about keeping the naming convention straight.

The Twisty has not been discontinued-- it is only out of stock as a new model is prepared by HDS-RaLights.

By the way, the OP said they want a certain output in lumens, and referred to the model designations. In that vein, a prospective purchaser needs to know that the lumen numbers in the 120, 140 and 170 clicky model designations refer to the lumens available only for a short burst on high - not for a continuous output for more than a few minutes. After the initial burst, I believe the light will automatically step down the output to 100 or 120 lumens, depending on the model.

I'm not claiming to know the exact details of how this works, but I think I got the basic idea correct.

To answer the OP's initial question, I consider my Twisties to be the highest quality lights in my collection. I go to them when I need to be sure I have a light that works and can survive rough handling.

I'm a big fan of HDS lights. I've had mine for over 4 years now. I like the design and the electronics are great. I remember all the runtime graphics back then. It alway gave flat regulated output intil it had to drop to another level.

The Tacticals all use the Cn-style Osram emitters; they also come with blackened bezel and clip.

You can order any combination of features with the Custom Clicky, though, and they don't charge any extra fees for making it to spec (that said, the features do sometimes cost money if, say, it's a rare emitter.)

I've used and collected both factory and custom lights for several years now and I think the HDS/RA lights are the best out there in terms of dependability and they are very versatile as well, build quality is as good as it gets imho!! I've had a Basic 42 XR GT for several years that is heavily used and never had one problem!

They are fantastic, durable and high quality. The only shortcoming is the anodizing and the fact that every one of mine has dust inside the reflector (not that it makes any performance difference).

I own three of their lights and would buy them again.

Yucca Patrol said:

The only shortcoming is the anodizing and the fact that every one of mine has dust inside the reflector

Click to expand...

Is there a way to be open the head up to be able to blow out the dust?

I evaluated a Ra Clicky WW in a pass-around several months ago, and it was relatively easy to remove the bezel and lens to access the reflector and emitter. That one may have been a special build though, but I didn't think it was at the time. I was very impressed with it and would own one if I did not already have an early HDS modded with SSC and a modded Novatac 120P. I still look at the site from time to time and am temped by the EDC-T 120. I'm waiting for a higher bin neutral/warm emitter though.
I heard issue of specks in the anodizing was resolved by changing an assembly method that was damaging the ano.

KDOG3 said:

Is there a way to be open the head up to be able to blow out the dust?

Click to expand...

Over 3 years of EDC (EDC Basic 42 XRGT, unlocked to full functionality). The finish has worn great for the use it's seen. The RA Lights designated models (as opposed to the older "HDS") are supposed to be even better. My Twistys have an aesthetically perfect finish but haven't seen the use required to prove its durability (although I have no doubts it'll wear well).

Pic 1

Pic 2

Pic 3

The lack of a known Arc-style (or the style I have on my HDS EDC as you can see in the picture) clip is all that's keeping me from buying a few RA Clickys.

On the EDC tactical model, does the strobe come on first and can I remove it or change its position in the line-up so that I can just have High come on first, then strobe, then med, then low? What I want is the narrow beam option(which all the tactical models have) with the executive behavior. If I build it it cost $139 but if I just buy the tactical its $109 but I'll have to deal with the strobe - that is, unless I can move or remove it....

KDOG3 said:

On the EDC tactical model, does the strobe come on first and can I remove it or change its position in the line-up so that I can just have High come on first, then strobe, then med, then low? What I want is the narrow beam option(which all the tactical models have) with the executive behavior. If I build it it cost $139 but if I just buy the tactical its $109 but I'll have to deal with the strobe - that is, unless I can move or remove it....

Click to expand...

According to the user's guide for the Ra Clicky in tactical mode it first comes on at high and you do a press-hold to get the strobe.

The UI is very nice. But aside that, it is just another light. The build is very durable, the anodizing is not all that great either. The beam is decent, and it is overpriced in my opinion. I ended up selling my clicky because it was a shelf queen. My Quarks get more usage than the clicky ever did. Even with the Cn, the throw is weak. If you are looking for throw, Ra is not the light for you. If you are looking to customize your light to your liking, the UI is definitely very versatile, complicated, but versatile. If you are curious on the Ra or HDS lights, I would recommend getting the "EDC" models instead of the classics. The only thing good that came out of my clicky was it's high resale value, since there is a fanbase for them here in the forums. I used to be Ra crazy, but like every other phase, it went away.. fast. Ra and HDS lights are not "crap" but are not the "best" in any way either. Even though I was not a fan of the clicky, I do like my Ra 85TR twisty. That I do plan to keep (due to it being discontinued and having a nice red low). I also felt that the beam on the Twisty was way better than the Clicky, and threw better IMO. To each it's own. Good luck in making your choice! I just thought I'd throw in a little more equal/negative response, since everyone seems to give it positive reviews above. But all in all, that is how I feel about HDS and Ra lights from personal use and ownership.

KDOG3 said:

On the EDC tactical model, does the strobe come on first and can I remove it or change its position in the line-up so that I can just have High come on first, then strobe, then med, then low? What I want is the narrow beam option(which all the tactical models have) with the executive behavior. If I build it it cost $139 but if I just buy the tactical its $109 but I'll have to deal with the strobe - that is, unless I can move or remove it....

Click to expand...

Deranged_coder is correct. They are pretty much the same regardless if it is custom or EDC (UI-wise). I believe the anodizing on the EDC is not as "superior" as the classic models, but that anodizing is not all that great either. Also you can customize your light's modes regardless, so this should not even be a decision making factor by any means.

Plain and simple, if you are looking for a tank for a flashlight, get the Ra. If you are looking for versatility, get the Ra. If you are looking for a thrower, do not get a Ra, and if you are looking for the brightest, nicest beam out there, do not get the Ra.

HDS Lights are the finest available for me. Their combination of ruggedness, waterproofness, efficiency, beam quality, configurability and user interface makes them best in class.

Buy one! I hope that you like it.