BigBluefish
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2008
- Messages
- 1,461
Coming off my futile quest for the last of the Ra 85-TRs, I consoled myself with a NovaTac 85 T from the 'Hound. Pretty hard to pass up, with the current price and the -2%.
I'm really impressed with this little light. I've always liked the beam pattern from the SSC P4s, having a LumaPower LM31 and LM33. A bright wide hotspot with a gradual transition to spill, and not a hint of rings or distortions or defects. The tint on the NT is much better though, pure white, I'd say 'snow white,' while the LPs tend towards pink in one case and green in the other. On the 85 lumen setting, the Nova is just perceptibly brighter than the LM33, which seems about right since the LM33 is rated at 90 emitter lumens, so it's probably putting out about 65. I'm honestly not sure that the human eye can even tell the difference between 65 and 85 lumens, so maybe it was the tint difference that I was really noticing. But I'd say the 85 lumen rating is spot on.
The other preset levels are just about perfect for everyday use. The 10 lumen setting is a good all-around close range level, and the .3 lumens is more than adequate for navigating in the dark. Runtime on the .3 lumen setting is reported to be ridiculously long. Wihich probably doens't really matter, unless you're a character in "Pitch Black," but it's cool to know that the thing will run for like 10 days.
There have been alot of keys pecked debating whether the Nova 85s will give longer runtimes at 85 lumens the the Nova 120s, and I don't think anyone has really made a final determiantion of that question. I actually don't care, since 95% of the time, I'll be using 10 lumens and .3 lumens.
The form factor (I probably should just say shape) of the light is interesting, and I thought it might be a bit awkward to hold. In use, it turned out to be just the opposite and is actually one of if not the most comfortable lights I have. The checkering is great. The anodizing is nice and even. The light seems adequately tough without being overly chunky. The size is just about perfect Might be a bit big for the front pocket of a tight pair of jeans, but I'm at the age where I oughtn't be wearing such things anymore, anyway.
I thought I'd like the bezel down clip, and it seemed ok. But my tailcap seems welded to the body tube and short of taking a wrench to the little thing, it ain't going anywhere. So my Nova's going clipless. It also occured to me that the great feel of the light would go right down the drain as soon as that clip went on, so I'm not unhappy.
The UI just may be the best thing since sliced bread. Really. I thought it might be tricky. It's not. Takes about 30 secons to figure out, and then you wonder why other lights are still using clickies. Wow.
Two other interesting items. My Surefire E-series red filter fits it like it was made for it.
Not a dedicated red LED, but it works just fine. Maybe I'll get a blue filter. Don't know why I'd need one. But it should be cool.
Now, the strobe. I'm not a strobe guy. I'm not a tactical guy. The only use I've got for strobe is as a warning beacon, to say "please don't run me over" if I'm stuck on the side of the road at night or to tailstand on a table if my 5 year old wants to do disco dancing. I've got one on my T10 and really don't care much about them one way or the other in general. The one on the NT is cool, though. I didn't think it would be much of a strobe at all at only 85 lumens, but this thing actually makes my head swim, even if I'm not looking at it, and it's illuminating the wall. Must be the particular frequency. It won't make me puke, but it's definitely odd and unpleasant. Gives me sort of a lightheaded or dizy feeling. Or maybe more like vertigo. It isn't dramatic, but its very perceptible. So, yes, apparently some strobes do work. It wouldn't stop me from doing something nefarious if that were my intent, and wouldn't slow me down in doing so at all. But it is cool. Too bad my wife doesn't have cats anymore, they might like it...Ok, just kidding.
So this turned out be a good purchase, IMO. It's replaced, at least for the time being, my Quark clipless 123 as my EDC. Next week's incoming is a SureFire E1L, so I'll have some fun comapring the Nova and the SureFire.
The one thing I'm really sure of now that I've found I really like the NT, is that I want a Ra. I don't know now whether I'll got the EDC Executive I was originally considering or go for a 170 Cliky or do a custom with a hi CRI emitter. I think the EDC might be too close to the performance of the Nova, so I might have to set my sights a bit higher, just so the Ra doesn't duplicate the NT. Can't have that now.
I'm really impressed with this little light. I've always liked the beam pattern from the SSC P4s, having a LumaPower LM31 and LM33. A bright wide hotspot with a gradual transition to spill, and not a hint of rings or distortions or defects. The tint on the NT is much better though, pure white, I'd say 'snow white,' while the LPs tend towards pink in one case and green in the other. On the 85 lumen setting, the Nova is just perceptibly brighter than the LM33, which seems about right since the LM33 is rated at 90 emitter lumens, so it's probably putting out about 65. I'm honestly not sure that the human eye can even tell the difference between 65 and 85 lumens, so maybe it was the tint difference that I was really noticing. But I'd say the 85 lumen rating is spot on.
The other preset levels are just about perfect for everyday use. The 10 lumen setting is a good all-around close range level, and the .3 lumens is more than adequate for navigating in the dark. Runtime on the .3 lumen setting is reported to be ridiculously long. Wihich probably doens't really matter, unless you're a character in "Pitch Black," but it's cool to know that the thing will run for like 10 days.
There have been alot of keys pecked debating whether the Nova 85s will give longer runtimes at 85 lumens the the Nova 120s, and I don't think anyone has really made a final determiantion of that question. I actually don't care, since 95% of the time, I'll be using 10 lumens and .3 lumens.
The form factor (I probably should just say shape) of the light is interesting, and I thought it might be a bit awkward to hold. In use, it turned out to be just the opposite and is actually one of if not the most comfortable lights I have. The checkering is great. The anodizing is nice and even. The light seems adequately tough without being overly chunky. The size is just about perfect Might be a bit big for the front pocket of a tight pair of jeans, but I'm at the age where I oughtn't be wearing such things anymore, anyway.
I thought I'd like the bezel down clip, and it seemed ok. But my tailcap seems welded to the body tube and short of taking a wrench to the little thing, it ain't going anywhere. So my Nova's going clipless. It also occured to me that the great feel of the light would go right down the drain as soon as that clip went on, so I'm not unhappy.
The UI just may be the best thing since sliced bread. Really. I thought it might be tricky. It's not. Takes about 30 secons to figure out, and then you wonder why other lights are still using clickies. Wow.
Two other interesting items. My Surefire E-series red filter fits it like it was made for it.
Not a dedicated red LED, but it works just fine. Maybe I'll get a blue filter. Don't know why I'd need one. But it should be cool. Now, the strobe. I'm not a strobe guy. I'm not a tactical guy. The only use I've got for strobe is as a warning beacon, to say "please don't run me over" if I'm stuck on the side of the road at night or to tailstand on a table if my 5 year old wants to do disco dancing. I've got one on my T10 and really don't care much about them one way or the other in general. The one on the NT is cool, though. I didn't think it would be much of a strobe at all at only 85 lumens, but this thing actually makes my head swim, even if I'm not looking at it, and it's illuminating the wall. Must be the particular frequency. It won't make me puke, but it's definitely odd and unpleasant. Gives me sort of a lightheaded or dizy feeling. Or maybe more like vertigo. It isn't dramatic, but its very perceptible. So, yes, apparently some strobes do work. It wouldn't stop me from doing something nefarious if that were my intent, and wouldn't slow me down in doing so at all. But it is cool. Too bad my wife doesn't have cats anymore, they might like it...Ok, just kidding.
So this turned out be a good purchase, IMO. It's replaced, at least for the time being, my Quark clipless 123 as my EDC. Next week's incoming is a SureFire E1L, so I'll have some fun comapring the Nova and the SureFire.
The one thing I'm really sure of now that I've found I really like the NT, is that I want a Ra. I don't know now whether I'll got the EDC Executive I was originally considering or go for a 170 Cliky or do a custom with a hi CRI emitter. I think the EDC might be too close to the performance of the Nova, so I might have to set my sights a bit higher, just so the Ra doesn't duplicate the NT. Can't have that now.
