Just received my first Ra Clicky 170

and I'm amazed at how dim it is, even my Preon 2 is brighter. But over all its a pretty nice light.

They are rated within 10 OTF lumens of one another, the difference should be barely discernable. Are you sure you have burst enabled and you were on burst (full 170 lms) at the time you compared them?

yup i was on the highest output and its odd that the ra clicky has a doughnut hole since it has a orange peel reflector

Many lights have artifacts at very close ranges, even pricey ones. I would bet that past about a meter it disappears. Did you make the mistake of shining it at a white wall? Very few lights survive that test. :hahaha:

The Preon 2 is very bright. But the toughness of the RA is lightyears beyond the Preon. Plus, don't discount the ability to customize every level. The RA makes a fine EDC light.

yeah i guess i should have went with surefire for the toughest bright light. but the hds is nice and compact

There's a practical limit to how many lumens you can put in your pocket. Sure, they make 1000 lumen edc lights. They run all of about 15 minutes. Not very practical. The HDS is 170 lumens for at least an hour. That's plenty bright for 99% of what you'd need in an edc light.

I would suggest you carry it for a few days, and use it as it was meant to be used. I have a strong feeling that you will grow to like it more each day, and that the quibbles you may feel now will fade into insignificance when you see how handy the Clicky is. It really is an excellent light.

yea im sure it will grow on me im just spoiled by my high powered chinese lights.

Shooter21 said:

yea im sure it will grow on me im just spoiled by my high powered chinese lights.

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I'm in the same boat. I just recieved my first HDS - a tactical 170. It's quality is absolutely phenomenal. However output is not better than average. My SC51 and D10 are just as useful when it comes to output with the exception of the slightly better throw of the 170. Now my problem is what to keep and use. Practically speaking, is the extra quality of HDS worth the drawback of the larger size and higher price?

I'd like to have an EDC Excutive 170 because I like the beam profile of the GD emitter, but I thought long and hard and knew that because of the size and the way the clip works/mounts it just would not bump my SC60w aside for EDC, and as just a light for the collection it was just too expensive. I can't even find my Clicky 120 so that one was just not enough to bump my smaller NovaTacs from regular use and now it is misplaced.

The Rotary looks really interesting, but again for EDC I need a decent "deep" carry clip (bezel down greatly prefered, but I might try bezel up if it was a nice clip). If the past is any indication, we can't rely on HDS for a suitable clip, so we'll have to wait for critical mass for someone to make one, but this is also much less likely than in the past because there are no stock mounting holes. So the Rotary is free float, lanyard/hanger, or holster carry right now; just not that appealing to me. As much as I want to try the HDS interface with the rotary added, it's just not going to be a priority at the current price point. In the past I would not have cared as much about the clip, but for my EDC carry I now require one. At some point I'll get one for my bug-out bag, but I can wait for possible neutral tints, or maybe even neutral XM-L emitter and the longer term reliability reports.

I really love my RA Clicky 170 but I agree when I got it it was not as bright as I thought it was going to be but it still is a great little light.

Do you guys know if Henry uses 7000 series aluminum in his lights and did Novatac copy his designs?

Not quite. Henry designed the Novatac's. Then he went into business for himself.

Shooter21 said:

and I'm amazed at how dim it is, even my Preon 2 is brighter. But over all its a pretty nice light.

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Yeah Im amazed at the fanboyclub for these lights at 200+ dollars and 100+ lumens. Seems so 1970's. They need an R5 and 425 lumens to make me look or maybe a sub 100 price tag. All my sub 200L lights are stored away or sold off.

molon_labe said:

Yeah Im amazed at the fanboyclub for these lights at 200+ dollars and 100+ lumens. Seems so 1970's. They need an R5 and 425 lumens to make me look or maybe a sub 100 price tag. All my sub 200L lights are stored away or sold off.

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More for the rest of us! Enjoy your pocket rockets. :wave:

molon_labe said:

Yeah Im amazed at the fanboyclub for these lights at 200+ dollars and 100+ lumens. Seems so 1970's. They need an R5 and 425 lumens to make me look or maybe a sub 100 price tag. All my sub 200L lights are stored away or sold off.

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You sound pretty satisfied with your stuff and that is a good thing. No need to try and diminish others satisfaction if their experience or tastes are different. Please consider taking a more amicable tone in the future.

Respectfully submitted.

Shooter21 said:

yup i was on the highest output and its odd that the ra clicky has a doughnut hole since it has a orange peel reflector

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How far from a target is the light when you see a donut hole? If it is close to a target, this is perfectly normal and unavoidable if it is at a distance of a foot or more then that would be different than I would expect... donut holes are pretty much a non issue in the lights that I have and were somewhat prevalent in the 4 die LED's (Lux V / MCE etc) most reflectored lights will show a null if you move it close enough to an object.

I would urge you to give it a good whirl before making up your mind about it but if you don't, you will likely find an interested buyer on the marketplace.

Good luck.

Not quite. Henry designed the Novatac's. Then he went into business for himself.

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Actually, I believe Henry was in business for himself producing his HDS line of lights (Basic and Ultimate 42's and 60's) a couple of years before his short venture with Novatac (circa 2007?).

Have you contacted the seller? GIVE HENRY A CHANCE FIRST! Every manufacturer makes a lemon occasionally. HDS lights are made to actually USE IN THE FIELD NOT for white wall hunting DO NOT talk about donut holes. CAN YOUR PREON SURVIVE AN EMP ATTACK? What purpose does this thread serve? Disregard maximum brightness LUMENS DO NOT MATTER THE HDS IS ABOUT BULLETPROOF INTERNET REPUTATION!

:rock:


Thanks for sharing the results of your comparison though, I had no idea the (2 cell) preons were that bright. Especially considering "chinese" vs. "u.s.a." lumens, you'd think it'd be the other way around.