PowerTac Cadet - A small review

moshow9

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 10, 2010
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El Paso
Curiosity got the better of me with this one. There doesn't seem to be much info out about this light so I wanted to share a few thoughts on it. Here is a size comparison:

Top to bottom: ZebraLight SC600w, HDS EDC Clicky, PowerTac Cadet, Nitecore EZAA
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Size/Build
Very small and just disappears in your hand (and I have small hands!), but size may be an issue with those with larger hands. Still, this light would serve mainly as a backup so it's size could work as an advantage as it is easy to tuck away.

The tailcap has a lanyard hole. The button protrudes a bit so no tailstanding. Both the tailcap and body are in a matte finish and feature a very light knurling. The head is fluted, and while smooth, the twist action is great as the flutes provide excellent traction.

Both the head and body feel solid. The tailcap, not so much. It's thinner than I'd prefer but understand it's kept that way to streamline it with the body.

Top view of the Cadet disassembled
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The strike bezel is one solid piece with the head. The reflector is smooth and deep for a light of this size.

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Threads are triangular at both ends and tailcap lockout is possible. The pocket clip allows for head up carry and is non-removable.

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Beam/UI
Due to the smooth reflector, there are some minor rings present within the beam, as well as a donut. This may turn some off to it, personally it does not bother me any. Has great throw for a light this size.

The modes are changed by loosening and tightening the head within 2 seconds. Doing so will advance the light from moonlight-low-medium-high. Strobe can be accessed by loosening the head (even from off if in the loosened position when turning on). No other blinky modes are present.

Battery Usage
All modes are accessible when using a primary battery with the Cadet. Unfortunately, only the medium and high modes are available when running off of a RCR123.

Some brands may not fit. I first tried to use a 4Sevens CR123A only it wouldn't fit as the battery is too wide. I did have a Battery Station primary on hand and it slid right in, as did my AW RCR's.

Accessories
A velcro-strap holster, lanyard, and 2 spare o-rings are included. There is also weapon mount and pressure switch that can be purchased separately.

Criticism
One of the main reasons I purchased this light was because it supports RCR123's (I rarely have any primaries on hand), so I was disappointed to learn that both the moonlight and low modes are lost when using this battery.

The UI could also stand to see some improvement. I was hoping that mode switching would be similar to that of ArmyTek's Predator, where there is a bit of a delay seen in the mode switching while loosening and tightening the head. This isn't the case with the Cadet. What that means is, every time you want to switch your output from one mode to the next you will have to loosen the head. And every time the head is loosened you will catch a bit of strobe.

Also, because the button protrudes I assumed the Cadet to be a forward clicky but it's not. I can understand the reasoning behind a head tighten/head loosen (w/strobe) UI. It is billed as a tactical light. There is instant/direct access to strobe but I cannot understand why momentary activation was not included.

Runtime on RCR is short, although this will not be an issue for those who use primaries :p.

Final Thoughts
My criticisms for this light are changes I would like to see in future revisions. Despite these, I'm overall happy with this light. It's small enough to carry as a backup in my pack or jacket, or even pocket once the summer rolls in. It's plenty bright on a primaries and more so on RCR.

Would I buy it again? [strike]I would, but at a lower pricepoint. While opinion, I feel it's a bit higher than it should be. Now maybe with better revisions... ;)[/strike]

After taking a little time to do (what turned out to be) a quick test, I will have to change my initial response and say I would not buy this light again due entirely to it's runtime with an RCR. I started with a fresh cell at 4.2v and ran the light for 10 minutes. It was slightly warm and only began to get hot towards the last 2 minutes. The cell was at 3.72v when I pulled it from the light and it recovered to 3.83v after resting. 10 minutes of use on max will leave the RCR at ~30%.

Unfortunately, for me, that is too short of a runtime and a dealbreaker for me. If you don't mind the UI, or using primaries, this may be worth giving a try and I would still like to see improvements made because I do believe this little light does have a lot of potential.

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Last edited:

tsask

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 6, 2005
Messages
1,759
Ive had my Cadet for a 6 weeks. Nice review (I'd buy another but at a lower price point). Thanks for the RCR CR123 info.
 

bouncer33441

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Mar 12, 2011
Messages
94
you are wrong im using a tenergy 900mah rcr123a battery in mine and every mode works
 

moshow9

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 10, 2010
Messages
2,222
Location
El Paso
you are wrong im using a tenergy 900mah rcr123a battery in mine and every mode works
Not necessarily. The Tenergy 900mAh cell is 3.0v nominal, while the AW cell I was using is 3.6v nominal. Higher voltage from the AW cells (IMR or ICR) prevent the lower modes from being accessible. Looking back I failed to specify. :eek:

How is your runtime on high with the Tenergy cells?
 
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