Models... no, not the kind that walk a runway

Confusion. Why do models walk a runway? Are they trying to pick up planes?

HDS has been around a long time, and as such, has many models. Quite often, these are all simply thrown into the lump of "HDS Lights". This is dangerous as these models are vastly different internally even if they share a similar user interface.

Here are all the Models of lights that were or are being produced by HDS Systems or that Henry designed.

1. HDS Action Light (2 versions)
2. Arc 4
3. HDS EDC Basic
4. HDS EDC Ultimate (Basic and Ultimate could share all parts)
5. Novatac (around 8 models) (Could share many parts with Basic and Ultimate)
6. HDS EDC Classic (last light with flats milled on the side that said "RaLights"). Only about 100 shipped, so if you have one, hang da heck onto it) (could share some parts with NT, but tolerances were different between the two so sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't)
7. Ra EDC Twisty
8. Ra EDC Clicky
9. HDS EDC Clicky
10. HDS EDC Executive (includes Bicycle and LE) current production
11. HDS EDC Rotary (includes Tactical) current production

These models are no more interchangeable or related than Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell (even with a good vivisectionist). Just as you can't take the tail off of Claudia Schiffer and attach it to Naomi Campbell and expect it work, the same applies to EDC Executive and EDC Rotary. This doubly applies to older and newer models. What worked for Lisa Fonssagrives won't work for Karlie Kloss, even if they seem to have the same buttons.

The user interface may be the same or similar (they all mostly speak English be it American, British, Australian, or Canadian eh), they may all have the same designer, they may even look related, but deep down, in the guts, they ain't even close and voltages and electronics inside differ as widely as rum and motor oil.

Hogo out.
Hogo back.

Ok. I added some info above specifically about the "Classic" model.
After the "Classic" flats would not be milled into the lights, so no engraving. As a way to tell the brightness, colored rings were put on the positive contact in the head. The color codes are as follows:

Yellow - 100 lumens
Green - 120 lumens
White - High CRI 120 lumens
Blue - 140 lumens
Purple - 170 lumens
Red - 200 lumens. NOTE: 180 on NB35
Red/Orange stacked - 325 lumens
Orange - 250 lumens
Orange/Yellow stacked - 300 lumens
Yellow - 325 lumens

Monochromatic emitters do not have a ring not he positive contact i.e. Dark Adaption Red, Hunter Green, IR, etc.

V-threads moved to ACME at the same point the 2.0 software came out. This is just after the first titanium run which had V-threads. Circa 2010. No Rotary style model or Executive style model used V-

"Clicky" can be confusing as it was both a model and UI. If one simply states "Clicky" we don't really know which of these you are talking about. Damn HDS can be confusing. The only "Clicky" model was #8 and #9 above while several other models use the "Clicky" UI.

Now, the original "Tactical" model, which was moved to be called the "LE" was a Clicky UI. At this time, the Executive model was named. Both have ACME threads.

Novatac had a complete power supply redesign. Where the Ultimate and Basic could go to 7 volts, the Novatac was not designed to and according to Henry today (11-11-2019) going up to 6 volts would greatly stress the Novatac power supply.

Confused yet?

[emoji23]

I learn so much here.

Each elf has his own model. Got it.

My Legacy tailswitches, body tubes, bezels, and heads are interchangeable.
You can see the lights turn on:

Good to have a thread here to help clarify the confusing terminology[emoji106]

Could even subdivide some of the above list by type of threading (legacy or V-thread versus ACME) ....

Legacy Products, sometimes called Legacy Lights are 1-9 on the first post.
Those are Novatacs, and yes, all Novatacs are interchangeable with each other, but not with other Legacy products or current lights.

thanks for the education
you have a wealth of experience
I see your point now that each of the 11 designs dont lego and light with the other listed generations.
(one exception, the #3 EDC Basic, #4 EDC Ultimate, lego w #5 Novatacs)

a lot of details for sure
they all share the great HDS clicky UI

jon_slider said:

thanks for the education
you have a wealth of experience
I see your point now that each of the 11 designs dont lego and light with the other listed generations.
(one exception, the #3 EDC Basic, #4 EDC Ultimate, lego w #5 Novatacs)

a lot of details for sure
they all share the great HDS clicky UI

Click to expand...

Yes, those do lego together though the electronics are a little different between the Basic/Ultimate and Novatac. Not really enough to make a big difference, but changes were made. There were also some designs changes as well as far as how the electronics were installed between those two (Basic/Ultimate and Novatac). The only difference between the Basic and Ultimate was some software.

Should say as well that the only difference in the head of the current models (Executive, Rotary, Tactical, Bicycle, and LE) is purely programing, but that programming is quite different between Executive models and Rotary models... which is why Executive and Rotary tails are not cross compatible. That wasn't by design but by necessity. We toyed with the idea of having the head recognize which tail was on the light, but the current elf can't handle it. He just isn't smart enough. When we finally move to gnomes, I would personally like this feature (truth be said, I have a huge wish-list for things like this) but the more complicated it becomes, the more time it takes, the more testing it takes, and the more room for error and failures in the light, and I am firmly in the camp that HDS MUST always go for durability over other features.

OK. I've added some more into into the first post.
I will keep updating that first post with more info so as to keep it in one place that is easier to find.
If you have questions about specific models (one's designed by Henry, not the female kind) ask here and I will do what I can to get you the answers from the man himself.

Oh, and let's try to keep the questions to ones where the answer can not be found here on the HDS Legacy Products Page. Consider this sort of "insider" info.

Hogo out again.