Flashlights

Jensen81 said:
I was never into flashlights until I started browsing this thread. Now i have one in my pocket or on my nightstand 24/7. During the day its my micro. At night my hds. As you can probably tell i like copper. Alot. Now if I can only get my hands on a textured copper xm scale. :) haha.
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Me too, all of the above.. The copper XM scale is genius..
 
So, as some of you know, I'm ready to jump back into the light purchasing pool. I've been carrying my lenslight mini religiously for several months and I'm happy with it overall, but there are a few things about it that still don't quite suit what I'm looking for. I've decided I want to get my hands on one of the HDS 250 rotaries. I've read the reviews here and a few other places and by all accounts they are indestructible, which I love, and they are far more adjustable which I really want. I, however, am miles from being a flashlight expert. I can sort of decipher information and compare it (when I can find the numbers), but really they don't mean much to me and I was hoping some of yall might be able to help with a couple of questions!

I probably use my lights for throwy purposes more than most. More times than not when I need a throwy light, I can run to my truck or the house and just grab a spotlight, but being able to throw light a full 150+ yards with my mini lenslight is a feature that has received a decent amount of use. I don't expect the HDS to throw further (it would be awesome, but I seriously doubt it's competing here), but realistically how far can I expect to see? As my comparison point if I have my lenslight on full flood, anything beyond 50 yards is too dispersed. On fully focused, I could see a dog or cat sized animal clearly moving around the barn at 160 yards. The HDS doesn't really have to be able to do that, but a good 100+ yards would definitely be nice.

Also, I don't really know much about emitters and color. I know I like that my lenslight is a much warmer color than my old zebralight was, but I don't really know if it constitutes warm by most standards. Am I looking at light from the HDS that is going to be significantly warmer or cooler?

Thanks yall! I really appreciate the input from folks who know more about these things than I do!
 
From what light knowledge I have which is very little... But my HDS Rotary 250 is a whiter light. It has the XP-G2 emitter so if that tells you anything... That's what I know :D
 
I think the lens-light also has an xpg2 emitter. Of course I could be wrong and I don't actually know of that means the warmth is the same :D I hope it's the same, but yeah that's the sort of thing I probably should know, don't!
 
I think the both use the same emitter brand, probably different bins and tints, and different drivers at different settings. Henry states that he sets his lights up for runtime and efficiency. I don't know the exact settings on the lenslight, but I'm sure that it is probably a higher amperage to get more lumens. The lenslight is brighter and has a warmer tint.
 
Also just a heads up. According to the HDS thread on CPF, the last batch of reflectors were not up to standards, so they tossed them and are looking for a new supplier. It may be a while again before they ship new units.
 
Thanks to this thread I ended up buying an HDS 250 Rotary last week. However, seems like I will be waiting a while to get it. At least I knew ahead of time.
 
Henry maintains a High level of quality control (thankfully) unfortunately that does translate into longer wait times but at least you know that when you get your light - it is up to the standard that you paid for, expect and deserve.
 
I'd rather anything be done right and it take a bit longer. I'm still leaning towards getting one (either through ordering from HDS directly or waiting for one to pop up). I actually had a minor emergency this evening with broken water pipes where both my Hinderer (predictably) and my lens light performed admirably and without fail, but I have to say I was definitely worried about potentially accidentally dropping my light into the frigid and murky waters of my backyard. I think it would have been fine, but I always prefer knowing and that keeps drawing me back to surefire (to a lesser extent, but still) and HDS.
 
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My Sunwayman V10R Ti+
 
A yes SWM Ti V10 R, SWM's best built torch IMHO, I like the positive racking of the outputs on the magnetic ring, the feel of all Ti, and the heft gives it a feel of confidence. The grooves on the body and head give it a nice feel, well done bdog!

This one is part of my dogpile of torches.

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Those are some nice looking torches fellas. I've been eyeballing the V10Rs. I might have to try one out soon.
 
I played phone tag with HDS today checkin' on my order status. They said they should have parts in hand by the end of the month for those of us who are waiting on lights.
 
The wait will be worth it, when it leaves Henry's shop it will be right!. I see in General Forums there is talk about what I used my knife for today and and on Candle Power Forums same thing about flashlights. I don't think it is appropriate to start that thread in the Hinderer sub forum, however thought I'd share what I used my HDS Rotary for today. If you have been following the weather here in the Northeast the temperatures has been below normal, yesterday morning it was -14 degrees. So furnaces and heating appliances have been pushed to the limit and breakdowns are becoming common.

So my neighbor calls me up and wants to know if I can look at her wood pellet stove because it stopped working and inside her house was 57 degrees. These stoves are jam packed with electronics such as; motherboards, augers, wiring and a few motors that drive the augers and blowers. Long story short her motor for the auger feed was fried, to get at it requires entry from the back of the stove, now all this stuff is deep in the bowels of the stove which is dark and hard to see. Enter my HDS, I was able to throw the proper amount of light where it was needed to disconnect the wiring harness and retaining shaft set screw from the motor assembly to free it from the auger shaft.
We ordered a new motor and in two days using the HDS we were able to reinstall the new power plant and make the stove operational. The light was just the right size to hold with one hand and dial the proper amount of light to accomplish the fix, so another reason to justify the investment. BTW each operation required a new fresh AW 16340 rechargeable battery. So that is my " how I used my flashlight today" story.

Good luck on the wait Bowman1911.
 
Jensen81 said:
Those are some nice looking torches fellas. I've been eyeballing the V10Rs. I might have to try one out soon.
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I picked one one a few weeks ago and I like it a lot. It's well-built and (in my limited experience) produces useful, manageable light. It's solid, but not quite on par w/ the HDS. The same time I picked up the V10 Ti I got a V11R as well for something with similar performance but not as nice so I wouldn't worry about it as much when I go fishing, etc.. I feel a lot better about beating it up or losing it at half the price :) The one feature of both that definitely feels less well-built than the HDS is the clicky button. It has a little slop in both, more so with the metal switch on the Ti, although it came with a rubber boot that can be swapped in for the metal button.

Final Option said:
The wait will be worth it, when it leaves Henry's shop it will be right!. I see in General Forums there is talk about what I used my knife for today and and on Candle Power Forums same thing about flashlights. I don't think it is appropriate to start that thread in the Hinderer sub forum, however thought I'd share what I used my HDS Rotary for today. If you have been following the weather here in the Northeast the temperatures has been below normal, yesterday morning it was -14 degrees. So furnaces and heating appliances have been pushed to the limit and breakdowns are becoming common.

So my neighbor calls me up and wants to know if I can look at her wood pellet stove because it stopped working and inside her house was 57 degrees. These stoves are jam packed with electronics such as; motherboards, augers, wiring and a few motors that drive the augers and blowers. Long story short her motor for the auger feed was fried, to get at it requires entry from the back of the stove, now all this stuff is deep in the bowels of the stove which is dark and hard to see. Enter my HDS, I was able to throw the proper amount of light where it was needed to disconnect the wiring harness and retaining shaft set screw from the motor assembly to free it from the auger shaft.
We ordered a new motor and in two days using the HDS we were able to reinstall the new power plant and make the stove operational. The light was just the right size to hold with one hand and dial the proper amount of light to accomplish the fix, so another reason to justify the investment. BTW each operation required a new fresh AW 16340 rechargeable battery. So that is my " how I used my flashlight today" story.

Good luck on the wait Bowman1911.
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Great practical use for the HDS FO, I bet your neighbor was glad to have you around to help! I've only been consistently carrying a torch for a few months now, 100% because of this thread and you guys :) But, now I wonder how I got by without one in my pocket all the time - I find myself reaching for it on a fairly regular basis. I guess I should have clued in before when I would try to use the screen on my iPhone for illumination...:o
 
Having F.O. as a friend/neighbor is like finding an HDS AND an XM18 in your stocking on Christmas morning.

Great story of practical use and right in line with one of the aspects I credit the rotary with all the time - custom light where and how you need it by task.
Have yet to say "I need this thing brighter" but have needed "less" quite often.
Rotary is a must have for me.
 
HDS and Hinderer all the way guys!! Only the best :)

I too now carry my HDS Rotary daily because of this thread
 
Rubi, I hear ya - most of my uses are up close so I tend to dial back the light rather than find myself needing more.
 
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