BACKGROUND INFO:
I've had my HDS for a few days now so I just thought I'd post a review for anyone interested. I wanted the extra functions of the Ultimate but I couldn't justify the price of $180 for a flashlight that I really don't need; so I got the Ultimate 42 instead of 60
.
Currently, the HDS line comes with a max of either 42 or 60 lumens. The Basic line has 4 settings that you cannot change. Also, it will always come on in the primary setting of 10 lumens. The Ultimate line lets you change the 4 settings to any one of 20 different brightness levels. You can also make it turn on in any of these settings and it includes features like SOS, blink, locator beacon, etc.
Basic:
http://www.hdssystems.com/EdcBasic.html
Ultimate:
http://www.hdssystems.com/EdcUltimate.html
I bought mine from Battery Station. Great service from Kevin and I got free batteries too!
http://www.batterystation.com/hds-edcflashlights.htm
REVIEW:
Wow, this is a cool light!!
Fit and Finish:
Good anodizing. There is no battery rattle and the clicky tailcap button is the perfect tension. There are no sharp corners and the checkered body is not too rough so it shouldn't wear a hole in your pockets. There does seem to be a tiny bit of dust particles in the reflector, not a problem though.
Size and weight:
A little over 3" long. Fits well carried in pocket but even better clipped. The HDS is a little bit heavier than I expected but is still pretty light. For me, the weight is not an issue for EDC.
Beam:
Very nice beam for a smooth reflector. Intense hotspot (smaller than beam of Inova T1) with a dimmer corona. The HDS outthrows the T1 by a little bit but has a lot more sidespill. Tint is good, more white than what I thought was the white beam of the T1 (You know you're addicted when you can distinguish between white and white 
)
Ease of use:
It took a little while to learn how to use the functions but learning to switch between brightness levels was very easy. On the highest setting, it can light up a room pretty well. On the lowest, you can read at night without ruining your night vision. One problem I encountered is that if you go through the brightness levels or functions too quickly, the light thinks that it is all one sequence and blinks angrily at you. Between settings, you have to wait a little bit (like half a second) to make sure your last input is seperate from your next input.
Usefulness:
I got this light because it is a nice all around light. Instead of buying a Surefire L1, Inova 24/7, and a Peak LED for a gent's light, I got the HDS because it can serve all of those roles. It may not have the awesome throw of the high power surefires, but it will do everything else in a small package. The extra functions may come in handy during camping or hiking trips.
Miscellaneous:
Seems to be water resistant as it claims. One thing that could be improved is the pocket clip. There is a pretty big gap between the clip and light, however, it is still secure clipped to the pocket.
I highly recommend this light to anyone who wants a bright light in an EDC package with lots of functions.
I've had my HDS for a few days now so I just thought I'd post a review for anyone interested. I wanted the extra functions of the Ultimate but I couldn't justify the price of $180 for a flashlight that I really don't need; so I got the Ultimate 42 instead of 60
.Currently, the HDS line comes with a max of either 42 or 60 lumens. The Basic line has 4 settings that you cannot change. Also, it will always come on in the primary setting of 10 lumens. The Ultimate line lets you change the 4 settings to any one of 20 different brightness levels. You can also make it turn on in any of these settings and it includes features like SOS, blink, locator beacon, etc.
Basic:
http://www.hdssystems.com/EdcBasic.html
Ultimate:
http://www.hdssystems.com/EdcUltimate.html
I bought mine from Battery Station. Great service from Kevin and I got free batteries too!
http://www.batterystation.com/hds-edcflashlights.htm
REVIEW:
Wow, this is a cool light!!
Fit and Finish:
Good anodizing. There is no battery rattle and the clicky tailcap button is the perfect tension. There are no sharp corners and the checkered body is not too rough so it shouldn't wear a hole in your pockets. There does seem to be a tiny bit of dust particles in the reflector, not a problem though.
Size and weight:
A little over 3" long. Fits well carried in pocket but even better clipped. The HDS is a little bit heavier than I expected but is still pretty light. For me, the weight is not an issue for EDC.
Beam:
Very nice beam for a smooth reflector. Intense hotspot (smaller than beam of Inova T1) with a dimmer corona. The HDS outthrows the T1 by a little bit but has a lot more sidespill. Tint is good, more white than what I thought was the white beam of the T1
(You know you're addicted when you can distinguish between white and white )Ease of use:
It took a little while to learn how to use the functions but learning to switch between brightness levels was very easy. On the highest setting, it can light up a room pretty well. On the lowest, you can read at night without ruining your night vision. One problem I encountered is that if you go through the brightness levels or functions too quickly, the light thinks that it is all one sequence and blinks angrily at you. Between settings, you have to wait a little bit (like half a second) to make sure your last input is seperate from your next input.
Usefulness:
I got this light because it is a nice all around light. Instead of buying a Surefire L1, Inova 24/7, and a Peak LED for a gent's light, I got the HDS because it can serve all of those roles. It may not have the awesome throw of the high power surefires, but it will do everything else in a small package. The extra functions may come in handy during camping or hiking trips.
Miscellaneous:
Seems to be water resistant as it claims. One thing that could be improved is the pocket clip. There is a pretty big gap between the clip and light, however, it is still secure clipped to the pocket.
I highly recommend this light to anyone who wants a bright light in an EDC package with lots of functions.
