Yet another flashlight thread.

I

I Robert I

Guest
Well, last night I promised another flashlight thread so ... here goes.

A couple of days ago yet another flashlight made its way down the mail slot. Oh happy oh joy! ;) This time we're looking at HDS Systems "EDC Ultimate 60GT". Fancy name for such a simple thing huh. The fancy name does serve a purpose though, it identifies what type of flashlight we're dealing with:
  • EDC = Every Day Carry. In other words, a flashlight that you carry with you, always.
  • Ultimate = All the good stuff when it comes to included features. (more on this below)
  • 60 = 60 lumens of happiness
  • GT = Guaranteed Tint. This flashlight uses a Luxeon 3W LED from
Lumenlabs. Although the LED is labeled as white there is a great deal of tint differences between these LEDs. Because of this (and other factors) they will get assigned different "bins". Basically a code that tells you what type of white they are, cool, warm or somewhere inbetween. The code also gives you other information as what voltage keeps it the most happy and such. With the GT model you are guaranteed to get a tint that is very white indeed. Basically, they are hand picked.

Now, some more info regarding the "Ultimate" designation. Well, it just means that it's got a lot of nifty little features. I'm just gonna name a few of them and if you want to know more (HAH!) you can go ahead and read the 14 page manual. The features include such things as emergency strobe, locator beacon and SOS.

This light is controlled completely by a microprocessor and the different features can be set up to fit the user. You can set how bright it should be, if it should turn on at a specific level each time or if it should turn on to the same level it was set at when you last used it and such. There are 20 different levels of light output giving you anything from very bright output for about 20 minutes to hours upon hours of medium-low level light.
At the highest level it can get quite toasty, because of this it is protected against overheating and will automatically step down light intensity to keep the LED from frying (or your hand from getting burnt).

Its primary battery is a CR-123A cell but it can also be run from rechargeable R123a/16750's etc. It will keep your unprotected rechargeables safe to prevent overdischarge (which destroys that particular type of battery).

It is very rugged and can take A LOT of abuse before dying on you. Unless you go crazy and start throwing it with all your might into concrete floors you're not going to stop this thing from doing what it's suppose to do. It is even waterproof to 2 atmospheres so you could take it diving if you felt like it.

I could probably go on for a while longer but I'd think most of you guys stopped reading somewhere in the second paragraph. I'll round it off with a few pictures that I've stolen from some japanese site. I was too lazy to take pics of my own this time.

u60_1.jpg

u60_gt_2.jpg

u60_gt_3.jpg

u60_gt_5.jpg
 
Pandora said:
I betcha he even has an offical Lightsaber type flashlight in his collection.
Click to expand...
Sorry to dissapoint but no, no I don't. I'm not even really that big a fan of the Star Wars story.
 
Needs moar pictoral comparison to your other lamps. And how much did this thing set you back? And did you say how you program it?
 
I Robert I said:
Sorry to dissapoint but no, no I don't. I'm not even really that big a fan of the Star Wars story.
Click to expand...


Me either. It's a bit...odd. I was in a toy store the other night buying my kiddo some Hot Wheels and Spiderman stuff, and this 30+ year old with his wife gasps in the aisle opposite me and starts jabbering excitedly. I couldn't see what he was talking about because I wasn't over there, but it involved the words 'sweet', 'amazing', and 'really want this'.

After a while I wander over near where they're standing and he's practically masturbating over this:

20050620_1_bg.jpg


His eyes are rolled back in his head, and he's just starting to work the shaft and tip of his exposed penis while his pathetic cow of a mate is looking at him adoringly, clearly thinking "Thank you Earth Mistress and Spirits of the Sea, for bringing this noble human into my barren wasteland of a life! Let us sit together on the sofa later and discuss the varied mystical properties of my prayer crystals!"

I was completely embarrassed for both of them. Actually that's not entirely true. I was embarrassed for him, and just outright fucking pitied her. Like when you see a mangy dog on the street, completely saturated with filth and maybe walking with a slight limp, and you aren't sure whether you should go buy it some food or shoot it in the face out of mercy.

But anyway you should've seen this guy. I was like "There you are, a fully fucking grown man. You live in the real, physical world, filled with interesting people, places, things, and issues of actual significance, and you've chosen to exist in some goddamn la-la science fiction land like a frustrated mongoloid. Congrats! Now go pump some gas in your jalopy so I can retire in style, you fgt freak."

But I didn't say anything, because I'm not into that whole judging people thing, you know? So I just paid for my son's toys and went home.
 
fly said:
Needs moar pictoral comparison to your other lamps. And how much did this thing set you back? And did you say how you program it?
Click to expand...
Comparison in what way? Size and shape or output? Output comparisons are tricksy and hard to photograph. There's a difference between raw light output and intensity. Depending on how you shape the beam a very low output flashlight can get a high intensity rating and of course the oposite is also true.

Price? More than you care to know. Let's just say that it was on sale and they cut the price by 30-40 bucks heh.

Programming is done via the pushbutton. In everyday operation so to speak you'd use the following "commands" to control it.
From off:
  • One click -> light turns on
  • One click -> light turns off

From on:
  • Double click -> switches between primary and secondary setting. The output of primary and
  • secondary can be changed by the user to any of the 20 levels available.
  • Press -> maximum output. Pressing and holding the button at any time will make it spit out as much light as the batteries can squeeze out while still being in regulation.
    What's regulation I hear you ask (yeah right...). Well it means that the electronics in the flashlight will keep output constant at that brightness setting. Unlike a standard incandescent flashlight which will start to fade and continue fading from the moment you turn it on.
  • Triple click -> switch to minimum output. This produces very little light but it'll last for aaaages. Good for emergencies.
  • Triple click + hold -> Switches to maximum and sticks there.

To change other settings such as automatic button lock, tactical mode, strobe etc you enter the options menu by clicking the button 10 times from off. The different menu "items" are recognised by different blink/fade patterns.
To change brightness for any given mode (primary, secondary, max, minium) you click 10 times and then hold for a second to enter the brightness settings mode. In there you simply click the button untill you have the output you want and lock it into place by holding the button for a couple of seconds.

I think that covers most stuff you'd normally use :)
Spange Monkee said:
is it because of the 6 months of darkness that you are obsessed with flashlights?
Click to expand...
Nah, I usually keep my apartment completely dark 95% of the time anyways. I just like em is all. Just like some people like collecting other stuff. It's amazing how hard people find it to understand this hobby. RC people and such never meet this type of "resistance" :p
 
I Robert I said:
Programming is done via the pushbutton. In everyday operation so to speak you'd use the following "commands" to control it.
Click to expand...
Jesus does that all sound complex. Needs a USB port and a Windows app.
 
inphosys said:
Holy crap! :egads: Stares at price!!
Click to expand...
I have one that's almost twice that :p (the sale price that is)
fly said:
Jesus does that all sound complex. Needs a USB port and a Windows app.
Click to expand...
It isn't really. Took me like 10 minutes to learn all of it and besides, it's not like you need to re-program it everyday. In normal use it's just click for on and double-click to change output levels.

This one doesn't have a USB port but the Indium Smart does ;) (click Indium smart at the bottom):
3003_web.jpg
 
I don't mean to sound ignorant, but why exactly do I need so much out of a flashlight? Aren't most flashlights used at distances of 5-30 meters or so? What's wrong with a simple Maglite where you expand or constrict the beam by turning the top? They're cheap, dependable, and I can get one almost anywhere.
 
Sarcasmo said:
I don't mean to sound ignorant, but why exactly do I need so much out of a flashlight? Aren't most flashlights used at distances of 5-30 meters or so? What's wrong with a simple Maglite where you expand or constrict the beam by turning the top? They're cheap, dependable, and I can get one almost anywhere.
Click to expand...

word
 
Sarcasmo said:
I don't mean to sound ignorant, but why exactly do I need so much out of a flashlight? Aren't most flashlights used at distances of 5-30 meters or so? What's wrong with a simple Maglite where you expand or constrict the beam by turning the top? They're cheap, dependable, and I can get one almost anywhere.
Click to expand...
Of course your standard Mag will do just fine for most tasks. Why do people buy nice cars, wouldn't a beat up honda from 95 do just fine? Why do you buy a big TV, a smaller one does the job. That expensive cellphone, do you really need all that fancy stuff it offers?

Why do you buy flashlights that cost more to operate than most people will spend on flashlights at all? Because you enjoy it, it's a hobby like any other.

Atleast it is just a hobby in my case. There are however other people who has to thrust their lives to a flashlight (or rather, several) such as cavers, police officers etc. For these people a standard Mag might not be enough or it might be much too big to carry around.

I'd go on but I think I've gotten the point across :)
 
BeeRad said:
Na Na Na booo booo, I gotta better flashlight than you???:fly:
Click to expand...
I'm too old for that sort of thing. I just like to share my hobby with people. Most people just think I'm crazy but mayhap someone finds it interesting and then it's worth it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back