[selfbuilt]

This isn't going to be a full review, but a quick comparison of the Novatac "Classic" (2xAA 120 lumens, currently on close-out) to the true classic - the Novatac 120P (1xCR123A/RCR).




For all comparisons, the 120P will be shown first (or on the left) followed by the Classic. Note that My 120P sample dates from early 2008.




From left to right: CR123A, Novatac 120P, Novatac Classic, Duracell alkaline

Novatac Classic specifications:

• LED: SSC P4 (not specified, but appears to be)
• Input voltage: 1.8V to 3.5V
• Battery Type: 2 x AA Alkaline or Lithium
• 3 Pre-set brightness levels (120, 30, 0.3 lumens)
• Run Times: 120L/30 min, 30L/4 hr, 0.3L/240 hr
• Lens: Polycarbonate w/Anti-Reflective Coatings
• Dimensions: 1 inch x 6.125 inches
• Weight: 5.6 Ounces (including battery)
• Waterproof up to 66 Ft.
• Materials: Aerospace Grade Aluminum
• Finish: Type II
• Made in China
• Estimated MSRP ~$105, currently on liquidation for ~$45.

What differs on the earlier 120P? The following:

• Input Voltage: 1.8V to 4.5V
• Battery: 1xCR123A or Li-ion (4.2V) Rechargeable
• 22 constant output levels (from 0.08 lumens to 120 lumens), plus a number of strobe modes
• Dimensions: 1 Inch (25mm) Diameter by 3.3 Inches (80mm) Long
• Weight: 3.1 Ounces Including Battery
• Finish: Type III Hard Anodized
• Bezel: Stainless Steel
• Made in USA
• Estimated MSRP ~$160

As is generally appreciated here, Novatac switched in 2009 from their original rugged 120 series lights (made in the USA) to lower cost versions with generally similar specs and build (made in China).

The obvious extrernal changes are in the bezel (now aluminum instead of stainless steel, with a clip attachment point), anodizing (now just type II, not hard anodized any more) and the clip (the Classic doesn't come with one, but the Storm and Special Ops versions do - and it differs from before). Choice of anodizing color has also changed - my 120P is in pewter finish and the Classic is supposedly gun metal gray.



Inside, you can see the addition of the spring on the positive contact in the head (although this may also have occured during the 120P's production run). Be careful here - there are lots of reports of this spring getting bent/damaged if you screw/unscrew the head from the battery compartment with cells inside. Best to always load your cells from the tailcap end now.

On the whole, I find this newer Classic to have lower quality "hand feel". This is especially noticeable with the machining and knurling (which was never agressive to start with, but seems even less so now). The cut-outs for the labels on the head are quite sharp edged (i.e. I could imagine someone cutting themselves on mine), which is ironic given the otherwise slippery feel. The threads could certainly stand a good cleaning as well. When you add in the soft spring in the head - and the thinner retaining ring for the light engine - you definitely get the impression that this light is not in the same build class as the earlier Novatacs.

One of my main reasons for picking up the Classic was to see if the 2xAA body tube would fit and work on my 120P. But I was also curious to see if the Classic used a similar circuit to the 120P.

On the first front, I can happily report that all the parts were completely interchangeable between my 2008-version 120P and recent Classic purchase. I can now use either tailcap or body tube on either head.

On the second front (i.e. circuit), things get a little more interesting. More on that in a moment ...





The heads look relative similar from the front. The reflector seems slightly more heavily textured on the Classic, but the difference isn't huge. I expect similar beam profiles.

Which brings me to the white-wall beamshots. 120P is on 1xAW protected RCR, Classic on 2xEneloop, about ~0.75 meter from a white wall (with the camera ~1.25 meters back from the wall). Automatic white balance on the camera, to minimize tint differences.









The beams don't look all that different, but the Classic seems to be a little more narrowly focused (i.e the hotspot is more defined). Tint-wise, my 120P was somewhat creamy yellow-white, whereas the Classic has a definite blue tone.

User Interface

I am not going to go through all the UI differences between the various Novatac models - largely because they don't matter! As has long been reported here, there is a backdoor crack that lets you turn any model into the fully programmable 120P (thank you LLCoolBeams ).

As you will see in that thread, users report that the Classic version can be cracked to a fully programmable version using the 250-click trick. But does it work properly if you do? I was a little concerned on this front, since according to Novatac's specs, the 2xAA Classic has a different voltage range (1.8V-3.5) from the 1xCR123A/RCR Storm (2.0-4.2V), both of which are narrower than the earlier 120-series lights (1.8V-4.5V). It thus seems that they have customized the circuits of the current models.

I will have more to say about this after the runtimes, but my Classic and 120P do behave somewhat differently on various batteries.

Nevertheless, I can confirm that the 250-click crack worked to unlock the programming modes of my Classic. However, for some reason, it also turned on the Automatic Turn Off feature (i.e. option 6), even though the default setting on both the 120P and Classic is Off. Still, a simple fix to turn back off (although I find I actually kind of like it, since the shut-down sequence is interruptible).

Testing Method:

All my output numbers are relative for my home-made light box setup, a la Quickbeam's flashlightreviews.com method. You can directly compare all my relative output values from different reviews - i.e. an output value of "10" in one graph is the same as "10" in another. All runtimes are done under a cooling fan, except for any extended run Lo/Min modes (i.e. >12 hours) which are done without cooling.

I have recently devised a method for converting my lightbox relative output values (ROV) to estimated Lumens. See my How to convert Selfbuilt's Lighbox values to Lumens thread for more info.

Effective November 2010, I have revised my summary tables to match with the current ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. Please see http://www.sliderule.ca/FL1... for a description of the terms used in these tables.

Throw/Output Summary Chart:

I had the opportunity to briefly test a HDS/Ra Hi CRI 100lm light on both 1xCR123A and 2xNiMH, and am including the data here with the two Novatacs.



The Classic seems have slightly lower output than my earlier 120P. Throw is similarly slightly reduced.

Note the HDS light has an automatic step-down from max ("burst") after 10 secs, so I give both initial and ANSI FL-1 sets of estimated lumen measures from my lightbox above.

Output/Runtime Comparison:



Ok, the Classic definitely has lower max output than my 120P. But notice the Classic's max output on 1xCR123A is lower than 2xNiMH (~80 lumens, compared to ~100 lumens). This is different from the 120P, which has the same peak output on all battery sources (i.e. ~120 lumens).

Note that I did a battery reset before each test above, so the light is appropriately set. From the differing pattern on 1xCR123A and 2xNiMH, I have to conclude that the Classic circuit is indeed different from the 120P (i.e. optimized for 2xAA?).

Although it seems like the overall efficiency of the Classic is higher than the 120P, this could simply be due to changes in the emitter bins over time. These lights were purchased almost 3 years apart, so one can reasonably expect that Novatac has been using higher output bins more recently.

Note that the runtime regulation patterns look as "messy" as ever (or even worse on the classic). These small variations in regulation are not visible to the naked eye - the output seems perfectly constant in use, it is just the lightbox that can detect them. But I also note that the HDS light is far more consistent in its flat output regulation than either of these Novatacs.

Oh, and wondering how these lights compare to others in the 2xAA class?



The 120 lumen output level is definitely at the low end of the spectrum for modern lights, but it isn't that bad - just slightly below a typical XR-E Q5 light. And the overall efficiency of the Classic and HDS seem good for the output level (i.e. better than a Q5).

Preliminary Discussion

The Novatac Classic is definitely a more basic product than the earlier 120-series lights. Build quality has decreased - although most of the changes are subtle, the quality of machining and anodizing are the most immediately obvious. Still, I am glad to see they have kept all the diameters and threading the same, allowing you to mix and match parts. And the runtime has definitely increased compared to my earlier 2008 model (as you would expect given the gains in emitter efficiency over time).

However, I should note that there are a lot more concerns here on CPF over the quality and reliability of these current Novatac models, compared to the earlier 120-series lights. No problem with my Classic so far, but it is good to keep in mind others' exeriences (and take advantage of the warranty if you have problems). At their original list price, these current Novatac lights (i.e. Classic, Storm and Special Ops) don't seem worth it, given the current competition. But with the various close-out prices at different vendors, the risk/benefit analysis becomes more attractive.

This is epecially true since the backdoor programming hack seems to work on all current models. But you need to keep in the mind that that these models have more restricted voltage ranges than the earlier 120-series.

I realize that most people here won't be too interested in a rapidly discontinuing series, but I thought some might like the direct comparisons to the older 120P. Of course, these Novatac lights in no way compete with the newer HDS/Ra line - which certainly seem to have continued innovation in build, circuit, emitter and interface from the early HDS/Novatac progenitors. In contrast, Novatac seems largely stuck in ~2008, especially in terms of circuit and build (but sadly with drops in manufacturing quality).

Still, at these discount prices, the true comparison needs to be other lights in this price range. I hope you find the comparisons useful.