First up, right at the front end you'll find a stainless steel crenellated bezel, unlike earlier NovaTac models, current models are not black anodized. New to the current NovaTac models is an included pocket clip which is removeable by unscrewing the bezel. When attached, the clip allows for head-up carry. The main head casing is the largest part of the light's body. Its made of aluminum and has a diamond textured knurling on almost the entire outer surface. There are 2 flat faces machined onto either side of the head which have the model name and production number printed on them. The natural colored type 3 anodizing is pretty well done. However, I did notice that the finish was a little blotchy, especially noticeable on the flat surfaces. Also, the coating on the head is of a slightly lighter shade compared to the battery tube and tail cap. The lens is made of polycarbonate with AR coating. I see it as a good design choice to use polycarbonate instead of glass in this light. Seeing as it is meant to be used in rough conditions, it would definitely be better to have the lens crack than shatter altogether. The AR coating provides optimal light transmission too. A rubber o-ring sits between the lens and bezel which serves as a water proof seal. Behind the lens there's the textured aluminum reflector. For the most, the texture and polish on the reflector is well done, but I did notice some odd bumps which look like tiny air bubbles trapped below the polished coating. This isn't really a big deal as it doesn't affect the beam profile at all. The emitter module which also houses the electronics sits inside the head. Its held in place by a retaining ring which screws onto threads along the inner wall of the head. Now, because the emitter module simply slides in, there is some play between it and the head. This in turn causes the emitter and reflector to be slightly misaligned, but not by much. You can easily unscrew the retaining ring a little, re-align the emitter module with the reflector, then tighten back the retaining ring. The emitter module is well heat sinked and built very solid. The emitter on mine had some grease like substance on it, a quick wipe with a lens tissue and cleaning solution cleared it right up.
Next, onto the battery tube. As mentioned above, the coating on the battery tube is a slightly darker tone than the head. The finish is also more consistent and doesn't have blotches like on the head. There's a band of knurling in the middle of the battery tube about 1cm wide for additional grip. The battery tube has a very wide internal diameter, even the largest protected 16340 cells will fit with ease. A long spring coil sits inside the battery tube which acts as electrical contact between the emitter module and push button. This spring coil doesn't prevent battery rattle though, that is done by the gray dome-shaped piece of rubber on the switch module. The thing about this spring coil is that it makes battery changes a hassle, because when you tip the light to let the spent battery fall out, so does the spring coil. Removing the spring coil will cause the light to stop functioning properly. There are thick rubber o-rings on either ends of the battery tube, they are very tight and surely provide good seals. Now, right out of the package the threads on this light are quite rough to be honest. While testing I did encounter some grinding and squeaking sounds. Perhaps they will get smoother as you wear them in a little more.
The tone of the coating on the tail cap matches the battery tube well. On the outside there's yet more knurling, a band about 1cm wide which goes all around the tail cap. The tail cap houses a push button which has very short travel, very similar to the button on a cell phone for example. This was a very good choice in my opinion as it makes the multiple clicking required for programming the light much more convenient compared to the a push button with longer travel. This flatter push button also enables the light to sit on its tail end on flat surfaces. The switch works as regular push button by default, or can be programmed to enable momentary activation. The push button is held in place by a retaining ring, identical to the one for the emitter module. The thing I don't like about this is that after I screw down the tail cap tightly, unscrewing it for a battery change sometimes causes this retaining ring to come loose as well. Which in turn means that the push button is no longer held securely in place and rattles in the tail cap. A pair of sharp needle nose pliers is required to tighten back the retaining ring. To fix this, simply apply some lubricant on the face of the retaining ring which makes contact with the end of the battery tube. This will reduce the friction between them and the retaining ring will be less likely to come loose.
If you're unfamiliar with any of the terms used in this review, click here for explanations on common flashlight related vocabulary. |
