NovaTac 85P/120P Flashlight User's Guide
Copyright 2013 by Henry Schneiker
All rights reserved
August 8, 2013
Introduction
The EDC Flashlight is your best-of-class everyday carry pocket flashlight that provides
regulated light output at a user-selected brightness. Matching the amount of light to the
task will maximize battery life - yet can still provide an intensely bright light when you
need it. A single button activates your light and easily selects the desired brightness.
You can maximize battery life by using the minimum brightness level compatible with
the task you are performing. The lowest brightness levels will help preserve your night
vision adaptation without using a red filter while still allowing you to distinguish
colors.
Your eyes respond to light in a logarithmic way. That means that a significant visible
increase in brightness requires a doubling in the amount of light - and power. The
brightness levels on your light are spaced to provide small, visually even changes in
brightness. As a rough approximation, every two levels brighter will halve the battery
life and every two levels dimmer will double the battery life. The maximum brightness
level pulls significantly more power than the rough approximation indicates and has a
much shorter battery life as a result.
The following is a summary of the available commands and will assist you in quickly
learning to use your flashlight. However, please read the rest of the User's Guide so
you will understand how each feature works.
To Operate: Click <1/3 second Press >1/3 second
• Click Turn on
• 2 clicks Toggle between Primary and Secondary or return
to Primary or Secondary from other settings
• 3 clicks Minimum setting
• Click-press Maximum setting
• Press Momentary Maximum setting
• 2-clicks-press Ramp brightness – turn off to remember setting
• 3-clicks-press Enter Option menu
• Click Turn off
Other commands from off:
• Press Turn on*
• Click-press Maximum setting*
• 3 clicks Lock/Unlock if Automatic Button Lock is on
* Momentary if Simple Momentary is on
Within Options Menu:
• Click Move to next item
• 2 clicks Reverse direction and move to previous item
• Press and hold Set item - hold until light turns off
<6 flashes> Error - nothing changed - exits menu
Options Menu:
<flash> Emergency strobe
<SOS> Emergency SOS signal
<dim flash> Locator flash
<long flash> Force setting
<three rapid flashes> Automatic button lock
<bright-to-dim> Automatic turn off
<short-long flash> Simple momentary
<short-short-long flash> Tactical momentary
<dim-to-bright> Ramping and Option menu
Using the Single Push Button
Your light has a single push button that is used to turn your light on and off and to
access its other functions. The click and press operations are very similar to using a
computer mouse. The following concepts are important to understanding the operation
of your light:
Click: a quick push and release of the button. A click is any push of the button lasting
less than one third of a second.
Press: a long push of the button. A press is any push lasting more than one third of a
second.
Click sequence: a sequence of 2 or 3 clicks. The time between clicks must be less than
one third of a second.
Click-press sequence: a sequence of 2, 3 or 4 pushes of the button where the beginning
pushes are clicks and the last push is a press. The time between clicks and between the
final click and press must be less than one third of a second.
Note: you must pause for more than one third of a second between commands to
prevent commands from running together and becoming a single command.
Note: if you provide an invalid input sequence within the Option menu or during a
reset, your light will flash the error sequence of 6 rapid flashes and exit the menu or
reset without changing any settings. Under all other conditions, your light will ignore
any extra clicks.
Basic Operations
Turn on. Click or press the button once to turn your light on. Your light stays on until
you turn it off. Use the Simple Momentary option in the Option menu to modify this
behavior. When you turn your light on, it turns on to the Primary setting. Use the
Force Setting option in the Option menu to modify this behavior.
Turn off. When your light is on, click the button to turn it off.
Primary and Secondary setting toggle. When your light is on, you can toggle between
the Primary and Secondary settings by double-clicking the button. If the brightness was
on the Minimum or Maximum setting, the light will return to the last Primary or
Secondary setting used. Your light will momentarily turn off between the clicks but this
is normal.
Minimum setting. When your light is on, you can set your light to the Minimum
setting by triple-clicking the button. Your light will momentarily turn off between the
clicks but this is normal.
Momentary Maximum setting. When your light is on, you can momentarily set your
light to the Maximum setting by pressing the button. Releasing the button returns your
light to the previous setting.
Maximum setting. When your light is on, you can set your light to the Maximum
setting by click-pressing the button. Your light will momentarily turn off between the
clicks but this is normal.
Brightness ramp. When your light is on, you can ramp the current brightness setting to
another brightness level by click-click-pressing the button. See below for a more
detailed explanation.
Option menu. When your light is on, you can enter the Option menu by click-clickclick-pressing the button. See below for a more detailed explanation.
Turn on to Maximum. When your light is off, you can turn your light on to the
Maximum setting by click-pressing the button. Your light stays on until you turn it off.
Use the Simple Momentary option in the Option menu to modify this behavior.
Ramping Brightness Levels
Your flashlight has four (4) preset brightness settings. These settings are called
Maximum, Primary, Secondary and Minimum for historic reasons. Any brightness
level may be assigned to any setting. The dimmest brightness level is referred to as
brightness level 1 and the highest brightness level depends on the model.
Level
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10
11
Lumens
.08
.12
.17
.23
.33
.47
.66
.94
1.3
1.9
2.7
Level
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Lumens
3.8
5.3
7.5
11
15
21
30
42
60
85
120
In addition to the normal brightness levels, there are three signal levels: disorienting
strobe, emergency strobe and SOS, respectively. These signal levels work like regular
brightness levels and may be assigned to any of the brightness settings.
Caution: the disorienting strobe can induce seizures in some individuals so it should be
used with caution.
To change the brightness level of the current setting, turn your light on and then clickclick-press (2 clicks and a press) the button to ramp to a new brightness level. Repeat
the click-click-press to reverse the ramp direction. Release the button when the desired
brightness level is reached. When the ramp gets to the brightest or dimmest level, it
will double-blink at that level and pause for two (2) seconds before moving to the signal
levels. Each signal level will be displayed for 4 seconds before moving to the next level.
The brightness ramp is circular – i.e., the highest brightness setting is followed by the
disorienting strobe while SOS is followed by the lowest brightness level and vice versa.
When you have selected the desired brightness level, release the button. To remember
the new brightness level, turn off the light. If you select a different brightness setting
before you turn your light off, the change to the previous brightness setting is forgotten.
If there is insufficient power to run your light at full power there is also insufficient
power to safely remember the selected brightness level. When there is insufficient
power to remember the selected brightness level, you will see two seconds of very rapid
flashing before your light turns off. The setting will be as you set it but the change will
be forgotten the next time you change the batteries or do a soft reset.
Option Menu
The Option menu is used to turn on and off optional features in your light. Each option
will be covered separately, but the basics of turning an option on and off is common to
all options.
To enter the Option menu, turn your light on and then click-click-click-press (3 clicks
and a press) the button. Now release the button. You will see the identification flash
for the first menu item.
Each option has a unique identification flash and a known position in the menu. When
you enter the Option menu, you always enter at the first menu item. Click the button
once to move to the next menu item. Double-click to reverse direction and move to the
previous menu item. The menu wraps around from the last item to the first item and
vice versa.
When you have selected the desired menu item, press and hold the button for two (2)
seconds until your light turns off. If you are enabling the option, your light will display
an increasing brightness sequence. If you are disabling the option, your light will
display a decreasing brightness sequence.
If you do not touch the button for 10 seconds, if you enter an unknown menu command
or if you do not hold the button down until the light turns off, your light exits the
Option menu without changing the option setting and displays the error flash sequence
consisting of 6 rapid flashes.
If there is insufficient power to run your light at full power there is also insufficient
power to safely remember the selected menu item. When there is insufficient power to
remember the selected menu item, you will see two seconds of very rapid flashing. The
menu item will be as you set it but the change will be forgotten the next time you
change the batteries or do a soft reset.
Option 1: Emergency Strobe
The Emergency Strobe option flashes your light once a second. The emergency strobe is
intended as an emergency beacon.
To stop the emergency strobe signal, turn your light off. Note that this behavior is
modified by enabling the Automatic Turn Off option.
The emergency strobe signal option is the first item in the Option menu and is
identified by the emergency strobe signal.
Option 2: Emergency SOS
The SOS option flashes the international emergency SOS signal. The SOS signal
complies with 46CFR161.013-7 for signal timing but your light is not a Coast Guard
approved emergency signal.
To stop the SOS signal, turn your light off. Note that this behavior is modified by
enabling the Automatic Turn Off option.
The SOS signal option is the second item in the Option menu and is identified by the
SOS signal (dot, dot, dot, dash, dash, dash, dot, dot, dot, pause).
Option 3: Locator Flash
The Locator Flash option dimly flashes your light every 3 seconds when it is turned off.
This allows you to find your light in the dark.
The Locator Flash option is a toggle setting. Setting it once enables it while setting it
twice disables it. The default setting is disabled.
The Locator Flash option is the third item in the Option menu and is identified by a dim
flash.
Option 4: Force Setting
The Force Setting option forces your light to turn on to the selected setting. When the
Force Setting option is disabled, your light remembers which setting you were using
when you turned your light off and returns to that setting when you turn your light on.
To select a setting to be forced, first ensure the Force Setting option is disabled. Then
select the Maximum, Primary, Secondary or Minimum setting you want to force. Enter
the Option menu and enable the Force Setting option. Your light will now turn on to
the selected setting.
Note: if the forced setting is Maximum or Minimum, the first double-click will take you
to the Primary setting.
The Force Setting option is a toggle setting. Setting it once enables it while setting it
twice disables it. The default setting is enabled with the Primary setting selected.
The Force Setting option is the fourth item in the Option menu and is identified by a
long flash.
Option 5: Automatic Button Lock
The Automatic Button Lock option locks your light in the off setting after your light has
remained off for 5 minutes. If the button is pressed while your light has the button
locked, your light flashes three times and then turns off. Note that this behavior is
modified by enabling the Tactical Momentary option.
To release the Button Lock, triple-click the button. Releasing the Button Lock turns
your light on. Note that this behavior is modified by enabling the Tactical Momentary
option.
When Automatic Button Lock is enabled, you can manually lock the button by tripleclicking from Off. Note that this behavior is modified by enabling the Tactical
Momentary option.
The Automatic Button Lock option is a toggle setting. Setting it once enables it while
setting it twice disables it. The default setting is disabled.
The Automatic Button Lock option is the fifth item in the Option menu and is identified
by three short flashes.
Option 6: Automatic Turn Off
The Automatic Turn Off option turns your light off after 5 minutes of button inactivity.
Your light provides a warning prior to turning off by slowly sequencing down to the
lowest brightness level and then slowly blinking for 10 seconds. Click the button once
during the warning period to restore the light to the original setting.
The Automatic Turn Off option is a toggle setting. Setting it once enables it while
setting it twice disables it. The default setting is disabled.
The Automatic Turn Off option is the sixth item in the Option menu and is identified by
a dimming sequence.
Option 7: Simple Momentary
The Simple Momentary option allows a press to be distinguished from a click when
your light is turned off. When the Simple Momentary option is enabled, your light
turns off when the button is released following a press. When the Simple Momentary
option is disabled, your light will stay on after the button is released following a press.
The Simple Momentary option is a toggle setting. Setting it once enables it while setting
it twice disables it. The default setting is disabled.
The Simple Momentary option is the seventh item in the Option menu and is identified
by a short flash followed by a long flash.
Option 8: Tactical Momentary
The Tactical Momentary option provides a pure momentary mode of operation – i.e.,
when the button is pushed the light is on and when the button is released the light is
off. Therefore, you must make any desired configuration changes before enabling the
Tactical Momentary option. If the Automatic Button Lock option is enabled, the button
locks upon enabling the Tactical Momentary option and your light remains dark when
the button is pressed. Further, upon releasing the button lock, your light remains off
until the button is pressed again.
Note: performing a soft-reset will force the button to lock when both the Tactical
Momentary option and the Automatic Button Lock option are enabled.
You disable the Tactical Momentary option by performing a factory-reset. The default
setting is disabled.
The Tactical Momentary option is the eighth item in the Option menu and is identified
by two short flashes followed by a long flash.
Option 9: Ramping and Option Menu
The Ramping and Option Menu option turns on the brightness level ramping and the
Option menu. Disabling this feature prevents further configuration changes.
You re-enable the brightness level ramping and the Option menu by performing a
factory-reset. The default setting is enabled.
The Ramping and Option Menu option is the ninth item in the Option menu and is
identified in the Option menu by a brightening sequence.
Resetting Your Light
You must perform a reset to disable Tactical Momentary after it is enabled, to enable
brightness level ramping and the Option menu after they are disabled, to restore factory
settings or when you change the type of batteries you are using. A reset can also be
used to regain control if your light ever gets into an unresponsive state.
Soft-Reset – fix an unresponsive state or part of a higher level reset. If your light is
working normally, turn your light on and unscrew the battery case until the light goes
out, count to three and then screw the battery case back together. If your light is in an
unresponsive state, remove the batteries for 2 minutes and then reinstall them.
Identified by 1 second of dim light. Does not change your settings.
Battery-Detect-Reset – required to detect battery configuration changes. Perform a
soft-reset but while the dim light is on, press and hold the button for 5 seconds until
your light dims. Release the button when your light dims. Identified by 5 seconds of
bright light followed by dim light. Does not change your settings.
If you release the button during the brighter period, your light displays the error flash
sequence consisting of 6 rapid flashes and your light will not detect the battery
configuration.
If there is insufficient power to run your light at full power there is also insufficient
power to safely remember the detected battery configuration. When there is insufficient
power to remember the detected battery configuration, you will see two seconds of very
rapid flashing. This also indicates that the battery configuration has not been properly
detected and damage may occur to rechargeable batteries. Only fully charged
rechargeable battery configurations can be properly detected.
Factory-Reset - restores your light to factory settings, including disabling Tactical
Momentary, enabling brightness level ramping, enabling the Option menu and
detecting the type of batteries installed. Perform a soft-reset but while the dim light is
on, press and hold the button for 10 seconds until your light turns off. Identified by 5
seconds of bright light, 3 seconds of dim light and 2 more seconds of bright light. The
settings are now restored to the factory defaults.
If you release the button during either of the brighter periods, your light displays the
error flash sequence consisting of 6 rapid flashes and your light will not modify the
settings.
If there is insufficient power to run your light at full power there is also insufficient
power to safely remember the factory settings. When there is insufficient power to
remember the factory settings, you will see two seconds of very rapid flashing. Your
light’s features will be returned to their default state but the change will be forgotten
the next time you change the batteries or do a soft reset.
Low Battery Indication
As your batteries are used up, the batteries will not be able to supply enough power to
run your light at the selected brightness. As a result, your light will blink down to 50%
of the previous brightness, repeating as needed as the batteries are used up. That is,
your light will momentarily turn off and then back on to a brightness level that is half of
the previous brightness level. When the lowest brightness level is reached, your light
will blink continuously until the batteries can no longer power your light. You should
replace your light's batteries before the lowest brightness level is reached.
Your light remembers the restricted brightness level and will not allow you to use a
higher brightness level as long as your light remains on. Turning your light off and
back on resets the restricted brightness level and allows you access to all brightness
levels if your batteries are capable of supplying the power.
Low battery behavior can also occur if the battery contacts become dirty. Gently wiping
the battery contacts in a counter-clockwise direction, or the springs in a clockwise
direction with a clean dry cloth is normally sufficient to remove dirt. If in doubt, please
replace your batteries.
Note: if you must extend dying batteries - for whatever reason - you should
immediately select a lower brightness setting. The lower the setting selected the longer
the batteries will last.
Note: if you continue to use your light after it has dropped to the lowest brightness
level - where it blinks continuously - it is assumed you are in an emergency situation.
In an emergency situation, your life is more important than your rechargeable batteries
and your light will sacrifice the batteries to keep the light on.
Note: the length of time your batteries will last depends on how you use your light, the
type and quality of batteries you are using and how cold it is. Due to the LED
tolerances, you will see flashlight to flashlight runtime variations when operated under
the same conditions.
Installing the Battery
Unscrew the battery compartment from the head or the button cap and remove the old
battery from the battery compartment. Insert the new battery into the battery
compartment so the positive terminal is toward the head and the negative terminal is
toward the button cap and reassemble. Please make sure both the head and button cap
are screwed on snugly.
Note: you will know it is time to replace the battery when your light blinks down two
brightness levels. That is, your light momentarily turns off and then turns back on at
half the previous brightness, repeating as needed until your light finds a brightness
level that the dieing battery can handle.
Note: always perform a Battery Detect Reset when changing battery configurations –
i.e., for different battery chemistries or different battery cases. Rechargeable batteries
must be fully charged before installation. Your light will protect rechargeable batteries
from over-discharge.
Note: if you insert the batteries backwards in the battery compartment, your light will
not light. Remove the batteries and insert them correctly. Your light is protected
against reverse battery polarity.
High Temperature Indication
Your light can produce an excess amount of heat on the higher brightness level(s). If
you hold on to your light with a bare hand during operation, your body will conduct
away any excess heat and prevent your light from getting too hot. However, if you
place your light on a table or hold it with a gloved hand, the excess heat is not easily
conducted away. Before your light becomes dangerously hot, a thermal sensor detects
the increasing temperature and reduces the output one brightness level at a time until
the temperature stabilizes at a safe temperature. Your light's temperature is regulated
so you can always pick it up safely and to prevent damage to the LED.
Your light remembers the restricted brightness level and will not allow you to use a
higher brightness level as long as your light remains on. Turning your light off and
back on resets the restricted brightness level and allows you access to all brightness
levels if your light is cool enough to allow them.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Periodically clean the threads and O-ring with a clean lint-free cloth and apply a thin
coat of non-conductive silicon or petroleum grease to threads and O-ring. If the O-rings
become worn or damaged, they should be replaced.
The exposed electrical contacts can be cleaned using a cotton swab moistened with
isopropyl alcohol. Recessed contacts should be cleaned in a counter-clockwise
direction while springs should be cleaned in a clockwise direction to prevent snagging
the swab. Be sure to remove any cotton fibers that may be left behind.
The exterior can be cleaned with a mild soap and water. Rinse well and dry with a lintfree cotton cloth. Paper towels or tissues should be avoided when cleaning plastic
lenses as scratching will result.
The battery compartment O-ring is: 1.5mm x 21.5mm, 70 durometer Nitrile (Buna-N).
Warnings
Warning: LEDs on the higher brightness levels are very bright. Looking directly into
the LEDs must be avoided. Your light can be intense enough to injure your eyes.
Warning: Never mix battery types or brands and never mix fresh batteries with used
batteries. Doing so may cause a battery to overheat, outgas, catch fire or explode.
Warning: Whereas a sudden total failure is unlikely, it is still possible. Therefore, we
recommend you always carry a second light during critical situations (e.g., caving). We
also recommend you carry enough spare batteries to cover your lighting requirements
plus a reasonable safety margin. It is not necessary to start each trip with new batteries
in your light as long as you have spare batteries along.
Warning: Not all lithium-ion battery over-discharge circuits are compatible with your
flashlight and can cause sudden darkness when the circuit activates. Only use
approved batteries with your flashlight. Your flashlight includes over-discharge
protection and will protect batteries that do not include over-discharge protection when
used according to these directions.
Specifications
Input voltage: 1.8V to 4.5V
Light Source: high efficiency white LED
Maximum light Output: 85 or 120 lumens
Regulation: constant power regulation with Tint Control™
Battery pack: 1xCR123A lithium-manganese dioxide
Runtimes: See Factory Settings
Housing: aerospace aluminum, military type III hard anodize
Lens: polycarbonate with anti-reflective coatings
Dimensions: 25mm (1 inch) diameter by 80mm (3.3 inches) long, excluding accessories
Weight: 86g (3 ounces) including batteries, excluding accessories
Waterproof: 20 meters (66 feet) – not dive rated
Primary features: single button user interface, four (4) directly accessible brightness
settings, rechargeable battery protection, reverse polarity protection without diode
penalty, graceful power reduction for weak batteries, thermal regulation, intrinsically
safe design.
Settable Options: four (4) configurable brightness settings, disorienting strobe,
emergency strobe signal, emergency SOS signal, locator flash, force setting, automatic
button lock, automatic turn off, simple momentary, tactical momentary, disable
brightness level ramping and Option menu.
Factory Settings
Your light is configured at the factory with the following settings:
- Maximum setting: maximum brightness level (30 minutes runtime*)
- Primary setting: 10 lumens (10 hours runtime*)
- Secondary setting: 30 lumens (2.0 hours runtime*)
- Minimum setting: 0.3 lumens (40 hours runtimes*)
- Force Setting: Primary setting
- Locator Flash: disabled
- Automatic Button Lock: disabled
- Automatic Turn Off: disabled
- Simple Momentary: disabled
- Tactical Momentary: disabled
- Ramping and Option Menu: enabled
* Runtimes using Duracell CR123A at 35°C for the 60 lumen model. Runtimes for the
three lower power setting will typically be better on higher power models.
Battery configurations supported by the LED module:
Primary cells - non-rechargeable:
• Alkaline: 2 cells (3.3V) – reduced high power performance
• Li-FeS2: 2 cells (3.3)
• Li-MnO2: 1 cell (3.2V)
• Li-SOCl2: 1 cell (3.6V)
Secondary cells - rechargeable:
• Li-ion: 1 cell (4.2V)
• NiCad: 2 cells (2.5V)
• NiMH: 2 cells (2.6V)
Specifications are subject to change without notice.
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