HDS Systems EDC Ultimate 60

In brief this flashlight is an excellent back-up light for an Operator OR a fantastic primary light for the tactical-preparedness ninja who needs a leatherman/lighter/flashlight/knife on them at all times:
Note the tail-cap actuated "on" button: while difficult to use for the SureFire technique "firefly" area-lighting technique.
However, there is a LEO function that allows for a temporary on/off flicker which is great for the firefly method. However, getting to that function....well, that takes like 18 button clicks and a "soft reset" to go back to previous functionality!
So far, the battery life (currently an Energizer CR123) is exceptional, the programming interface is only moderately painful (10 clicks to enter the "options" programming mode + any extra clicks from there) and I have carried/used it daily since the day I received it approximately 7 days ago. Now that there are a new HDS series being release late Q4 2006, so if you can FIND one of these older generation lights, they go for about $150--not bad considering they retailed for somewhere around $250 less than 2 months ago! While I have not stress-tested the device, I have accidentally slammed the EDC-U-60 into a concrete slab while working a room-clearing exercise. The anodized body chipped slighly, the glass lens did not break, and the LED did not falter. Not too shabby considering how small this thing is. My Inova on the other hand--that took a healthy jarring and did not fare as well -- and as for my training companions, their incandescent Surefires were brutalized during our exercises.

Fantastic Light! Thank you HDS Systems!
If you are interested in tracking down some of these flashlights, here are the proper urls:

HDS Systems
now known as:
Novatac
and the no-bs retailer WCC supports is Battery Station.