Novatac 120 Tactical, reprogrammed to 120P

LED Flashlights ā€“ General Info CR123A Flashlights
1

I purchased a Novatac SpaDefense SPL-120 Tactical and spent several hours learning how to reprogram it to a Civilian configuration, equivalent to a Novatac 120P model.

here are the baselines, and what settings change

stock 120 T configuration:
click = 120 (maximum) lumens
double click = 10 lumens
tripple click = .33
from ON, press = Strobe
from OFF, press = maximum lumens (press uses the Primary mode and momentary)
from OFF, click press = Momentary Strobe
from ON, click press release = Strobe
Momentary, mode 7, ON
Ramping, Mode9, OFF

stock 120 P modes
click = 11 lumens (set by using double click hold, to ramp up, cycles through strobe and SOS and minimum)
double click = 30 lumens (set by using double click hold, to ramp up, cycles through strobe and SOS and minimum)
tripple click = .33 (set by using double click hold, to ramp up, cycles through strobe and SOS and minimum)
from ON, press = 120 maximum (this is set from click press from on, then double clic hold rising ramp until maximum, indicated by double flash. release at desired level, click turn offā€¦ press level is saved)
from OFF, press = 11 lumens (this is set by Primary mode)
click press = maximum (set by using double click hold, to ramp up, cycles through strobe and SOS and minimum)
Momentary, mode 7, OFF (from On, triple click hold to get to the 9 step option menu, release, click 6 times, hold till light turns off to toggle setting)
Ramping, Mode9, ON (from On, triple click hold to get to the 9 step option menu, release, click 8 times, hold till light turns off to toggle setting)

=
If the light is not factory unlocked, the back door is to do 250 clicks from ON, and then HOLD for 1 second and releaseā€¦ the light will be flashing

then click slowly, 8 timesā€¦ the light will be on, now hold the button down until the light turns OFFā€¦ and release the button. The light will turn on again. Now turn it off, and youre done.

the light is now Programmable.

If anyone has a Novatac that is not already programmable, and wants help cracking it, Im willing to help

UV light excites a 219b 4500k 9080:

Ive been reading about the HDS Rotary for a while now. I have never touched an HDS before this Novatac.
Instead of diving in to an HDS Titanium Rotary, I decided to start with this less expensive older version. I wanted to experiment with the mode ramping feature.

I think I would prefer a Rotary, so, if anybody wants this Clicky, PM me for a price quote.

2

ā€œIf anyone has a Novatac that is not already programmable, and wants help cracking it, Im willing to helpā€

OR, you could just direct them here! and let them figure it out. This isnā€™t CPF so you wonā€™t get the ban hammer by posting a link to the other forum.

Anywho, you need to drop a modern emitter in that thing to get the most out of it. Yes, the lows wonā€™t be as low, but youā€™ll get more light for your milliamps and thatā€™s GREEN!

PS, is that the one that shows up on amazon for cheap where the reviews sometimes say they got anime porn delivered instead? I was always afraid to take the chance.

3

Modding this light is not on my radarā€¦

that Novatac Programming link is good, Im the last poster in that thread tooā€¦ its a little more than ā€œjustā€ reading the thread though, it takes persistence and too much free time

no this light is not the one that is miscatalogued on Amazon as a Novatac Storm. I did buy that one, and then cancelled and got a refund, when the seller said he sells Adult Videos, and Amazons database has the ASIN number for his product incorrectly listed as a Flashlight.

That one is this link:
https://www.amazon.ca/NovaTac-Storm-LED-Flashlight-Gold/dp/B003DWBSW6
the seller is still selling the video Night Shift Nurses, and as the reviews correctly state, it is not a Flashlight.

Amazon has not fixed the ASIN database error, so the guy sells pornos, with a photo of a flashlightā€¦ apparently its working cause, neither he nor Amazon have decided to pull the linkā€¦

IF anybody wants a Locked, Stock, SpaDefense Novatac SPL-120 Tactical, there are some on Ebay atm

4

Persistence is right! Miss a beat and start all over. :frowning:

5

some version differences
the SPA I have, with matching body color anodyzed bezel has a weapon mount made in USA


It is slightly different than the model that had a black bezel, that came with the Made in Israel weapons mount, by TDi Arms, which is a California company that also has a site called Israel Defense.

Both have tailcaps with the same USA markings.

3 versions of SPA Novatacs

[QUOTE=southernstar]The Novatac SPL-120 AWLK was made for the US Army. At their request, Novatac removed the 0.3l (3 clicks) setting, and did not make it programmable. It can be hacked using the 250 click back door.

There are also 3 generations Novatac made for the US Army, each with a subtle change at the clientā€™s request.

Gen1 has a steel black-oxide bezel. Programming is 120L@1 click, 10L@2 clicks, Disorienting strobe@ 2click/press-hold

Gen2 has an aluminum bezel anodized to match the body. The Army also requested the head be locked to the battery tube to cut down on ā€œmovable partsā€. program remains the same.

Gen3 is the same as Gen2, but the bezel was elongated to accommodate a bezel up pocket clip, although no clip was requested or provided in the kit.[/QUOTE]

Apparently Novatac and their SPA Defense line, was a US company selling the US Govt lights made in China :

The same happens with the Maratac lights, a California company has them made in China, and sells them to the US Defense Dept.

There is also a Novatac version that looks like a SPA but is labeled 120M and came with a pocket clip:

6

One of my favorite lights of all time.

7

which model are you referring to?

here is a bit more Novatac 120M promotional info :

Product Info for Novatac Military Ops High Performance Flashlights

With Novatac 120M-DT Military High Performance Flashlights youā€™ll be armed and ready with whatever comes at you.

Novatac 120M Flashlight It is one of the lightest, brightest and most rugged flashlights on Earth. Specifically designed for the U.S. Military to meet the demanding conditions encountered during wartime, this powerful and rugged flashlight performs flawlessly even under the toughest and most unforgiving conditions.

Go from map-reading to illuminating potential threats with the press of a button. Momentary maximum mode allows you to produce a quick burst of blinding light, or disorienting strobe light, that can momentarily confuse an attacker.

Just 3.3 in. long and weighing only 3oz., it has a weatherproof body machined from aerospace grade aluminum. Virtually indestructible, the NovaTac 120MDT will perform at peak levels in all situations.

8

Store selling a used Storm on Amazon for $14.98 plus $3.99 shipping. If someone is interested, might be worth checking into.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000PHX4P6/ref=dp_olp_used_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=used

9

thanks
unfortunately, that one is a porn video listing, not a Novatac light, discussed in post #3 also.

I bought it, read the reviews, contacted the seller, and got a refund.
he claims its Amazonā€™s database error of the ASIN number that is causing the mistaken link to the Storm

but instead of pulling the listing, he keeps selling porn
and Amazon completely ignored all attempts I made to communicate the problem
Amazon also refused to post my review with the sellers explanation I just gave you

the least expensive Novatac SPA atm is $40 on the bay

here is another listing for a SPA , mislisted as a 120M

10

My apologies, I wasnā€™t aware and must have missed that on post 3. Figured it was too good to be true.

11

all good,
helps keep everybody on their toes

your link is actually a little different than the one in post 3, and the price is lower
the same seller is still using the Novatac ASIN numberā€¦

the tipoff is the reviews from people complaining about receiving porn instead of a flashlight

the seller could pull his ad, but intentionally keeps using it insteadā€¦

Amazon is a cesspool of scammers now

btw, those links have been going since at least 2011
https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/1956/31

here is a blf thread about the Novatac Storm on Amazon in 2013, where members ordered lights and got porn also

All Novatac Storm on Amazon are actually porn videos. The reviews are the tipoff

12

Novatac 120P and 120T default programs, and a customized SPA 120

if you see any mistakes, please help me correct any inaccuracies

13

I had many. The 120E was my favorite for some time. I did the 250 click hackā€¦ My last one is a grey with black bezel 120E.
Think2X modded one of my 120ā€™s and I carried it until I lost it. It was a sad day for me. Now I carry lights with deeper clips or no clips at all.

14

Thanks for sharing your photo and the name of your modderā€¦ I have plans to get a Nichia swap into my current favorite Novatac, a SPA Defense 120T model in grey with black bezel, and the old style flat knurling.

its the one on the left:

fwiw, the one on the left is 15% heavier than the SPA on the right, that has the anodized bezel.
It seems the newer metal was not as heavyā€¦ not necessarily a bad thing.
the newer one, on the right, also has much more aggressive knurling, which some people preferā€¦ (I dont)

Im also interested in trying a flat button so I can tailstand, although the raised button is very convenient and easy to use.

really enjoying learning the HDS clicky UI through the Novatac line, since it is less expensive than an HDS clicky

15

My teenage son just informed me that he has a gold one somewhere that I gave him. Lost in the move.

16

Just found these photo on my phone. Some that I sold a while back. Wish I would of kept them now.

17

Thanks for the visuals
including a serialized second run, plus a Triple, Wow!:slight_smile:

a Goldie pic I found online

18

@jon_slider: I cannot see your pic in post #14.

19

I seen it sunday, but I am not seeing it today.

20

thanks to both of you for the heads up on the missing photo in post 14
it also disappeared on my screen today
I posted it againā€¦ hope it stays
trying to figure out what happened to my Flickr, it wants to post fuzzy pics from the camera roll, so Im trying to link from the photostream page instead

test:
from camera roll: filename ends with _m.jpg. imo the M stands for mobile, and I dont like it, very low quality

note, Flickr updated the above image URL, here it is, now it works again:
note its filename ends with _c.jpg, where the C seems to stand for Camera Roll. The image quality, amount of detail, not fuzzy, is all good and normal again (Flickr fixed itself overnight and recoded the img urls)

next image, modified camera roll url (I deleted _m from filename):
note, this one is no longer neededā€¦ Im only leaving it here because it has been mentioned in other posts

photostream URL
note this is still the highest qualityā€¦ its filename ends with _o.jpg Note the O stands for Original

I see 1 broken image, then 1 good detail photo, 1 Fuzzy Photo, and the last photo is the highest quality

It seems the bad links yesterday had to do with Flickr not having had time to process the images fully, so I was loading what was a temporary mobile url, before the server had renamed it for permanent storage. It seems Flickr stores an Original quality image, visible through the Photos page, and a lower resolution image, on the Camera Roll page. Depending which img url I post, changes the quality of the photo we see.

bottom line, The Flickr service is working for me again, and I learned how to post higher quality images from the photos page, instead of the camera roll pageā€¦