EDC™ Rotary™ Flashlight

Advanced User’s Guide

®
HDS SYSTEMS
 EDC Rotary Flashlight Advanced User's Guide

Copyright 2019 by HDS Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Congratulations for purchasing a superior flashlight. The HDS

Systems EDC (everyday carry) series flashlights are best-of-class
flashlights, providing regulated output at your desired brightness for
extended periods. The single button turn your flashlight on and off
while the rotary control provides a convenient way to select any
brightness level – even before you turn on your flashlight. You can
customize your flashlight’s operation for added utility. Lithium-ion
rechargeable batteries are fully supported and recommended for lower
operating cost. Finally, your flashlight is built tough and water
resistant to provide a lifetime of dependable service – all in a
conveniently small, rugged and easy to carry package.

Introduction
You can maximize battery life by selecting the optimum amount of light
for your task. Too much light wastes battery life while too little light
makes it difficult to accomplish your task. By using the appropriate
brightness level, you receive the benefits of long runtimes and
sufficient light.

The rotary control allows you to vary the brightness from the lowest
level to the maximum level with a simple twist of the control. You can
select the desired brightness level before turning on your flashlight.

Burst output takes advantage of the logarithmic nature of your eyes to

provide maximum visual acuity while preserving long battery life on the
maximum output setting.

Your flashlight may be customized to perform special tasks more

efficiently. These customization features allow you to build a
specialized flashlight optimized for your tasks. This single flashlight
can efficiently replace several special purpose flashlights and is small
enough to carry with you at all times. There is now no excuse for you
to be without light.

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Contents
1. Basic Operation
2. Advanced Operation
3. Low Battery Indication
4. Installing a New Battery
5. Thermal Limits
6. Disabling the Switch
7. Cleaning and Maintenance
8. Additional Notices and Cautions
9. Customizing Your Flashlight
10. Restoring Factory Settings
11. Enabling Customization
12. Internal Brightness Levels
13. Customizing the Brightness Presets
14. Customizing Optional Features
15. Warranty

1. Basic Operation
Click (quickly press and release) the rubber button on the tail of your
flashlight to turn on your flashlight. You can use the rotary control to
adjust the brightness level.

Rotary
Adjustable
Brightness
Level

Press-and-hold the button while your flashlight is on to momentarily

select maximum output. Release the button to return to the previous
output.

Click the button while your flashlight is on to turn off your flashlight.

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2. Advanced Operation
You communicate with your flashlight through a sequence of clicks
and/or a press-and-hold or a press-hold-release. These sequences
are called commands and are simple and easy to learn. It will take a
few minutes of practice to become proficient with them.

The rotary control allows you to rotate the rotary control to change the
brightness level. Rotate the rotary control clock-wise to increase the
brightness level.

The term “click” indicates a quick press and release of the button.
Think of it like a mouse click on your computer or a tap on a touch
screen. The button must be released in less than 1/3 of a second to
be recognized as a click. The term double-click indicates two clicks
in rapid succession, the term triple-click indicates three clicks in
rapid succession and so forth.

The term “press-and-hold” indicates that you should continue to

hold the button down until you are told to release it.

The term “press-hold-release” indicates that the button should be

held down for an extended period – longer than 1/3 of a second – to
allow your flashlight to tell the difference between a click and a press-
hold-release.

A double-press-and-hold and a double-press-hold-release represents

a click followed by a press in rapid succession. There is no pause or
delay between the click and the following press. Think of a double-
click with the button held down for an extended period on the second
press of the button. The same applies to triple-press-hold-release and
quad-press-hold-release.

Your flashlight has 4 brightness presets – preset A, B, C and D – and

many optional features. The Rotary models have the following factory
presets:

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Rotary:
• Preset A: Maximum
• Preset B: brightness level selected by rotary control
• Preset C: brightness level selected by rotary control
• Preset D: brightness level selected by rotary control
• Optional features: Burst

From Off: the following commands are available when your flashlight
is turned off:

• Click – turns on your flashlight to preset B.

• Press-and-hold – turns on your flashlight to preset B. If the

Pseudo Momentary optional feature is enabled, turns off when
button is released.

• Double-press-and-hold – turns on your flashlight to preset A. If the

Pseudo Momentary optional feature is enabled, turns off when
button is released.

• Triple-click – toggles the Button Lockout on and off when the

Button Lockout optional feature is enabled.

• Quad-click – toggles the Locator Flash on and off when the Locator
Flash optional feature is enabled.

• Hex-click – starts True Momentary mode when the True

Momentary optional feature is enabled.

From On: the following commands are available when your flashlight
is turned on:

• Click – turns off your flashlight.

• Double-click – toggles between preset B and preset C or returns

you to the last preset B or C used.

• Triple-click – selects preset D.

• Double-press-hold-release – selects preset A.

• Press-and-hold – momentarily selects preset A. Returns to the

previous preset when the button is released.

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See Customizing Your Flashlight (section 9) for detailed instructions
on customizing your flashlight.

Note: your flashlight uses Burst whenever you select the Maximum
brightness setting. The output is reduced by one brightness level 40
seconds after the button is released to maximize battery runtimes with
minimal visual impact. See Burst in Customizing Optional Features
(section 14) for details.

3. Low Battery Indication

Your flashlight will turn off momentarily and then back on one level
below the previous brightness level when the battery is unable to
supply enough power to run the current brightness level. This process
is repeated as needed as the battery’s power is depleted.

Your flashlight will double-blink once every two minutes to remind you
that the battery needs to be changed when the battery is no longer
capable of maintaining a 50 lumen output level and you are asking for
an output level higher than the battery can maintain.

Your flashlight restricts the output to the highest brightness level the
battery can maintain. However, if you turn off your flashlight and turn
it back on again to a higher level, your flashlight will slowly step up
through the brightness levels testing the battery again.

Your flashlight will blink slowly once a second on the lowest brightness
level when the battery is no longer capable of powering any of the
steady brightness levels.

Caution: your flashlight will eventually turn itself off to preserve what
little battery power remains if you continue to use your flashlight after
your flashlight begins blinking once a second on the lowest brightness
level. You may turn on your flashlight again when needed for a short
period. This behavior maintains your options in an emergency.

4. Installing a New Battery

Unscrew the battery compartment from the head and remove the old
battery from the battery compartment. Insert the new battery into the
battery compartment with the positive terminal out. Align the head
and battery compartment, press them together to overcome the spring
pressure and screw the battery compartment and head back together.

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As you screw the battery compartment and head back together and if
the battery compartment has been removed for an extended period,
your flashlight comes on dimly for 7 seconds following a battery
change to indicate that a reset has taken place and that your flashlight
is functioning correctly. If you change the battery quickly enough, your
flashlight will not reset and no reset indication will be displayed. A
reset does not change any of your flashlight’s settings.

No special actions are needed to use rechargeable Lithium-ion

batteries. Your flashlight detects them automatically.

However, if you have been using rechargeable Lithium-ion batteries

and want to return to using regular (non-rechargeable) batteries, you
must perform a reset. The simplest way to perform a reset is to turn
on your flashlight (with the button released) and open the battery
compartment until your flashlight turns off and then replace the battery
compartment. If you fail to perform a reset when returning to using
non-rechargeable batteries, your flashlight will act as if the new non-
rechargeable battery needs replacing – just do a reset to restore
normal operation.

In general, primary (non-rechargeable) batteries provide longer

runtimes. However, rechargeable batteries provide a lower cost of
operation and allow you to always leave home with a full battery.

Voltage: 2.0 to 4.5V.

5. Thermal Limits
Your flashlight monitors the LED temperature and the external
flashlight temperature to protect the LED and to prevent the exterior
from becoming too hot to safely handle. If either temperature nears
the safety limits, your flashlight will automatically step down to a lower
power setting to control the temperature. This is typically only
necessary on the maximum continuous level when Burst is disabled.

Your flashlight will automatically reset the thermal limit when it is

turned off and back on again.

6. Button Lockout
There are two methods for disabling the button. This is useful when
you are transporting your flashlight and to not want the button to be
accidentally activated.
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The first method is to enable and use the Button Lockout feature. See
Button Lockout in Customizing Optional Features (section 14) for
details.

The second method is to unscrew the battery compartment from the

head by one half turn. This will leave the O-ring completely covered.
You restore operation of the button by screwing the battery
compartment completely into the head.

7. Cleaning and Maintenance

Periodically clean the open end of the battery compartment, threads
and O-ring with a clean lint-free cloth lightly moistened with isopropyl
alcohol. Apply a coat of non-conductive silicon or petroleum grease to
these surfaces.

Replace the battery compartment O-ring if it becomes worn or

damaged. O-ring: 1.5mm x 20.5mm, 70 durometer Nitrile (Buna-N).

The recessed electrical contacts and interior threads in the head can
be cleaned using a lint-free swab lightly moistened with isopropyl
alcohol. Recessed contacts and threads should be cleaned in a
counter-clockwise direction to prevent snagging the swab in the
threads. Be sure to remove any particles or fibers that may be left
behind. Apply a coat of non-conductive silicon or petroleum grease to
the interior threads and contacts.

The exterior can be cleaned with a mild soap and water. Rinse well
and dry with a soft cotton cloth.

Note: the anti-reflective coating on the lens can be abraded by

excessive rubbing or cleaning. Never use paper tissues or paper
towels to clean or dry the lens as the fibers are abrasive.

8. Additional Notices and Cautions

Notice: your flashlight protects rechargeable batteries from over-
discharge under most conditions when used as directed. IMR lithium-
ion batteries can be used safely without protection circuits – and are
normally supplied without protection circuits. However, ICR lithium-ion
batteries should always have built-in protection circuits for your safety.

Notice: only install fully charged rechargeable batteries. Using a

partially charged battery may result in the battery not being properly
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recognized as a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. This can lead to the
rechargeable battery being damaged due to over-discharged or
sudden darkness when the battery’s protection circuit activates.

Caution: some individuals may be sensitive to the effects of flashing

lights. Be ready to render assistance if an individual should become
disoriented or have a seizure induced by your flashing light.

Caution: your flashlight is very bright on the higher brightness levels.

You should avoid looking directly into the reflector as the light can be
intense enough to injure your eyes.

Caution: a sudden total failure is unlikely but is still possible. We

recommend you always carry a second flashlight 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 a new battery in your
flashlight as long as you have spare batteries along.

Caution: do not attempt to recharge a rechargeable battery if you

think it has been over-discharged or otherwise damaged. Dispose of
the damaged battery immediately. An over-discharged or otherwise
damaged battery can vent or explode when the battery is recharged or
when the battery is subsequently used.

Caution: water – especially salt water – in the battery compartment

will cause electrolysis, giving off hydrogen and oxygen – an explosive
gas mixture. Electrolysis will also cause corrosion. If water gets
inside of the battery compartment, immediately open the battery
compartment, rinse the battery compartment and battery with fresh
water and allow your flashlight and the battery to completely dry
before reassembling your flashlight.

9. Customizing Your Flashlight

You may customize your flashlight so you can perform common tasks
more efficiently. You can customize the brightness presets through
the Brightness Menu and you can customize the optional features
through the Option Menu. Together these features allow you to build
a specialized flashlight optimized for the tasks you perform on a
regular basis – and even tasks you rarely perform. See Enabling
Customization (section 11) to begin the customization process.

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10. Restoring Factory Settings
Please feel free to experiment. You can always restore the original
factory settings by following these steps:

• Reset your flashlight - i.e., remove the battery for 60 seconds and
reinstall. Alternatively, you can turn on your flashlight (with the
button released), remove the battery compartment (your flashlight
will turn off) and then reinstall the battery compartment without
waiting. Your flashlight will light dimly for 7 seconds to indicate
that a reset has taken place. You must begin the next step before
the light turns off.

• Press-and-hold the button before the dim reset indication turns off.
Your flashlight will become brighter for 10 seconds and then turn
off. Release the button when your flashlight turns off.

• Note: your flashlight will display 5 rapid flashes and no settings

are changed if you release the button before your flashlight turns
off.

• Note: your flashlight will display 10 very rapid flashes if there is

insufficient power to memorize the original factory settings.

Note: anytime the battery is removed for an extended period (>60

seconds) your flashlight will reset. A reset by itself will not change any
settings and thus there is little reason to force a reset in normal use.

11. Enabling Customization

Your flashlight is shipped with Customization disabled. Follow these
steps to enable Customization:

• Reset your flashlight - i.e., remove the battery for 60 seconds and
reinstall. Alternatively, you can turn on your flashlight (with the
button released), remove the battery compartment (your flashlight
will turn off) and then reinstall the battery compartment without
waiting. Your flashlight will light dimly for 7 seconds and turn off to
indicate a reset has completed. You have 15 seconds following the
reset indication to begin the next step. After 15 seconds, you will
need to start over.

• Perform a 20-press-and-hold from Off. You don’t have to count the

clicks because after the 20th click your flashlight stops turning off
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 and on with every other click. Remember: do not pause between
clicks or between the last click and the press-and-hold.

• Hold the button down until your flashlight turns off. Your flashlight
will display a dim-to-bright sequence to indicate it is enabling
Customization and then turn off. Release the button after your
flashlight turns off. Customization is now enabled.

• Note: your flashlight will display 5 rapid flashes and Customization

is not enabled if you release the button before your flashlight turns
off.

• Note: your flashlight will display 10 very rapid flashes if there is

insufficient power to memorize the setting.

We recommend you disable Customization after you finish

customizing your flashlight. This allows you to hand your flashlight to
anyone without fear that someone will accidentally modify your
settings. See Menus in Customizing Optional Features (section 14) to
disable Customization.

12. Internal Brightness Levels

Your flashlight includes 24 internal brightness levels. These
brightness levels are visually spaced so that the difference between
any adjacent brightness levels will appear to be a small equal change.
This visual spacing takes advantage of the logarithmic nature of your
eyes to see a huge dynamic range – from very bright midday summer
scenes to dim moonlit scenes. Your flashlight can produce a range of
brightness levels that spans over 15,000:1, depending on the
maximum output of your flashlight. Each brightness level is separated
by a ratio of roughly 1.5:1 – enough to provide a small but noticeable
difference between brightness levels.

The amount of power your flashlight consumes is related to the

amount of light being generated. The more light generated, the more
power consumed. You can dramatically reduce the power
consumption and dramatically increase the runtimes by reducing the
light output by a single level at the higher output settings. And
because your eyes perceive light logarithmically, you will notice only a
slight difference between the two brightness levels.

Your flashlight contains a unique feature called Burst to help extend

battery life at the maximum brightness level. When you select the
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maximum brightness level, you receive maximum output for an
additional 40 seconds after releasing the button and then your
flashlight drops one level. If you are not paying attention, you may not
notice the drop but your batteries will last much longer as a result.
See Burst in Customizing Optional Features (section 14) for details.

Note: The Burst feature is disabled during momentary Maximum

operation. You will continue to receive the maximum output for as
long as you hold down the button.

In addition to the 24 regular steady brightness levels, there are

additional pseudo brightness levels: Fast Strobe, Slow Strobe,
Pulsating Strobe, Beacon Strobe and SOS (46CFR161.013-7
compliant).

Finally, your flashlight offers a rotary brightness level. The rotary

brightness level sets the brightness level according to the position of
the rotary control. Rotating the control clockwise makes the light
brighter while rotating the control counter clockwise makes the light
dimmer. The rotary brightness level is treated the same as a regular
steady brightness level.

The brightness levels are arranged in a circular menu to make

scrolling through all of the brightness levels easier. The maximum
brightness level is followed by the rotary brightness level, the pseudo
brightness levels and then the minimum brightness level, and vice
versa.

The following graph allows you to determine the brightness of each

level. Draw a straight line between level 1 at 0.02 lumens and level 24
at the maximum brightness. Lines have been provided for 200, 250
and 325 lumens for your convenience.

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 24

20

15

10

1
0.01 0.05 0.1 0.5 1 5 10 50 100 500

13. Customizing the Brightness Presets

Your flashlight comes with 4 brightness presets. They are referred to
as presets A, B, C and D. A is the press-and-hold preset as well as
the double-press-hold-release preset, B is the factory turn-on preset,
C is the double-click preset and D is the triple-click preset.

Follow these steps to customize a brightness preset:

• See Enabling Customization (section 11) to enable customization.

• Turn on your flashlight and select the preset you want to

customize.

• Triple-press-hold-release. Your flashlight will display the current

brightness level. If the current brightness level is the minimum or
maximum level, the displayed level will start with a double-blink.

• Click to move to the next brightness level. Double-click to reverse

direction and move to the previous brightness level. The menu is
circular – the last item is followed by the first and the first is
preceded by the last. When you get to the minimum or maximum
level, the displayed level will start with a double-blink.

• Press-and-hold the button to select the current brightness level.

Your flashlight will display a dim-to-bright sequence to indicate you
are setting the brightness level. Release the button after your

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 flashlight turns off and your flashlight will return to the selected
preset with the newly selected brightness level.

• Note: your flashlight will exit the Brightness Menu with 5 rapid
flashes without changing the preset if an error is detected.
Possible errors include entering an unknown command, not
entering a command for 10 seconds and not holding the button
down until your flashlight turns off when selecting a brightness
level.

• Note: your flashlight will exit the Brightness Menu with 10 very
rapid flashes if there is insufficient power to memorize the setting.

14. Customizing Optional Features

Your flashlight offers the following optional features through the Option
Menu:
1. Turn On Preset <long flash>
2. Automatic Turn Off <bright-to-dim ramp>
3. Button Lockout <triple-flash>
4. Locator Flash <dim flash>
5. Pseudo Momentary <long flash, short flash>
6. True Momentary <double-flash>
7. Burst <brighter-dimmer>
8. Menus <dim-to-bright ramp>

Follow these steps to enable or disable an optional feature from the

Option Menu:

• See Enabling Customization (section 11) to enable customization.

• Turn on your flashlight.

• Quad-press-hold-release. Your flashlight will display the indication

for the first menu item (Turn On Preset: <long flash>).

• Click to move to the next menu item. Double-click to reverse

direction and move to the previous menu item. The menu is
circular – the last item is followed by the first and the first is
preceded by the last.

• Press-and-hold the button to select the current menu item. Your

flashlight will display a dim-to-bright sequence to indicate you are
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 enabling the feature or a bright-to-dim sequence to indicate you
are disabling the feature. Release the button after your flashlight
turns off and your flashlight will return to the selected preset
brightness level.

• Note: your flashlight will exit the Option Menu with 5 rapid flashes
without changing the setting if an error is detected. Possible errors
include entering an unknown command, not entering a command
for 10 seconds and not holding the button down until your flashlight
turns off when selecting a setting.

• Note: your flashlight will exit the Option Menu with 10 very rapid
flashes if there is insufficient power to memorize the setting.

Turn On Preset – <long flash>

The Turn On Preset feature allows you to select the preset used when
you turn on your flashlight. Disable Turn On Preset to allow your
flashlight to remember the last preset used and to use that preset
when your flashlight is turned on the next time.

Follow these steps to select one of the four presets to use when your
flashlight is turned on:
• Disable Turn On Preset.
• Select the desired preset.
• Enable Turn On Preset.

Automatic Turn Off – <bright-to-dim ramp>

The Automatic Turn Off feature allows your flashlight to save the
battery if accidentally turned on. This can be handy if you carry your
flashlight in your pocket and it gets accidentally turned on or if you fall
asleep with your flashlight turned on. The emphasis of this feature is
saving the battery without unduly interfering with normal use.

Automatic Turn Off only affects the steady brightness levels. Signal
brightness levels such as strobes and SOS are not affected by the
setting of Automatic Turn Off as it is assumed these signaling modes
are not likely to be accidentally activated and they may need to
operate unattended in an emergency situation.

The dimming process starts 10 minutes after the last button activity.
Your flashlight will dim rapidly from higher power settings because that

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is where the highest power consumption is. The dimming process
progressively slows with lower power levels. The whole dimming
process takes roughly 12 hours before your flashlight is finally turned
off.

Each time the Automatic Turn Off feature dims your flashlight, you will
see a triple-blink.

If you are using a lower power setting, you will not see any change
until the dimming process has reached your brightness level. This
could be seconds, minutes or hours past the 10 minute start,
depending on the starting brightness level.

You can click the button at any time during the dimming sequence to
return your flashlight to the original brightness level and reset the
Automatic Turn Off timer for another 10 minutes.

Button Lockout – <triple-flash>

The Button Lock feature allows you to lock the button on your
flashlight to prevent it from accidentally turning on. When the Button
Lock feature is enabled and your flashlight is turned off, a triple-click
will toggle the button lock – i.e., unlocking the button if it is locked or
locking the button if it is unlocked.

Your flashlight will turn off when you lock the button and will turn on
when you unlock the button. When the button is locked and you press
the button, your flashlight will flash 3 times to indicate the button is
locked and then turn off.

Locator Flash – <dim flash>

The Locator Flash feature allows your flashlight to emit a short flash of
dim light every three seconds when turned off. The periodic short
flash makes it easier to find your flashlight in the dark.

When the Locator Flash feature is enabled and your flashlight is

turned off, a quad-click will toggle the locator flash on and off.
Following a reset or after toggling the Locator Flash feature, the
locator flash is turned on when the feature is enabled and turned off
when the feature is disabled.

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Pseudo Momentary – <long flash, short flash>
The Pseudo Momentary feature allows your flashlight to differentiate
between a click and a press-and-hold when your flashlight is turned
off. A press-and-hold from off will act in a momentary fashion when
Pseudo Momentary is enabled – i.e., turning off your flashlight when
the button is released. When Pseudo Momentary is disabled, a press-
and-hold from off acts like a click – i.e., your flashlight remains on
when the button is released.

True Momentary – <double-flash>

The True Momentary feature allows your flashlight to operate in a true
momentary mode – when the button is pressed, your flashlight is on
maximum, when the button is released, your flashlight is off. When
the True Momentary feature is enabled and your flashlight is turned
off, a hex-click will start the true momentary operating mode.

The true momentary mode is used for tactical “flash and dash”
techniques – a burst of light to illuminate your opponent and the scene
followed by you disappearing into the darkness, depriving your
opponent of a target. The true momentary mode also ensures that if
you should drop your flashlight, it will remain off and not provide your
opponent with a ready target.

Your flashlight can be returned to normal operation by opening the

battery compartment for 60 seconds to force a reset.

Burst – <brighter-dimmer>
The Burst feature allows you to control the behavior of the maximum
level to conserve power and extend runtimes. Your flashlight will drop
by one level 40 seconds after the button has been released when
Burst is enabled. Maximum always stays at full power for as long as
the button is held down.

Note: the runtime on the maximum level will be reduced when Burst is
disabled. You will also notice that your flashlight becomes quite warm
on the maximum setting and may automatically reduce power due to
thermal limiting. This is normal.

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Menus – <dim-to-bright-ramp>
The Menus feature allows you to control access to the Brightness
Menu and Option Menu commands. This menu item can only be used
to disable Customization. See Enabling Customization (section 11) to
enable customization.

15. Warranty
Your flashlight (Product) is warranted to the original owner to be free
from defects in materials and workmanship for the life of Product. This
warranty does not include cosmetic blemishes, damage, modifications
and normal wear. We will repair Product, replace Product with an
equivalent product or refund the original purchase price for the
defective Product – at our discretion. You are solely responsible for
determining Product's suitability for your application and you take sole
responsibility for Product's use. In no case shall HDS Systems, Inc.
be liable for more than the original retail price of Product.

Updated November 11, 2019. Software version 2.18.

Specifications subject to change without notice.

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 HDS Systems, Inc.
P.O. Box 42767
Tucson, Arizona 85733
USA

520-325-3004

[email protected]

www.HDSsystems.com