As the name implies, Modlite manufactures and sells modular flashlight systems that can be ordered in packaged configurations or built up from separate light heads, bodies, tailcaps, batteries and remote switches.
Most of their lights use an 18350 (1200 mAh) or 18650 (3500 mAh) battery, while the high-output HOG uses a larger 21700 (5000 mAh) battery. All Modlite batteries have built-in protection circuits to prevent overheating or over-discharging. Their dual-fuel lights can also use protected CR123s, with reduced output.
The Modlite boost adapter is a thread pitch converter that allows smaller heads to be mounted on their HOG series lights, giving you longer runtime in a more pocketable package.
There are only a few limits to keep in mind while building your custom light: the length of the battery, the voltage and amperage the battery can supply, and what the light head requires. You need to make sure the body can hold the battery, and that the battery can power the light head properly.
Mission-specific lights
A key feature of every Modlite tailcap is the momentary tap and constant click switch. Why aren’t there multiple switches or dials with a dozen functions like hundreds of other lights on the market? It all comes back to the missions these lights are designed for — to help you win against targets and the photonic barrier.
Adam Aikens, U.S. Marine Corps programs manager for Trijicon, tells us that operators should always have a light on hand that can give them the power of the sun when the button is pressed. A sufficiently bright light can illuminate — or blind — your target. And you shouldn’t have to search through a dozen different modes to coax the maximum output from your light.
Hundreds of agencies and elite SWAT teams swear by the Modlite brand and don’t mind paying a premium for a high-quality product that’s designed, manufactured, and assembled in the USA with as many USA-sourced parts as possible. In fact, many government contracts require it.
The only parts Modlite uses that aren’t made in the USA are the LED and battery — there just aren’t any manufacturers of high-quality batteries or LEDs here. Most LEDs are sourced from China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.
New, popularly priced Noxon lights
While many aspire to owning a Modlite, not everyone can afford one. Modlite product managers recognized this as a challenge to be solved, and the Noxon line of lights was born. The first two to ship are the EVAK handheld light and the HAVOC weapon light. Both are available in four configurations: a general-purpose head (comparable to the Modlite PLHv2) or a throw-focused head (comparable to the Modlite OKW), and a Core (18650 battery) or Mini (18350 battery) body.
They are priced at $180, which is very reasonable compared to a similarly configured Modlite at just over $300.
Like every Modlite, Noxon lights are designed, assembled and tested in the USA. The only difference is that the aluminum is sourced from and machined in Taiwan. If the lights are the same design, then tailcaps, bodies and light heads are interchangeable between Noxon and Modlite-branded lights.
Once the Noxon parts arrive at Modlite’s Texas factory, every step is the same. Just like Modlites, these new Noxon lights undergo the same QC checks and use the same electronic components, including advanced thermal management and shock-proofing epoxy protections.
Most exposed aluminum is hard anodized in black or FDE, while threads are treated with a chemical conversion coating that prevents galling. The EVAK shows what the raw aluminum looks like before finishing, and the HAVOC shows what it looks like after the coating is applied.
These first entries into the Noxon product lineup are fully compatible with all the aftermarket accessories and mounts you’d expect. However, unlike Modlite, Noxon is not focused on modularity first and foremost. We’ll see what that means for future products.
Noxon lights are shipping today from Modlite and their distributors. Order yours here.
