How many dive lights do you own?

[Packhorse]

I have a problem. I keep coming up with ideas, LED/optic pairing that I want to try out.

The end result is that I now own too many lights.

Today I have been making up another cannister to go with a SST-50 + 44mm aspheric mag build I did several months back.



So in total...



Mag SST-50 + 44mm aspheric can light

W300+SST-50 can light

W300+MC-E can light

W200 MC-E

W200 XM-L Aspheric

W200 XR-E aspheric

W200 XP-G

W200 XP-G short body

W200 P7

Ring of Light Macro camera light (16x XP-G's)

Darkbuster 21w HID ( my only commercial built light and its never been wet).

+ W200 miniMAX light head ( may rebuild this with a XM-L)

+ 2xSST-50 video light head ( May build another )



What have you guys got??

 

[dakyone]

I've been reading a lot of your builds lately since I am trying to build a nice similar setup for myself. Ive seen some amazing beamshots from your lights, but I notice you have an XM-L setup and I havent seen any shots of it. Have you taken pics of it?

I read about it and it seems like the XM L is the brightest cree led currently? Anyway I was wondering which light you thought was best for a very tightly focused dive light head? Which was brightest? I am planning to make mag head and use an led genie from pcmus.com to drive since it has PWM for dimming, thermal regulation and some other nice features.

Sorry for the off topic question. To answer yours, I am diving an old tekna xena with a drop in LED replacement bulb and a UK SL3 led as a backup(usually ends up as my primary since its such a tight beam) I am exceedingly ready for a canister light and changed my mind about using an overdriven halogen after seeing what you have made.

 

[Packhorse]

Tightest focus most intense would be quad aspheric.

Most lumen would be SS-90 ( disregarding video lights, ring of light, SAR spot lights etc).

Yeah I built a XM-L W200 aspheric. Its currently out of service due to mechanical issues ( Driver pushed off pill when body was done right up).
It was/ is about as intense as a W200 XR-E aspheric but the beam is twice as wide/high which means it covers 4 times the surface area. This is to be expected since XM-L is 4 times as large as a XR-E.

 

[airsix]

Packhorse, you should sell off the less-used lights to free up funding and space for the new ideas. In my neighborhood you can sell DIY canister lights in a heartbeat. There are a lot of divers who won't pay $1k US for a commercial light but will happily pay $300 for a decently built custom. I see it all the time on my local (Seattle) club. Personally I should take my own advice. Up to now I've been cannibalizing my own lights and upgrading the guts instead of building complete new ones. I've always got a new design idea but never more than 2 finished lights at one time. (Ssr90 aspheric and 35w trailtech hid at present)

-Ben

Ps- where can I see your macro ring? I've been planning a macro lighting project too. I'd love to see yours!

 

[Codiak]

I read about it and it seems like the XM L is the brightest cree led currently? Anyway I was wondering which light you thought was best for a very tightly focused dive light head? Which was brightest? I am planning to make mag head and use an led genie from pcmus.com to drive since it has PWM for dimming, thermal regulation and some other nice features.

Dakyone,

The XM-L is very bright, compariable to the SS-50 yet more power effiecent. As Packhorse notes the SS-90 is the brightest, but it's also the largest and very power hungery at 3x the current of the XM-L.
WRT the led-genie I believe that's voltage regulator board, for the latest generation of LEDs you want a current regulator. It's been 4 years since I got a board from pcmus.com so my info may be dated.
Regardless, for the cost, you can get a board that does all that the pcmus does for less in a current regulator from taskled.com If your in AU on NZ cutter.com.au carries the taskled boards.

Codiak

 

[dakyone]

Thanks for showing me a new place to look! I checked out all their drivers though, and dont see any that have a high enough max current for what i want to do or the ability to dim without a pot.

I have double checked the pcmus site and indeed the led genie is current regulating. When you order you tell him what max current you want to run your lights on anything up to 9A. Then when you operate the switch you get multiple current levels. The other cool thing his board has is the thermal protection which can be disabled if desired. I think that if youre running 9A a thermal current regulator is a good idea!

I would love a cheaper option, but I can solder so the $45 isnt so bad from pcmus. If I can find another driver with the high output and thermal regulation and multiple brightness settings, Ill consider it.

I couldnt find anything like that on taskled.com but maybe i wasnt looking hard enough. Please correct me if you know of a driver that does these things.

Packhorse, whats your favorite driver?

 

[Codiak]

Task led has a 6amp, having built a ss-90 I'll stick to the xm-l at 3 amp

 

[Klem]

Task (George) has user-programmable drivers. You can change the settings yourself.

Task's 'Flex' drivers have multiple modes, multiple current settings (dimming), thermal protection (choice of temperatures or disable), voltage warnings and cut-off (no need for a PCB on your battery).

The downside is that 6A is the highest if wanting to use with an SST90, and the solder pads could be more generous and robust.

Prices are similar to PCMUS.

LuxRC has generous solder posts however he (Serge) only sells light engines, and not drivers.

'Tightest, most intense' would be a HID of 35W or more. Downside is MR16 HID globes that fit Mag's have beams that are too wide, 12 degrees is the most narrow. If you want 'tightest and most intense' you would need to use something other than a Mag as a host.

For a Mag torch I reckon 5 XR-E's or 3 XM-L's in reflectors would cover your requirement for a powerful beam in a Maglite. For a torch with lower lumens you need to ensure it is focussed. For a torch with a generous amount of lumens then you can afford to have a slightly wider beam, knowing the centre of the beam is just as bright as is possible with other configurations...with the added bonus of spill. 3 XM-L's will give you that at max power ((3*3.35V)*3A = 30W, 3000 Lumens wider beam). 5*XR-E's with their narrow 90degree beams ((5*3.6V)*1A = 18W, 1200 Lumens, narrow beam).

Much of this boils down to personal preference with everyone having their trusted solutions. I read in your replies that you already have some preference.

One thing is for sure however...Overdriving an incandescent is redundant technology.

 

[dakyone]

Thanks for the info! I was having trouble finding the specific features and customization available for the task led drivers. Ill take another look. I've found some 10* bulbs, but still would like tighter. I would prefer minimal spill since the water is murky most times here and the spill only makes it harder to see due to back scatter from turbidity.

Based on what I've read so far I know i will most likely want to use 3 XM-L's. What to drive them with is the last variable. Well, that and the reflector/aspheric choice. Probably farthest through and tightest beam with aspherics, right?

 

[Packhorse]

 

[Packhorse]

Packhorse, you should sell off the less-used lights to free up funding and space for the new ideas. In my neighborhood you can sell DIY canister lights in a heartbeat. There are a lot of divers who won't pay $1k US for a commercial light but will happily pay $300 for a decently built custom. I see it all the time on my local (Seattle) club. Personally I should take my own advice. Up to now I've been cannibalizing my own lights and upgrading the guts instead of building complete new ones. I've always got a new design idea but never more than 2 finished lights at one time. (Ssr90 aspheric and 35w trailtech hid at present)

-Ben

Ps- where can I see your macro ring? I've been planning a macro lighting project too. I'd love to see yours!

If I could buy a decent custom made can light for $300 I certainly wouldnt be making my own!! Parts alone cost more than that then there is the tools and the lathe and the tools for the lathe. Then there is the time...... I dont sell can lights for anything close to $300us.
Custom made lights are not always cheaper than commercial. More ofthen than not they are custome made because there is no commercial equivalent.

Macro ring can be found by clicking on my sig line. ( and that is worth well in excess of $1000us).

 

[350xfire]

Haha, that's what I do, I make a few things here and there, check them out and sell them as demos. Otherwise you end up with a bunch of stuff that goes unused.

 

[dakyone]

Sorry for being off topic before. I own three dive lights, all are run of the mill manufactured:
UK C8 with dual bulb setup
UK SL3 led (my favorite by far due to very tight focus and throw)
Tekna xena retrofitted with a drop in cree led for 4 cell lights. THis ligh thas a huge reflector with a nice fine spill and incredible throw which I love, but not enough power.

 

[SmokedCPU]

This is a topic to show us than together we didnt have as many light as Pack !
Here are the light i own

W200 XML (waiting DX....)
W200 MC-E & 18650
W200 Xre-r2 Aspheric & 2*18650
Mag Canister SS90 with h6cc @6.5A
Mag White Canister DX 5xXRE (GF is pregnant so light not in use)
Dual Mag SS90 video lights direct driven w magnetic toggle switch(not from georges)


I sold the other ones

 

[Klem]

OK, I'll bite!

I resisted it for a few days but eventually got curious. How many working torches do I actually have right now?

Not including torches made for others, or work-in-progress...

1. 75W HID
2. 7*XPG
3. 35W HID (this is one of my originals which I can't seem to flood!)
4. 4*XM-L
5. 3*XR-E
6. Tekna Commercial
7. UK commercial
8. UK with XR-E drop-in.

Now...What is more important is this box. The 'Torch Graveyard'.

These are the lucky ones. Some torches don't even make it to the Graveyard... thrown in frustration into the nearest bin in the car park.

Ah yes, it's an addiction.

 

[Packhorse]

Im not addicted any more. My lights are so bright I need some more.......

 

[Tambjaman]

Far too many, I generally buy due curiosity to see if a product can be modified
Here is what I have & had

2 Ultrafire W300 both modified to use either a single mode P7 or a 3 mode XML, both powered by 2 cell lithiums
7 Ultrafire W200 all modified to using 2X18650 batteries with XML T6, single & 3 mode versions
10 more are arriving soon for conversion to XMLs, you could say that I am addicted to these,with a SMO reflector they are hard to beat
1 Majicshine 1200 lumin SST50,the P7 ugly lights bulky big brother
1 Alpha 2000 , cut down canister modified with 2X7.4v remote control car batteries driving a P7 drop in module suitably cut to fit the wand
1 Uniquefire UF-DT1 also modified with a 3 mode drop in XML, however whether this is capable of diving is doubtful although it is definitely waterproof & good for hiking
1 Ferei w150, a good back up
I ve recently sold a P7 ugly light as my modified W200s are cheaper and more reliable

Before my interest in LED dive lights I had these dive lights:-
Darkbuster 21w HID, awesome light, but bulky and battery packs are pricey
Princeton tec shockwave LED,
Princeton tec Surge,
Alpha 2000 in original condition

Ebayd all these to help finance my LED purchases, while they were still worth something.