Welcome all divers!

[fazerfreak]

Hi.

I´m a Norwegian diver, been registrated and lurking around for some time now but not written in a thread .
Been diving since feb. 2005 (paid, iantd,maui and Dsat), wrecks and caverns is my favorite diving, and foot video as well.
Always been interesting in the electronic department , been building divelights for some time now.

my web-stuff:
http://www.deepdivers.org/ (norwegian)
http://diveblog.tommylidal.com (foto-blog,pre instagrm)
http://instagram.com/tommylidal (my life in pictures)


Cheers Tommy

 

[Tunelator]

Hi Fellow divers!

I've just joined the forum moved by the reacent death of my DiveRite RX2 which I plant to turn into an upgrade project, which will surely need some help from the good people of CPR

I'll tell you about my problems, and hopefully my progresses

Nice dives!

 

[Morrische]

Morrische, swiss living temporarly in spain,bad english (working on this), 32 years old, diver, ex carmechanic looking for the ultimate lightsaber....... Let's see if i will be sucessfull (for sure with the help of this forum)

Thanx for this......

 

[poildeq]

Hi
i am a spearfisherman and and free dives all over the caribean recently went on a night dive in the indian ocean and used a tovatec 13-70093 it was very bright and the sanyo eneloop proved to be very good, seeing the poverty back ther, I gave my flashlight to the fisherman who took me out. noww looking for a replacement one lighter and just as bright with the same battery life or better

 

[Wollmar]

Swedish newbie diver, only done like 40-45 dives so far. Hate to freeze so I simply just dive in Sweden.
Big time photo geek, so I'm gonna start doing that under water as well. Above the water I'm currently using a Canon 1D Mark II and a Canon 7D, but when I'm driving I will just play around with a compact camera. Ordering one tomorrow, probably a Sony RX100 II.

Started off with buying a cheap Ikelite Pro V8 and now I'm cruising Ebay for an even cheaper light, like a China 3xT6 or similar.

 

[vplehto]

Finnish diver

Hi,

41y newbie diver (some 25 dives) from Finland. Started diving with my family 11y and 13y daughters + wife an year ago. Daughters still have junior OWD me and wife OWD. We have done mainly lake dives in southern finland up to 12m with children and 18m myself. Will be going to AOWD when the younger one turns 12y in next Feb or so.

I have filmed underwater with Nikon Coolpix AW100 and now have AW110. I also have gopro 3+ black edition which I'm going to be using this summer. Out of water taking pictures with Pentax K3 DSLR. Lightning I so far have only small inexpensive XM-L T6 flashlights which are kind of no good in dark muddy waters in 18m depths or so in Finland. Purchased recently some 150USD lights but not actually expecting much more from those.

Looking possibilities to build some 50W+ multi led flashlights myself.

Have been doing different electronics projects and a lot of experiences on led lightning, micro controllers, raspberry pi:s, audio, RC cars helicopters planes as hobby, Linux programming, messaging, project management stuff for work.

--
VP

 

[mddolson]

Re: Finnish diver

Hello,
I've been diving since 1972. & have built a number of DIY projects (scooter, cannister light, stobe arms, reels).
I have a home built 10w welsh allen HID cannister light, that I'd like to convert to LED and change battery pack from NiMH to with Li-Ion.
I also have a 3x c-cell light I'd like to rework to LED, to improve it's minisquel 30 lumens,(hoping to find a drop-in module)
and finally a Darryl Allen Bug light: the mini-lamps are no longer available, but it packs 10x D cells.

Mike Dolson

 

[PhatD1ver]

Hey there, I'm a relatively new diver, but saw a DIY dive light on Youtube and just had to figure out how to do something like that... so I'm here to learn... I do mostly UW photography, and I'm just working on increasing light to enhance the critters I find.

 

[blibecap]

Hi

My name is Bill. I am interested in led dive lights. I am located in Cincinnati, Ohio USA and I have a small machine shop. I have a lot to learn and am glad that I found this place.

Bill

 

[UK79]

Hi all!

a "Hello" from my side, too, I'm a diver for a little over 6 years now having done close to 300 dives, mainly in European lakes. On the (everlasting ) pursuit for the perfect dive light, I stumbled across CPF and am very interested and inclined to those things and discussions I already saw here.

Cheers from Germany,
Uli

 

[caveeagle]

I found my way here researching options to fix/modify/build canister dive lights. I used to live in N.Central Florida and did a bit of cave diving while there. I now live in Chicagoland and am slowly piecing my gear back together to do some Wreck / Cave diving.

My old cave light is a AUW light with a 5" Lexan canister and a 40w halogen bulb in a test tube style light head. I will probably send this light off to have the cord and o-rings replaced since I am in contact with the guy who designed/built it back in the early 90's. He has also offered to update the light with a switch guard and Deans connectors at the same time. I will replace the 12v batteries myself since I can find the 12v yuasa batteries that he recommends.

My other goal is to build 1 or 2 additional cannister lights. I really want a smaller canister light, a back-up light, and possibility to set up a family member who is interested in diving soon. I also like to build stuff, so here I am...

Here is what I have in mind...

I am thinking LED, because reliability and burn time is more important than absolute brightness.

3" Mortor tubes that come with one end already sealed

Delrin or PVC lid. 'Need to figure out how to size it. I don't have a lathe (yet), but thats not out of the question.

Either a converted maglight head, or trying out one of the ebay/cree lights that can be adapted to a canister lighthead

I like the idea of a reed switch in the light head to simplify the can lid

What I need a little advice on, is the best combo for battery/LED/Driver that can work well in a converted mag light.

For my first attempt, I would like try out a proven combo that would get me similar performance to my AUW Halogen Light.

Thanks...

Mark

 

[Medic75]

Hello All

I have been lurking and learning for a bit now and decided if i am to go ahead with my build i need to become a member. I have been diving now for 3 years. I am lucky because i have the best buddy to dive with, my beautiful wife. Most of our diving is done in Manitoba Canada, any thing under 45' and you are wanting a light and pitch black at 75-80'. So this is the need for a good canister light.
Well thanks and hope i can learn a lot
happy diving.

 

[lucca brassi]

IMO It would be good to enter your location. The conversation then more comfortable and easier for all present members

 

[duncdiver]

I purchased a GoPro 3 Black and built up a low cost holder using two Magicshine MJ-810 torches with 1000 lumen Cree XM-L LEDs. I added two diffusers made from fluorescent lamp fixture covers. Although "adequate" it gives a nice artistic vignette around the subject. When not recording, these torches will really light up the underside coral heads, and show fish and coral in their true colors - thus a nice addition for daylight diving. Not trying to be Diver magazine quality, just record my experiences.

 

[V54_Fan]

Can anyone recommend me a good multi cell multi emitter dive light? I like the Xtar ones but so expensive

 

[Glübzork]

Hello Candle Power Forums,

I know this forum for a long time about machining. I have 2x GoPro Hero 3+ (for 2D and 3D footage), and the 360 lumens lamps I am currently using on the SRP Tray are not really suitable ! So I am thinking of building a pair of powerful lamps using LED arrays (large FOV) and a step up converter.

I am french, my 17 year old daughter and I are PADI Recue divers (update = now Rescue + Deep). We dive in Mediteranean Sea (summer), Red Sea (winter), and soon we will do cave diving (many caverns where I live).

Amateur machinist (1HP + 6HP lathes, Bridgeport) and amateur electronics engineer, I believe it is feasible. But only 4 month before reef diving in south Egypt !

 

[glicioto]

Dear All,
here I am. I am diver (dive master degree -I own an Italian/CMAS *** license). I am here to discuss diving torches. I live in Italy and we have many good manufacturer that I may assume are known even outside my borders (Fa&Mi is one of the most diffused here). I am anyway interested in finding something more exotic, also considering the price of some torches. I failed to get many info on lights forums, then I landed here. I hope to find more info concerning good torch for diving and maybe some hints to enter in a DiY project (that would be great).

I own a little Xtar D06, but I need something more powerful and possibly with a warm type led.

Thanks in advance.

Leonardo

BR

 

[SMPL]

Greetings from Los Angeles Harbor!

My diving is in very limited visibility typically. I dive for work and pleasure air to trimix. Lobster is a staple diet of mine. I can not thank all of you enough for sharing your resources. I just found you recently and wanted to become a Brother. I own a lathe and am looking forward to making a home built diving torch. I found a 2000 lumens torch that has (3) USA CREE XM-L2 (U2) LED's capable of 150 meters. It is powered by (2) 26650's. I would love to know what the best driver for this would be and some switching parts. I am collecting stainless brass and copper now. This pursuit is one I can not stop thinking about. To build this with your help is my goal.

Extending the long hose to you and yours! I have your back.

You ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kind Regards,
Shadow

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[gordan0810]

Dear All,

the latest member.

I am also a diver and landed here to discuss DIY and modification of existing diving torches. I live in Croatia, mostly of my dives are in Adriatic sea where you cannot properly dive without some kind of light.

I own Ikelite RCD Super 8, Kowalski 1250 and some Chinese never to buy again torches. Also Go-Pro camera.

Gordan

 

[granpadave]

Freediving light

Hey guys,

I have done a bit of searching with a few different key words but haven't really been able to find quite what I am looking for.
I am interested in buying/modding/building a waterproof dive light to go at the bottom of a freediving dive line. The ideal light would run for 6hours (it is submerged from the time of first dive to last dive and sits at the max depth for the entire time, this may be in excess of 100m) and be bright enough to act as an area light to illuminate the entire bottom plate area and lowest several metres of rope as well as letting the free-falling diver know when they are nearing the bottom plate.

Has anyone got anything like this? Or seen a forum post that I may not have found?

I thought I would try my luck with a FandyFire XM-L2 U2 7-LE from DX.com and see how that went. I figure it is probably a good starting point even if it only outputs half the stated lumens or the batteries don't last long enough, I can always modify it after a few trials.

Background on me: Am certified PADI Advance open water but don't use bottle much any more since being bitten by the freediving and spearfishing bug.

Cool forum and great info! I can see many an hour spent reading through all this information.