New Barbolights? Need advice on dive light..

[simto]

Hi all

I wonder when new models of the Barbolight U15 will be available. Roughly a year ago I purchased a U15 with SSC P7 and it is an almost perfect light.

However, as I need another primary dive light (will then give my U15 to my girlfriend) I am wondering whether Barbolight will soon bring out some new models using newer LED's such as Cree XML or some Luminous SST-xx LED's (or multi LED etc).

Has anybody information on time schedule of new models? Does anybody know when their website gets online again? (Didn't yet get a response to my email :-(

Because: Although U15 is a very good light, I would not like to buy the exactly same light for the same price again. There are two disadvantages: The U15 is just a single mode light (full output or nothing) and as I mentioned, it does not make use of an more or less up-to-date LED.

So, I am looking for a light that is almost as a barbolight, but with at least more light output (if runtime is OK, it's not that bad when there is just one output mode). The only lights I found that would match the criterias are:

* Xtar D31
* Xeccon D3 (from the pictures and specs posted here in candlepower forums in another thread)
* WiseLED Tactical NG
* ED-I Dive lights

Xtar:
I've read in here it is too bulky and too heavy. However, all other specs would just match my criterias: More light output than U15, still "a torch" (not umbilical), different modes of output, not too expensive (as I will probably want to buy another Barbolight when they come out some time!! So there is good chance, the one I am buying now is just a temporary solution :-)).
BUT:
- I doubt about its build quality and reliability
- 6x 18650 is also at the limit... I would say :-)
- It is waterproof for just 40m (-> again build quality)

Xeccon D3:
They look very similar to the Barbolights. So they could also be very good. Big question here: Availability and where to buy?? Now! :-)

WiseLED:
Sounds fine - almost as fine as the advertising for Coast/LED Lenser lights. So, does this light do/have what they promise? Can it be recommended?
BUT:
It is very expensive. So if I would buy a WiseLED, then it should be my primary light for the next 2 years... (not just intermediate solution) Which means, it really should be as good as a Barbolight having a more powerful LED!

ED-I Lights:
I just found some pictures and specs on their website. Pictures look not like real photos. Are these lights already in production and available? Where to buy? Any experience with it?

If anybody has information to some questions/lights from above or any hint on another light - please share...

Many thanks.

Simon.

[simto]

Does anybody at least know when barbolights website will be put online again?

I wish I had that long holidays.... *g*

[Barbarin]

I'm afraid the current owners of Barbolight have closed the factory with no word. Trust me, I know what I say, I founded Barbolight. (

[simto]

Oh, no! Thanks Barbarin for this info ... yes I know you are related to Barbolight (I've read some threads in here, old and new ones - and: I also believe you, hehe ;-)).

It's a pitty they have closed the factory! In my opinion, Barbolights were one of the finest dive lights out there - yet not that expensive as comparable lights (with regard to build quality, reliability and output), very rugged lights with a very functional beam pattern.

So, I should by another one as long as they are in stock at various dealers! :-)

[Barbarin]

I made a very short run of light that should have been the new Barbolights... Send me a PM if you are interested. And thanks for your kind words.

Javier

[garchi_24]

Hi Javier

I've been following this thread with much interest, as I was expecting for Barbloight site to come back to order a U15 (and perhaps K15 and charger).
I send you a PM
Best regards

Philippe

[grinsefalle]

Hi Javier!

The Barbolight factory is closed? Does that mean, that Barbolight is history? That would be very bad news. I still have 3 Barbos, they are my all-time favorites.
Semms, like the first step into doom was the loss of Javier as our man of Barbolight. Now, the complete company maybe is vanishing..


I will keep an eye on this thread and on Barbolights homepage...
Michael

PS Of course I am interested in the flashlights which were supposed to be the new Barbos..

[garchi_24]

Hi Javier

As a new member, I can't yet send PM, could you please contact me concerning these new Barboligh models.
Regards

Philippe

[Barbarin]

PM sent!

[onionbobo]

Are you kidding me? Barbolight factory gone?

I bought a u04 zoom light for diving in Australia, one of the best thing product I've ever had!

Can't believe there's no more?

Do you have trouble looking for a manufacture? I know a few factories that may help you, but not in Spain, please send me a message if you are interested, as I'm a new user, can't send pm.

[grinsefalle]

The Barbolight website is now completely gone. Emails sent to info@barbo... are bouncing back and can not be delivered. That is sad - this really looks like the end.
Is there still a way to buy barbolight flashlights?

Michael

[lucca brassi]

ehh........ you have at least 10 new on german ebay.de

[Barbarin]

Barbolight is completely out of business. You may ask its mamanging director, or the owners of the company who in my opinion should hold the responsibility on the products.


Juan Bautista Genua Irigoyen,

http://www.acr.es/acr-grupo/areas-ac...ras-areas.aspx

Edificio Goialde. Polígono Iruregaña, 71 - 31195 Aizoáin (Navarra) SPAIN
- T + 34 948 260 116 - F +34 948 272 850

[grinsefalle]

ehh........ you have at least 10 new on german ebay.de

That is right. Some models are up to date, some are the older ones. The price on some models is twice as high as it was on the Barbolight webshop...

Barbolight is completely out of business. You may ask its mamanging director, or the owners of the company who in my opinion should hold the responsibility on the products.


Juan Bautista Genua Irigoyen,

http://www.acr.es/acr-grupo/areas-ac...ras-areas.aspx

Edificio Goialde. Polígono Iruregaña, 71 - 31195 Aizoáin (Navarra) SPAIN
- T + 34 948 260 116 - F +34 948 272 850

Thanks, Javier, for clearing things up. I will try to contact them... Maybe they have some flashlights left and don't know what to do with them
I miss the good old times...

Michael

[JanCPF]

Yes this is indeed very sad. I just love my U15 and U04 and don't really know what to buy if I had to get a new divelight or what to recomend others in my dive club. Michael, let us know the response if you decide to contact the former management.

[archimedes]

I'm bummed that I'm just now finding out about Barbolight ... too late, it seems. Do these ever pop up on the MarketPlace?

[sledhead]

They do, but not very often.

[Kinlaird]

Help I need a U/T-15 if ever im going to see my missing U-15 again.......

Someone must have one :-) at present im writing to Spanish dive shops in poor "babel fish" translate English !!!!!

A friend who dives in the 100M+ range who has had a U-15 from the original sale borrowed one of mine as his backup Hmmm...... I knew that come the end of the season this was going to be hard to retrieve and now he wont let it go till i can find him a new one !!!!!

Last year I dropped it during a 2hr ascent from 75m after a wreck dive in the English channel and of course I gave it up for lost but never he less asked all the local dive boats if ever it was found to let me know. Two months later by pure luck it was found on the sea bed covered in growth and working 100% after a hefty salvage bill I got it back :-)) ( i still have the growth on it its now part of its history). I know of no other light that I could rely on totally to be recoved in full working order after that length of time on the seabed.

I had one of Javiers custom made U-07 that was my backup light which was taken by car theives and after that have only ever dived with 2 U-15s.

A dive colleague who manufactured dive lights had it copied by a chinese manufacturer but the copies were not a patch on the original quality . So it is with Barbolight they have a class that always risks being copied but their build quality can never be the same.

So if anyone knows to a U-15 and also a Kanister K-15 please let me know either on candlepower forum Or Via my e-mail Glenn@Ladkin.net Please do before I have to plan my next years holiday wandering through Pamplona trying to find one.

[simto]

It's really a pity the barbolight factory was closed. I'm lucky to have a U15 and U04... but as I wrote in the initial post, my buddy needed some lights too.

So, what did I do. Finally I decided to buy another rugged, reliable light from Barbolight as a backup for my buddy. I just found an older U04 on german ebay. No chance to get anything else. As for the primary light, I decided to buy a cheap Magicshine MJ-850. Because I just needed a light for the next holidays. Having a reliable backup, it should not be a very severe problem if the magicshine should really give up (what I don't expect. It's quality is quite good! I was impressed. For the money you pay, you don't get anything better. But of course I would not use the light in any situation, where you _really_ need to rely on your light).

I made a picture of my diving lights and posted it in the flashlight collection photo thread 2011 .... http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...=1#post3790561

Check it out!

The carry handles are really cool and veeeery handy!!

As for the triton lights that are "offered" here - did anybody actually get a light from Barbarin? I don't doubt about his identity to be Javier .... and I had quite good contact with him (PM, email). But as it came to "hard facts" - where to ship the light, how to pay the light etc. Barbarin didn't reply anymore. That was not very neat, Javier! As my holidays start this Thursday (I'm going to the Philippines), I really needed two new lights by now. At some point in time I could not wait any longer for responses from Javier... so I decided as explained: Try to get a Barbolight as backup, and a cheap primary light.

I will respond again in 3 weeks when I'm back from the Philippines! I curious whether the Magicshine is still working by then :-D

Cheers and have a good time!

Simon.

[simto]

Hi all

Just back from the Visayas!

How is the MJ-850? Fine! It worked pretty well during several nightdives and I had no problems at all :-)

It was really fun to (let's be modest) equalize high-end umbilical lights from Tilly Tec and Green Force ;-) seriously, the light output is awesome (and now there is even one using a SST-90!). The output has reached a level, where you enlight a whole area despite of the tight beam! In fact, it is too bright. Really. At least for coral reefs … I'll test it some time here in Switzerland where we usually need more light output than in tropical regions.

The light has no visible damage from the salty water. O-rings are still fine, the magnetic ring switch works perfect, … as it were new. I had no problems with heat sink (water temperature 30 degrees), although to be honest: I often switched to the lowest mode, as the others were to bright.

The only cons I can think of are (in order of importance):

- impractical battery status indicator
- magnetic ring switch and body could have tangible notches in order to determine the mode in the dark
- low quality charger
- battery type

and additionally a little bit:

- lack of trust arising from all the stories about heat sink (few examples on probably older models) and the low price assumed to impact the quality of the electronical circuits (unproven so far)

First and last (battery type) disadvantages were taken care of for the newest model of magicshine, the MJ-878, as it seems.


So, to get on-topic again, I would conclude:

For fun diving and having a reliable and sufficient bright backup light in place - such as a Barbolight U04, the Magicshine is a good choice. It has by far the best price-performance ratio, a streamlined design and a common user interface - simple and unobtrusive as it should be.

Cheers, Simon.

[Barbarin]

It's really a pity the barbolight factory was closed. I'm lucky to have a U15 and U04... but as I wrote in the initial post, my buddy needed some lights too.

So, what did I do. Finally I decided to buy another rugged, reliable light from Barbolight as a backup for my buddy. I just found an older U04 on german ebay. No chance to get anything else. As for the primary light, I decided to buy a cheap Magicshine MJ-850. Because I just needed a light for the next holidays. Having a reliable backup, it should not be a very severe problem if the magicshine should really give up (what I don't expect. It's quality is quite good! I was impressed. For the money you pay, you don't get anything better. But of course I would not use the light in any situation, where you _really_ need to rely on your light).

I made a picture of my diving lights and posted it in the flashlight collection photo thread 2011 .... http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...=1#post3790561

Check it out!

The carry handles are really cool and veeeery handy!!

As for the triton lights that are "offered" here - did anybody actually get a light from Barbarin? I don't doubt about his identity to be Javier .... and I had quite good contact with him (PM, email). But as it came to "hard facts" - where to ship the light, how to pay the light etc. Barbarin didn't reply anymore. That was not very neat, Javier! As my holidays start this Thursday (I'm going to the Philippines), I really needed two new lights by now. At some point in time I could not wait any longer for responses from Javier... so I decided as explained: Try to get a Barbolight as backup, and a cheap primary light.

I will respond again in 3 weeks when I'm back from the Philippines! I curious whether the Magicshine is still working by then :-D

Cheers and have a good time!

Simon.

Hello,

I designed the lights, I made them, I tested them... and then the guy who was making them (I never hidded the fcat that they were made in China) decided to rebrand them and sell them all over the F*** internet.

It was a hard strike, yes. I spoiled money, time, reputation, effort and and ilusion. Yes, I gave up. There is just some people who lack any honour and ethics. That's it. Hours, money and effort I spent on this project were just spoiled by a company and a person one day I will publish even his pics.. It was a nice project, with a great distributor who was about to sign. But "quick money" just make crazy some noobs.

I will make dive lights again, in fact I'm on it with my old Barbolight team, but I will assemble them in Spain, as in the good old times, far away from sneaky stupids.

And as usual I promise you to see innovation, quality, and performance. Will keep you informed.

Javier

[swisslakediver]

I'm afraid the current owners of Barbolight have closed the factory with no word. Trust me, I know what I say, I founded Barbolight. (

Hello Javier,

I own 3 Barbolight U15. I'm very happy with them but I heard that Barbolight has finished the business.

Please tell me if you know some people who start the business again and is able to sell and repair.

Thanks for your help.

Olivier

Olivier Bourquin
Wollerauerstrasse 44
CH-8834 Schindellegi
SWITZERLAND