Waterproof"ness" of some LED lights *Now Tested*

Waterproof\"ness\" of some LED lights *Now Tested*

Hi, A couple of questions.
I've just purchased a Longbow Micra, Nuwai Q-III, Inova X0 and Inova X03. I am wondering if these are all waterproof, and if so to what degree (ie. what can practically be done with them)? Does anyone have any experience, or know anything about any of these lights, in this regard? Secondly, in terms of purchasing silicone grease to lubricate, does anyone know of any good names or where to purchase? Thanks for your input.

Re: Waterproof\"ness\" of some LED lights

With most of the lights i've seen the weak point ussually seems to lie in the switch itself. Take a mag light for example, it's got O-rings at both ends which are pretty good at keeping the water out, however the rubber switch cover should not be trusted to hold a water tight seal. What i have done with all my lights is applied a liberal amount of silicon sealant to the inside of the rubber switch. This ensures a nice flexible water tight seal, by no means does this make your light dive worthy, but it does go a long way for making it dunkable. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif

Re: Waterproof\"ness\" of some LED lights

Catman
Geez! Another Calgarian!
Try any of the two scuba shops in Calgary. The grease is used for the o-rings (not O2 safe) in general scuba gear. Expensive but with the number of lights you purchased, go for a bigger tube!

Re: Waterproof\"ness\" of some LED lights

The Nuwai Quantum III leaked a bit through the switch-end when it was submerged in approximately 1 foot of water for 3 minutes. But the bezel-end stayed dry.

So, splash- and weather-resistant, yes.
Waterproof and submersible, no.

My 2¢ in this matter; individual results may vary.

I do not have a Micra or the two Inova flashlights mentioned, so I'm not in a position to comment on them.

Re: Waterproof\"ness\" of some LED lights

That's interesting. It sounds like these lights are not as waterproof as I thought. My two previous LED lights Inova X5 and Arc LSH-P were completely waterproof and submersible. I would need them mostly for lake and river swimming. My nephews like to go swimming for golf balls.

Re: Waterproof\"ness\" of some LED lights

well, if you really look for a totally waterproof light, go for a proper diving light. For example my Fa&Mi Power LED 4 (3x3Watt Luxeon bin T) is ratet, certified (and tested)up to 200 meters and does not have any external switch. The on/off operation is done by a magnetic ring which drives a magnetic sensitive switch inside the lamp´s body. They also do versions with only 1x 3Watt Luxeon or 1x 1Watt Luxeon.
So there won´t be any problems with leaking /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

-Norbert

Re: Waterproof\"ness\" of some LED lights

I don't know about those lights, but my son just ran one of the 20 for $20 key chain lights through the washer and dryer with his cloths. It works fine.

Tom

Re: Waterproof\"ness\" of some LED lights

Well, I just had to know whether they were or not, so I tested these lights today in the bathtub. I still do not have my X03, but the Inova X1, Nuwai QIII, and Longbow micra were all completely waterproof in this environment. There was no leaking from any areas, and all batteries were dry. I submerged them and repeatedly used the on/off switches for all of them, I did this for 20 minutes. I am hoping that these conditions will be close enough to simulate swimming with them at shallow depths. If anyone is interested, I will update with the X03 when I get it (providing I find evidence to suggest that it will be waterproof).

Re: Waterproof\"ness\" of some LED lights

SilverFox, you may want to open up the 20/$20 light to see if it needs drying. That happened to a couple of my daughters lights and even after going through the dryer, there was water inside. In my case those lights only operate dimly, now, so I use them for early morning trips to the potty. The heat seems to have damaged the LEDs because the cells are OK.