Dive lights what to buy?

[jtivat]

Ok there are way too many lights I want!!! I am looking for a dive light I already have a Surge and love It, but need a backup. I have heard people rave about the UK-SL6 I am also looking at the Pelican Stealthlite Rechargeable.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I am very fond of the UK SL-4 for backup lights. Good switch, great seal, and excellent light out of a small package. The SL-6 is very big for a backup light, especially if you are carrying 2. When traveling, back the lighthead off a turn and it can't turn itself on in your luggage and burn a spare hole in your wetsuit!

I intend to take an X5 in a pocket on my next cave diving trip, but that won't be until next month some time.


gerG

 

[brightnorm]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by jtintagliovat:
Ok there are way too many lights I want!!! I am looking for a dive light I already have a Surge and love It, but need a backup. I have heard people rave about the UK-SL6 I am also looking at the Pelican Stealthlite Rechargeable.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

JT,

As a non-diver I own all these lights (my Stealthlite is nonrechargeable)and I'm aware that the SL6 can be used as a primary light, it's that bright and relatively wide beamed. The SL 4 has a brilliant, piercing beam that is either oval or oblong in shape and is very penetrating. The light is compact in design and one of the brightest 4xC lights available.

The Ikelite PC LITE is even brighter, using its HOLA, the "Special Super brightlamp". The catch is that it devours those batteries in a very short time and projects a strong
filament image" that degrades the beam as it dims. They also make a LOLA which I haven't tried. That HOLA casts a really remarkably bright beam though, for about five minutes. I'd like to see it with four D's.

I have owned several Pelican lights and quite frankly I've found them disappointing. The Stealthlite casts a relatively bright extremely narrow beam which I find less useful than several other 4AA and 4C lights. Perhaps the rechargeable version is better.

There are several knowledgeable Flashaholic-divers here in addition to gerG, who may eventually weigh in.

Brightnorm

.

 

[Luff]

The Princeton Tec 400 works well. Best as a backup, but works as primary when needed. Not very expensive. Lever on/off switch is stiff enough to prevent accidental discharge.

 

[rycen]

I would agree with the others with the SL4 and add into the mix the Ikelite PCa wihch is as bright as the SL4.

 

[rlhess]

I've bought two dive lights recently--and I don't dive.

I've been really impressed with the light-sabre nature of the SL-6. I've measured 11,000 cd with not-totally-fresh batteries.

And for a flood light and all-around backup light ('cause it has two lamps), I've bought a D8. I'm pleased with UKE's quality and price points.

Cheers,

Richard

 

[jtivat]

I hate this I can't stop!

Ok I ordered a SL6 from brightguy. However in researching UK I discovered the D8R and now I what one bad!!

$195

 

[rlhess]

JT,

If you're going to spend $195 on a light, consider the Light Cannon. It probably puts out as much light as the D8R with 30W lamp (which won't work with the alkalines, by the way--they won't deliver the current) with a similar run time off only six Cs. It may be more fragile. It's whiter. It's an HID.

Good luck!

Richard

 

[jtivat]

Ya I looked at both, the fragile lamp scares me and I like the two lamp backup of the D8 but if anyone has used both I would love to here more. B/C more light is always better!

 

[txwest]

I have the LC & am very pleased with it. Right now I'm running it on rechargables, but haven't done a test yet. The light is not only bright, it's a very "useable" bright. The output looks a whole lot like my DD 3 Blaster X 2 or 3. I wish they would off a smoother reflector as an add-on, so you had a choice of beams (sounds a lot like I would like Maglite to do). TX

 

[lemlux]

JT:

The D4 little brother of the D8 also has two bulbs. If you use rechargeables you can use both the 6.6W and the 18W bulbs. For $3.50 you can buy whichever handle you don't have (pistol grip vs. lantern grip). For about $11 you can get whichever reflector you don't have (wide beam vs. narrow beam).

I keep telling myself that my older wide beam pistol grip UKE 1200 8D is all I need. At least the current lantern grip is interchangeable.

BTW, These larger UKE lights would make your Surge become the backup light.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

No question, go for the light cannon. It is still a large cumbersome light, but light output from that 10 watt HID will outperform anything with a filament up to 50W underwater. I don't have one (yet) but my primary light uses the same WA bulb/exciter module (very compact lighthead) connected to a battery pack. Nice when working a reel.

A word of caution: HID lights put out a lot of UV. Very bad for fishies (or other divers eyes). Lights in this league must be used responsibly. It only takes a bit of practice to get in the habit of pointing the light at your palm or at the floor to use the reflected light when up close to wildlife at night. Don't worry, with this much light you will have plenty to spare.

gerG

 

[McGizmo]

Hey gerG!

Question for you. I was always under the impression that water absorbed a bunch of the UV. Would a UV filter on the HID's help any?

 

[Darell]

Good question. UV is about the easiest thing to filter, so there'd be no problem at all slapping a thin film on the lens if it is an issue. Don't know about water, but glass is a pretty good filter all by its lonesome. My guess is that water would be a pretty good filter as well.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Oops, sorry, I haven't been paying attention!

Yes, the water does absorb the UV, and the glass helps as well. It is only a problem up close or out of water. Problem is that on night dives, with a really bright light, it is very easy to get point blank with many fish, especially octopus. My caution was intended for those situations. When beyond a couple of feet it probably is not an issue. Still, please be aware that these things put out a LOT of light, and even beyond a few feet you are blinding the poor critter, which may move him quickly to the bottom of the food chain. This includes other divers.

I don't know if they added a filter to the LC, but my Dive Rite has a very thick glass lens, and stil has various cautions throughout the manual. "Watch where you point that thing" was my favorite.

gerG

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

And another perspective...I have heard of divers adding a filter to remove most of the visible light, and leave only the UV. Underwater blacklight! I can't wait to try that one.

gerG