Ikelite
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jtivat
Flashlight Enthusiast
Hi, I have never heard much if any talk about the Ikelite line of products here. They have always looked like a cheap version of UK lights but that is based on looks alone as I have never used one. I dive with all UK lights and have been very happy with them.
Velcro
Enlightened
They have been mentioned here several times. You could do a search on Ikelite.
Ikelite's 4C lights use a 5.0 Volt 1.25 Amp HPR bulb that is custom made by Carley. It can be bought in Dive Shops that carry Ikelites for around $8. This is about 50% brighter than the 5.2V .85 A HPR bulb that comes in the PT400 (a 4 C dive light.) Ikelite formerly used the same bulb that PT uses. Both of these double barrelled C lights are designs that date back at least until the 1980's.
I've not bought the Ikelite light, but I do have their bulbs. I have owned a couple of PT400's.
The internal resistance of alkaline C cells is higher than either AA or D cells, so C cells aren't the best way to use this bulb, in my opinion.
This bulb is the brightest over-the-counter PR-based bulb I know of to drive with either 4 alkaline D's or 4 lithium AA's.
Ikelite seems to put most of its develpment energy into underwater photographic lighting.
I've not bought the Ikelite light, but I do have their bulbs. I have owned a couple of PT400's.
The internal resistance of alkaline C cells is higher than either AA or D cells, so C cells aren't the best way to use this bulb, in my opinion.
This bulb is the brightest over-the-counter PR-based bulb I know of to drive with either 4 alkaline D's or 4 lithium AA's.
Ikelite seems to put most of its develpment energy into underwater photographic lighting.
I think that bulb would be underdriven on 2 @ 123's. The 1.2 A Legend LX drops voltage to 4.8 V and the 1.1 A Scorpion drops voltage to 4.9. Assume that 4.7 A would be delivered -- a 6% underdriving. This should lower brightness by around 14% from "design voltage."
5 NiMH AA's would probable deliver voltage of around 5.5 V at 1.25 A. I don't know if this would overdrive it badly enough to to blow the light. The general formula suggests that a 10% overvoltage would reduce expected life by 2/3 while increasing brightness by about 40%.
5 NiMH AA's would probable deliver voltage of around 5.5 V at 1.25 A. I don't know if this would overdrive it badly enough to to blow the light. The general formula suggests that a 10% overvoltage would reduce expected life by 2/3 while increasing brightness by about 40%.
Paul:
Alkaline C's haven't been improved the way that AA's and D's have. Prior posts have shown that the internal resistance of Alkaline C's are greater than that of alkaline AA's or D's. Thus, a greater voltage drop and lower efficiency at this current can be expected with C's vs. with the other sizes.
Alkaline C's of course work as that is what comes with the Ikelite 4C light. I still don't think bulbs of > 1.0 Amp are a good design choice for alkaline C cells. I run my PT400 with NiMH C's and a ceramic potted Carley 4.8 V 1.6 Amp Xenon PR bulb. I will shortly have Carley pot a brighter 4.8 V 1.92 A Welch Allyn bulb for this application. I currently use this W/A bi-pin bulb as my low power option in my UKE D4 with rechargeable D's. My high power option for the D4 is a W/A 4.7 V 3.85 A bulb.
I use the Ikelite bulb in a 4D Coleman Combination incandescent / fluorescent lantern with 4 alkaline D cells.
Alkaline C's haven't been improved the way that AA's and D's have. Prior posts have shown that the internal resistance of Alkaline C's are greater than that of alkaline AA's or D's. Thus, a greater voltage drop and lower efficiency at this current can be expected with C's vs. with the other sizes.
Alkaline C's of course work as that is what comes with the Ikelite 4C light. I still don't think bulbs of > 1.0 Amp are a good design choice for alkaline C cells. I run my PT400 with NiMH C's and a ceramic potted Carley 4.8 V 1.6 Amp Xenon PR bulb. I will shortly have Carley pot a brighter 4.8 V 1.92 A Welch Allyn bulb for this application. I currently use this W/A bi-pin bulb as my low power option in my UKE D4 with rechargeable D's. My high power option for the D4 is a W/A 4.7 V 3.85 A bulb.
I use the Ikelite bulb in a 4D Coleman Combination incandescent / fluorescent lantern with 4 alkaline D cells.
Brock's Page shows that the Surge 2 * 4 AA setup delivers 5.35 V at 1.1 Amps. At 1.25 A I imagine that something between 5.1 V and 5.2 V is likely. This would be a more gentle overdriving.
Re the Alkaline C internal resistance, you might search for the discussions posted within the last three months. The posts had technical data sheet references if I recall correctly.
The two key comments I recall are that:
a.) considerably more internal resistance occurs through membranes radiating outward than does through the long axis of the cell. The C cell is the length of the AA cell, but is wider. The D cell is 11 mm longer than both. 3 @ AA cells in a 3AA to D adapter show much less voltage drop than a single D would.
b.) C cells are a much smaller market than AA's and D's and little effort has been made to improve them.
Re the Alkaline C internal resistance, you might search for the discussions posted within the last three months. The posts had technical data sheet references if I recall correctly.
The two key comments I recall are that:
a.) considerably more internal resistance occurs through membranes radiating outward than does through the long axis of the cell. The C cell is the length of the AA cell, but is wider. The D cell is 11 mm longer than both. 3 @ AA cells in a 3AA to D adapter show much less voltage drop than a single D would.
b.) C cells are a much smaller market than AA's and D's and little effort has been made to improve them.
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