new Halcyon EOS LED anyone?

[scuba steve]

has anyone tested the new halcyon canister light EOS LED?
specs look good but how good is it for real?


http://www.halcyon.net/?q=lights/eos12

 

[Packhorse]

Personally I think the specs look pretty crap.
600 lumen from 3 LED's running at 4 watt each?
XP-G's would deliver close to twice that when driven at 4 watt.

In saying that perhaps they under spec their light compared to other manufactures.
The real test is a side by side comparison I guess.

From what I understand they market this light as a recreation light.

 

[DeeperDeeper]

According to Halcyon (http://www.dirdirect.com/Halcyon-12-Watt-LED-Torch.html):

• "Advanced LED array provides powerful 12-watt output in a small, attractive form factor; full power output equals 600 Lumen"
• "Lux rating at 1 metre is 10700 / 3 meters is 1450 / 5 meters is 530"

Cudos for Halcyon for publishing both lumens and luxes with the distance measured.
From that data we can calculate: If the light is evenly distributed on a round area, the beam area (at 3m) is 600 lm / 1450 lux = 0.41 m2. Which means a round beam diameter of 0.72 meters at distance 3 meters. This would make the beam angle to be arctan(0.72 / 3) = 13.6 degrees. Quite wide...
Just as Packhorse wrote, it is surprising how little they make light with 12 watts of power. Also the beam too wide for caves. Given that the beam is not absolutely even (see pictures http://www.divernet.com/Diving_Gear/diver_tests/503481/halcyon_eos_led_primary_vs_hollis_led_16.html), the beam must be even wider.

The lamp must be good since it's a Halcyon, but the correct price could be less than $500. If I'd get one, I would probably mod it to SST-90 with almost TEN TIMES OF LUXES (and lumens) !:huh:

Warning: One can always argue about how the lumens are measured. Can we trust the manufacturers' measurements ?!

 

[Delphinus]

has anyone tested the new halcyon canister light EOS LED?
specs look good but how good is it for real?


http://www.halcyon.net/?q=lights/eos12

There's also one thing that I found strange they refer protection circuit to avoid overheating and the led life is only 20,000 hours, or the led's are quite bad or there's some problem with the thermal design.
There is no point to refer lux if they don't tell the area.

 

[Packhorse]

whats wrong with 20,000 hours?
I cant imagine there would be anything wrong with the thermal design being a aluminium head immersed in water. The thermal protection is just there for occasional out of water use.

But the price! 795 pounds? Who would pay that?

 

[MrNaz]

But the price! 795 pounds? Who would pay that?

The kind of person who doesn't know how to make his/her own? lovecpf

 

[Delphinus]

whats wrong with 20,000 hours?
I cant imagine there would be anything wrong with the thermal design being a aluminium head immersed in water. The thermal protection is just there for occasional out of water use.

But the price! 795 pounds? Who would pay that?

A good led gives 50.000 hours at 25ºC.


You can imagine what can be wrong but I know at least 2 brands of UW lights that don't use thermal paste and the led's board doesn't have a proper contact with the main body.

 

[Packhorse]

Being a Halcyon product I am sure it is well engineered and built, I also very much doubt it will be driven at max spec let alone over driven.

I simply wouldnt read too much in to the claimed 20,000 hours vs 50,000

 

[lucca brassi]

Agree with written above my comment (but don't tell that DIR)

I have noticed that H have some new marketing policy. Buying all licences for quality marks products like:

- regulators from SCUBAPRO (MK17,25, G250, R395/295...
- scooters from SUEX (instead of GAVIN)
- HID lights are still based on Barry Miller plans
- new led design....(?)

 

[Packhorse]

Yeah, for things like regulators they are too small of a company to design and or build their own. And as I am sure many are aware there are not that many companys that do actually build their own.

I think what is more interesting is Halcyons move to target recreational divers with some of the new kit.

 

[Goldigger]

I've dived with an instructor who was testing the Halcyon EOS light.. to be honest its 600 lumens sounds crap on paper, but in water its pretty good, it gave a tighter beam than the mbsub photon.
But no match for the VB-50

Also Halcyons new line of regs and 1st stages are infact scubapro's..

 

[350xfire]

Video I came by:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BspaEtNb8LA