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Torch - anybody use a torch for spearing?

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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Been thinking of buying a new torch and was browsing this old thread. Times are changing. LED's are in and prices are down.

Both Princeton Tec and Underwater Kinetics both have an 8 x C cell Led torch out. The UK is the C8 eLED and the Priceton the Shockwave LED. Both about £100 or less.

Burn times are claimed to bw 4hours+ in water and so they should be with 8 x C cells. UK has 2 new 5watt LED's and the Princeton the more conventional 3 x 3watt LED's.

Output is supposedly equivalent to a 40watt filament (Eddison) bulb. However I have seen a 3 x 3watt LED torch in action and although good I would not say it was that good. Maybe nearer a 20 watt conventional torch.

Still seems to be some controversy over using rechargables with their lower voltage.

Anyone out there got one of these torches?

Dave
 
Reactions: Mr. X
I too am shopping for a light, princetons lifetime guarantee seems right on, but the UK q40 seems like a great light as been told...LED are IMO the way to go. My idea is 2 light a small one to strap to gun, larger light to scan the ocean floor, any recommendations on a set up with this criteria?
 
Steel where in miami do you fish? hey I'm trying to get a wetsuit what do you think of the cressi tecnica for miami waters? do you usually go in caves or dark places where you would need a torch ?
 
I have 2 UKQ40 lights with halogen bulbs rather than LED. They come with a strap for mask attachment, which is a handy way to use them. You could attach 2 to your mask but perhaps better would be 1 to mask and 1 to gun - this would allow you to check things out in front of your eyes & in front of your gun. However, they are not that powerful, so a larger, brighter handheld torch would be useful too. I have an Omer Moonlight for this, I certainly would not go any smaller or less powerful than this. LEDs sound good - converting more energy to light, providing a more useful spectrum & being more robust. Another benefit is that second hand halogen dive lights are becoming more readily available & cheaper (I'm not sure if anyone is offering LED upgrades - they should do).
 
Reactions: settingsteel
Princeton's no quibble warranty sounds hard to beat as dive torches are quite vulnerable to damage, although the risk of loss is perhaps even higher (perhaps this and/or a low manufacturing cost is how they manage to afford it?). Are they more expensive? [Beware of warranties for things that commonly break that sound too good be true though - they often include the cost of a replacement in the original purchase price and warranties are only good as long as the company backs them up & stays solvent. There was a watch company that famously went bust due to its lifetime warranty].
Old Man Dave said:
...Times are changing. LED's are in and prices are down.
...
Still seems to be some controversy over using rechargables with their lower voltage.

Anyone out there got one of these torches?
Click to expand...
I was out walking with a group with torches over Christmas. One of the children had a tiny LED torch, from a toy agent kit, which used small disc batteries. It was incredibly powerful - much brighter & whiter ("a bluey whiteness") than the rather feeble orange-yellow glow of the other much bigger torches. Anybody know if Omer/UK offer LED upgrades?!
 
Noticed this on eBay tonight - an Omer dive torch -- a head torch perhaps?[ame=http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150219487650&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123]Omersub Stardust20 Dive Light on eBay, also, Dive Lights Torches, SCUBA Snorkelling, Sporting Goods (end time 02-Mar-08 20:51:49 GMT)[/ame]

BTW Forgot to charge-up the mega-powerful torch I normally use in the attic & borrowed the little 2" LED torch mentioned above...it is unbelievably good for the size. Odd/surreal blue-white light.
 
Reactions: foxfish
Head torch? Hope you've got strong neck mucles! Thats a proper main dive light mate. Not much use for night diving with only a 40min burn time, ok for looking in holes though.
 
Dive week at Lidls: Lidl Online
That torch looks awfully like one of the UK ones.

BTW Tesco had 2 waterproof torches on sale today, both types under a fiver. Both came with batteries, lanyard and fancy bulb (halogen/Xenon/whatever). Was hoping they'd have LEDs this year - would make more sense with just 2x AA battery.
 
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use the xenon if u can otherwize stick to led they last so much longer... lol i cant belive you'v never seen an led light b4 mr. x i use them all the time its all i use any more cept 1 xenon 5 millon spot lite
 
I don't use torches much & now have several good ones with xenon bulbs for various tasks, so don't really need another. There are quite a lot of good, powerful, cheap LED torches around now & quite a lot of decent cheap waterproof dive torches with Xenon bulbs but I haven't come across any good, cheap, LED waterproof/dive torches in the UK yet. I don't think they'll be able sell non-LED torches much longer though, I won't buy another.
 
Hey all this has probably been covered but my torches are as follows.. Mini q40 led, twice as white/clean a light as the standard mini q40. Attached to my mask strap always, handy for peeking in holes etc. Underwater kinetics SL6 for when I need a bit more light (occasionally attached to my belt facing up, or forward when your swimming, although a friend has a SL4 led and its much whiter light although the price tag is scary. Saying that I also have a Halcyon 18wat HID umbilical. (these things retail new at £600 or so.... ouch. (and no i didnt pay that for it! lol) Not telling when and where this comes out!
Joe
p.s yes torch is invaluable for a million things, including signalling and safety.
 
This is the reason people want torches!
 

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Mind you fox fishes example of things a torch is useful for is much more apt.
 
i cant go after dark:head!!! but great uses in the muddy water after 5 feet down
 
Nice catch Foxfish - are the red fish red mullet?

I was looking for LED replacements for Halogen house lights today and came across several links for converting torches to LED. The neatest but probably least useful was voltage converter shaped like a AA cell - you stick it in a mag-lite & it can run an LED off a single AA. Google them for yourselves but here are a few samples:

Convert Maglite to LED - Lighting
Converting your Petzl Zoom (or other torch) to an LED Torch
GRYNX » TicTac flashlight
 
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That's me in the middle of the 3 desparados. Old looking, grey beard, grizzled, macho, yep! that's me. Tall one's Ed (portinfer) and other one is young Pete (beetroute). Mart (foxfish) was working the camera. My second ever night dive two and a half years ago. Note the original small torches we used. Fish were some nice dover soles, average red mullet and a small turbot. Happy days. Days when the vis was more than a few feet.

Dave
 
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