Newbie with a light question

[Metalsub USA]

Is a Xenon bulb whiter than a Halogen or the same? Which one will cut through lower viz better?

I was also looking at the Sunlight C8 but I can't find a lumen rating anywhere. I like the 20 watt upgrade feature.

Hello Diverdown23

Xenon bulbs are whiter (have a higher color temp.) than regular halogen bulbs. As for cutting through low vis waters, LED and HID are still better than halogen or xenon bulbs. Its very high power lights that give you backscatter in low vis. If I dive with my 50 watt HID in 9 foot to 12 foot vis I see a big white cloud, but when I power it down to the 28 watt setting its great even in that low vis.

Take a look at the XL7.2, 20 watt halogen, 15 Watt LED, and rechargable. The 15 Watt LED puts out 437 Lumens at 5500° where a 10 Watt HID puts out 450 Lumens 6000°.

 

[scubamickey]

The UK C8 is bright enough for me to use as my primary in murky waters. Though the Princeton Shockwave LED is super cool and i'm upgrading to that. For diving clear tropical waters the PT Shockwave will be more than enough light.

Do you think (or know) that the Shockwave LED is going to useful for you in the murky waters as well? OR are you planning are still using the C8 for poor viz dives? Is the C8 the same lumen as the Shockwave LED?

I can see how people end up owning 2 or 3 different lights

 

[diverdown23]

Hello Diverdown23

Xenon bulbs are whiter (have a higher color temp.) than regular halogen bulbs. As for cutting through low vis waters, LED and HID are still better than halogen or xenon bulbs. Its very high power lights that give you backscatter in low vis. If I dive with my 50 watt HID in 9 foot to 12 foot vis I see a big white cloud, but when I power it down to the 28 watt setting its great even in that low vis.

Take a look at the XL7.2, 20 watt halogen, 15 Watt LED, and rechargable. The 15 Watt LED puts out 437 Lumens at 5500° where a 10 Watt HID puts out 450 Lumens 6000°.

Wow! That's over $500 for the light if you add the 15 watt light head.

It sounds like I need to decide between the UK C8 eLED and The PT Shockwave LED. Given that the Shockwave is 9 watts and the C8 is only 6 watts, I think my best bet is the Shockwave. I'm still a little leary of these LEDs actually throwing enough light to be useful if the viz gets low.

 

[micbu]

@ Metalsub USA

I think you should know a little bit more about the things you sell.

What do you want to say with that post:"The 15 Watt LED puts out 437 Lumens at 5500° where a 10 Watt HID puts out 450 Lumens 6000°. "

You know well that 5500 is not "°" but "K" and also 5500K is the preferable colour temperature, because 5500K is white and 6000K starts already getting blue.

Sunrise 1800K
Halogen bulb 3100K
sun at noon 5300K
blue sky 7000K

LED light is just not good because you can not really focus it. That is the reason why 450 HID lumen are much much better for diving lights than 437 LED lumen.



Greetings Michael

www.hid-tec.de

 

[Halthron]

° is the symbol for degrees while K is the symbol for Kelvin measurement. There's nothing wrong with using either one and technically, both should be used to avoid any confusion. I think that most people reading this have enough of a clue that they don't need that level of simplicity though. Both are rather obvious, it's not like any manufacturer rates their lights in degrees C or F.

5500° = 5500K = 5500°K

 

[micbu]

Hi,

sorry, you are wrong. The unit of colour temperature is just "K" and not "°K". And, in my opinion, somebody who is dealing with those lights should know that. Just to make it clear, "°K" does not exist!

5500° is a temperature of 5500°C ( or also an angle) but that has got nothing to do with a colour temperature.


Greetings, Michael


www.hid-tec.de

 

[ofg-1]

Wow! That's over $500 for the light if you add the 15 watt light head.

It sounds like I need to decide between the UK C8 eLED and The PT Shockwave LED. Given that the Shockwave is 9 watts and the C8 is only 6 watts, I think my best bet is the Shockwave. I'm still a little leary of these LEDs actually throwing enough light to be useful if the viz gets low.

OK, my $.02 worth. If you are going to get serious about diving where you will NEED a light, wrecks, caves, or a lot of night diving, bite the bullet and buy a good canister light. Get used to it, and you will never be happy with anything else.

I suggest the diverite MR11 slimline, or Halcyon Helios 4.5, or the Salvo 10 watt slimline hid. I am not familar with green force or metalsub, or turkel, so I cannot comment on them. (No snub intended, I just havent seen many of them) There are usually several used ones around on this board, thedecostop, or cavediver.net and of course ebay.

Stick with the 10 watt, it is plenty of light for most applications. I dive with guys that have the 21 watt light sabres, and yeah, they are nice, but they are really expensive

Properly taken care of, these lights will last 30 years. I still have my 30 watt sealed beam that I bought in 1976, and although I had to replace bulbs and batteries, it still works.

Cheers

 

[Metalsub USA]

Hi,

sorry, you are wrong. The unit of colour temperature is just "K" and not "°K". And, in my opinion, somebody who is dealing with those lights should know that. Just to make it clear, "°K" does not exist!

5500° is a temperature of 5500°C ( or also an angle) but that has got nothing to do with a colour temperature.


Greetings, Michael


www.hid-tec.de

@ Micbu,

We are splitting hairs here a bit, as Halthron stated its all the same, I assumed that readers on this board know that when somebody writes 6000°, 6000K or 6000°K that they are talking about a color temperature of six thousand degrees Kelvin. We are measuring color temperature and I think you will agree that all temperature is measured in degrees whether it be Celsius, Fahrenheit, or Kelvin.

As for LEDs, they are easy to give a fixed focus but difficult to make a variable focus. The Metalsub LED head has a fixed focus of about 12° and at 437 lumens it is good enough to be used as a primary light.

Micbu, if you would like to see the 15 watt LED in action, I’m in Germany now and will be diving Horkasee, Wehrbellinsee and Hemmoor as soon as the ice in gone. You could also see the HID200 in action on the 36 meter deep Dornbusch wreck in Werbellinsee.

 

[ianr33]

Maybe members that have a financial stake in a particular company should restrict their posts to the Manufacturers forum ? If I was in the market for a light I would prefer to hear opinions from Joe Average Diver rather than a manufacturer.

 

[micbu]

@Metalsub USA

"... I think you will agree that all temperature is measured in degrees whether it be Celsius, Fahrenheit, or Kelvin"

No, I do not!! Kelvin will not! be measured in degrees!!! As I already said it is measured just in "K" and not! in "°K".

Of course everybody knows what you mean if you write about a colour temperature of 6000°. But it is simply wrong! I do accept that from normal people who are talking about their light. But I can not accept that from specialists as you want to be regarded as.

You are a dealer! People come to you to get a good consulting. They trust you. They ask for your opinion. SO please care about what you are saying.

And thanks for the offer, but it is too far from me to meet you. But I do know the difference between the lights. If you have a look at my shop www.hid-tec.de then you can imagine that I know the difference. Me myself, I use following diving lights:
10W halogen, 20W halogen, 10W HID, 21W HID, 24W HID 35W HID, 50W HID, 1W LED, 3W LED, 5W LED, 15W LED and 20W LED. Me too I am a dealer and my opinion is that I deeply have to know about what I am talking because other people ask me about what they should do or buy. This is just a part of a good service.



Greetings, Michael