Reserve Light Goes Boom

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Those numbers sound a bit high :D, but I guess it depends on how you're testing.

Currently the LED manufacturers advertise total 220 - 320 lumen output from the smaller LED chips. Thats under lab conditions with constant and controlled current, constant and optimal temperature etc.

The MB-Sub VB50 head is advertised as having a 1250 lumen output:
mb-sub.com: LED-head VB-50 NEW

But the new LEDs certainly are brighter, maybe just not *that* bright - would be nice though :wink:

Henrik

Yeah, I realized after I posted that I had no idea how the sensor was calibrated or what the numbers meant. It was someone else's meter that we were using.

So the numbers are probably just relative -- so we got 2x the light out of a PT than an old scout and 3x the light out of a new HP vs. the PT.
 
So the numbers are probably just relative -- so we got 2x the light out of a PT than an old scout and 3x the light out of a new HP vs. the PT.

That's all good information. Certainly beats my method of shining the lights on a white wall and guesstimating :wink:

Relative brightness is probably all we as end users can rely on anyway. Some manufacturers are very "optimistic" in their light output specifications :D

Henrik
 
Saying a Scout light isn't by definition DIR is like saying the Wheel isn't PADI... :D

*whaps myself in the forehead*
How could I have been so dense? :shakehead:

On a serious note, the big take away from this discussion is to "vent" the light when not in use.
 
Here's my guess. Sounds like you had a corrosion process that lead to the buildup of hydrogen. During disassembly you had a spark that detonated the gas mixture inside the flashlight. If this is correct this was a battery issue although the lamp may have generated the spark that lit the gas. This may have just been an issue with bad batteries, although obviously any salt water in there would have accelerated corrosion.

Cool story...although not so much for you.
 
That sounds like it is what happened. I was diving in fresh water though, so no salt to accelerate the boom.

I just received the LED upgrade / replacement bulb (as referred by JBRES) from jjblomquist.

All I have to say is wow! Quick shipping and his Cree 2 replacement bulb was a drop in fit and is way, way brighter than the original halogen all for about $25 plus shipping. He's absolutely worth ordering from if you want to upgrade your Halogen 3C Scout. Can't wait to get in the water with it.
 
I just got the new Halcyon 3cell LED upgrade, and I tested it for a bit in the cave yesterday.

Its out of control. Tight, white beam that actually penetrates the water. Its easy to see even on back-ish walls. While I didn't get a chance to test it in silty/ tannic water, it probably performs there, as well. It blows the 1w module away, and while its a little less tight than the xenon scout (that thing is a laser beam), it penetrates farther and shows up against an HID better.

It is expensive ($130ish), but having a long burning, bright, and reliable backup makes up for the cost.
 
That sounds like it is what happened. I was diving in fresh water though, so no salt to accelerate the boom.

I just received the LED upgrade / replacement bulb (as referred by JBRES) from jjblomquist.

All I have to say is wow! Quick shipping and his Cree 2 replacement bulb was a drop in fit and is way, way brighter than the original halogen all for about $25 plus shipping. He's absolutely worth ordering from if you want to upgrade your Halogen 3C Scout. Can't wait to get in the water with it.

How do these compare to the UK LED modules? Link or ordering details?
 
I just got the new Halcyon 3cell LED upgrade, and I tested it for a bit in the cave yesterday.

Its out of control. Tight, white beam that actually penetrates the water. Its easy to see even on back-ish walls. While I didn't get a chance to test it in silty/ tannic water, it probably performs there, as well. It blows the 1w module away, and while its a little less tight than the xenon scout (that thing is a laser beam), it penetrates farther and shows up against an HID better.

It is expensive ($130ish), but having a long burning, bright, and reliable backup makes up for the cost.

it's amazing
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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