chinese can lights

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I would not buy a cheap light. May as well set your money on fire.

Second for Bobby, the UWLD. I have a LD35. It's unbelievable. It's probably too much for many, I understand that. I know Bobby stands behind it.


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---------- Post added July 25th, 2014 at 10:23 PM ----------

Do you have a link to that? I've read through a bunch of the first 10 pages of the gear sub forum, and don't think I ran across that. Or, what is his username?

Edit: oh UWL bobby, right?

---------- Post added July 24th, 2014 at 09:08 PM ----------

I just put a price request for this one: SMALL-ORDER ZONE: New Arrival DIV09 Magnetically Controlled Switch CREE Scuba LED Diving Torch - HK Yeguang Co., Limited in Hong Kong (en)

Assuming the shipping isn't too high, I'd love to find some others to go in on me with it. It is listed for $58.50 when you buy 5 (which is the minimum order). The site seems to be running a $30 shipping rebate too, so that would cut some of the shipping cost. I'll post when I hear back.
I figure I could ship at cost to whomever wanted it, or leave them in cave country shops for the cavers.

EDIT: I also asked about this one http://xiwaretorch.en.alibaba.com/p...lumens_WH166_Canister_Diving_Video_Light.html It'll likely be at least 2-3 times the price though, which may be more than I and anyone else is willing to take on such a gamble. It looks like it would be damn bright though - enough to overpower just about any other light.

Austin, I wouldn't consider EVER taking either of those lights in a cave. Some gear isn't worth skimping.


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So what is it on these "cheaper" lights made in China (or where ever) that fails? Of course when it won't work it has failed, but what exactly failed? Are there machining tolerances that allowed an o-ring to leak? Is the circuitry made with cheap components? Cheap LED module?

I know from my experience, simply using a name brand battery (Panasonic of many) creates dependability, at least in the power department. Good batteries are expensive and I would imagine, would be the first thing a "knock-off" light would replace with a cheaper variety.

So, could these cheaper knock-offs be resurrected by using good batteries, or are there too many other issues to contend with?
 
So what is it on these "cheaper" lights made in China (or where ever) that fails? Of course when it won't work it has failed, but what exactly failed? Are there machining tolerances that allowed an o-ring to leak? Is the circuitry made with cheap components? Cheap LED module?

I know from my experience, simply using a name brand battery (Panasonic of many) creates dependability, at least in the power department. Good batteries are expensive and I would imagine, would be the first thing a "knock-off" light would replace with a cheaper variety.

So, could these cheaper knock-offs be resurrected by using good batteries, or are there too many other issues to contend with?

Cheap materials, poor workmanship. It will flood, only a matter of time. Will probably flood sooner, than later. Cheaper the light, the more prone to failure/flooding. A flooded light can go straight in the dustbin.

Last year on a trip to Bonaire one of my frugal friends brought along a well reviewed newly purchased Chinese light, stick light, not can. I think it worked for about three dives before flooding. He was shocked his $60 knock off of a $200 light failed.

I recently picked up a HOG Morph light. Fantastic. Brighter than most older can lights. You can find them anywhere for less than $150. Great backup, or primary light for rec diving. http://www.edge-gear.com/MORPH-1000-BACKUP-LIGHT-P117.aspx


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Personal experience as a dealer with these knockoffs. I briefly took on a line of these type of lights last year. Got convinced that they were good lights by what turned out to be a less than honest distributor. Convinced me that they had designed and had them manufactured to their high quality spec's. They were desperate to get dealers so the terms were pretty good. I brought a couple in and sold them. The first two flooded. They replaced them no questions asked. OK. Next the rotary switches failed. Loose tolerances allowed stuff to get under them. A friend bought almost a thousand dollars worth of them direct from the distributor and the batteries failed. Switch quit working. Then it got harder to reach them. Some research and contact from another dealer revealed that these great lights they were pushing were cheap crap that anyone with a couple grand could have their name put on.
I learned my lesson. I'll stick with known brands. I have a morph, some dorcy's, a salvo rebel that can be serviced by light monkey, a HOG 21 watt hid made by light monkey, and I can now get and sell Sartek lights through my Manta dealership. The cheap Chinese lights I'll leave for those with money to throw away.
 
I think those are sweeping generalizations regarding quality.

As noted, some are not "knockoffs" but the exact same light that are sold under a few names and very highly regarded (DRIS or sea elite 1k light).

In my experience the issue is usually the o-ring fit or quality. That's what I've had to replace most, and the only reason one of the 10 different lights I've bought, tested, and played with has died.


As far as "Just buy a UWLD light" that is a hilarious suggestion. That's like saying "Don't buy a kia, they're terrible. Buy a ferrari!" One costs 10x the other. Some of us can't drop a grand on a light.

Also, take a look at the classifieds for the can lights andrew has been building. The light head is a chinese light. I've got a couple of those that I picked up for $18. Burn time is an hour, and the only thing I've done is swap out the o-rings. The bare lights keep up with the lower end can lights without an issue (for brightness, not burn time obviously). If these chinese lights were as terrible as the naysayers claim surely the 20 page thread would be filled with complaints.

Obviously that's not the same as some of the can lights I'm looking at, but you get the point. Generalizing one group as "chinese lights" is a terrible way to go about rating things.
 
Austin, I wouldn't put my life on the line with this kit.

You're better off buying a used light off CDF or here. Plenty of divers looking to upgrade lights sell off good older lights all the time.

Sounds like you've already made up your mind to buy. Recommend doing a detailed write up to document your experiences with it.

As for recommending UWLD, wait until you take one of these lights back in a cave. It's pretty dark. You'll be next in line to buy a more powerful light. The LD35 was my third light. Started with a Dive Rite can light. Pretty good light, but it flooded. Anything with electricity will eventually flood, no matter how well cared for. Water is tricky like that. Upgraded to a Dive Rite RX8 can-less light. Great light, bright, seemed bright enough until I took it cave diving. The light just wasn't bright enough for me. In summary, $500 for can light, RX8 is $600 (DR customer care is great and gave me a break after sending in the can for 'service' - it ended up in the trash.), the LD35 was a great deal at less than $1500, I know Bobby will keep it going forever.
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Austin, I wouldn't put my life on the line with this kit.

You're better off buying a used light off CDF or here. Plenty of divers looking to upgrade lights sell off good older lights all the time.

Sounds like you've already made up your mind to buy. Recommend doing a detailed write up to document your experiences with it.

As for recommending UWLD, wait until you take one of these lights back in a cave. It's pretty dark. You'll be next in line to buy a more powerful light. The LD35 was my third light. Started with a Dive Rite can light. Pretty good light, but it flooded. Anything with electricity will eventually flood, no matter how well cared for. Water is tricky like that. Upgraded to a Dive Rite RX8 can-less light. Great light, bright, seemed bright enough until I took it cave diving. The light just wasn't bright enough for me. In summary, $500 for can light, RX8 is $600 (DR customer care is great and gave me a break after sending in the can for 'service' - it ended up in the trash.), the LD35 was a great deal at less than $1500, I know Bobby will keep it going forever.
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One of my buddies had a UWLD can, so I've seen them in a cave. They are undoubtedly good lights, but I'd question whether they are worth the 10x price premium, or nearly 500x premium over my handheld units.

Again, I've mentioned I'm hesitant to purchase THOSE can lights as I have seen very few reviews, and the ones I did see complained of the switch (but that was the different switch on the archon branded light). I've looked at the other cheaper solutions, but will likely wait a year or two before plopping any serious cash down because I do think the domestic and name brand options are way overpriced. If I had to have a reliable can now with good burn time I'd probably build one or buy one of andrews (assuming I'm on a tight budget as I am now). If I do end up getting a can light I'll do a write up, but the offers I've received are all much more than I'd pay just buying the damn things off of ebay. I may end up doing a bunch of write ups on the lights I do have, but I wouldn't mind having a more reliable way to test brightness than just spot metering with my camera and an intervalometer.

What I will not do is condemn an entire class of lights simply because of a few bad eggs. There are plenty of serious divers using chinese lights which cost less than 1/10 of the name brand solutions. Check out the diving lights section of budget light forums or candlepower forums.

Hell, the DGX 600 is the same as the brinyte DIV05. There are certainly some lights that are not as good, but I don't mind spending $20-30 to find the lights that are just as good. I'd never take a set of untested lights into a cave, but I don't mind bringing a fourth with 3 well known, reliable lights.

Ultimately, I'm a gear head. I can respect those who do not wish to fiddle and test lights and just want something out of the box that works without tinkering or changing o-rings. For those people, the best option may be the more expensive lights, but they are not for me and many others with similar desires to tear things apart and save a few bucks; to each their own.
 
One of my buddies had a UWLD can, so I've seen them in a cave. They are undoubtedly good lights, but I'd question whether they are worth the 10x price premium, or nearly 500x premium over my handheld units.
.... I do think the domestic and name brand options are way overpriced.
Small US companies, or even big ones that make their gear in the US, are going to charge more, and they often earn praise and loyalty from their customers. Don't forget that part of what you're paying for is the design and production of a light that's designed for divers, BY divers. These people, especially small companies exclusively targeting the diving market, are determined to make the best product for the application and work hard in that endeavor. You're paying for an ongoing effort to make the best product, and the product you receive is the current iteration from the hands of well-paid, enthusiastic workers. As opposed to the mass manufacturing industries overseas that modify a product slightly and rephrase the name to "change" the application - which may be a good product in the end, but it seems short sighted to forget that the whole story is not just the end product.

Hello everyone. Anybody has any experience with those cheap chinese can lights? Price seems too good to be true. Should stick to something like dgx.
Retailers like DGX and DRIS sometimes receive support on these forums as if they were one of the companies like I allude to above, but in fact they are just a brand name that can afford to replace a bad light because of the markup on what they're selling you. While I prefer to buy from the companies that are essentially divers making gear for divers, when I do look for a cheap alternative, I try to find the best deal, knowing that there's going to be a middle man somewhere looking for a cut.

The question is, what do you think you're paying for? Quality of product is only one part of the price tag, and you have to choose what other "features" you are OK paying for.

-brand name
-service/support
-employee conditions
-quality of product
-tradition of innovation
-reliability/accountability

DGX and DRIS both are well-liked online retailers, so we tend to trust them, but you're really paying for the brand name, and I think they count on you assuming the rest comes with it, even though the product is not from them at all. I've only recently learned how easy it is to find their branded lights for less...I even found the DRIS 1K and 1K shorty, and the DGX 600 on amazon! What's shocked me, is the markup that DRIS puts on their lights, for the same light. Sure, they offer good service, but you could buy 2 or 3 of these lights from someone else for the same price, or you could buy one DRIS light and count on them to replace it if it breaks.


As for me, I prefer to support Made in the USA/EU products by experts who give a damn and who are well-treated for their efforts. When I DO look for a cheap alternative, I try not to be fooled by the middle man who stamps their brand on a cheap product and then tries to sell it as an equal alternative. If I'm buying a cheap knock-off, I want to pay cheap knock-off prices.
 
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I've been using Big Blue dive lights for the past few years and love them as have many of my friends. Very well made and not a single problem with any of them.
 
As for me, I prefer to support Made in the USA/EU products by experts who give a damn and who are well-treated for their efforts. When I DO look for a cheap alternative, I try not to be fooled by the middle man who stamps their brand on a cheap product and then tries to sell it as an equal alternative. If I'm buying a cheap knock-off, I want to pay cheap knock-off prices.
Maybe it's just the finance and economics I took or maybe my progressive capital understanding of markets, but that whole post reeks of BS.
Despite what you may think, you don't always get what you pay for. You'd certainly like to think that spending 10x as much on a product will get you 10x the light, but that's simply not the case. It's really an extrapolation of just world hypothesis. You want to believe it's better, why else would it cost more?

The whole "I SUPPORT THE USA!! CHINA BLOWS!!!!" is a funny attitude, given many of the name brand lights are made in china anyway. I have no problem with it, because I think that if a company cannot stay competitive while operating out of one area then they should move. It's just a competitive advantage. The US has nowhere near the cheapest labor, and buying a product because it was made here doesn't make it better.

This whole argument mirrors the "BUY LOCAL! Support your LDS!" war cry that many of us laugh at as we order online. If a company is good enough that their product speaks for itself I will buy it (if the price reflects the value). If not I'll be on my merry way.


I'm sure you're the type of customer that these companies dream about that; irrationally loyal.
 
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