Why a can light in today's environment?
- Thread starter Jax
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The more you put on your hand in terms of size and weight, the less a slightly loose fitting hard goodman will work well.
2 hour burn time? I've been on several dives where we didn't turn until 2 hours in...
But then again as someone said: for advanced scuba, handheld light probably work fine. For technical diving, you need the hands free, hand switchable, long burn times that a can light gives. The whole led/hid thing is almost another debate entirely. And there are many who refuse to use lithium batteries due to perceived hazard...and others who hate nickel metal for the perceived unreliable burn times/long term battery life.
2 hour burn time? I've been on several dives where we didn't turn until 2 hours in...
But then again as someone said: for advanced scuba, handheld light probably work fine. For technical diving, you need the hands free, hand switchable, long burn times that a can light gives. The whole led/hid thing is almost another debate entirely. And there are many who refuse to use lithium batteries due to perceived hazard...and others who hate nickel metal for the perceived unreliable burn times/long term battery life.
OP
2 hour burn time? I've been on several dives where we didn't turn until 2 hours in...
Well, maybe two hours for that particular one, but I'm seeing the batteries getting better and better . . .
Time to buy stock in leading edge hand-helds and battery producers? 
FWADIVER
Contributor
Well, maybe two hours for that particular one, but I'm seeing the batteries getting better and better . . .
Its not the batteries that are getting better, but the LEDs, there has been a very large push in industry this year for LEDs for lighting applications, that is where you are seeing the large advancement. There haven't been very many leaps and bounds in battery technology lately, and the stuff that represents state of the art (A123 li-ion nanophosphate) is still ridiculously expensive.
PerroneFord
Contributor
Jax,
Perhaps the question is best put this way...
What advantage or perceived advantage do you see in the handheld light over the canister light in "advanced" diving. I know nothing of your training or experience level, so maybe you do technical diving or maybe you don't. But since we are in the "advanced diving" forum and not a technical one, I will respect an answer in the scope of advanced recreational level diving.
Perhaps the question is best put this way...
What advantage or perceived advantage do you see in the handheld light over the canister light in "advanced" diving. I know nothing of your training or experience level, so maybe you do technical diving or maybe you don't. But since we are in the "advanced diving" forum and not a technical one, I will respect an answer in the scope of advanced recreational level diving.
OP
Uhh . . . that is my question . . . except maybe as
What advantage or perceived advantage do you see in either light over the other light?
Since I don't have a can light, the SCC P7 (same as the Cree MC) was my primary. Until Edd took me in the back room and showed me the UltraNova & P7 side-by-side.
Interesting comments on the can acting as a weight, and the cords, and the hose retainer.
What exactly did Edd show you in the back room that convinced you that a light with 220 lumens was better for a primary than one with 700 lumens or so? The UltraNova does have (I would expect) a tighter beam than your P7 (the MC-E is a little tighter than the P7) but other than for signaling or as a backup I can't see replacing a P7 with a single XR-E Q5. What do you like better about it?
Hey Perrone! I'll take a crack at that although I won't define exactly what advanced recreational level diving is since it could be defined most any way.
Potential advantages would be lower cost, less complexity and bulk while giving up (in many cases) only longer burn time than needed. HID bulbs do break, burn out and they are expensive. Cords, switches, cannisters can leak, fail (just like anything else of course). I've been on more dives where someones cannister light was having problems than on those where hand helds had problems.
Where they (cannister lights) are needed ... they are needed. Elsewhere an argument can be made for hand helds to do the same thing for far less cost, complexity, and bulk. If you already have one however it's unlikely you will use something else as there would be no perceived advantage to doing so.
OP
Whoa! Where'd you get that from?!?!?! :shocked2:
Guys - asked a simple question -- probably better phrased in my last post above this one.
The answers I'm getting are:
Nothing punches through murk better than an HID
Longer burn time on the can lights
LEDs don't light up enough cave (I can miss something)
Handhelds don't have goodman handles
Handhelds don't have a cord by which I can let it hang
I (need? want?) the weight of the can on my rig
As we can all take what we read on the Interwebs as gospel,
, the burn times of the handhelds are becoming well into range of the can lights.The focusing ability of the handhelds and the shape of the reflector could address the wider spill needed.
The only thing left is punching through the murk.
It seems the $100-$200 handhelds are rapidly closing the gap on the $1500 can.
The last three . . . pardon, but I'm discounting. I can buy a lot of cord, weight, & handle for the difference.
ucfdiver
Contributor
LED is more efficient in the lower wattage, HID takes over somewhere around 18-21w range.
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