Backup light advice

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vixtor

Contributor
Messages
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Location
Bucharest, Romania
# of dives
200 - 499
Hello,

Now that I'm a very happy Greenforce Quadristar XPGH+Hybrid 12 owner, I have started to look for a backup light.

My general requirements are:
- compact/thin physical form factor, to be able to wear it on my wing strap
- twist on/off technology, with a long enough thread and eventually 3 o-rings to prevent flooding
- to be able to use AA/C/or even AAA batteries (not rechargeable custom batteries); I hate to take care of rechargeable batteries and remember to charge them when needed
- one led is enough
- excellent build/materials quality
- thermal protection to be able to use it on land.

Naturally, I would love to have a Greenforce backup, but their Hybrid 1/2 don't match my batteries constraint, and the Hybrid 4 would be too bulky I think. Their C2ETO seems to be gone, and I'm also not sure whether the C2ETO head was compatible with the range or not (to replace it if needed in the future in a second hand unit); my guess is not because of lower voltage from 2 C batteries. Because of this, I'm not decided yet whether to accept the Hybrid4 bulkiness, try to live with the Hybrid2 18650 batteries or choose a different manufacturer.

I have considered the following other options:

Hollis LED 3 or even Mini LED 3 - looks nice, but I have read some reviews about floodings over here. If not for those flooding reviews, I would have loved it.

Heser Backup - many positive reviews, but I'm not sure about the bulkiness (as it uses C batteries) and it only has 2 o-rings.

TillyTec MPL - I like the Greenforce heritage, the fact that it uses 3 o-rings and AA batteries. I don't like the fact that the body can be opened in the middle to shorten its total length when using other batteries (as it is another failure point). I'm not sure whether to like or not the fact that it doesn't use electronics as compared to Greenforce, which has electronics to keep the LED power constant. I have read a review stating that the aluminium head chips easily and is also easily scratched, and many other reviews saying it has a great build quality. I like the optional UV head as a nice toy/gadget and the price. Others complained about the fact it consumed the batteries in 1-2 hours instead of the stated specifications, but then again, what could I expect from AA batteries? The head is not dimmable, which would have been nicer when using AA batteries. Overall, it could be the winner, but somehow I don't feel 100% sure about this.

In the past I had a Scubapro Nova for backup. The light was good, the size was excellent (very small), but the on/off button sometimes doesn't work and the aluminium body coroded at the threads.

Any opinion/advice about those options? Maybe some other lights matching my requirements? Somebody else manufacturing compatible bodies for Greenforce heads (or could I use the Greenforce head on the Tillytec MPL body?)
 
I have several of the Hollis Mini LED3. I love them. Best bang for the buck.
 
The bad thing about the DRIS I the size. They do not meet your size. I have them and love them, but am getting rid of them for the Hollis. How many flooding stories have you heard?

---------- Post added November 20th, 2012 at 10:57 AM ----------

Thanks for the links. I am going to read those.
 
To me it seems like a user error learning curve causing the flooding.
 
In the end I went for the Tillytec MPL. It wasn't easy to find it online - most shops were German-only and the language barrier was an issue for me. I have just receive it. The construction is solid, the feeling is of a high quality product. The size is exactly what I was expecting. I was impressed with its power - I have to compare it tonight with my Greenforce Quadristar XPGH to check the difference. I think the beam is a little bit more focused. Overall, I am very happy with it. I will post some pictures later, from home.
 
IMG_0445.jpgIMG_0446.jpg
The left spot belongs to Tillytec MPL 9010, while the right one to Greenforce Quadristar XPGH. The feeling is that the TTec is more powerful (even if the estimated lumens is only half, and it has one led instead of four), because the beam is more compact. On the neighbor building, the TTec illuminates one-two floors, while the GF illuminates about 4-5 floors (about half of the 10 floors building).
 

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