Backup light review

[Sledge]

I just got the Salvo 10W handheld and after a few dives I'm very happy with it. Bright white light and a tight beam. I'll never use an incandescent bulb primary dive light again.

I also have the PT LED. Great backup light. It's like a mini Salvo handheld.

Although... if I had the money, I'd get a Salvo 21W remote head canister

 

[jivebaby]

Where did you get it? How much did you end up spending?

Thanks.

Mike Byrne

I just got the Salvo 10W handheld and after a few dives I'm very happy with it. Bright white light and a tight beam. I'll never use an incandescent bulb primary dive light again.

I also have the PT LED. Great backup light. It's like a mini Salvo handheld.

Although... if I had the money, I'd get a Salvo 21W remote head canister

 

[Sledge]

http://www.salvosupply.com/inc/sdetail/897

 

[jivebaby]

Thanks. I ended up picking the handheld salvo 10 watt. Seems very bright but I will have to wait until I dive with it to give a report.

Mike

http://www.salvosupply.com/inc/sdetail/897

 

[TSandM]

Are you guys having any trouble with the hand-held HIDs running the batteries down with repeated starts? This is the rumor I had heard about handheld HIDs, that running them isn't too bad, but if you turn them on repeatedly, it drains the batteries very fast.

 

[headonkey]

For some unknown reason, I don't really have $150 do spend on a dive light (esp. a back-up) What do you guys think about the Tek-tite lights in comparison?

 

[Sledge]

Are you guys having any trouble with the hand-held HIDs running the batteries down with repeated starts? This is the rumor I had heard about handheld HIDs, that running them isn't too bad, but if you turn them on repeatedly, it drains the batteries very fast.

I tend to turn the light on before entering the water and off when I'm out of the water. From an email exchange with Barry at Salvo, all his 10W HID's (handheld and canisters) are not hot restrikeable. I want to be cautious with the equipment so I won't be turning it on and off repeatedly. If you need that capability, Salvo's 21W HID canisters are hot restrikeable but he recommends you not turn it on and off quickly/repeatedly.

 

[CompuDude]

I tend to turn the light on before entering the water and off when I'm out of the water. From an email exchange with Barry at Salvo, all his 10W HID's (handheld and canisters) are not hot restrikeable. I want to be cautious with the equipment so I won't be turning it on and off repeatedly. If you need that capability, Salvo's 21W HID canisters are hot restrikeable but he recommends you not turn it on and off quickly/repeatedly.

No HID light should be hot struck. It's bad for the bulb, whoever made the light around it. The HID technology itself requires the gas the cool a good 30 seconds or so before the bulb WILL re-light, but even given that, it's not good for the light to turn off and on a lot.

Some good info in this post:
http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=1681099&postcount=20

The general rule of thumb is to leave HID lights on for at least 2 minutes after turning them on, and allow them to cool for at least 5 minutes after turning them off, before turning them back on. This prevents damage to the bulb and increases it's life.

Naturally, in an underwater emergency, taking a couple weeks off the life of your bulb is way less important than saving a life, but in a non-emergency, those are good guidelines to follow.

 

[hunter991]

If I can help any of you with a salvo, diverite, or greenforce light let me know. I am a big fan of salvo and have helped a good many people on the board out with them.

Brent

 

[TSandM]

I know you aren't supposed to hot restrike them. But I don't use my backup lights all that often, and I don't usually take them apart and charge them every time I do. So I might use one for ten minutes on one dive, and 15 on another (usually for practice purposes). What I have heard is that, if you do this, you won't get the two hours or so that the battery is rated for, but maybe as little as 20 minutes because the power drain of STRIKING the light is so much greater than the amount required to continue to power it. I don't have this experience, because I don't have a hand-held HID light, but I have read this on line and wondered if you guys had run into it.