Backup Light switch (little question)

[do it easy]

I was just curious about the upgrade. It makes sense- those mini Q40s are good lights at a good price, except for the attachment point.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I was just curious about the upgrade. It makes sense- those mini Q40s are good lights at a good price, except for the attachment point.

I've got a Q40 LED light too ... cost me a buck for a raffle ticket ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[jtivat]

The Salvo Rat and the OMS Vega ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

The Rat is a bit smaller in diameter but uses the exact same light engine from UK. I like the Vega not sure it is brighter but much smaller a bit to small for me in dry gloves but still very nice and much cheaper.

 

[MBH]

Heres my Mini Q-40 mod;
first you'll need to prep the end of your light by roughing it up with very coarse sand paper 80 grit is about perfect. Next use a q-tip and some rubbing alcohol to clean the end of the light.

I use this stuff called Plast-aid. It is AMAZINGLY strong. You mix the powder and liquid just like you were mixing epoxy. It cures pretty fast so once you mix it you've only got 2 or 3 minutes to work with it.

Mix up enough to mold a little ball about the size of an olive. Using a short piece of a drinking straw, mold the little ball around it and then press it to the butt end of your light. Let it cure for a few minutes and the drinking straw will pull right out. Use a black Sharpie or Magic Marker and color it to match your light.

This Plast-Aid stuff is not an epoxy. It is a plastic compound and it cures hard as a rock and will adhere to just about anything if the surface is properly prepped.

 

[RHungENT]

Summary...
I hear that most people like the PT and Scout 3w LED.
The Salvo Rat is also a common choice; but all these are >$150.
I have also heard that the OMS Vega is equally bright if not more than the PT.
Then the ScubaLab reports the Vega at 7.1/2.9EV where as the AquaStar3 was 8.2/3.0EV.
the rating was light EV measurements at the center and 12" perimeter. Both of these have twist-on, 2 O-ring, bright LED, rear attachments and cost about $80 shipped.

Would anyone every consider the Aqua-Star 3 LED as a DIR backup light?
(I wish it came in black though)

 

[JeffG]

Would anyone every consider the Aqua-Star 3 LED as a DIR backup light?
(I wish it came in black though)

If it is a 3 LED array, then no.

 

[rjack321]

Halcyon 2c miniscouts work with the UK SL4 LED modules - I have 2 setup that way. The center spot is just slightly less bright than when driven by 3c cells. Halo are quite similar in size and brightness between 2 and 3 C cells (way better than any 2 or 3 cell halogen lamp). Burntime is >8 hours - I gave up testing.

 

[CompuDude]

Summary...
I hear that most people like the PT and Scout 3w LED.
The Salvo Rat is also a common choice; but all these are >$150.
I have also heard that the OMS Vega is equally bright if not more than the PT.
Then the ScubaLab reports the Vega at 7.1/2.9EV where as the AquaStar3 was 8.2/3.0EV.
the rating was light EV measurements at the center and 12" perimeter. Both of these have twist-on, 2 O-ring, bright LED, rear attachments and cost about $80 shipped.

Would anyone every consider the Aqua-Star 3 LED as a DIR backup light?
(I wish it came in black though)

For the record the PT is $139 for the LED version, and $99 for the non-LED version. Both under $150.

 

[RHungENT]

The AquaStar3 has a 3W LED and make of a champagne colored aluminum (wishing for black)
The hotspot was just as bright (8.2EV) as a $600-800 dollar Green Force primary light with the perimeter lighting just as good as the other lights in the backup light category. It even out performed (38 vs 80 lumens) the UK SL4-eLED (which uses a switch).

The Best & The Brightest - Scuba Diving Magazine
http://www.scubadiving.com/upload/images/pdf/best_and_brightest_chart.pdf (PDF Chart)

Sorry to get all technical, but until someone can take a photo of the light side by side, I can only go by ScubaBoard experience and magazine reviews.

Would any of you DIR divers go for the AquaStar ($80shipped) or should I just save for a PT ($150shipped)

 

[JeffG]

The AquaStar3 has a 3W LED and make of a champagne colored aluminum (wishing for black)
The hotspot was just as bright (8.2EV) as a $600-800 dollar Green Force primary light with the perimeter lighting just as good as the other lights in the backup light category. It even out performed (38 vs 80 lumens) the UK SL4-eLED (which uses a switch).

The Best & The Brightest - Scuba Diving Magazine
http://www.scubadiving.com/upload/images/pdf/best_and_brightest_chart.pdf (PDF Chart)

Sorry to get all technical, but until someone can take a photo of the light side by side, I can only go by ScubaBoard experience and magazine reviews.

Would any of you DIR divers go for the AquaStar ($80shipped) or should I just save for a PT ($150shipped)

From the DIR perspective, a backup light is to be used when your primary fails. It needs to be able to be used to communicate with other teammates. For this, it needs to be a tight enough beam to signal and to cut through enough water to be useful.

Is this your use? or do you just want to poke it under a rock to see whats there?


Here is the write up on scubadiving.com (bold is mine).

We didn’t expect much power from this class of light, so we were impressed when the Aqua-Star 3 lit up the light meter with a hot spot reading that rivals many primary lights. AquaTec uses one 3-watt LED powered by six AAA batteries to produce a blue/white beam and a respectable six to eight hours of burn time. Intensity drops off gradually between six inches and 12 inches, but there is a glow that extends out about three feet that keeps you from getting tunnel vision. Double O-ring seals protect this twist on/off light down to 330 feet, and it comes complete with batteries and lanyard. For overall brightness combined with a good burn time, we selected the Aqua-Star 3 as our Testers’

Given this, I would guess it would a good backup light for the pretty fishy types, but wouldn't be useful for the DIR diver.