Canister light opinions

[adm3745]

Let's say that you are buying a brand new canister light.

I am considering making a 14w 1000 Lumen HID light. This would be about the same size as a 10w Hid light head and the canister would be 2.5" instead of 2" for a 10w.

If you had the choice would you automatically go for the 21w HID test tube style,

Or

Would you sacrifice a little light to get a much smaller light head and canister and also save a couple hundred dollars.


On the other end of the spectrum, who would want to jump for a 35w HID over 21w HID
if the price was low enough. Does anyone actually need/prefer 35w HID? I have a prototype and I think it is way overkill.

Whats everyone's opinions how much light they actually need. It seems a lot of people go for 10w just because of cost. I'm thinking my 14w could bridge the gap and get a lot of people into a high power light for the same cost as a 10w HID.

 

[b1gcountry]

For Central FL, a 10W is very popular and should be sufficient. For West Coast, or Great Lakes, the 21W will make a big difference. I dive a 21W, and a lot of my buddies with 10W develop a serious case of light envy. If you are prone to stuff like that, just go for the 21W.

The only people I know with 35-50W lights are into video.

If it were an issue of money, I would go with a used 21W vs. a new 10W. Price should be close.

Tom

 

[boulderjohn]

I have seen that you have made some lights in the past. I assume you are essentially trying to get into the business and are trying to assess he market. If I am right, then that's a good idea.

I an only speak for myself, and I assume there may be some others like me.

Tech is an expensive hobby overall, and people like me who are not naturally rolling in money are very careful consumers. I myself have a 12 W LED Salvo that has worked very well for me so far. I am thinking that as my cave diving interest goes on, I will want something more powerful, but I am biding my time because I don't have a "must have it" trip planned for the immediate future, and because I see that the light market is evolving rapidly. I don't want to buy a light that I don't need right now only to have a better one emerge at a cheaper price a few months later.

The other issue is durability and reliability. Before one of my cave training dives, my instructor and I chatted up a group of divers parked next to us. They were an amiable group, with much of their equipment sporting the same well known brand name (which I will not mention here because it isn't my point and I don't want to hijack the thread with that debate). They were about 15 minutes ahead of us in their preparations. When we were about to get in the water, the three of them came out, having aborted their dive early. "Primary light failure?" asked my instructor. (Notice the assumption.) Yep. An almost new $1,500 light had failed. My instructor whispered to me, "You couldn't pay me to take a XXXX light into a cave."

A friend of mine took three canister lights on our recent trip to Florida, but he had to borrow one from another friend so that he could go into the caves. Not one of his was working.

My point is that if I am going to plunk down big cash for a good light that I will take into a cave, i want it to work. I don't want it to spend half of its natural life being sent back for repairs, which is what I see with my friend's lights. I also don't want to throw that much money down the drain on something that ultimately does not work.

If I recall from previous posts you had made about making lights, that was the question several people made. How do we know it will work? If I were you, I would find some way of testing and ensuring that reliability as a focus of your work. If you an show you can produce a reliable light at a good price, I would be very interested.

 

[Underwater Ogre]

1000 lumens...14w....nice!!...the 21w are a bit too big IMHO.

 

[Gombessa]

It's hard going against the grain for an "industry-standard" 21w, though Sandho does so and appears to have carved out a very nice niche with a high-quality product (high depth rating, break-resistant, more reflector area for tighter hotspot). For a 14w, you have a bit more flexibility, as the market has a number of 10w sealed as well as test-tube designs (though only 14w test tubes as far as I'm aware). I'll echo boulderjohn's sentiments, but also add that having a solid service policy is a must for any light manufacturer today - the high level of service provided by the big names in HIDs is unparalleled in nearly any industry I've seen, and that will really be the thing to beat. Conversely, if you are planning on making the light user-serviceable and repairable, it may be of value to stick with standard test-tube based parts and dimensions, as these are easier to acquire.

 

[a22shady]

I dive in NJ less the perfect clear waters. When money is not an issue most people tend to go with 21watt over 10. They see the 10 as old Technology. and soon the 35 will probably be taking over the 21 once the batteries become more efficient for the higer power. But I think the 21watt right now is a great happy medium between the two

And there has been a couple of people who posted back about Adams light's through the variuos boards so far nothing negative as of yet.

 

[TSandM]

Yeah, I think the hardest part about breaking into the HID light market is competing with the reputations of the existing manufacturers. I know my vendor has my lifelong loyalty.

 

[b1gcountry]

I'm sorry, I misread your OP. I thought you meant 'making a purchase", not manufacturing.

Around here, I like 21W because it cuts through murk, and doesn't get lost in the other guys' lights. I'm not sure how the 1000lumens stacks up against a 21W, but if it was comparable to a 21W HID, that would make it pretty nice.

Tom

 

[adm3745]

Sorry I should have been more clear. I appreciate the advice on the reliability of these lights. It is really what I spend most of my time working on right now.

Right now I am about to order some reed switches and experiment with those.
I'm also finishing up a way of waterproofing the battery pack while making it completely user replaceable. Your right that Halcyon and Light Monkey are pretty much synonymous with HID canister lights. I'm going to have to offer above and beyond products,service,and price just to get my foot in the door.

The other water entry points (Test tube, cable glands, and lid) are all very simple and foolproof. Battery packs all have protective circuitry. The switches, boots, bulbs, ballasts, cable glands, and latches are all top quality.I will be selling replacement parts at a very good price to anyone wishing to repair the lights themselves. I will be doing small repairs for free to get started and will offer very substantial discounts for those who ever decide to upgrade to a newer/brighter light. I'm also going to sell light heads, lids, and canisters separately for those who don't want a full system upgrade.




Now I need something more affordable to offer. I really like this 14w idea because the size is the same as a 10w and you'd be getting double the brightness at the same cost.

 

[a22shady]

14watt sounds like a good idea for someone looking a nice entry can light. or one that just does not need that much light.