Colour Temp or Wattage?? Watts (ha!) best?

[np251]

So, having finished my DIY halogen can light, im looking at bulbs!!

I currently have a number of 12v, 50w 25degree bulbs im running at 14.4v. Colour temp is 3100K (although, obviously, running them higher makes them whiter to begin with) No voltage protection etc, just straight off the battery. With the 5000mAh battery (NiMh) im consistently getting 60-65 minutes burn time***

Im looking at the 35w IRC bulbs that give off the equivalent of a 50w bulb. Colour temp is 3100K, 10degree cover, and i should get a good 80 minutes out of the battery. However, my regular buddy has a UK darkbuster HID and im liking the light colour that comes out of it- it makes my halogen look yellow. Especially compared to my PT shockwave LED, the halogen looks, well, crummy. kinda like a street light.

I can get 4200K 50w bulbs for the same price as the IRC's but ill be back to the 1 hour burn times.

Any thoughts on battery life compared to light quality? I was thinking of running the 41K bulbs during night dives (i normally do 1) and the 35w IRC during regular day dives (2-3, but i need a fresh battery for number 3).

Or should i get the 41K bulbs and a bigger capacity battery and stop being cheap?


*** another point. Battery has been cycled 7-8 times to get max capacity, and im still coming short of the theoretical max for my bulb battery combo. Actually, having done the numbers, im only about 12 minutes off, so im not too worried.


Cheers for any insight. What do you prefer to use, and why?

 

[marchand]

I would say you should mod your canister so you can stick in a ballast and starter for an HID bulb.

 

[daveg1]

I went down the same road you are and ended up with a 35W HID trail tech bulb and balast. Now all my buddys with their 10W HID's want one. LOL

While I still have the 50W haogen the 35 HID is much better.

 

[np251]

Cheers for the replies guys. I have looked at the HID and will probably eventually upgrade into it, but not any time soon. I just wanted something a little less complicated to get started on, and with making a can light for $130, the price was definitely right.

any thoughts on how much better the 'whiter' light of the HID penetrates water compared to the halogens? I actually found 35W, 10degree 4700K bulbs online, but they are pricey. But from my estimate, they might almost be comparable to a 10w HID in terms of perceived brightness.

 

[Packhorse]

I used thePhilips IRC equivelent bulb at the moment. 35w 8deg 3100K ( I think) and I get about 80 minuites too from a 5000mah pack at 14.4 v

I have got some 4100K bulbs but they are wide angle and they also dont seem nearly as efficent as the 3100K bulbs. May be better for video /photo work though.

I dont mind the colour of the halogens. Untill I dive with someone who has a HID

I do see halogen as having alot of advantages over HID. cheap, easy to fix, can turn on and off as quick as you like.
But my next project is a 13w HID MR11.

 

[300bar]

IF you want to stay with halogen light,find a SOLUX bulb with mirror.
The mirror has a filter witch lets thrue red light and not the blue therefore the light has more of a white color than a standard halogen witch is on the red side
Wat is important is not only the color themp. but also the spectrum the bulb gives you.
LED with a very high color temp. does not do the trick because it has a very nerrow spectrum.aka blue without any red.