gopbroek
Contributor
I thought I would do a review on the Dive Gear Express handheld lights. Last fall I purchased a DGX 600 light and was impressed at the price and brightness of the light (stated 600 Lumens). It comes with a battery and charger plus an extra O-ring set for 49.95.The light has a tight 8⁰ beam for looking in crevasses during the day. This model is a twist to actuate style on / off switch which means the body is connected to negative terminal of the battery and the positive to the LED circuit and tightening causes contact between the head and body, completing the circuit. I am not real fond of this style of switch since I feel that moving the body tube back and forth across an O-ring set at depth is a flood risk.
Initially I would occasionally find the interior of the body damp and I would dry it out and figured it is what it is. About 40 dives later it flooded at a depth of about 100’. I contacted DGX and they were very helpful and stated that they had received a batch of lights back in September / October that were having occasional failures but normally within the first few dives. They were very helpful and since the unit was within the suspect group they waived the normal warranty period and sent me a replacement, very nice. In the mean time I cleaned up old light, alodined the contacts, and used a very thick lube on the O-rings (DC high vacuum grease). The old light seemed to work ok and I used it as a ‘freebee’ back up.
In April after about another 40 dives I was at 120’ when I heard a ‘pop’ noise and started checking equipment and found that the repaired, already warrantied, light had flooded again. Seawater had flooded the battery compartment (crushing the positive contact assembly on the battery) and then migrated past the LED board to flood the head. Oh well it was a freebee. Since I received the replacement light it has been on about 60 dives without issue, so overall I am impressed with the DGX 600 light.
Well since I needed another light I ordered the newer version the DGX MAX at the same price in late May. The MAX comes in two versions a tight 8⁰ beam and a diffused video version; both versions include the light, a battery, a battery charger and extra O-rings. I first got the tight beam (tip: by adding a $0.75 HP spool to the order it qualifies for free shipping). The MAX uses a magnetic switch instead of a body twist switch which I feel is a great improvement.
I then took the MAX tight beam light it to Cozumel in early June and was very impressed with its operation over 8 dives. The switch actuator ring was a little rough in operation and after a couple dives it locked up on me, I then gave it a shot of WD-40 and it immediately freed up and was very smooth. Since I was coming back in three weeks, I left it with a friend who was a DM and asked him to use it so I could see how it held up. In the mean time I ordered a MAX video light with the idea of using it as a ‘dangle’ light off my BC so that I had indirect lighting for hunting Lion fish in the holes (works great by the way, they were a lot less skittish in the gloom).
When I got back to Cozumel the tight beam light had logged another 60 dives on it without issue and I put on another 26, so the tight beam has 90+ dives on it and the video light has 26 without any major issues. Note; again the switch actuator ring on the video light also locked up after a few dives but a shot of WD-40 freed it up and it has worked great ever since. I am very impressed with the value and overall quality of theses lights. I have not checked the true burn time on these lights but with the supplied 2600 mAH batteries I have never had one run out even on 4 dive days but I always recharge them each night.
Initially I would occasionally find the interior of the body damp and I would dry it out and figured it is what it is. About 40 dives later it flooded at a depth of about 100’. I contacted DGX and they were very helpful and stated that they had received a batch of lights back in September / October that were having occasional failures but normally within the first few dives. They were very helpful and since the unit was within the suspect group they waived the normal warranty period and sent me a replacement, very nice. In the mean time I cleaned up old light, alodined the contacts, and used a very thick lube on the O-rings (DC high vacuum grease). The old light seemed to work ok and I used it as a ‘freebee’ back up.
In April after about another 40 dives I was at 120’ when I heard a ‘pop’ noise and started checking equipment and found that the repaired, already warrantied, light had flooded again. Seawater had flooded the battery compartment (crushing the positive contact assembly on the battery) and then migrated past the LED board to flood the head. Oh well it was a freebee. Since I received the replacement light it has been on about 60 dives without issue, so overall I am impressed with the DGX 600 light.
Well since I needed another light I ordered the newer version the DGX MAX at the same price in late May. The MAX comes in two versions a tight 8⁰ beam and a diffused video version; both versions include the light, a battery, a battery charger and extra O-rings. I first got the tight beam (tip: by adding a $0.75 HP spool to the order it qualifies for free shipping). The MAX uses a magnetic switch instead of a body twist switch which I feel is a great improvement.
I then took the MAX tight beam light it to Cozumel in early June and was very impressed with its operation over 8 dives. The switch actuator ring was a little rough in operation and after a couple dives it locked up on me, I then gave it a shot of WD-40 and it immediately freed up and was very smooth. Since I was coming back in three weeks, I left it with a friend who was a DM and asked him to use it so I could see how it held up. In the mean time I ordered a MAX video light with the idea of using it as a ‘dangle’ light off my BC so that I had indirect lighting for hunting Lion fish in the holes (works great by the way, they were a lot less skittish in the gloom).
When I got back to Cozumel the tight beam light had logged another 60 dives on it without issue and I put on another 26, so the tight beam has 90+ dives on it and the video light has 26 without any major issues. Note; again the switch actuator ring on the video light also locked up after a few dives but a shot of WD-40 freed it up and it has worked great ever since. I am very impressed with the value and overall quality of theses lights. I have not checked the true burn time on these lights but with the supplied 2600 mAH batteries I have never had one run out even on 4 dive days but I always recharge them each night.
