Dive Rite Wreck H10 For Digital Photography

[Newfie]

I'm looking for a HID light I can use for wreck and night diving as well as photography. Has anyone had any luck using a Dive Rite H10 light head with a diffuser mounted on a camera housing? I have a hard time visualizing how easy a set up it would be from Dive Rite's web page.

Thanks a lot.

N.

 

[billseamon]

Dear Newfie,

I use a Sartek (Sartek.com) 18W HID light for both video lighting and night diving. They sell a Video Reflector that the HID bulb mounts in and has a standard screw that I mounted to a Sea and Sea Strobe arm. This reflector generates a wide beam without any hot spots. Two difusers also came with the video reflector. Works very good with the video camera. I also have a hand unit that the bulb mounts in that the bulb can be focused to a tight beam that really penetrated the dark. The light is not cheep, but on night dives they call me "daylight bill" and I am glad I paid the money on every night dive. (It only hurt the one time when the visa bill came.)

I looked at the Dive Rite HID lights and didn't like that they use lead acid batteries. Sartek uses NiMH. My understanding is that the HID bulbs will work down to I think 7 volts, which running a lead acid battery to this voltage will damage the battery. I think the Dive Rite web page talks about testing the light with a volt meter and time the burn time until the voltage drops to 10.5 volts. Seems like alot of trouble when you can just use different batteries.

I also use the UK Light Canon as a backup and several of my dive buddies use them as a primarys. One friend was talking about getting 2 UK Light canons and with their difuser, setting them up for video. You can't beat the price of the UK Light Canons.

 

[Newfie]

Thanks for the info billseamon. I must admit Sartek is a new one on me. Looks like a great light though. OK, now I'm down to Dive Rite and Sartek but the 18W Sartek is going to be hard to pass up - aside from the price mind you. But it sounds like you can recommend both for photography and general use hey?

While you're in photography mode, do you mount the canister on your harness/plate or the housing? If the former, can you easily disconnect the light from the strobe arm while in the water, to pass your camera to someone on a boat for example.

Thanks,
N.

 

[billseamon]

I have a Undersea Video Housing for a TRV 350 Digital 8 camera. This housing is bouyent so I have 4 lead bars mounted under the housing. Two bars together on each side. I drilled holes through the bars and put a "D ring" between the bars. On the battery canister, I mounted two hose clamps that hold clips that I attach to the "D Rings" on the camera when using as a video light or to the "D Rings" on my Dive Rite Transpack. Used some velcro to tie up the light cable so it doesn't get in the way.

I'll try to take some pictures of the rig and e-mail them to you in the next couple of days.

 

[JDostal]

I looked at the Dive Rite HID lights and didn't like that they use lead acid batteries. Sartek uses NiMH.

Huh???? DiveRite has all sorts of NiMH options available - just look at the lighting systems section of their website.

 

[billseamon]

I haven't checked out the Dive Rite page recently. I was refering to a technical paper they had on the page.http:

//www.dive-rite.com/resource/makelast/index.htm

 

[JDostal]

Check out http://www.diverite.com/products/lights/index.htm

Both the wreck and the slimline series are NiMH. The only series that is Lead Acid is the MLS1.

 

[JPBECK]

Call dive rite and ask them what they think... Those guys are stright shooters