tamas970
Contributor
- Messages
- 610
- Reaction score
- 59
- # of dives
- 100 - 199
I am amazed by the energy efficiency and nice, underwater-friendly color (4000-5000K) of HID-lights.
OTOH, I am shocked by - not the electricity from the fuse - but by the PRICE of the new units.
For decent wide-angle video one may need 2x50W, which easily cost 1.5k$.
Anyway, I haven't seen many 50+W HID-s available for diving.
I am planning to buy an old (but functional) canister light, test it, "feel it" a bit, then upgrade it with
- new batteries (candidates: 6x King Kong 26650s around 20$ each + protection circuits for each cells, ~6x5$)
- and a 75W HID-kit (designed for cars, ~90$)
For me, doesn't seem too complicated/expensive. I might abandon my UW flash housing and go directly to HID...
My concerns are:
#1: Safety: What is happening in the ballast? Is it going to fry everything around - including me, dive buddy &
Great White lurking around - if it is flooded with sea water? (does it make high voltage AC from the 12V source?)
This doesn't look bad though.
#2: Heat exchange: Probably have to look for a metal (aluminium) lamp-head.
#3: Possibility to reduce output -> I am afraid, not possible with the car ballasts. Anyway, I can live with this,
worst case I put an ND filter in front of the light![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
#4: Availability of canisters and lamp heads in the necessary dimensions. (Canister inside has to be ~60mm ID &
~250mm length and the balalst has to fit into the lamp head.)
OTOH, I am shocked by - not the electricity from the fuse - but by the PRICE of the new units.
For decent wide-angle video one may need 2x50W, which easily cost 1.5k$.
Anyway, I haven't seen many 50+W HID-s available for diving.
I am planning to buy an old (but functional) canister light, test it, "feel it" a bit, then upgrade it with
- new batteries (candidates: 6x King Kong 26650s around 20$ each + protection circuits for each cells, ~6x5$)
- and a 75W HID-kit (designed for cars, ~90$)
For me, doesn't seem too complicated/expensive. I might abandon my UW flash housing and go directly to HID...
My concerns are:
#1: Safety: What is happening in the ballast? Is it going to fry everything around - including me, dive buddy &
Great White lurking around - if it is flooded with sea water? (does it make high voltage AC from the 12V source?)
This doesn't look bad though.
#2: Heat exchange: Probably have to look for a metal (aluminium) lamp-head.
#3: Possibility to reduce output -> I am afraid, not possible with the car ballasts. Anyway, I can live with this,
worst case I put an ND filter in front of the light
#4: Availability of canisters and lamp heads in the necessary dimensions. (Canister inside has to be ~60mm ID &
~250mm length and the balalst has to fit into the lamp head.)
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