Few questions about HID lights

[elgoog]

Hello all -

I've been going back and forth about getting a 21W HID light for local diving. I've seen them in action and spoke to the local community about pros and cons, so feel like I have a general idea about them. I thought of a few more things recently and was looking for more information.

I'm assuming the behavior of Halcyon vs Light Monkey is the same, at least as far as the points below. If not, please correct me wherever needed.

1. I've read that the 21W lights/bulbs/heads are more robust than 18W. Is this true across the board or for the newer 21W lights only? In case of the latter, what should I be looking for in terms of model, age, bulb type (seems like Welch Allyn is not desirable)?

2. Do all 21W lights have the blueish tinge? Or is this specific to the bulb type used (or some other factor)? I really like the blue tinge and this is one of the pros for me in terms of LED vs HID.

3. Bulbs and batteries are essentially consumables. What else requires regular service or replacement? I've seen a few used lights for sale with notes like "just serviced, cable and glands replaced" - does this have to happen regularly? What about the ballast - does it go bad or EOL at some point and need replacing?

Thanks in advance,
elgoog

 

[Chris H]

The original Halcyon 18W lights had Welch-Allyn bulbs in them. I used one for several years without issues, but they are known to be more fragile than the later bulbs. I don't know which manufacturer is currently being used, but Brite Star was the more durable 21W bulb. Either of these does a nice job. I switched to a 21W Light Monkey LED, and sometimes miss the punch of the HID. I still have a 21W HID light head, but I haven't used it in a while. As always, service from Light Monkey has been top notch.

 

[divad]

Don't buy the LM with the ballast in the canister. The ballast can't be replaced.

 

[fmerkel]

HID bulbs are expensive....and quite fragile compared to LED. Every time I accidentally drop my LED head, which is not often, I'm thankful it's not an HID.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Sure, there are some disadvantages to HID, but as elgoog is no doubt aware, as the more experienced divers move to LEDs there are some awfully good deals on used HID 21W lights.

 

[cc.harley]

Underwater Light Dude. Unbelievable quality

 

[fmerkel]

as the more experienced divers move to LEDs there are some awfully good deals on used HID 21W lights.

I think that says what needs to be said.

 

[elgoog]

To clarify - I'm not set on HID. I'm still in the process of figuring that out and weighing all the pros and cons. These were just some of the additional factors for HID that would have figured in the overall decision.

Sure, there are some disadvantages to HID, but as elgoog is no doubt aware, as the more experienced divers move to LEDs there are some awfully good deals on used HID 21W lights.

Yep, I'm seeing used ones with 3-4hr battery life in the $400 range. That's still a fair bit of money but gets me more than what I have now. Also, I still see a lot of locals diving HID - many of them also have LED lights but I don't think they're moving away from HID.

I've only seen a UWLD light in the water once and didn't pay enough attention to it. The Halcyon Focus has also been strongly recommended to me but I have yet to see that one either.

 

[Lorenzoid]

To clarify - I'm not set on HID. I'm still in the process of figuring that out and weighing all the pros and cons. These were just some of the additional factors for HID that would have figured in the overall decision.

Yep, I'm seeing used ones with 3-4hr battery life in the $400 range. That's still a fair bit of money but gets me more than what I have now. Also, I still see a lot of locals diving HID - many of them also have LED lights but I don't think they're moving away from HID.

I've only seen a UWLD light in the water once and didn't pay enough attention to it. The Halcyon Focus has also been strongly recommended to me but I have yet to see that one either.

Well, I was looking for TWO lights, for my wife and me, so cost was a major factor. I got one for $450 with about 3.5 hours of battery life, and the other for $600 with about 3 hours of battery life. If cost were no object, I think I'd buy UWLD. The Focus seems expensive for what you get--a light no brighter than a 21W HID.

 

[lucca brassi]

IMO : loss of money and big service costs in future