Question HID lights

[Tracy]

bring back the 50w halogen bulb.

OSRAM BRL 64610 bulb - 50w 12v HLX G6.35 Bi-Pin Halogen Light Bulb

This OSRAM BRL 64610 50 watt 12 volts have a shape of T3 and a rated life of 50 hours. It has a maximum overall length of 1.716 inches. It has lumens of 1600, a lamp finish of clear and a diameter 0.453 inches. It's color rendering index is 100, and it has a base of G6.35 2-pin. the bulb is...

www.bulbamerica.com

I think I still have a 50W Halcyon Proteus in my basement. I can bring it down to you in case you want to relive the olden times.

 

[kensuf]

I think I still have a 50W Halcyon Proteus in my basement. I can bring it down to you in case you want to relive the olden times.

I still have one of the prototype 14ah acrylic lights (and 2 of his backup lights) that Barry Miller made right before Halcyon started. I keep threatening to revive it and take it diving.

 

[mdwalter]

Rather than tell you what you should do, or directly answer your specific questions, let me relate my experiences with used HID and LED canister lights.
I started out with a DR 10W HID (used) in 2009. After a few years the battery got sketchy, so I bought a new battery for it. Shortly after that the HID bulb finally burned out, and it was cheaper to get the head converted to LED than buy a new HID bulb, so I did that. The LED had more burn time than the HID, but was not much brighter and was a much bluer color temp. Some years later, I found another one of the same light (used) on eBay with 2 batteries and an LED head, so I bought it for spare (mainly to have extra batteries, but I also dedicated the new canister to my BM setup (permanently mounted to the R waist of my harness) and the old canister I set up to use either with my SM harness (butt mount) or any other BP/wing setup. I found the regular lid just fine for SM or BM use and the regular length cord almost long enough for SM (I can't fully extend my arm with the goodman handle on my hand and the canister butt mounted, but it's close enough). YMMV.
Right around the same time, I also picked up another HID head with 2 more batteries, but no canister. I now enjoy the choice of HID or LED with or without goodman handle, waist mounted for BM or butt mounted for SM. I like the color of the HID, but prefer the longer burn time of the LED, so I choose the head based on the dive. Short dive at night or in cave - HID. Long dive - LED. Multiple dive not in total darkness - LED.
The original light was $200, the extra battery was about $150 at the time, I think. The second light with 2 batteries was $250, and the last one with no can was $200. So for $800 spread out over 10 or 12 years, I now have 2 canisters with 3 heads and 5 batteries (4 that still work). That's less than one new can light costs new. Overall, I can't complain.
All that said, I have a bunch of handhelds that are actually brighter than these canister lights, which I often use as my primary for short dives, especially in side mount. But for longer dives, the used canister(s) I have are very cost effective solution that meet my needs. Again, YMMV.

 

[tbone1004]

@mdwalter check this page out and the videos, it's interesting where some manufacturers are starting to change the LED color to match that of the HID's. The first two generations of LED's were definitely very blue by comparison but I think we're getting back to a much more normal color spectrum these days. This video is something that really should be updated with the current gen UWLD's but it takes a tremendous amount of effort to do so to ensure a fair comparison. Either way for a color perspective you can see it in the videos which is nifty.

https://uwlightdude.com/compare/

 

[The Chairman]

I'll dive with an LED, but much prefer the punch of my Light Monkey HIDs. I leave all mods on my LM lights to Light Monkey. However, I dove them a lot on sidemount with absolutely no issues.

 

[Underwater Tourist]

Thank you everyone for your inputs.

Slightly off topic, but there is also something called LEP lights, and those things are nuts! Can't wait for someone to make a scuba version

 

[MattK911]

Thank you everyone for your inputs.

Slightly off topic, but there is also something called LEP lights, and those things are nuts! Can't wait for someone to make a scuba version

Shhhh, don’t tell anyone!