HIDs AAAAARGH!!!

[wedivebc]

I have owned a dive rite MR11 HID for about a year now. After 6 months it died on me and I sent it in for repairs. Dive rite did a complete upgrade on it and charged me a bunch of money but it came back working for about 2 dives then the flimsy little bulb broke so I sent in in for a new one. $90 and a couple of weeks later it comes back. This time DOA so it goes back. No charge but another 2 weeks. 2 dives later it's dead again. I send it back, another $90 and 2 weeks I get the light back. I take it diving today, wrapped in a towel and had the little foam hood on it until the moment I hit the water. As I'm getting out of the water it taps (and I mean a light tap) the ladder and out she goes again. I am not mis-treating this light but I can't seem to keep it working.
Either the bulbs are getting weaker or something changed internally since the upgrade because like I said I got 6 months out of it originally.
Any suggestions?

 

[pdoege]

I go through 2 bulbs a year it seems. Even small impacts kill bulbs and I've never had one survive shipping when it was installed in the light.

Kid gloves and all that.

Peter

 

[mer]

A recent chat with a rep I remember hearing that the 18W bulbs are a bit more resilant than the 10W bulbs. (Good thing since they are more than twice as much).

I got 14 months out of my 18W bulb: about 180 dives, about 200 strikes and 75 hours of burn time, 1 bad ballast, 20,000 miles of airline travel, 4,000 miles of road travel, 2 times rattled loose, 3 countries, 10 states, and 4 one-way shipping trips to and from Florida, and a partridge in a pear tree.

 

[H2Andy]

i've heard from several sources that Dive Rite HID's don't get along well with cold water

 

[Corigan]

i've heard from several sources that Dive Rite HID's don't get along well with cold water

I'm knocking on wood but I've had my MR11 in cold water (40-50F) on many occations with no issues.

Matt

 

[wedivebc]

i've heard from several sources that Dive Rite HID's don't get along well with cold water

Would you be willing to PM me the source? I will be calling Dive-rite next week

A recent chat with a rep I remember hearing that the 18W bulbs are a bit more resilant than the 10W bulbs. (Good thing since they are more than twice as much).

Will they work with the slimline NiMH 4.5 battery? That may be an option, I was thinking halogen.

 

[H2Andy]

oh, it's not a secret or anything... one was a guy from Ottawa i dove with
down here in Florida. he commented on how all his friends with Dive Rite lights
had trouble in the cold

then there was a thread on this Board a while back, and i believe someone said
the same thing

sorry i can't be more specific

 

[ABQdiver]

Sorry to hear your trouble with the Dive Rite. I chose the Sartek 10watt (mostly because of $$ issues) and have been extremely happy with the service and reliability. Taken it on trips, in the suitcase. Now it's in a cozy and wrapped up to protect it, but I've had zero problems!
I like the fact that the light head is adjustable too.

 

[Boogie711]

You guys are going to love the Salvo HID bulbs. You can drive over them with a tank and they'll keep going. They're tiny - about the size of a fingernail, and a lot beefier.

 

[wedivebc]

You guys are going to love the Salvo HID bulbs. You can drive over them with a tank and they'll keep going. They're tiny - about the size of a fingernail, and a lot beefier.

Tell me more??????