HIDs AAAAARGH!!!

[mer]

Pez, Stop using your HID for a hammer. I thought we had a chat about this last year?

 

[jonnythan]

bummer. Was thinking about diverite, but might not be a good choice considering I am cold water sometimes and either way, it doesn't sound like a rock solid piece of equipment.

Get the Salvo

 

[cmalinowski]

bummer. Was thinking about diverite, but might not be a good choice considering I am cold water sometimes and either way, it doesn't sound like a rock solid piece of equipment.

OK, I am so easily swayed. I ended up getting the DiveRite 10w HID (used).

 

[wedivebc]

OK, I am so easily swayed. I ended up getting the DiveRite 10w HID (used).

Too bad, I have one for sale...

 

[grazie42]

I´ve had my DR MR11 for about a year now with over a 100 dives on it, most of which have been in cold water. I´ve had no issues with this light and love it.

I have several friends with the same light who´ve had no problems either...a lot of our diving is done in 4C water so I doubt that cold should be a major factor...just my 2...euros...

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I feel your pain Dave ... I spent about $1,000 on a lightly-used Halcyon Helios 9 HID light about a year ago. It worked great for a few months, then one day while doing a rough surf entry I somehow managed to pop one of the canister locks and the light flooded. I replaced the battery ... cost was $150. But the light only worked intermittently. So I sent it off to Howard Sandroff for repairs. Apparently, water had seeped into the switch and cord, so the switch, packing gland, and cord had to be replaced. While it was there I had him put some stainless steel strain reliefs on the cord (Halcyon hadn't included strain reliefs in the original design of the light), and upgrade to the EKPP reflector. Total cost, about $650. A few months later, I dropped the lighthead on the sidewalk and broke the bulb. A replacement bulb costs $200 ... and I found out that for $150, Barry Miller at Salvo could convert the lighthead to the BriteStar 21W system ... that requires a new socket and bulb. I could keep the old ballast. So now I have a mutant light ... part Halcyon, part Sandroff, part Salvo.

FWIW - I like the BriteStar bulb, but it has its positive and negative aspects. The color is a bit different than the Welch Allen bulbs ... "warmer", not as bluish. Due (I think) to the fact that it's much shorter and sits much lower in the reflector, the ability to focus down to a sharp spot is much more limited ... I can get a reasonable spot, but not the tight beam I used to get with the Welch Allen bulb. Fortunately, the light is so bright that it doesn't much matter.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

PS - if you want a bulletproof 10W HID light, take a good look at the NiteRider. They're designed for people who abuse their stuff.

 

[wedivebc]

I feel your pain Dave ... I spent about $1,000 on a lightly-used Halcyon Helios 9 HID light about a year ago. It worked great for a few months, then one day while doing a rough surf entry I somehow managed to pop one of the canister locks and the light flooded. I replaced the battery ... cost was $150. But the light only worked intermittently. So I sent it off to Howard Sandroff for repairs. Apparently, water had seeped into the switch and cord, so the switch, packing gland, and cord had to be replaced. While it was there I had him put some stainless steel strain reliefs on the cord (Halcyon hadn't included strain reliefs in the original design of the light), and upgrade to the EKPP reflector. Total cost, about $650. A few months later, I dropped the lighthead on the sidewalk and broke the bulb. A replacement bulb costs $200 ... and I found out that for $150, Barry Miller at Salvo could convert the lighthead to the BriteStar 21W system ... that requires a new socket and bulb. I could keep the old ballast. So now I have a mutant light ... part Halcyon, part Sandroff, part Salvo.

FWIW - I like the BriteStar bulb, but it has its positive and negative aspects. The color is a bit different than the Welch Allen bulbs ... "warmer", not as bluish. Due (I think) to the fact that it's much shorter and sits much lower in the reflector, the ability to focus down to a sharp spot is much more limited ... I can get a reasonable spot, but not the tight beam I used to get with the Welch Allen bulb. Fortunately, the light is so bright that it doesn't much matter.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

PS - if you want a bulletproof 10W HID light, take a good look at the NiteRider. They're designed for people who abuse their stuff.

I have contacted salvo. My unit is not able to convert to Brightstar as easily.
I have owned a niterider dual beam halogen for about 4 years. A few weeks ago it flooded. I sent it to them and they replaced the light head, no charge, no questions asked. I should just buy another nite rider.

 

[greg1]

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?

All 10 Watt HID bulbs are supplied by the same MFG, Welch-Alyn. The bulbs are very fragile by nature.

I owned and used Sartek 10 watt HID, one year 3 bulbs and it flooded 2x's. It's now in my garage collecting dust. I picked up the Green Force system, I love it. It's made so much better than my Sartek, you can't even compare. I originally bought the 10 watt, still on the original bulb, and I have several sub 40 degree dives. I picked up the 21watt HID head, it is AWSOME. You can literaly hammer nails. The 21watt is impact resistant. www.mantaindustries.com

 

[grazie42]

If you really want a sturdy HID, then I´d take a serious look at this light by FAeMi:
http://www.rockbottomdive.com/dthid12.html

Body of the torch is made in anticorrosion anodised alluminium - laser printed - wire covered by teflon or polyurethane...I know people who have these and swear by their sturdyness...

 

[Boogie711]

All 10 Watt HID bulbs are supplied by the same MFG, Welch-Alyn. The bulbs are very fragile by nature.

Greg - read the thread you just posted in here and you'd discover that's not true.