How to choose the right torch

[lowwall]

The lowest price I currently see for an D26 on Ebay is $63.50, that's shipped from HK and no battery or charger or useful guarantee since you'll have to put return shipping and wait out a 6 week turnaround.

Meanwhile, my Volador 1000 is $50 from Amazon Prime with a battery and charger. It's also a bit more compact both in length and circumference. I can get it in 2 days and they handle warranty work in the US. Or you can pay a bit more and get it from someone like Manta or DGX who you know will be there for you if there's a problem.

As to the battery, you have to consider your use case. Because I only use a light occasionally during daylight dives and I rarely use the high setting on night dives, I easily got 5 dives between nightly recharges on the 18650 on my last liveaboard trip. So the extra capacity of the 26650 isn't worth the trade-off for me.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Why not re-invent a vari-focus 75W torch/light that can be dialed from a laser-like spot to an enormous soft flood? OMS Phantom (incandescent version). Years gone by...

Being a night critter, a good light is everything to me.
View attachment 588653
Do you think the adjustable angle beam dive light useful?

I remain unimpressed with today's offerings other than their burn-time.

You win hands down, lol. I haven't been around long enough in diving (or in life) to own one of those! That's awesome. And yes, I wish there was a cheaper light that had an adjustable focus. That would be great.

The lowest price I currently see for an D26 on Ebay is $63.50, that's shipped from HK and no battery or charger or useful guarantee since you'll have to put return shipping and wait out a 6 week turnaround.

Meanwhile, my Volador 1000 is $50 from Amazon Prime with a battery and charger. It's also a bit more compact both in length and circumference. I can get it in 2 days and they handle warranty work in the US. Or you can pay a bit more and get it from someone like Manta or DGX who you know will be there for you if there's a problem.

As to the battery, you have to consider your use case. Because I only use a light occasionally during daylight dives and I rarely use the high setting on night dives, I easily got 5 dives between nightly recharges on the 18650 on my last liveaboard trip. So the extra capacity of the 26650 isn't worth the trade-off for me.

To each his own, and your right. All valid points. If you make an offer on ebay you can get the D26 cheaper. My last D26 (after the 1st one that the knot that I tied REALLY well gave way and all I was left with was a bolt snap) was $52 I believe.

I like the idea of my gear being able to grow with my diving, but if I never planned on doing anything more the light you mentioned would be perfect. Sometimes I forget, different divers, different goals. Here's the current state of my D26 1600 (again, because the damn thing won't stay off!).

 

[stuartv]

I agree with some of the above.

The D26 1600 does turn on by accident a lot. If I clip it to my chest D-ring and bungee it down onto the shoulder strap, it will almost always end up getting turned on by accident. And that is with it starting off locked. It's because unlocking only requires a long press. That part of the design is stupid.

So, if I'm getting in with the intention of having my light on my hand for the whole dive, I use the D26 1600. If I'm getting in with a light clipped off for "just in case", then I use a D26 Whale, with the mechanical lock in the locked position.

I AM happy to report that the problem with parasitic drain on the first 1600 I had does seem to be fixed in the second one they sent me. Last week, I got out my lights to prep them for last weekend's dive trip. I realized I had left the battery in both my lights - from February. The 1600 turned on and showed me a green LED for battery status!

 

[Sbiriguda]

If you make an offer on ebay you can get them down in price to around $50 shipped, just be willing to wait ~ 3 weeks to get it

How do you make an offer on Ebay for the XTAR Whale, you just contact the seller? I mean as far as I know usually when you can make an offer there should be a "Make offer" button and I don't see it at the link of what I believe to be the XTAR D26 Whale seller in Hong Kong

XTAR Whale-W D26W CREE XM-L2 U3 LED 1100 LM 100M immersioni torcia torcia (caldo) | eBay

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I agree with some of the above.

The D26 1600 does turn on by accident a lot. If I clip it to my chest D-ring and bungee it down onto the shoulder strap, it will almost always end up getting turned on by accident. And that is with it starting off locked. It's because unlocking only requires a long press. That part of the design is stupid.

So, if I'm getting in with the intention of having my light on my hand for the whole dive, I use the D26 1600. If I'm getting in with a light clipped off for "just in case", then I use a D26 Whale, with the mechanical lock in the locked position.

I AM happy to report that the problem with parasitic drain on the first 1600 I had does seem to be fixed in the second one they sent me. Last week, I got out my lights to prep them for last weekend's dive trip. I realized I had left the battery in both my lights - from February. The 1600 turned on and showed me a green LED for battery status!

I think it's amazing that we use the the exact same lights in the exact same way. I use the D26 1600 on the hand, and the D26 as a backup clipped off in the locked position. Now that either makes you feel dumb like me, or I get to be smart like you

How do you make an offer on Ebay for the XTAR Whale, you just contact the seller? I mean as far as I know usually when you can make an offer there should be a "Make offer" button and I don't see it at the link of what I believe to be the XTAR D26 Whale seller in Hong Kong

XTAR Whale-W D26W CREE XM-L2 U3 LED 1100 LM 100M immersioni torcia torcia (caldo) | eBay

Make an offer, I would start at $45 and see where they come down to. I doubt you'll get $46, but I can see ~ $55 or so. Whatever they come back with they can go $2-$3 lower by round 2 or 3.
XTAR D26 Cree XM-L2 U3 LED 1100lms 18650 Dive Scuba Diving Flashlight Torch | eBay

 

[stuartv]

I think it's amazing that we use the the exact same lights in the exact same way. I use the D26 1600 on the hand, and the D26 as a backup clipped off in the locked position. Now that either makes you feel dumb like me, or I get to be smart like you

LOL! Well, not EXACTLY the same. I keep my light that is on my hand in an Oxycheq Raider light sock - not a hard handle.

I have never owned a can light or a hard Goodman handle, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. But, to me, a hard handle makes more sense for a corded light (i.e. a canister light). The handle is easy to take off and you can let it just hang by the cord if you want to. No chance of losing the light by dropping it, because the cord will keep it from getting totally away from you.

With a cordless light, there is SOME risk of losing the light if you drop it. So, having the soft Goodman (aka light sock) makes it harder to take off, but also less likely to have it come off by accident.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

LOL! Well, not EXACTLY the same. I keep my light that is on my hand in an Oxycheq Raider light sock - not a hard handle.

I have never owned a can light or a hard Goodman handle, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. But, to me, a hard handle makes more sense for a corded light (i.e. a canister light). The handle is easy to take off and you can let it just hang by the cord if you want to. No chance of losing the light by dropping it, because the cord will keep it from getting totally away from you.

With a cordless light, there is SOME risk of losing the light if you drop it. So, having the soft Goodman (aka light sock) makes it harder to take off, but also less likely to have it come off by accident.

Well....it's not attached in the picture I posted, but you can see my compass right behind the light. When diving (or right before) I clip the bolt snap to the bungee cord for the compass (which is actually 2 bungees criss crossed in case one breaks) so in case of a drop / crack / loss / slip, whatever it'll save the light.

And I understand what your saying about the sock, they look really nice. The thing about that is, the orange goodman handle was 3D printed and cost me about .37 cents to make (including electric).

 

[stepfen]

How do you make an offer on Ebay for the XTAR Whale, you just contact the seller? I mean as far as I know usually when you can make an offer there should be a "Make offer" button and I don't see it at the link of what I believe to be the XTAR D26 Whale seller in Hong Kong

XTAR Whale-W D26W CREE XM-L2 U3 LED 1100 LM 100M immersioni torcia torcia (caldo) | eBay

This one has an offer button:
New XTAR D26W (Warm) Cree XM-L2 U2 1000 Lumens LED Dive Light Diving Flashlight | eBay

The one in your link is supposed to be with the newer U3 led which in theory is slightly more powerful (1100lm) compared to the U2(1000lm) offered in my link, but I highly doubt the difference will be noticeable.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

This one has an offer button:
New XTAR D26W (Warm) Cree XM-L2 U2 1000 Lumens LED Dive Light Diving Flashlight | eBay

That is for the "warm" light as in it will look more yellow as opposed to white. I believe it's 3000K.

Edit: The regular one (I linked) is 6000K

 

[Skulmoski]

I went through the same thought process and ended up with two 2 and one 3 watt Light Monkey torches. I would recommend getting the little one since you might want to take it with you all the time! These might be a bit more than the average torch, but Light Monkey is respected, especially by the technical community (e.g. I have seen cave divers with the two, 2 watt lights on their helmets. I would purchase these torches again; indeed, I was so impressed, I bought a 100' spool!