scaldwell
Contributor
Anyone familar with these German lamps? Are they worth the extra money? Seem well designed and very bright (maybe too bright?)
Thanks
Thanks
Kowalski Lamps
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spurtill
Guest
EXCELLENT torches.
Small, light and they do not have to opened to be charged. they have a set of contact on the back that the charging plugs connect through.
There are a few different models of the torches with different brightness, burn time and charge time but they are all great torches. My club uses them a fair bit.
they don't come in a pistol grip though
Fairly sure they can be used out of the water, which can be handy when routing around in the bottom of your boot for that lost O-ring
One word of warning though, of the 10 or so people i know that use them, 2 have had battery problems. The company were great and fixed one immedietly, with the other they could not replicate the problem back at base so they gave the guy a new torch.
Small, light and they do not have to opened to be charged. they have a set of contact on the back that the charging plugs connect through.
There are a few different models of the torches with different brightness, burn time and charge time but they are all great torches. My club uses them a fair bit.
they don't come in a pistol grip though
Fairly sure they can be used out of the water, which can be handy when routing around in the bottom of your boot for that lost O-ring
One word of warning though, of the 10 or so people i know that use them, 2 have had battery problems. The company were great and fixed one immedietly, with the other they could not replicate the problem back at base so they gave the guy a new torch.
athomson
Registered
I'm one of the two peopple that spurtill knows who has had battery problems. Annoying but as he siad, the compnay were great in sorting it out.
I was having problems with the charging of my torch so I sent it back to the UK dealers. They couldn't replicate the problme and rang me to tell me so. They sent it back to me and the problme reoccurred immediately. So now they are replacing it for FREE
I would definetly buy another one as the light off them is fantastic. However, if you get one, buy the speed version. 90 minutes to charge from empty compared to 12 hours.
Mine has two settings for light intensity 100% and 50% so it is pretty much up to you which you use. I use mine on 100% all the time because I dive in crappy viz a lot.
Enjoy your diving!
I was having problems with the charging of my torch so I sent it back to the UK dealers. They couldn't replicate the problme and rang me to tell me so. They sent it back to me and the problme reoccurred immediately. So now they are replacing it for FREE
I would definetly buy another one as the light off them is fantastic. However, if you get one, buy the speed version. 90 minutes to charge from empty compared to 12 hours.
Mine has two settings for light intensity 100% and 50% so it is pretty much up to you which you use. I use mine on 100% all the time because I dive in crappy viz a lot.
Enjoy your diving!
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German engineering at it's very good. I got the 100 Watt one and it's virtually frying fish as I point the torch toward it
The unit is like a batysphere -sealed like an oyster- and it feels like carrying around a rock (very heavy, lead batteries...), and that's also how you may treat it b/c it's quite solid with a metal casing and a thick scratch resistant glass in the front, and it has hardly any protruding parts that can easily break. Haven't had the need to open the lamp since I bought it more than a year ago. I usually run mine on 50 Watts only b/c the 100 Watts get too bright, but it's nice to have that kind of power available though. The Speed version takes only up to four hours to charge. I've compared the light intensity of this one with some top-end HID lamps and this one has a more useful light I think. I dear say that this is probably one of the very best uw lamps avaiable on this planet.
The unit is like a batysphere -sealed like an oyster- and it feels like carrying around a rock (very heavy, lead batteries...), and that's also how you may treat it b/c it's quite solid with a metal casing and a thick scratch resistant glass in the front, and it has hardly any protruding parts that can easily break. Haven't had the need to open the lamp since I bought it more than a year ago. I usually run mine on 50 Watts only b/c the 100 Watts get too bright, but it's nice to have that kind of power available though. The Speed version takes only up to four hours to charge. I've compared the light intensity of this one with some top-end HID lamps and this one has a more useful light I think. I dear say that this is probably one of the very best uw lamps avaiable on this planet.
Another vote in favour. I have a 620 which provides a bright light in a compact package. I find the handle comfortable to use, more so than a pistol grip. The 50% power setting is useful, still bright enough to be useable in UK waters, though it was 100% or nothing in the Red Sea.
They can be used out of the water too.
I'll second what spurtill said, get the speed version. I didn't, and it's the worst £40 I ever saved.
They can be used out of the water too.
I'll second what spurtill said, get the speed version. I didn't, and it's the worst £40 I ever saved.
evelyn
New
i recently had a chance to try the "kowalski" (yes, the flashlight took on its own personality) in palau, into caves, blue hole, and several nightdives.
it is simply awesome when on 100% but be aware it doesnt last very long on that setting (15 mins+) and when it quits, it does so with just a few seconds warning potentially leaving you quite literally in the dark. thus, carry a small backup light, is my advice.
i did not have access to a speed charger and the long recharging times eliminated taking it down with me all the time. definitely get the speed charger!
i simply loved that flashlight!
it is simply awesome when on 100% but be aware it doesnt last very long on that setting (15 mins+) and when it quits, it does so with just a few seconds warning potentially leaving you quite literally in the dark. thus, carry a small backup light, is my advice.
i did not have access to a speed charger and the long recharging times eliminated taking it down with me all the time. definitely get the speed charger!
i simply loved that flashlight!
blackice
Contributor
I was wondering about the handle on these tourches, it's it good for holding onto? and what do you do to attach it to your BC? Is there any connectors, as the image I saw looked like you couldn't attach anything to secure it?
blackice:
I find it more comfortable to hold than the pistol grip on my previous torch.
There is a hole in the handle that you can thread a lanyard through. I use a strap that I clip to my BC, though you could use a wrist lanyard (like most people use for computers). When it's not in use I slip the handle through the chest strap on my BC, leaving both hands free (it's negatively buoyant, btw)
evelyn:
I don't know which model you used, but I have the cheapest model, the 620. It will last for about 40 mins on 100%. The power light on the back turns from green to orange when there is about 10 mins burn time left. Maybe yours was not fully charged? I agree that you should carry a backup, but that's true no matter what torch you use.
I find it more comfortable to hold than the pistol grip on my previous torch.
There is a hole in the handle that you can thread a lanyard through. I use a strap that I clip to my BC, though you could use a wrist lanyard (like most people use for computers). When it's not in use I slip the handle through the chest strap on my BC, leaving both hands free (it's negatively buoyant, btw)
evelyn:
I don't know which model you used, but I have the cheapest model, the 620. It will last for about 40 mins on 100%. The power light on the back turns from green to orange when there is about 10 mins burn time left. Maybe yours was not fully charged? I agree that you should carry a backup, but that's true no matter what torch you use.
evelyn
New
I was using the model 1250, and just want to reiterate, it was a pleasure to use, despite a rather hefty weight. Regarding the battery, I have heard that it improves with time and burn time increases with usage and repeat charges.
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