Hoomi,
No. The aftermarket direct replacement LEDs are not nearly as bright. This is because the current must be kept very low due to inadequate heat sinking. Ikelite LED lites have built-in heat sinks to allow for higher output levels.
Regards,
For the back-up light, I'm not quite as worried about the brightness. It's certainly not bright enough that I would count on it as the primary dive light, but then again, with the stock bulb I don't think I would have done so, either.
Pedo, I'll have to double check on the model number of the replacement bulb I used, but the PCm that I have uses a standard style bulb base. This type of bulb is used commonly in many standard flashlight styles, and was an easy conversion. I found the bulb with other replacement bulbs in the sporting goods section of Wal Mart, and decided to give it a try, figuring for under $10, if I didn't like how it worked, I could change the bulb back over easily enough.
This isn't to take anything away from Ikelite. I love the PCm light, and we plan to buy another for my wife's back-up dive light before our next trip in a couple of weeks. If the budget hadn't been quite so tight when I bought mine, I would have bought the LED version to begin with. I like how securely the PCm goes together, how well it works, the quality of the product, and the value for the money. Being available in a nice assortment of colors, making it easy to differentiate his from hers, or to color coordinate with the dive outfit, if that's your thing.
