need help purchasing cannister light

[snorkl]

i really have no clue about purchasing a cannister light. I am leaning heavily toward halcyon and my friend has a halcyon explorer pro 18watt dive light. what would be a good price for the light and is there any other light that you would recommend.

 

[battles2a5]

I just bought one myself. The Halcyon 18w uses lead-acid batteries (I believe) and the canister is pretty big. Dive Rite and OMS use NiMH batteries which are lighter and require a smaller canister. I ended up w/ the DR MR11 which is the smallest 10w head they have with the slimline can. It's small, light, packs well, and gives plenty of light. Many of the reviews I've seen favor the 10w in lower light conditions due to backscatter w/ the larger 18w/21w/35w lights. A lot of folks are going w/ the 21w now. Salvo has the 35w which must be an impressive sight underwater. A lot of it comes down to striking a balance between output, size, and cost. The brighter you go, the more it costs (plus bulbs, batteries), and the larger/heavier it will be.

 

[spyder]

I just picked up a Sartek 10w HID off eBay from a guy named Igor. Nice light and uses lithium ion batteries. Small package and has a 4 hour burn plus the cost was reasonable. He has them listed fairly regularly.

 

[CompuDude]

I just bought one myself. The Halcyon 18w uses lead-acid batteries (I believe) and the canister is pretty big. Dive Rite and OMS use NiMH batteries which are lighter and require a smaller canister. I ended up w/ the DR MR11 which is the smallest 10w head they have with the slimline can. It's small, light, packs well, and gives plenty of light. Many of the reviews I've seen favor the 10w in lower light conditions due to backscatter w/ the larger 18w/21w/35w lights. A lot of folks are going w/ the 21w now. Salvo has the 35w which must be an impressive sight underwater. A lot of it comes down to striking a balance between output, size, and cost. The brighter you go, the more it costs (plus bulbs, batteries), and the larger/heavier it will be.

That's funny, everyone I've seen posting here prefers the larger 21w size because it has more power to punch through the bad vis. That's certainly been my experience as well. Where have you read those reviews?

The people I see favoring the 10w lights tend to be those diving in super clear water, such as cave divers and those in pristine tropical waters. Cold water divers with variable (and often bad) vis tend to prefer the 18-21+ watt lights, when they can afford them.

 

[PerroneFord]

Hah! Cave divers are CLAMORING after the 35w Salvo HID. Don't kid yourself. However I have used the Salvo 10w focusable and found it was BRIGHT. Nearly as bright as the older 18w lights. And half the price.

 

[Charles R]

I bought a 10W Salvo and love it I had no issues with it in San Diego or In the Lake this Past week. I Got it from Brent (AKA Hunter991 on SB) Great Deal and Great Customer Service.

 

[xiSkiGuy]

Many of the reviews I've seen favor the 10w in lower light conditions due to backscatter w/ the larger 18w/21w/35w lights.

What reviews? I've found my 21w Salvo to be superior to my 10w Sartec in every way except price.

 

[battles2a5]

What reviews? I've found my 21w Salvo to be superior to my 10w Sartec in every way except price.

Reviews I've read on TDS and some other sites. It may just be people defending their 10w's against the big boys. I was just trying to offer up the information I have seen on the boards.

 

[nereas]

Go to www.sartek.com and check out:

MINI5LIH21C (U.S. Pat.# 6,679,619)
21 Watt Focusable HID System with 5.2AH Lithium Ion Battery Pack in Screw Cap PVC Canister with the new rotary switch (Belt or Backplate Mount), HID-GSHR Adjustable Rigid Goodman Handle, and Universal Fast Charger (100-240 VAC) and car adapter. Burn Time 2 hours

-or-

CBPS4.5LIH21CS (U.S. Pat.# 6,679,619)[SIZE=-1]
21 Watt Focusable HID System with on/off switch on the head, 10.4AH Lithium Ion Battery Pack in Screw Cap PVC Canister with the new rotary switch (Belt or Backplate Mount), HID-GSHR Adjustable Rigid Goodman Handle, and Universal Fast Charger (100-240 VAC) and Car adapter. Burn Time 4+ hours


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[nereas]

i really have no clue about purchasing a cannister light. I am leaning heavily toward halcyon and my friend has a halcyon explorer pro 18watt dive light. what would be a good price for the light and is there any other light that you would recommend.

There are a lot of bulky-heavy lead-acid can-lights available. If you choose one of these, make sure you are getting it at a really good price, almost nothing, since they are worth almost nothing.

The LIon battery lights are great! They weigh almost nothing. It is amazing when your 20 W floodlight is lighter than your smaller, backup flashlight.

I cannot understand why 10 W lights are still desired by anyone for any reason. For the same size and weight you can light up the world with 20 W instead.