PrincetonTek Miniwave LED vs Underwater Kinetics UK C4 eLED

[mcoliver]

Curious what people would go with and why. The PrincetonTek Miniwave LED C4 vs. Underwater Kinetics UK C4 eLED. The PrincetonTek seems brighter with the three seperate lights forming one beam. I like the UK heat dissipation device on the lens. I've heard the UK gets brigher under water. The UK seems more of a focused beam out of water while the Princeton Tek seems to cover a larger area. I've also heard that the PrincetonTek switch can break/leak easier than the UK. Thanks for any input.


I would post links but apparently I haven't made enough posts to do so. Quick google search should do it though. And real life experience with either model is preferred. Thanks!

 

[SCUBANON]

I own a couple of the PT Miniwav LED and have had them side by side both above and below the surface with the UK C4 eLED.
Of my 2 Miniwav one is an older 175 lumen model the other is the newer 337 lumen version.
In my side by side observations the UK 4c eLED is about equal to the 175 lumen Miniwav when the batteries are fresh in each light. The UK has a built in regulator circuit that maintains the output well until the light suddenly quits. The Miniwav will dim somewhat as the batteries become depleted giving you a bit of warning but a less bright light. The newer model Miniwav is significantly brighter to begin with and although it too dims towards the end of the batteries life it is at least as bright as the UK even towards the end of the batteries life. I can't compare how long a new set of batteries will last as I've never fully run down a set in the UK but of course the brighter Miniwav uses up batteries a bit faster than the older one although not in proportion to the extra lumens output.
The switch on the PT does in my experience have a breakage problem. I've broken the lock on each of mine but have not flooded the lights. PT has a no questions asked warranty on these lights. They sent me replacement parts for the switch at no cost. (you will need a right angle screwdriver to install) If you should flood it $10 and shipping it to them gets you a new light.
I've been satisfied with them overall.

 

[RJP]

Here's the models you're comparing:

Princeton Tec Miniwave LED

UK C4 eLED

Between the two I'd go for the Princeton Tec LED Miniwave based mostly on my experience with other Princeton Tec lights vs experience with other UK lights. The PT appears to be brighter and have a longer rated burn time, from a spec sheet standpoint anyway. Plus Princeton Tec is known for phenomenal customer service. I flooded one of their lights once and they simply instructed my LDS to give me a new one out of stock - the whole "warranty" process took 5 seconds.

 

[mcoliver]

Somehow missed this other thread on the same subject. scubaboard.com/forums/lights/263354-new-princeton-tec-miniwave-versus-uk-c4-eled-thread.html

The comments about voltage/current between the two models was interesting. Ended up going with the UK. I'm sure both lights are great but the UK seemed like a better choice