Saturation
Medical Moderator
A nice picture iG, a true enthusiast!illumiGeek:Umm... well... it wasn't me, you see. It was my, um, room mate. He was playing with it because I won't let him play with his real ray gun in the house...
iG
Problem with Light Cannon and NiMh batteries?
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Greg_Manko:
The pack that UK sells is Nicad not NiMH. I own two of em with chargers...Unlucky me.
illumiGeek
Registered
d33ps1x,
Why do you consider it unlucky to have the UK rechargeable packs?
Why do you consider it unlucky to have the UK rechargeable packs?
illumiGeek
Registered
FYI: just thought some here might like to know that UK has re-designed the Light Cannon reflector. The old LC had a metal reflector with a very fine texture that produced a pretty wide beam.
The new/current ones have a plastic reflector with a less agressive stippled texture and a tighter focus. Still not a "spotlight" by any means, but a brighter, tighter beam with a bit more throw.
Not sure when the change took place. Mine's over a year old and has the metal reflector. A few friends that got theirs recently got the new plastic reflector. If you have an older one and want the new reflector BrightGuy has them for $7.15 along with lots of other accessories.
If you want a really tight beam, I know someone who cut down a Mag Lite reflector and dropped into the LC (on top of the LC reflector) and turned it into a real spot light. Very bright and tons of throw. He said to cut the reflector to 1.1" length and it will drop into the stock reflector at focus. This was with the new plastic reflector... not sure if it would be the same length for the older metal one. As for the donor reflector, any Mag C or D reflector will do. I may try this one myself...
Aloha, iG
The new/current ones have a plastic reflector with a less agressive stippled texture and a tighter focus. Still not a "spotlight" by any means, but a brighter, tighter beam with a bit more throw.
Not sure when the change took place. Mine's over a year old and has the metal reflector. A few friends that got theirs recently got the new plastic reflector. If you have an older one and want the new reflector BrightGuy has them for $7.15 along with lots of other accessories.
If you want a really tight beam, I know someone who cut down a Mag Lite reflector and dropped into the LC (on top of the LC reflector) and turned it into a real spot light. Very bright and tons of throw. He said to cut the reflector to 1.1" length and it will drop into the stock reflector at focus. This was with the new plastic reflector... not sure if it would be the same length for the older metal one. As for the donor reflector, any Mag C or D reflector will do. I may try this one myself...
Aloha, iG
Scubaroo
Contributor
Has anyone done a burn test with the LC & alkaline batteries? Obviously it would depend on the brand of batteries, but what's a ballpark figure?
Saturation
Medical Moderator
Scubaroo:
Brand new name brand alkaline, like Varta or Energizer? 4 hours. Typically 3-4hours.
Scubaroo
Contributor
Thanks. Just figuring out how many C cells to buy before departing on a dive trip. I've got a canister that has 4 hour burntime, and can take a charger, but my fiancee's Light Cannon is what worries me - I have NIMH C cells from a Shockwave I used to own, but am reluctant to rely on them during the trip in case they make her light go fzzzt in the middle of the Pacific. Will experiment with those AFTER the trip.
Saturation
Medical Moderator
Scubaroo:
Welcome and enjoy. Alkaline is more 'reliable' but the extra cells may weigh more. I've used NIMH and have had to use alkaline but 1-2x in its lifetime, when I forgot to bring my charger. The average burn time I quote is both my experience and other users who have one who I met personally.
Guess I'll be taking my trusty 'ol Shockwave with me to the Bahamas this summer. With all this talk of blown fuses, popping noises, weird smells, flickering lights, controversial warranty support, NiCad recharger packs, and fragile expensive bulbs, I'm not gonna risk having mine crap out on me while I'm stuck in the boonies for two months. The Light Cannon is certainly one of the most problem-prone pieces of scuba gear I've seen in recent times! Maybe I'll donate mine when I get back, and pick up an eLED...
By the way mine has that color-changing flickering thing going on with it too. I'm too chicken to try putting NiMh batteries in it.
By the way mine has that color-changing flickering thing going on with it too. I'm too chicken to try putting NiMh batteries in it.
Saturation
Medical Moderator
archman:
For truly spectacular day dives the light cannon is one of the few bright enough to see under rocks. Its a bit overkill in night dives, it lights up nearly the entire dive site, with the focal point being too bright.
For a trip outside the USA, and having the hassle of hand carrying the Lightcannon, I'd just use a regular dive light ... its easy to find batteries or replace the bulb ... particularly if you end up in remote places.
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