Recreational Dive Light Manufacturers:Behind the Times

[gcbryan]

It's also $300 for a 10W HID rechargeable light that I've put at least 300 hours on without flooding or going back to the factory and if it isn't dropped it should go another 300 hours and continue to put out a bright 6 degree spot beam. It's hardly overpriced.

The lights that I'm referring to are available from several places but I got mine from DealExtreme: Cool Gadgets at the Right Price - Site-Wide Free Shipping (Page 1) which is in Hong Kong. You have to wait about 4 weeks generally from order to getting the item at your door so patience is a virtue in this case.

The best deal by most anyones standard would be the W200. Just type that into the search engine on that site. It's $37, runs on 3 AA batteries and is an excellent backup light. It has a very tight beam for signaling or punching through limited viz.

The housing on this light is very robust unlike some of the issues on the light I started this post with. It is a typical twist head on/off light with 3 o-rings between the body and head and 2 in the head.

To find the light that I started this thread with just type in "Diving Cree" and 3 lights will come up. One is the W200 and another one is the MC-E 670 lumen diving light. This one is rather ugly with a "attack" bezel, external heat sink "fins" and other features that I would rather not have.

For the money and while actually under the water it is an awesome light. Even ilumination, warmer more natural light and I use it with an Oxycheq Soft Sock that I have modified to make a little firmer. It puts out more light than a 10 W HID and I think has a tighter central beam so is better for signaling but it does have wider spill than a 10 W HID.

It's got 3 power settings so you can extend burn time if you need to. The rechargeable batteries are 2 and are about the size of your first two fingers so it's easy to carry more.

 

[tc]

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[MXGratefulDiver]

Sometime back I purchased one of those state-of-the-art Chinese LED lights that had been rebranded for one of our more popular scuba companies. Cost me $140 for a backup light that never, not once, worked underwater. After shipping it back and forth a couple times trying to make it work the cost was up to about $175 ... along with three months of aggravation.

Never again.

I'll stick with the "low tech" but reliable American-built lights, thanks ... when I need a backup light underwater, I want to depend on it actually working ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[gcbryan]

Sometime back I purchased one of those state-of-the-art Chinese LED lights that had been rebranded for one of our more popular scuba companies. Cost me $140 for a backup light that never, not once, worked underwater. After shipping it back and forth a couple times trying to make it work the cost was up to about $175 ... along with three months of aggravation.

Never again.

I'll stick with the "low tech" but reliable American-built lights, thanks ... when I need a backup light underwater, I want to depend on it actually working ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

It's not for everyone however every one of my American built small backup dive lights over the years has flooded.

The technology is what I was interested in and my complaint was that we have to learn to service them ourselves however now that I've learned to do that I'm finding that the technology is worth it. Once you fix the flaws you do have a robust product.

It's a flashlight after all.

Not everyone will be interested in this approach however. Everyone I know with a cannister light has told me they just assume they will have to send it in several times a year but they are OK with it due to the good customer service.

 

[cool_hardware52]

First you say this:

Specifically though, these dive lights could be improved QA wise
immediately and easily just by testing a few before selling 10,000.

And then this:

Regarding your lecturing on warranty vs QA and basic design. I agree. I used to work for a manufacturing company in the engineering department testing new products. I understand these concepts. Perhaps you just like to lecture. That's fine but it's hijacking the thread somewhat.

Testing *a few* post production is really worse than worthless.

You cannot "inspect in" quality. It has to be designed in the product, and the production process.

I'd suggest you read a little Deming

W. Edwards Deming - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tobin

 

[Nemrod]

And to think all the OP asked for as a wish was a Cree LED dive light at a recreational price point from a domestic source. From there, six pages later, a flame war and the usual scubaboard nonsense, here we are, and, it is a nice day.

N

 

[Codyjp]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Please remember that this thread is in the basic scuba forum- this is a flame free zone.

It's OK to disagree with an opinion- It's not OK to attack someone for holding it. Name calling is never acceptable.

A couple of questionable posts have been edited or removed due to crossing over the line.

If you don't feel you can abide by these rules please do not post in this forum.

Thanks for your cooperation.

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After second thoughts can you please just delete all my posts from this thread? Without the context of the original posts that you've so handily deleted this just makes things look silly and it doesn't make much sense.

 

[cool_hardware52]

I have nothing to gain by participating in this thread, I don't make dive lights (I'm smart enough not to) and I have nothing to gain or loose from those that do.

I've learned a lot from the real life experiences gained by making my living designing and producing and selling and supporting a variety of fairly complex items in modest quantities over the last 25 years.

One of the key lessons for me was to listen to those who have been there and done that.

Listen to them even when you don't agree, or even when you don't understand what they are trying to say. If you are lucky you *might* find a nugget of wisdom later, after you have acquired the necessary perspective that only experience can provide.

I've never seen any benefit from insulting those who are offering their expertise.

So far you have dismissed me as lecturing, boring, arrogant, and disinterested in my customers while consistently displaying a lack of understanding of the issues at hand.

A genuinely curious mind would want to know "why" I have chosen not to produce lights, when I have the means and the knowledge to do so. Instead you issue blanket statements like:

Well, to be fair, in this case the technology started here so there really is no excuse for anyone with flashlight producing capability, which is every machine shop in the US, to not produce better lights.

Perhaps when you already know everything, and have a formed an opinion it's harder to listen to those who disagree.


Good luck, you are going to need it.

Tobin

 

[SNorman]

I'm pretty sure I said exactly that when I first started diving, too!

I thought someobody would say something like that . We'll see! The fact that I'm broke right now gives me no choice one way or the other hehe.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

It's not for everyone however every one of my American built small backup dive lights over the years has flooded.

Hmmm ... I've got a couple of Photon Torpedoes with well over 1,000 dives on 'em ... neither one has ever flooded ... or given me any other kinds of problems.

Neither of my Rat Jr's has ever flooded or given me any problems either ... although I've only had 'em for a year or so.

Maybe I'm just lucky that way ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)