Salvo 35w HID can light with intermittent failures

[OrcasC205]

I have an old Salvo (now Light Monkey) HID light that has started randomly shutting off. Cycling the power switch has reliably worked to turn it back on, but sometimes it will fail again a minute or two later and other times it stays on for a long period. I'm thinking it is likely the toggle switch that is failing, but I wanted to see if that is potentially the ballast beginning to fail. All of the dives in question have been in Puget Sound (currently about 53 degrees), so I don't think it would be heat related, but who knows...

 

[undrwater]

I use a 10 watt HID from Salvo. I've had to replace the bulb and switch. I keep it alive because I like it better than the LED lights folks bring along.

Anyway, I've never had the ballast fail, but your symptoms are similar to a bulb beginning to fail. I wouldn't rule out the ballast either though.

 

[undrwater]

You might want to post here. You might get a better response. You could also reach out to Candle Power Forums. They have an underwater light group.

 

[Jimchris]

Might be a weak spot in the cord.
You can send the light to light monkey and have them do a maintenance service. They'll replace all the o-rings, new switch+switch boot, new cord, new cord glands etc. They've gone thru all of my salvo lights, service costs $60, and (for me) its been a 1 day turn around once they receive it.

 

[Jack Hammer]

Check the cord and make sure the bulb is 100% in and the contacts are good. If it has an EO cord make sure the female connectors haven't loosened and treat all of them with some Deoxit gold.

 

[OrcasC205]

It looks like it may be the cord at the gland on the canister. I burn tested the light and it was stable except when I wiggled the cord at the canister where it would cut off. Toggling the power switch resets it. I will take apart the gland and clean/inspect the cord and see if I can find the problem.

 

[Jack Hammer]

Sounds like a break. If you have the excess length you may be able to shorten the cord a few inches to remove the break.

 

[undrwater]

If you have a DMM, you can check for continuity of the cable wires. I agree this seems likely.

 

[OrcasC205]

There was a break inside the gland that was usually in contact, but wiggling the cord would cause an open circuit. I cut out the bad section of cable and reconnected it to the ballast and all seems to be good now (albeit with about a 3 inch shorter cord.) I will fully test it on a dive in the morning. Thanks for all the help.