Secondary dive light - advice?

[ScubaSteve85]

I personally wouldn't want to use a Gobe as a primary light but they would be good back ups.

Have you checked out Big Blue lights? I was pretty happy with my SOLAs but then when I saw the lights Big Blue offered for the price, I wished I had found them earlier. I just replaced my primary canister light with a VTL6000 on Goodman handle. Love it!

I have looked at the big blue lights and I do really like them, but I also like the fact that the light and motion lights are permanently sealed with no O-rings to worry about or batteries to remove in order to charge.

 

[tphelps]

I have looked at the big blue lights and I do really like them, but I also like the fact that the light and motion lights are permanently sealed with no O-rings to worry about or batteries to remove in order to charge.

This is true and what originally drew me to L&M. But that doesn't mean they're immune to issues. My SOLAs worked well at first but after a while I ran into issues with charging. Even with proper maintenance the gold contacts corrode. For awhile I hassled wiggling the charger into the slits just right until it would charge. Then I started spraying gold cleaner (expensive) on them which helped a little bit. I eventually sent them in to get serviced (~$150) which helped for about 6 months until they started acting up again. So I sent my primary back to get a new body (~$175).

I'm not saying you won't encounter more or less issues with any other light, but if you do run into issues with SOLAs, it can also be expensive to repair.

 

[fmerkel]

As you say, the L&M have an initial lower hassle factor, some very well thought out features, and some re-assurance against flooding. But what their strength is, is also their weakness. They aren't 'magic', and they are expensive. They have 18650 cells (mostly x2), O-ring on the light head, and LED's like everyone else. The higher power ones tend to use up the battery (my Sola 1200) in a single dive -70 minutes when new. No chance to change batteries or charge if you are doing a 2nd dive. Sure, you can throttle them down, but then you may as well have a weaker light. You can buy a lot of light for what the Solas cost.

When the batteries do go, and ultimately they will which could take years depending on use and care, having them changed by L&M is expensive. I'm waiting on a battery pack to try it myself but it's a job most people would probably not take on.

(Note - my Sola 1200 uses 2150mA capacity LG cells. They are decent, BUT, for a $400 light I'm a little miffed they didn't put top end 3400mA Panasonics/Sony/Samsung in there. Light would have lasted way longer and it would have set them back probably less than $5-6.)

FWIW, I have no issue with contact corrosion at all. Rinse contacts promptly, dry thoroughly, no problem.

 

[Taronmyheel]

I bought a light from one of the Chinese sites a few years back for about $100. It uses two 18650 batteries. Works via radial magnetic switching with 3 power settings (led) and is bright and fairly focused.

I've never had any problems with it including no leaking. I can't see paying any more than that for my diving. I have another light I bought from the same site that uses 4 AA batteries and have a very focus but narrow beam and is built like a tank out of Delrin. I think it was about $35.

The main light has a regulated output and the backup light just gets dimmer gradually which I think is good for a backup light.

 

[joe10540]

Just got two of these monsters for $42 each. Averaging 4 hours on low and 2 hours on high which is ludicrous. The picture is on low after three and a half hours of a burn test.