Thoughts on DGX 600 as primary dive light

[muzikbiz22]

The DGX 600 was great until I broke the supplied charger and goodman handle. I'm having a hard time finding a replacement charger I can trust.

Nitecore D2 or D4

 

[divad]

The DGX 600 was great until I broke the supplied charger and goodman handle. I'm having a hard time finding a replacement charger I can trust.

How did you break them?

 

[tbone1004]

the cheap chinese battery chargers like to pop lights out from the springs. They're also pretty flimsy...

I'd buy from Amazon if you are in the US. That direct place was $10 cheaper, but $7.50 in shipping which hurts. An extra $3 to go through Amazon was worth it to me.

Beam angle is somewhere in the 8-12 range, no idea what it actually is, but it's comparable to the others in the range. Not a laser beam, but i like that

 

[stuartv]

The DGX600 is $50 and comes with a pretty good battery and a charger. It seems like a lot of other lights with a comparable price do not come with batteries. The DRiS G 600 is the same LED emitter and is $80 by the time you get it with 1 rechargeable 18650 and a charger.

Get an Opus BT-C3400 charger/analyzer and you can charge 4 batteries at once, recondition batteries that are going downhill, and test the battery capacity, so you know when you have a cell that is starting to go off.

I've had both and like the DGX 600 better than the DGX MAX. The Max on/off ring was stiff enough that I still had to use 2 hands to turn it on/off. And I sometimes turned the head instead of the on/off ring, if I didn't look at it.

 

[eelnoraa]

Good point. Hog morph on low is around 250 lumens. More than enough for genetal use for Caribbean vacation divers. 1000 lumens is handy for dive site sweeps a few times each dive.
All of our lights have multi power settings.

Except HOG morph doesn't produce nearly 1000 lumen even at max output. At high, it produces about 350-400. It is still plenty of light. At low, it will be less than 100 actual lumen. DGX600 produces the same amount of light, so 350-400. In fact, all Cree XML LEDs, with similar battery produce about the same amount of light. The 1000 number if the theoretic max output the XML LED is capable of under the idea condition. Most handheld lights don't have the proper power supply nor driver to deliever the ideal condition.

 

[gopbroek]

I've had both and like the DGX 600 better than the DGX MAX. The Max on/off ring was stiff enough that I still had to use 2 hands to turn it on/off. And I sometimes turned the head instead of the on/off ring, if I didn't look at it.

I've had both and picked up more for friends, I think the MAX is a better design but a 'lockup' of the swirch ring is common if not lubed. On the MAX the backup ring to the switch ring, which activates the lamp switch, there is a very small (0.035") Allen screw. If you loosen this and back the ring off you will be able to see a ball and spring that operate in the ring detents. If you occasionally lube this area (I like Teflon based lube), it will operate smoothly with only a thumb.

 

[cpace]

SecurityIng Waterproof 1000Lm XM-L2 U2-1A LED IP68 Diving Flashlight 250M Lighting Distance Maximum 150 Meters Underwater Distance with Magnetic Switch (Without Battery) - - Amazon.com[/URL]

Amazon.com: Nitecore D2 Digicharger Bundle with EASTSHINE EB182 Battery Box and Car Charger: Electronics

Amazon.com: 2pcs KeepPower 3400mAh li ion protected 18650 battery Panasonic NCR18650B Cell Built In: Electronics

I went with tbones advise and bought 2 of SecurityIng lights along with the D2 charger and panasonic batteries. The lights have 3 levels of intensity and "appear" well made. I will update after our trip to Roatan in May.

 

[stuartv]

I went with tbones advise.

Never a bad idea. I just looked at that light tbone linked and ordered one for myself. I really like the idea that it has an on/off switch I can work with one hand, and that it has 3 brightness settings. And that it's only $33, instead of $50 for the DGX. I already have all the batteries and chargers I need.

Just FYI, those batteries at $28 for 2 aren't bad. But, I got Sanyo 3400mAh batteries from a Canadian supplier last year for under $10 each. And they did test out on my Opus analyzer at their rated capacity.

And, for the record, the DGX batteries tested out at their rated capacity. 2600mAh, IIRC. So, I would not call the DGX batteries "cheap Chinese junk."

 

[tbone1004]

just because they tested at their rated capacity doesn't mean they're high quality cells, just that the producers aren't lying about them. Either way, I'd rather have LG or Panasonic cells than any other brand for longevity and reliability.

following up on Eelnoraa's lumen output, yes the odds of any of these actually throwing out what they claim is slim, however remember they are always quoting behind the lens at the emitter, not anything in front of it, so treat it as a way to compare them relative to each other

 

[Anthony A.]

Never a bad idea. I just looked at that light tbone linked and ordered one for myself. I really like the idea that it has an on/off switch I can work with one hand, and that it has 3 brightness settings. And that it's only $33, instead of $50 for the DGX. I already have all the batteries and chargers I need.

Just FYI, those batteries at $28 for 2 aren't bad. But, I got Sanyo 3400mAh batteries from a Canadian supplier last year for under $10 each. And they did test out on my Opus analyzer at their rated capacity.

And, for the record, the DGX batteries tested out at their rated capacity. 2600mAh, IIRC. So, I would not call the DGX batteries "cheap Chinese junk."

@stuartv did you end up getting this light and how did it compare to the dgx 600?