UK Light Cannon 100 HID - Performance

[Scubaroo]

Go for the 4500mAh batteries! The cost difference is perhaps $20 for 8 - I have the same ones as Mo2vation, and you can get them from eBay (not sure about Isreali shipping though). I used them in a Princeton Tec Shockwave, and never exhausted them even over a weekend of diving. Being able to eliminate battery concerns is just one more thing that will make your diving enjoyable - I would never want to be in a situation where I don't use my light because I'm conserving batteries.

 

[fmerkel]

Unfortunately regular alkalines don't seem to have a MAh rating so they are hard to compare. They also don't have the same discharge characteristids at all.

I have a friend that put the cheaper Home Depot (2200 MAh I think) in them and gets an hour dive only. With 4400 MAh you should get 2-3. Charging correctly and proper care will make a BIG difference.

I agree with the posters that suggest going for the higher capacity battery.

FWIW the UK rechargeable light that uses an 8 c-cell pack is exactly the same pack that retrofits for the light canon. I've done the swap in a store with a clerk and it worked and fit perfectly. The entire light and charge assembly cost less than the suggested price for just a battery and charger alone. Poor marketing and a serious rip off on the battery/charger combo.

Fritz

 

[KeyLargoBrent]

My Light Cannon "flickers" occassionally... after warm-up... from blue to red... rapidly back and forth. Also shuts off (all by itself) at times... can then be restarted. Could it be batteries or bulb? Still plenty bright... just annoying. Any ideas?

 

[Greg_Manko]

If you check out Eveready's web site you can get the ratings of their batteries. Typical C Cells that the Light Cannon uses have about 9 Ahr (9000 MAH). So they will last longer in the light, but of course, can't be recharged. Rechargable Alkalines exist, but they can't be recharged back to 9000 mAh - far less.
NiMH give the best characteristics - high energy density and recharability - for the cheapest source of battery power.
Alkalines are the best if you need a light that will be left on the shelf or in the trunk of your car and used months later since alkalines have about a 10 year shelf life, whereas NiMH and NiCD lose about 10% of their charge per month.
NiCD will give the most current of all, NiMH is close and Alkaline are not that good for really high drain applications (the LC will draw a bit more than 1 amp so it's not really a high drain).
NiCD have a memory effect, but if you drain the batteries completely once every 5-10 charges the effect is not that bad.
Note that the NiMH C size batteries you get at Radio Shack or Walmart are of low rating - typically 2200 mAhr. Check out e-bay for good deals on higher rated batteries.