UW Light Dude vs Light Monkey Primary for Cave Class

[halocline]

Here is another idea - dive with two primaries and two+ backups. Tech lights are becoming smaller and more powerful, and having an extra primary won't hurt. I am exploring the configuration because calling off a dive due a light failure means I am not enjoying my hard-earned vacation days.

That’s what I do, I keep a back up primary in my pouch plus I carry two standard back ups, one in the pouch and one on my helmet. It’s a very convenient set up and the two handheld primaries together cost about half of a high end canister light.

Regarding burn time, it is true that canisters have far, far longer burn time for the same amount of light. But for a day of two dives on thirds, I switch out the battery in my primary between dives. And for a single stage dive, which in MX is likely to last 3+ hrs, I have occasionally switched over the back up primary for the last half hour or so of the dive while there’s still some power left in the original primary.

It’s amazing how much lights have improved over the past few years in every measurable way. But…..I still remember my old LM 21W HID as having a wonderful color and excellent focal point, with very low backscatter. It just had great character. Too bad it stopped working!

 

[oya]

I was, at first, tempted to crack wise about how this is a Ford vs. Chevy argument.

But it isn't.

It's Ferrari vs. Lamborghini.

Everyone who has the one is going to say theirs is way better than the other.

They're great lights. Buy one of them and you will be very happy.

 

[InWay2Deep]

Here is another idea - dive with two primaries and two+ backups. Tech lights are becoming smaller and more powerful, and having an extra primary won't hurt. I am exploring the configuration because calling off a dive due a light failure means I am not enjoying my hard-earned vacation days.

This is what I do. Last thing I want is to have a dive called because my or one of my buddies primaries died. I can just use my primary backup or pass it to someone on the team and keep going.

 

[broncobowsher]

Any UWLD fans who -don't- like them for smaller caves? I have one (an LD40) that is my primary primary for non-cave dives. I love it and do recommend it. But, I've started taking a H Flare EXP on cave trips, I don't even bother bringing the LD with me.

I find that the beam, while great for open water and big environments, has too much spill (IMO) for communication and team tracking in smaller environments. Like bedding planes, e.g. It's just too flood-lighty. Yes it lights everything up but you can't really signal because it's just light everywhere with a lack of a discernible "point", and the amount of spill makes other teammate's lights get washed out so they can't signal super clearly either.

Would I buy the light again for my day-to-day ocean diving, absolutely. Would I buy that light for the caves I usually dive (MX)? No I wouldn't, hence buying the Halcyon for that use.

100% all points on this recommendation!

I really like my UWLD. Light output holds steady, doesn't fad like others are know to.

But I do find flaws. As you mention, the spill makes communication more difficult. As much as the light is designed for the optics of being in water, and good overall light. The beam to spill isn't as sharp as I would like. The flickering to get attention isn't as strong as the lack of a sharp cut line doesn't make for as strong of a strobe effect.

But the one I really hate is the "button". I have fought this forever. Even to the point of sending it back as I thought it was defective. Sharing video of me spending minutes trying to get the light to turn on. The feedback as the video was watched went something along the lines of...
"that was a tap, not a press", light won't turn on
"you were off center when you pressed it", light won't turn on
"you slid your finger as you pressed it", light won't turn on.
"you were not holding steady pressure", light won't turn on
And more things I am not doing right, Can't be a flaw of the light, it does work. The operator just doesn't have the skill to properly press the button. The piezo buttons on the Shearwater don't have these issues,
Every excuse of what I was doing wrong. Years later, I still have not managed to get the secret button press. I get excited when I get the light to turn on in the first try or two. I've spent as much as 5 minutes trying to get the light to turn on.
The one thing I think is total garbage on the UWLD, that button.

 

[rddvet]

Won’t lie the button can be annoying.

 

[tbone1004]

I really like my UWLD. Light output holds steady, doesn't fad like others are know to.

But I do find flaws. As you mention, the spill makes communication more difficult. As much as the light is designed for the optics of being in water, and good overall light. The beam to spill isn't as sharp as I would like. The flickering to get attention isn't as strong as the lack of a sharp cut line doesn't make for as strong of a strobe effect.

But the one I really hate is the "button". I have fought this forever. Even to the point of sending it back as I thought it was defective. Sharing video of me spending minutes trying to get the light to turn on. The feedback as the video was watched went something along the lines of...
"that was a tap, not a press", light won't turn on
"you were off center when you pressed it", light won't turn on
"you slid your finger as you pressed it", light won't turn on.
"you were not holding steady pressure", light won't turn on
And more things I am not doing right, Can't be a flaw of the light, it does work. The operator just doesn't have the skill to properly press the button. The piezo buttons on the Shearwater don't have these issues,
Every excuse of what I was doing wrong. Years later, I still have not managed to get the secret button press. I get excited when I get the light to turn on in the first try or two. I've spent as much as 5 minutes trying to get the light to turn on.
The one thing I think is total garbage on the UWLD, that button.

just as a point of reference, and it can certainly be annoying so I'm not discounting that, but that button is intentionally configured like that. A piezo is effectively a pressure switch which means you can choose how hard and how long that press needs to be before the board reacts to the input. When you're doing a lot of squeezy type stuff or even if you just have a lot of gear on, you absolutely do not want the button to be as sensitive as it is on a Shearwater *this one can be programmed to be that light* but the choice was made to have an "intentional" press to not only change output levels but a longer duration press to turn on. This is especially important with the new design of SECS base since you aren't intended to take the head off except for travel. A lot of people lose the covers for the piezo switch and if the piezo was more sensitive then you'd have the light turning on in gear bins and then cycling through modes, which happened during a lot of initial testing and is why it was desensitized. So the balance is do you make it a bit of a b*tch to turn on and off but if you lose the piezo cover it won't accidentally turn on in a gear bin or off when you're rooting around in a tight sidemount passage, or do you make it more sensitive and then risk accidental activation or deactivation.

 

[flymolo]

Any UWLD fans who -don't- like them for smaller caves? I have one (an LD40) that is my primary primary for non-cave dives. I love it and do recommend it. But, I've started taking a H Flare EXP on cave trips, I don't even bother bringing the LD with me.

I find that the beam, while great for open water and big environments, has too much spill (IMO) for communication and team tracking in smaller environments. Like bedding planes, e.g. It's just too flood-lighty. Yes it lights everything up but you can't really signal because it's just light everywhere with a lack of a discernible "point", and the amount of spill makes other teammate's lights get washed out so they can't signal super clearly either.

Would I buy the light again for my day-to-day ocean diving, absolutely. Would I buy that light for the caves I usually dive (MX)? No I wouldn't, hence buying the Halcyon for that use.

100% all points on this recommendation!

+1 to this

 

[InWay2Deep]

just as a point of reference, and it can certainly be annoying so I'm not discounting that, but that button is intentionally configured like that. A piezo is effectively a pressure switch which means you can choose how hard and how long that press needs to be before the board reacts to the input. When you're doing a lot of squeezy type stuff or even if you just have a lot of gear on, you absolutely do not want the button to be as sensitive as it is on a Shearwater *this one can be programmed to be that light* but the choice was made to have an "intentional" press to not only change output levels but a longer duration press to turn on. This is especially important with the new design of SECS base since you aren't intended to take the head off except for travel. A lot of people lose the covers for the piezo switch and if the piezo was more sensitive then you'd have the light turning on in gear bins and then cycling through modes, which happened during a lot of initial testing and is why it was desensitized. So the balance is do you make it a bit of a b*tch to turn on and off but if you lose the piezo cover it won't accidentally turn on in a gear bin or off when you're rooting around in a tight sidemount passage, or do you make it more sensitive and then risk accidental activation or deactivation.

Do you know of the LM lights are like this as well? I find myself just using the switch on the canister to turn it on/off as the button "doesnt seem to work" for me easily, maybe I'm just doing it wrong?

 

[tbone1004]

Do you know of the LM lights are like this as well? I find myself just using the switch on the canister to turn it on/off as the button "doesnt seem to work" for me easily, maybe I'm just doing it wrong?

I have not done any work like that with LM so I do not know what hardware they are using or what they are doing with firmware. With the UWLD you do learn how to use it though, so even with big gloves it's not hard, just means you have to center the pressure and hold it long enough, but it's not quite as much as you'd think

 

[broncobowsher]

just as a point of reference, and it can certainly be annoying so I'm not discounting that, but that button is intentionally configured like that. A piezo is effectively a pressure switch which means you can choose how hard and how long that press needs to be before the board reacts to the input. When you're doing a lot of squeezy type stuff or even if you just have a lot of gear on, you absolutely do not want the button to be as sensitive as it is on a Shearwater *this one can be programmed to be that light* but the choice was made to have an "intentional" press to not only change output levels but a longer duration press to turn on. This is especially important with the new design of SECS base since you aren't intended to take the head off except for travel. A lot of people lose the covers for the piezo switch and if the piezo was more sensitive then you'd have the light turning on in gear bins and then cycling through modes, which happened during a lot of initial testing and is why it was desensitized. So the balance is do you make it a bit of a b*tch to turn on and off but if you lose the piezo cover it won't accidentally turn on in a gear bin or off when you're rooting around in a tight sidemount passage, or do you make it more sensitive and then risk accidental activation or deactivation.

But I have no issues with the heat controller. Often I will cycle the heat controller on just to check if the battery is good. Then go back to fighting the overly tuned light. I understand there are reasons for the decision. Doesn't mean it is good, just the result of compromises to get there.

There is a lot to like about UWLD products. But there are things that are not great. Nobody makes the perfect light. Just have to pick the priorities is the features. As much as I bash it, I still own it and have not found a better replacement.