hedgehog47
Contributor
dgx 600 lol
What is the best value light for scuba diving under USD 50?
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Octopusprime
Contributor
Dgs600... Me to just got two one for me and one for my buddy.
Roman_66
Contributor
Thank you for suggestion.
Unfortunately 100% of my (actually not so big) experience shows that any purchase of not top (Halcyon, ScubaPro, Apeks, Hollis) items is finish by selling the item or throw away.
Doesn't matter what it is. BC/BP or knife or regulators or buoy or fins or even STA (YES STA - piece of steel, I also replaced it as Halcyon was better for me).
I found new ScubaPro Nova 230 for $85 and I think I will go for it.
I like "C" battery and for sure will not use rechargeable batteries in dive equipment as them discharge nonlinear at the end.
For small size with AAA batteries I may think about ScubaPro Nova 200 ($62), but actually small size light Hollis LED3 I bought on black Friday for $45.
P.S. Unfortunately [URL=http://www.leisurepro.com/]Leisurepro[/URL] policy doesn't allow to exchange defect item to other model and not for store credit after 120 days. So I will wait for new replacement and keep it unused at home.
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you know Hollis and most of Scubapro don't actually count as top of the line right? They are coming out of mass factories in China, same as most other cheaper brands. Halcyon does have superior metal work to most companies I will give you that, and Apeks have higher quality regs than most *Scubapros are made between Italy and Japan so they are different, but Hollis regs come out of the same factory as Hog and Dive Rite, so no quality difference, same with the fins*, but light technology is completely different. These guys sure as hell aren't making them in house, and are likely buying from the same factories. The emitters are coming from one company, so are the drivers, batteries are batteries, and if they are twist on, there isn't a whole lot going on. The nonlinear discharge of LiPo is generally a nonissue and this should be made obvious by the massive amount of cave dives being done on LiPo batteries both as backup and almost 100% for primaries, if you're concerned, carry a backup, that simple.
Roman_66
Contributor
I bought THREE sets of Hollis F1, after I tried few others.
The same about four sets of ScubaPro MK25/S600 and the same about two sets of Halcyon BP and wings.
I am new in lights.
Probably you know better what and where is produced. I based only on personal and my 8-10 friends experience.
Above "dgx 600 lol" was recommended by few people. May be I will try it as my next light.
ajduplessis
Contributor
Roman 66: I use a Halcyon 12W LED as primary light. I predominantly cave dive and demand only the best equipment especially lights. With this in mind I choose the DXG600 as backup lights for my cave kit. I depend on them heavily. They are durable, fantastically sealed, reliable and compact.
Do not be fooled by the size or price for these very powerful lights. Their output is comparable to a Hollis 16W LED primary with a tight 8 degree beam. I get a hour of work out of them before the light beam performance starts dropping off. They will burn for 2 hours with continuous performance loss after 60min. They can be charged during your SI without causing delays between dives.
Bang for buck there is no other light that will touch one of these babies.
Do not be fooled by the size or price for these very powerful lights. Their output is comparable to a Hollis 16W LED primary with a tight 8 degree beam. I get a hour of work out of them before the light beam performance starts dropping off. They will burn for 2 hours with continuous performance loss after 60min. They can be charged during your SI without causing delays between dives.
Bang for buck there is no other light that will touch one of these babies.
I use an Archon v10s, bought from China for around about US$30, plus US$10 each for 2 3400maH Keeppower batteries. This is excluding international shipping, as I got a friend to carry it back for me.
For the purely recreational diving that I do, it's been fantastic - very bright, battery life exceeds the 60-70 minutes I usually dive, and compact enough to bring on all my day dives. I'm slightly tempted to get the D11V wide angle one that was mentioned earlier.
For the purely recreational diving that I do, it's been fantastic - very bright, battery life exceeds the 60-70 minutes I usually dive, and compact enough to bring on all my day dives. I'm slightly tempted to get the D11V wide angle one that was mentioned earlier.
Texasguy
Contributor
I have this setup:
Bright led flashlight with sliding switch that adjusts brightness. Accepts 2 batteries for hours of diving.
Underwater to 50M 1200 Lumen CREE XM L T6 LED Diving Flashlight Torch Dive Light | eBay
PS: Got tired of flooding my flashlights (not this one, just in general) and killing $10 batteries. So, went to plumbing section and got a toothpaste like looking tube of liquid silicone (the one that hardens when exposed to air). I add a tad on the threads a few hours before the dive for it to thicken. Worked every time well to 100+ feet. No leaks. Takes a tad more strength to unscrew but is well worth it, just doesn't leak. Now one less thing to worry about while diving.
PPS: I usually take a new flashlight and disassemble all external parts that come off. Apply some silicone before putting together. Places like where the lens is mounted, where the head is mounted... etc. Makes very, very waterproof. Even Chinese flashlights that might have tiny flaws in clearance of parts act like more expensive flashlights with the same dependency.
PPPS: Forgot to say, on ebay there are flashlights of this type and size but they have more LEDs in them for higher lumens, don't get them, their beam is not as tight as a single LED one.
2 batteries 18650 from Panasonic. Protected from low voltages. Even though says 3400Mah, it is the TRUE mah, not like 5000 Cheese mah...
NCR18650B 3 7V Li ion Protected PCM Rechargeable Battery 3400mAh for Panasonic | eBay
PS: These are great. Before I was buying other cheaper brands but this particular one outshines them all. Seriously, it packs WAY MORE power than any other battery offers, and I think I tried a lot of them before I came to this conclusion. These are worth buying. Not sure about this specific seller, sure there are fakes ones out there. But in general, on ebay search for these ones.
Greatest charger ever. Charges pretty much anything that fits.
Nitecore D4 LCD Intelligent Circuitry Global Insurance 18650 26650 14500 Charger | eBay
PS: Throw away other chargers, they can harm your battery. They are dumb chargers. Get this charger once, job is done!
So price-wise:
~$30 flashlight
~$20 2 x batteries
~$20 2 x batteries (extra set)
~$20 charger (can charge all 4 batteries at once)
~$5 silicone tube from home depot or something (make sure it is the one that can be re-sealed).
~$1 rust proof key ring
~$5 butterfly marine bolt (so you can attach the flashlight to yourself)
------------------
~$100 for a great flashlight.
Bright led flashlight with sliding switch that adjusts brightness. Accepts 2 batteries for hours of diving.
Underwater to 50M 1200 Lumen CREE XM L T6 LED Diving Flashlight Torch Dive Light | eBay
PS: Got tired of flooding my flashlights (not this one, just in general) and killing $10 batteries. So, went to plumbing section and got a toothpaste like looking tube of liquid silicone (the one that hardens when exposed to air). I add a tad on the threads a few hours before the dive for it to thicken. Worked every time well to 100+ feet. No leaks. Takes a tad more strength to unscrew but is well worth it, just doesn't leak. Now one less thing to worry about while diving.
PPS: I usually take a new flashlight and disassemble all external parts that come off. Apply some silicone before putting together. Places like where the lens is mounted, where the head is mounted... etc. Makes very, very waterproof. Even Chinese flashlights that might have tiny flaws in clearance of parts act like more expensive flashlights with the same dependency.
PPPS: Forgot to say, on ebay there are flashlights of this type and size but they have more LEDs in them for higher lumens, don't get them, their beam is not as tight as a single LED one.
2 batteries 18650 from Panasonic. Protected from low voltages. Even though says 3400Mah, it is the TRUE mah, not like 5000 Cheese mah...
NCR18650B 3 7V Li ion Protected PCM Rechargeable Battery 3400mAh for Panasonic | eBay
PS: These are great. Before I was buying other cheaper brands but this particular one outshines them all. Seriously, it packs WAY MORE power than any other battery offers, and I think I tried a lot of them before I came to this conclusion. These are worth buying. Not sure about this specific seller, sure there are fakes ones out there. But in general, on ebay search for these ones.
Greatest charger ever. Charges pretty much anything that fits.
Nitecore D4 LCD Intelligent Circuitry Global Insurance 18650 26650 14500 Charger | eBay
PS: Throw away other chargers, they can harm your battery. They are dumb chargers. Get this charger once, job is done!
So price-wise:
~$30 flashlight
~$20 2 x batteries
~$20 2 x batteries (extra set)
~$20 charger (can charge all 4 batteries at once)
~$5 silicone tube from home depot or something (make sure it is the one that can be re-sealed).
~$1 rust proof key ring
~$5 butterfly marine bolt (so you can attach the flashlight to yourself)
------------------
~$100 for a great flashlight.
Last edited:
gopbroek
Contributor
I really like the DGX600, was looking at DGX website this morning to see if they had the back ordered corrective lens for a dive rite mask back in stock (nope, still stuck in a container at a west coast port) and noticed they have another flash light available, the DGX MAX ( https://www.divegearexpress.com/lights/backuplt.shtml ) this looks like an improved version of the DGX600. If I wasn't already full up on flashlights now I would be tempted to order it up.
The DGX600 is a great flashlight for nights and extended 'swim throughs' but it has a tight beam with a hot spot in the center. This may not work for your photography. I have an older GoPro H2 and if the light has a hot spot the auto white balance (?) auto adjusts to just the hotspot and the rest of the picture is screwed up. Intova has a wide beam 'Tovatec' handheld flash light that projects an even 43 deg light or a Tovatec zoom variable beam, both of which do not have the 'hot spot'. The cost is higher ($80) and they are only about 1/2 as bright, but they are more suitable for photography
The DGX600 is a great flashlight for nights and extended 'swim throughs' but it has a tight beam with a hot spot in the center. This may not work for your photography. I have an older GoPro H2 and if the light has a hot spot the auto white balance (?) auto adjusts to just the hotspot and the rest of the picture is screwed up. Intova has a wide beam 'Tovatec' handheld flash light that projects an even 43 deg light or a Tovatec zoom variable beam, both of which do not have the 'hot spot'. The cost is higher ($80) and they are only about 1/2 as bright, but they are more suitable for photography
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