Which HID light will you buy? OMS? Halcyon?

[ccd79]

Hi:

I would want to buy my first HID light for night dives and wreck use. I have searched some major brand names and found that the new OMS 10W HID, a $600 light ok with my budget, however, the focus is not adjustable. The Halcyon 10W is more expansive, $950,but adjustable focus. The Dive-Rite HID I have tried before, but it is not as bright ,so I don't really consider it.

My questions are:
How important is the adjustable beam in wreck diving?
It must be useful if I use it as the light source for underwater photography, right?
Is $350 difference worth it? consider that OMS's light is newly introduced this year and they are using Lithium non-rechargeable batteries...

WHICH ONE WILL YOU BUY????

Thanks in advance

 

[Hoyden]

Salvo made by Barry Miller - http://www.salvodiving.com/10_watt_hid - You can get a 4.5 Amp 10 Watt HID focusable for $725 - For another $200, you can get a 9 Amp version. That's pretty much twice the battery for less money than the Halcyon. If you want to go with a fixed focus Diver's Supplyhttp://www.diverssupplyusa.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=17764 carries a 4.5 Amp 10W fixed focus made for them by Barry for $499. It is hard to beat the quality of his lights for any price - the fact that they are some of the least expensive HID dive lights on the market is an added bonus.

Jackie

 

[Tegg]

Get the 21watt twist focus.

That is what I am picking up next week from Barry...

Seriously, Salvo lights are the best made lights I have seen on the market.

I dare someone to take their OMS, Diverite, or Halcyon and throw it against a concrete wall...

Plus he is the ONLY one in the light industry to offer a 1yr warranty on the WHOLE light, bulb included.

 

[Tamas]

Were you looking at the canister or hand held lights from OMS? The canister light is fully rechargeable, while the handheld is the one that can use normal and/or lithium batteries.

If it is the canister light that you are after, you also have to consider the size of the battery pack as well and to where you would like to mount it. Some of the lights use huge sized canister while the OMS Phantom is one of the smallest, thus mounting locations are indefinite.

A 6 degree beam is narrow, but perfect for penetration, signalling and general use where a narrow focused beam is needed, for video light you want/need a wider angle and a diffuser on it.

Hope this helps

 

[PerroneFord]

Though I have not penetrated a wreck yet (but will eventually), I'd say that a narrow beam is just fine. I am not worried about it being focusable. In a wreck, you are in a very small space and don't need the throw of the cave guys. You also won't need the burn time. For most wrecks, you'll be looking at 20-40 minutes of bottom time versus the cave guys who may be in the cave for 90 minutes or more.

I've had a chance to check out the Dive Rite, the Halcyon, and the Salvo. They are all quality units. My money is going to the Sea Elite 10w unit this year, and probably when I begin penetration next year, I'll pick up a 18-21w light 13a light.

Oh, do be aware, those little bulbs seem to cost more than gold! The 10w replacement is $100 and they go up quickly from there.

 

[jonnythan]

IMO, the Salvo Diving 10w focusable, at $725, is the best value out there period. The reflector on the Salvo Diving light is far larger than the OMS so you actually get more light output and a tighter beam, plus you get easy focusing.

Also, you can get a Salvo Diving non-focusable for $500 from http://www.diverssupplyusa.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=17764 so that kinda rules out the OMS entirely! The canister is superior, the head is superior, and the Goodman handle is superior.

 

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

I Have a Dive-rite Slim line 10 watt HID with focusable head. In cave's it is OK, but when you get into the bigger room's, you could use more light. In wreck diving, when your going down a hallway, or looking into a room, 10 watt is fine, but i find when you get into bigger room's, the 10 watt is barley enough light as well. I been using both this one, and I had a Sartek 10 watt HID, also, for the past 2 year's, but I must say, more and more people I see have the 21 watt, which is nice, light's up the whole room. Also as far as the beam, when cave, wreck diving, we use the narrow beam for " communicating " OK signal's , etc, where you would spread the beam when looking around. Just a thought to consider, I would not buy any HID light unless it was focusable.

 

[Web Monkey]

I know this is heresy, but I'll say it anyway.

I have an HID light and a halogen light, and I like the halogen cannister light better.

It's only 2 lbs negative in the water, extremely sturdy, and when the bulb finally dies, is replacable at any hardware store in the world for about $3.

Also, since you're not carrying around a complicated high-voltage power supply underwater, there are a lot fewer things that can go wrong with it, and you can fix them all yourself. If it dies, you either have a bad connection or need a battery, a charger, a bulb, or a switch.

There are also very few things that compare to having 50 watts of light,

Terry

Hi:

I would want to buy my first HID light for night dives and wreck use. I have searched some major brand names and found that the new OMS 10W HID, a $600 light ok with my budget, however, the focus is not adjustable. The Halcyon 10W is more expansive, $950,but adjustable focus. The Dive-Rite HID I have tried before, but it is not as bright ,so I don't really consider it.

My questions are:
How important is the adjustable beam in wreck diving?
It must be useful if I use it as the light source for underwater photography, right?
Is $350 difference worth it? consider that OMS's light is newly introduced this year and they are using Lithium non-rechargeable batteries...

WHICH ONE WILL YOU BUY????

Thanks in advance

 

[jonnythan]

I know this is heresy, but I'll say it anyway.

I have an HID light and a halogen light, and I like the halogen cannister light better.

Out of curiosity, what kind of lights do you have?

 

[Web Monkey]

Out of curiosity, what kind of lights do you have?

I've got a Dive-Rite MLS-1 Cannister light (pretty old), and a UK Light Cannon.

Terry