Proper Torch ???

[nickb]

Interesting thread here for anyone who might be interested.
http://www.talkaboutsportsnetwork.co...es/651622.html
Like Al, I'm delighted with this new torch. Barry struck me as a really straight up guy. I was prepared to do business with him even after reading all the crap out there on the web. It seemed to me that the negative postings I'd seen came from people with axes to grind (or bury in his back) or those pushing hearsay and rumour, whilst those with good stuff to say seemed to be talking from experience.

[Davey Willo]

Service second to none... my light was shipped only a few hours after Barry recieved notice of payment and its just arrived tonight...

I'm now knocking on neighbors doors to get a bloody adaptor so I can plug this beast in and charge er up..

Night dive anyone

[nickb]

I chopped the end off the mains lead and installed a proper British plug.

Black is Live
White is Neutral
Green is the other one - 'Ground' they call it, bloody Yanks

[Bardo]

Whilst the price difference is a definate plus, do the Barry Miller lights offer any tangiable benefits over their Halcyon equivelents other than the slightly higher light output? I'm thinking particularly in terms of maintaining the water-tight integrity of the head and battery units?

[Davey Willo]

Originally Posted by Bardo

Whilst the price difference is a definate plus, do the Barry Miller lights offer any tangiable benefits over their Halcyon equivelents other than the slightly higher light output? I'm thinking particularly in terms of maintaining the water-tight integrity of the head and battery units?

Well I just tried to take the lid off and nearly bust a blood vessel trying to unlatch the bloody thing until I realised that they have little safety levers that have to be pushed in before you can unlatch them.... s'cool!

The one thing I always feared is the latches popping during a dive or coming unlatched during the kitting up process bringing on a flooded cannister, I've seen some guys put a snoopy over the latches to stop it happening, well thanks to the latches fitted to this cannister that fear is a thing of the past..

Also the test tube/bulb is much more protected against bangs and bumps as its sitting deep inside of the shroud.. another level of protection... and as previously discussed the 21w is a much more robust unit and also cheaper to replace...

All good stuff..

nickb:

Yeah I did the same thing, although I was a little scared when I plugged it in... Did a little testing and found that.. Green=Earth, White=Live, Black=Neutral

It's charging as we speak.

[nickb]

Originally Posted by Dave Williamson

...Yeah I did the same thing, although I was a little scared when I plugged it in... Did a little testing and found that.. Green=Earth, White=Live, Black=Neutral

It's charging as we speak.

Mmmmm electricity.

I used this as a source:

http://web.onetel.net.uk/~uncletony/mains%20stuff.htm

...that's how I've wired mine and it worked just fine. I think a lot of things are OK when the live & neutral are switched. Not sure about expensive chargers for your new dive torch though

[wreckweasel]

Originally Posted by Bardo

Whilst the price difference is a definate plus, do the Barry Miller lights offer any tangiable benefits over their Halcyon equivelents other than the slightly higher light output? I'm thinking particularly in terms of maintaining the water-tight integrity of the head and battery units?

- A slightly re-programmed intelligent charger.
- Decent glands (coming onto the halcyons now)
- Extended shrouds over the reflectors to protect the bulb (and an option to have the EKPP reflector)
- Use of robotics industry cord, rated for repetitive bending

Finally... Im TOLD the 21w is a far more robust bulb than the old 18's. I didnt see this when I spoke to barry, he was getting them in shortly after I left.

/Z

[nickb]

Originally Posted by Bardo

Whilst the price difference is a definate plus, do the Barry Miller lights offer any tangiable benefits over their Halcyon equivelents other than the slightly higher light output? I'm thinking particularly in terms of maintaining the water-tight integrity of the head and battery units?

I reckon the question ought to be:

Do they offer any tangible drawbacks compared to the Halcyon equvalents?

I've just done a burn test on mine. It took 4 hours before the voltage dropped to 10 volts, so that's good. The light head was in a bucket of water and whilst the water's only 6 inches deep, there were no leaks and I'm guessing that an increase in pressure would only serve to push the test tube cover on even tighter.

Seeing as the guy designed the thing in the first place (the Scout too I believe), and he seems to be sourcing the parts that he doesn't make himself from the same suppliers that Halcyon do, we're looking at a product that's every bit as good as theirs.

If your in the market for this sort of torch; and whilst the dollar is as weak as it is at the moment, there seems to be no reason not to have a chat with Barry Miller.

[Al_Star]

On the power lead side I had a stroke of luck with my IBM laptop. It uses the same cable as the charger so I just used that lead - it's even labelled for same current and voltage.

I've had the torch going in a darkened bathroom tonight and I'm well impressed. I've had the missus threatening to wrap it up as she's paying for half of it as an x-mas present. I keep telling her there's no point - after all I can't really use it until I go diving!

Just like Dave I'm well chuffed

[Bardo]

Well I think I'm pretty sold on the Barry Miller torches - my order will be going in shortly!

On a slightly different note, those of you who are after a longer burn time might be interested to know that Barry will have a 13.5amp version of his torch out by the end of January 2005, he tells me. Like the Halcyon equivelent, the 13.5amp model will offer an additional 2 hours over the standard 4 hours that the 9amp delivers. I think I can live with *just* 4 hours... ;-)