Tech kit - yet another request for advice

[Lawrence Debono]

Mark how do you post pictures here? By the way,  VERY VERY WELL DONE with that twin set set up. It looks good. Now I understand the "quick release? Much better than toying with bolts and lining them up. It isn't the fisr time that I had to go chase a wing nut down the deck of a bout in the waves. One time it took me the whole surface interval to swop.



The other thing that I need to do is get some hooks on my cam bands for the canister because the once I got are American - nylon webbing and the plastic buckle. This need to be threaded through every f......ng time.

If I figure a way I'll post some gear pictures.

Lawrence

[Mark Chase]

Digital camera, then open them in low resolution in Corel Photopaint and export as Jpegs. I just edit the Jpeg down to 29K and save it and it seems to work OK.

ATB

Mark Chase

[Dan]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Torches - scary prices for some of the high end stuff.  Any recommendations for reasonable choices

Not much point in spending £1000s on dive gear if you can't see anything.   A torch is one of the most important parts of your dive set up. It surpises me the amount of people I see with expensive dive set ups but with cheap crappy torches. Trust me don't skim and save on light, go for the best you can afford. I own a c/d HID and at £420 it isnt cheap but when in pitch black which you so often get in uk waters its makes me glad I did spent the £420

[bang-on]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (dan @ Mar. 06 2004,22:16)]

Not much point in spending £1000s on dive gear if you can't see anything.   A torch is one of the most important parts of your dive set up. It surpises me the amount of people I see with expensive dive set ups but with cheap crappy torches. Trust me don't skim and save on light, go for the best you can afford. I own a c/d HID and at £420 it isnt cheap but when in pitch black which you so often get in uk waters its makes me glad I did spent the £420

<font color='#0000FF'>dan,
i too paid £420 but &nbsp;for a metalsub umbilical and it is v.good.
however i bought that torch a couple of years ago and given back my £420 i would buy 2 of the 50w umbilicals @ £140 each and pocket the &nbsp;other £140..........why?
because having two is better than one and i know about 30 guys that dive with them and swear by them.
i would not have recommended www.aqua-vision.co.uk if i did not think the torches are reliable.
cheers
barrie

[Dan]

Just been looking at their website, they are a bit big aren't they? I wouldn't want to carry two of them and only a burn time of 50mins &nbsp;

I haven't used or seen one so cant really make a judgement on them but going on what I have seen on their site they wouldn't be of much use to me.

[daveking]

<font color='#0000FF'>barrie i have one of his torches and i love it
totally bomb proof and a good light
i just got quoted 40 quid for a new head &nbsp;due to me leaving it turned on for an whole hour and it melting still useable but fills up with water
some of the guys i dive with use his big lanterns
good wreck torches and if tou fit the blue foglight bulbs some cars have will illuminate all north sea

[Dan]

Its the 50min burn time that puts me off. If doing 2 dives in a day 50mins just wouldn't be enough burn time for me

[Mdemon]

I agree with the burn time issue - I want lots of light and I want it for a long time.

If money is an issue (it was for me) you can get a cheap halogen off eBay and put some decent batteries in it.

I bought a 12v Mares Arturo and stuck in 10 new NiMHs. &nbsp;I can get 65m+ at 100w halogen (flood), 75w gets me an hour and a half and 50w is over 2hrs easy.

Good point above - buy two cheaper torches the same so your backup is as good as your main. &nbsp;

I think HIDs are silly money and halogens are pricey too. &nbsp;However, a decent amount of light transforms a dive and IMHO, makes it safer, so worth getting a good one.

[daveking]

<font color='#0000FF'>mine does 2 dives easy
you dont use it all the time so just turn it off
or you can go for lower power bulbs
the torch uses 51mm dichromic bulbs of varying wattages @£2.30ish from city electrical factors
i also changd batteries inside from 4 to 2 larger ones &nbsp;cost £20 and never managed to flatten it yet
btw i have had the torch 4 years now

[tom]

Dave, can you stick a goodman-type handle on these for hands free use? Can't quite make it out from the pics on the website.