FA&Mi POWER 4 LED torch???

[tom]

Has anyone used (or even seen) one of these?

http://www.divingdirectshop.co.uk/ac...power41%2ehtml

£190ish.

I know LED lights allegedly have poorer penetration, but with 40w power this looks like it might be OK. Any thoughts on whether it would be any good as a primary torch for the UK?

[Dave Crampton]

Tom,

I suppose it depends on what your diving. Most of my dives are in pretty good vis as I dive in and around Scotland. I don't dive below 30m metres currently and the 30Watt LED torch I have has plenty of light. Infact the darker it gets the more I get out of the light. Its pretty poor at the surface on a bright day but the thing I find good about the LED torch is that it lasts fo hours. And I mean 30+ hours before it really needs a charge.

Dave C

[Helen F H]

Yep, i have seen them. I think dave king had something similar to test while we were out in Malta. I have dived with people using LED torches and thought they were pretty good too. Very strange seeing three dots of light coming at you through the gloom!

[Ian@1904]

Tom
I was a a 30w equivelent LED for the second dive at Dosthill

They seems to have little effect in the shallows, but pretty good when deep.
Of course what you really need is the Light Sabre as used on the first dive- 18w HID

[David A]

I've got one, and everyone I've dived with while using it now wants one. I must admit I've only used it in the UK at Capernwray during the day in their little wrecks, when I first bought it, basically just to see if it worked, but it was fine. (sorry, terrible sentence construction)
In tropical waters, even those filled with plankton, it really is excellent. Side by side with a UK light cannon, it is almost as bright, with fantastic penetration, and the colour rendition is first rate.
Traditionally, the problem with LEds seems to be the lack of focus, but this has a nice hotspot.
I'm seriously thinking of getting a second one as a back up, as they aren't too big, and are a pretty bomb proof build. Damn good burn time and bulb life too.
This all sounds a bit like an advert, but I promise it's just my personal experience.

Another interesting thing to note is that when I bought it I was a bit unsure about LEDs, and Chris at Denney Divers said I could try it and return it if I wasn't impressed. That was pretty fair, I thought.

David

[tom]

Thanks for the info people, especially David - just what I was looking for. Time for a chat with the bank manager I think...