Wich new torch should I get?

[Janos]

After my dismal attempts to build me own torch. I'm now thinking about buying one. Thinking being the operative word, as I'm skint after Christmas, but there are a few months for me to save up before the next show.

I quite like the look of the Greenforce range, and some people in my club have Kowalskis. My budget is going to be somewhere in the £200 - £300 range (depending on pie and pint consumption over the next three months) so what do people have and what do you recommend?

Laters,
   Janos

[Reeve]

<font color='#000F22'>There's another German manufacture other than Kawalski that make a very fine 50W Hid torch with 25-100% power range, automatic flashing of SOS morse code &amp; switch to low power when 10% power left. I'm buggered though if I can remember they're name Bergmeister, Hertmeiner or similar.

[Rick Huggins]

<font color='#0000FF'>Have a look at the UK light cannon HID, around £150 from Go-Dive in Derby.

[louigi]

<font color='#FF0000'>Youve got a lot more to spend than I had so I bought a Spitz light its ok gives me enough for what I want, if it gets any darker I dont want to be there anyway.

[Janos]

You mean &quot;hope to have&quot; I've only got a tenner so far, but I have given up drinking for January &nbsp; &nbsp;(but start tomorrow &nbsp; ) so if I make it I'm allowed some cash towards the torch fund.

[Helen F H]

<font color='#000080'>I have a FA&amp;MI italian torch. &nbsp;Umbilical job, a bit pricey though. &nbsp;Retails out at over £400 now (got mine a wee bit cheaper). &nbsp;Bloody bright, long burn time, quick charge, well made and customer service very very good. &nbsp;What i really liked about was the clip on the battery pack - greenforce dont do them. &nbsp;A girl in my club ribbed me for spending that much, saying &quot;i bet your torch isnt 4 times better than mine, since it was 4 times as expensive&quot;. &nbsp;She shut her trap after a deep dark dive. &nbsp;Silly cow.

For price range, light cannon seems a very good torch for the price.

[MATTBIN]

I use a mini Vega Lantern which is within your budget (30-50) and is quite bright plus its non-rechargeable so battereries are quick replaceable jobs rather than wait 6/8 hrs before re-use, isnt that a great excuse for going cheap &nbsp;
Its not brilliant (no pun intended) in the Kowalski/Hid/Expensive arena but its OK.
HTH
Matt

[SteveC]

£30-£50? Id recommend looking into the secondhand market for a torch in that price range. &nbsp;Ukdiving.co.uk classifieds seems a pretty good place for equipment and is updated daily. &nbsp;I think a torch is a great help in enjoying a dive so maybe its worth spending a little bit extra (probably say that about any bit of dive kit though tbh ).

HTH
Steve

[torbaydiver]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Janos @ Jan. 04 2004,13:23)]After my dismal attempts to build me own torch. I'm now thinking about buying one. Thinking being the operative word, as I'm skint after Christmas, but there are a few months for me to save up before the next show.

I quite like the look of the Greenforce range, and some people in my club have Kowalskis. My budget is going to be somewhere in the £200 - £300 range (depending on pie and pint consumption over the next three months) so what do people have and what do you recommend?

Laters,
   Janos

Beaver do a very similar torch to the kowalskis , in fact they look identical at £200 but for £150 you get a smaller version called the Beaver Astro which is easier to handle and plenty bright enough with a 20 wt halogen , I'm pleased with it anyway &nbsp;

[Doug Parker]

Shite shite shite would've been a better name for this thread. &nbsp;Greenforce could do with changing their name to Parcelforce because because your torch will spend more time with them than you. &nbsp;The German one that nobody can remember the name of are excellent quality but burn time ain't up to much. Anything with a Beaver badge on it is not even worth talking about. Fa&amp;mi are good torches but the umbilical ones turn into 2 seperate units quite easy.