New Torch Quandary

[FOX]

Where'd my post go!!

[Helen F H]

The post faeries ate it.

[FOX]

It's no good, i'm off to get the post fairy gun!!

[FOX]

That's better, all post fairies dispatched to whence they came!!

Hi All,

With the Dive Show approaching (albeit slowly) and the C4 being unable to cut the mustard in UK waters, i find myself in the market for a new torch.

It needs to be:

Relatively inexpensive
Bright
Umbilical canister (to mount DIR stylee)
Decent burn time
Well made and reliable

Any suggestions or horror stories of what to avoid would be gratefully received

FOX (gityerkneedahn)

[ahar]

Sport Diver chappie Mark was doing a torch test on the scapa trip I went on a couple of weeks ago - I asked him the same question and he said Greenforce. He had on one test and liked it, but the best thing was that you can get loads of interchangeable heads for it. The Standard and Pro heads have good brightness, last about 80 mins (witht the F2 battery pack) and are around 300-350 for the umbillical version. You can then buy a HID head (50 or 100w equiv) later on, or the tristar LED head which is great for clear viz but not great in bad viz. All heads are available seperately and fit all battery packs.

Incidentally, I was just outbid on ebay for an F2 with Pro head yesterday

[ahar]

Also, if anyone has an F2 Greenforce torch to sell me, drop me a PM !

[Helen F H]

I had a FA&Mi torch - umbilical HID. Had nowt but bother with it. However, from other peoples reports i suspect it was a friday afternoon torch and all the rest he has sold have been fine.

[Ian Murray]

Originally Posted by ahar

I asked him the same question and he said Greenforce. He had on one test and liked it, but the best thing was that you can get loads of interchangeable heads for it. The Standard and Pro heads have good brightness, last about 80 mins (witht the F2 battery pack) and are around 300-350 for the umbillical version. You can then buy a HID head (50 or 100w equiv) later on, or the tristar LED head which is great for clear viz but not great in bad viz. All heads are available seperately and fit all battery packs.

I know someone who has one of these Greenforce ones. They've had nothing but trouble with it since they got it. Originally had the LED head but that was just a joke. He's now changed it to the HID head. Which is ok when it actually works. The switch on method is to twist the head end and the cord end simultanuously. If the contact doesn't meet in the middle of the connection then the light doesn't work (happens often). I think he's going to give it one last chance and then if it still doesn't work then it's going back. The last thing you want in a torch is it to be unreliable. Especially if you've spent lots of cash on a day out diving only for it to be ruined by your torch not working.

Me, I opted for this one:

CBPS4.5H10MRFS

details here: http://www.sarind.com/acatalog/compl...g_systems.html

It was even better when I found out that Andy from Dales Divers can supply them at an exceptional price (cheers Andy).

This light just works - well, and does exactly what I was looking for.

Regards. Ian.

[wilbo]

Originally Posted by ahar

Sport Diver chappie Mark was doing a torch test on the scapa trip I went on a couple of weeks ago - I asked him the same question and he said Greenforce. He had on one test and liked it, but the best thing was that you can get loads of interchangeable heads for it. The Standard and Pro heads have good brightness, last about 80 mins (witht the F2 battery pack) and are around 300-350 for the umbillical version. You can then buy a HID head (50 or 100w equiv) later on, or the tristar LED head which is great for clear viz but not great in bad viz. All heads are available seperately and fit all battery packs.

Incidentally, I was just outbid on ebay for an F2 with Pro head yesterday

I have an F2 umbilical with a pro head.

I like it. I like it alot. I do wish however that I had not bought the F2 battery, and instead gone for one of the arrow series of batteries (I bought it before I went the twinset route). I say this becuase the burn time is not really long enough.. I run a dichroic lamp that burns at 6500K - not far off that of HID. It gives me 50 W, but for only 50 minutes. The arrow batteries give a much better burn time. I did consider HID, but decided against because of the inital outlay for the head and the cost of replacement lamps.. My lamps cost me £3 each, give around the same brillant white light as a HID, but less burn time. I have details of these lamps if anyone(Pro Head users) is interested by the way. Otherwise if you are happier with the yellower hue of the standard Halogen, then B&Q is your friend..

The 300-350 hours burn time you must bee talking about the Arrow 12 with HIDs. The F2 battery at 80 minutes will be with the 35W lamp, which I found a little dissapointing.. TriStar - don't waste your money - I won't waste words - they're shit. Panoptic apparently make a high output Dichroic MR16 lamp which is an LED cluster or either 25 or 36 LEDs and Lenses IIRC.. Never been able to get through to them though..

the manufacturers site is: http://www.green-force.com/


Anyway, hope some of this helps someone..

[wilbo]

Originally Posted by Ian Murray

1. Originally had the LED head but that was just a joke. He's now changed it to the HID head. Which is ok when it actually works.
2. The switch on method is to twist the head end and the cord end simultanuously. If the contact doesn't meet in the middle of the connection then the light doesn't work (happens often). I think he's going to give it one last chance and then if it still doesn't work then it's going back. The last thing you want in a torch is it to be unreliable. Especially if you've spent lots of cash on a day out diving only for it to be ruined by your torch not working.
..snip..
Regards. Ian.

1. LED - I agree.
2. Wrong. Twist the umbilical in so it seals at the battery end - full contact. At the light head end, screw it in to the lamp comes on, then half turn back. easy.
3. Your friend must have been unlucky. The torch design is simple. All components are sealed, you just need to make sure you screw the umbilical in the right way (or the head if your using it as a hand torch)*

* people have been known to unscrew the lighthead so far, so that the water ingresses into the contacts past the o rings. This renders the torch unusable for THAT DIVE ONLY.. (you would hopefully end the dive - as your primary light has gone - and dry off the contacts ready for the next dive..) Silly mistake - they only do it once(hopefully). If you can screw the thing in the right way, your shutdowns(for those on twins) will be interesting!!