Oxycheq Back-up light . . . . WOW!

[BSea]

I made my semi-annual trip to ST, and 1 of the things I wanted to look at were some of the new back-up lights. I brought my 3 watt LED Salvo Rat light (with new batteries) to compare beams with some of the lights I was interested in.

I really didn't have any great expectations, but I was sure surprised. I looked at the Oxycheq back-up light & was surprised to find that the beam was at least 2 times brighter than my Rat light (just my subjective view). The size of the light about 6 inches long compared to about 9 inches for the rat light, and uses 3 AA batteries compared to 3 C Batteries that my Rat light uses. The burn time is only 4 hours compared to 10 hours for the rat light, but for me 4 hours is plenty. It's also made of aluminum rather than delrin. Some may think that's a drawback, but I really don't.

Somewhere (a month ago or less, but I can't find it) there's a post where someone retrofitted a LED bulb into a UK lighthead . I think the total cost was about $50 to $60 just for the parts, and you had to have a Rat light or Photon light to use the new led head. I think this light does the same thing, but comes in an aluminum housing rated to 100 meters with a double O-ring seal. And with the 10% discount, it's less than $60.

[mm_dm]

Thanks for posting the info. I've had my eye on the little Oxy light and wondered how it compared, specifically to the Rat. What would the drawback be with aluminum?

[BSea]

Originally Posted by mm_dm

Thanks for posting the info. I've had my eye on the little Oxy light and wondered how it compared, specifically to the Rat. What would the drawback be with aluminum?

With aluminum, I've heard you need to keep the threads lightly lubricated to keep them from seizing. I think this is mainly in salt water. The other drawback is that you can dent aluminum, but I think this is a more imagined problem than a real one. I'm sure there has been someone that has dented an aluminum light, but to make it unusable, it would take a pretty good blow. You can also crack delrin, but it would also take a lot force.

Now this is my 1st aluminum light, so maybe I'll change my mind a year from now. There is no teacher like experience.

Edit: Here's the thread on the DIY Cree bulb for the rat or photon. The Deco Stop

[cmburch]

I have cracked and flooded a UK light and they warrantied it. What type of warranty and how would the Oxycheq be in a salt water environment?

[BSea]

Originally Posted by cmburch

I have cracked and flooded a UK light and they warrantied it. What type of warranty and how would the Oxycheq be in a salt water environment?

I think the UK light is just plain plastic, not delrin (I'm not sure about this, just a guess based on price). I don't know about Oxycheq's warranty, although I think most people that have had warranty issues have been pleased with Oxycheq's response in the past. I have 2 of their wings, and have never had an issue. And IMHO there is not a better wing than the Mach V. So if this light is as good as their wings, it should hold up well. I'll bet the only thing that makes me replace this light is newer technology.

[rox@ucf11]

dont mean to hijack the thread but check out the Intova Nova lights....it does have some short comings as a backup light but I have seen it underwater and the things pretty damn bright!!!

shortcomings would be a magnetic switch instead of a twist on and off bezel, and camera batteries for power but does have a 10 hr burn time its a 3w led 70 lumens

[CompuDude]

3 Watt CREE LED vs. the standard 1 watt LED in most of the backup lights. Of course that would be brighter.

I wish they made a 3 C version that had the same burn time, though. I really want 8+ hrs out of a backup. Not because I think I'll ever use it that long, but because I want to be able to use it on occasion as a regular flashlight, plus periodic light checks to make sure all is well, without worrying about impact on the battery life.

If you change the batteries once per year, using it for 5 minutes here and there as a regular flashlight (night dives, etc., to avoid striking the HID in the air) is no big deal when you have 10 hrs of life to play with. Even if the batteries are at 50% after a year of sitting there, and you've used the runtime of an hour over the course of the year, you still have 3 hours or so of burn time on the light in case of any actual emergencies or needs. (i.e., your HID won't strike, but it's an easy rec dive so you just switch to the backup and do the dive on that... it's happened.)

With only a 4 hour burn time, I'd need to replace the batteries a lot more frequently. And think about it. I don't want to have to think about my backup lights. I'll happily pay more for something so reliable I truly don't have to think about it (other than changing batteries once per year, barring actual use, of course). For me, that's the Photon Torpedo.

That backup light really does seem like a great light. But it's not the right backup light for me, for those reasons. (Oh, plus I prefer Delrin, as it doesn't get as beat up looking. Purely cosmetic preference, but a preference nonetheless.) Thanks for the review, though... I'll be keeping it on my radar for future changes and upgrades.

[BSea]

Originally Posted by CompuDude

3 Watt CREE LED vs. the standard 1 watt LED in most of the backup lights. Of course that would be brighter.

My comparison was between a 3 watt LED Rat light & the 3 watt CREE LED light. Now I really don't know the difference between a 3 watt LED & a 3 watt CREE LED other than a lot more light. But I do know that I can buy a ton of AA batteries for the $100 difference in the price of the 2 lights, and have a brighter smaller light.

I agree with you on delrin vrs aluminum. Plus I think delrin is easier to hold. I think they used aluminum to keep the cost down.

I'll use this a primary light for most dives, so I'll replace the batteries often. I guess my rat light will be my emergency light at home & for diving.

[Sounder]

I run a Salvo 10w HID hand-held and a Princeton Tec Impact XL (LED) as my back-ups... and a HUGE Salvo primary HID.

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by BSea

My comparison was between a 3 watt LED Rat light & the 3 watt CREE LED light. Now I really don't know the difference between a 3 watt LED & a 3 watt CREE LED other than a lot more light. But I do know that I can buy a ton of AA batteries for the $100 difference in the price of the 2 lights, and have a brighter smaller light.

I agree with you on delrin vrs aluminum. Plus I think delrin is easier to hold. I think they used aluminum to keep the cost down.

I'll use this a primary light for most dives, so I'll replace the batteries often. I guess my rat light will be my emergency light at home & for diving.

Oh, gotcha, sorry, I hadn't realized Salvo moved the RAT to a 3watt LED. They're definitely not using the CREE emitter, though, which makes a huge difference. They're using the OSTAR emitter in their new HID-level LED can lights... it's a shame Barry has said he doesn't have any plans to update the backups anytime soon.