LED vs. Bulb

[Vlane]

Wow, just realized there is a similar thread on SB going on about this.

[Tassie Diver]

I haven't visited the 'other site' for a long time.

[db83]

Which is the larger of the two forum communities?

[ScubaGir1]

Originally Posted by db83

Which is the larger of the two forum communities?

I believe SB is larger but there were a lot of members who dropped that forum and either came here, or just left altogether. There were certain people on that forum that made going there more of a drama show and well...just not as fun and informative ans ST.

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by db83

Which is the larger of the two forum communities?

SB is larger by far.

But ST is friendlier by far... and innocent question threads are far less likely to devolve into a meaningless flame-fest.

[db83]

ahh, ok. I dislike forum trolls with nothing better to do with their day than cause drama.

[Grin]

I agree, forget cheap bulb lights. I have had a bunch of them.
The better LEDs are very nice for, like said, around comparisson of a 10w HID.
The white light is much superior underwater, especially if the water is dirty. Alot less glare returning to your face with the White light. You can't really see the beam of a HID or LED, they just light up the area or object.
I used a UK Light Cannon for the last couple years and it is a great light. All the worries about the bulb being delicate have been put to rest by me dropping and throwing mine around with zero issues. The Light Cannon eats batteries though. And I am not a fan of the HID warm up time it takes for the full light emitted to be active. Basically you flip the switch on, and it takes about 20 seconds for it to warm up and be full emitting.

I just bought the new UK LED Aqua Sun about 4-5 months ago. It's supposed to be almost twice as much Lumens as the 10W UK Light Cannon. It appears to be about the same using it in the daytime, although I have not compared side by side underwater. I think the LED has a wider beam, so it's power does not show up as penetrating power. But it has no warm up time, and has a rechargeable battery, and is defiantly powerful. I do admit I thought the Aqua Suns 800+ lumens (I think that's the claim) would blow me away when comparing to the 10w Light Cannons advertised 450 lumens(I think that's the LCs claim). The differnece is not that dramatic. Maybe a little brighter is all. Night use may really show a difference though.

I also had a Princeton Tech LED (8 C batteries, whatever model that is). It is a nice light also, but nowhere near as bright as the Light Cannon. The new PT model has the same lumens claim as a LC if I read right. I gotto wonder if my Aqua suns 800+ lumens being barely brighter than the LCs advertised 450 lumens, what the comaprison of the new PT to the LC would actually be. Pretty much the same lumens claims, but HID vs LED probably have different beamwidths? Who knows?

[Damselfish]

a few years ago LED vs bulb was a harder question. LED got you battery life and no bulbs to burn out, but there was a tradeoff in brightness. LEDs have improved to the point that for most smaller lights it's a no brainer to go LED. The only possible issue is price, if you're very price conscious. LED lights are going to cost more up front, especially compared to closeouts you can find on halogen/xenon lights that are being discontinued. But LED will be cheaper in the long run if you use it much.

[No Misses]

I too like the new LED lights.

But, here is a concern that nobody has mentioned, so far.

LED lights have electronic circuitry in them. If they flood, this circuitry gets fried. With the old xenon lights, you just rinse with fresh water, fix the leak (seal), and you are back in business.

P.S. I carry an Oxycheq Raider 3w LED and a UK Sunlight Xenon. The LED goes on every dive. The Xenon only goes on penetration dives.

The Raider has a tight focus beam while the UK Sunlight has a wider beam and lights up the whole area for the "big picture".

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by Grin

I used a UK Light Cannon for the last couple years and it is a great light. All the worries about the bulb being delicate have been put to rest by me dropping and throwing mine around with zero issues. The Light Cannon eats batteries though. And I am not a fan of the HID warm up time it takes for the full light emitted to be active. Basically you flip the switch on, and it takes about 20 seconds for it to warm up and be full emitting.

To be emitting at full power, yes. But it starts putting out light right away, and within a few seconds you have lots of light to work with, it just hasn't quite warmed up to it's full glory until at 15-20 seconds have passed. That's never been a problem for me.

I used rechargeable 6000 mah NiMH batteries in my light cannon, and had great results with them. It's pretty crazy to use alkalines in one.

As an aside (nothing to do with grin's post), when I said LED lights can compare to a 10w HID I was referring to LED canister lights comparing to a 10w HID canister light. Not many (if any) standard off-the-shelf LED-base dive lights can compare to an LED-based canister light, so comparing some POS made by PrincetonTec to a true LED canister light is NOT a valid comparison.

No Misses raises a good point... probably the sole weakness with LEDs. A flood in salt water will KILL your nice new LED. Dead. Warranties can help with that, but there is some truth to the fact that, if you're on a trip, it's easier to pack a spare bulb than deal with a warranty exchange.