After having been on a few dives with fishstiq and having borrowed NWbrewers can light on my last dive I have started to reconsider how much I love my C8 LED
My buget is not unlimited but I don't want to have to rebuy a light because I didn't spend the money the first time. There is about a $450 difference between the two which is significant so my question is how much better is the 21w vs. the 10w?
"The She-Ps didn't work for either one of us, however- we accidently glued one to Dan's cat, and the other one ended up in a DEA evidence locker somehow." - Joshua Smith
I own both a 10 and a 21w Salvo. I gotta say: The 21 is what I take out 99% of the time, but every time I do take my 10w out for a spin, I'm always impressed with how bright that thing is. It's a fine light, and the 21w just isn't twice as bright as the 10w. You won't be sorry you bought it.
Yes, the 21 is brighter. And the 35 is brighter still, and the 50 is even brighter than that- you can't win the "brightest light" war- at least, not for very long; because there will always be a newer, brighter light just around the corner. In 10 years, we'll all have 200w LEDs the size of a mini-mag, and be amazed that we ever used HID cannisters....
I found that I didn't want a 21w until my dive buddies got one... It was harder to signal them with the less bright 10w and I always felt like I was missing something when the big monster 21w lit up an area so much better... and farther. But if everyone you dive with has a 10w you may not notice... until someone hands you a 21w to borrow.
The first time I borrowed a 21w, Lynne handed it to me and said "I'm really sorry to be doing this to you" and I had no idea what she meant until I got underwater and it really was a big difference. It was a costly loaner to be sure.
-Eric
"I used to do this for fun, but now, I do it for nothing" -Not Joshua Smith
I would buy a used 10W if I were on a budget
I would not buy a new 10W, the higher cost isn't worth it IMHO
I would buy a new 21W, their higher cost is worth what you get
I would not buy a new 35 or 50W. In fact I find these lights overkill and you end up blinding your buddy. Or maybe its just the buddies I have with 35w and 50Ws
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
Thanks for the replies. Most of you are basically supporting my gut feel. I think I know myself well enough that if i bought a 10W now I'd be trying o upgrade before too long. Now I just have to figure out what to sell in order to buy one....
"The She-Ps didn't work for either one of us, however- we accidently glued one to Dan's cat, and the other one ended up in a DEA evidence locker somehow." - Joshua Smith
I have a 10w and am perfectly happy with it. It does occasionally get drowned out by the 21w, but that's their problem, not mine. I can see their light just fine...
Seriously, I'm happy with my 10w. Like Sockmonkey mentioned, the 10w will occasionally get drowned out by the 21w, but I haven't found it to be a big deal. If I were in the market for a new light, I'd probably get a 21w.
Like Captn said, the 35w and 50w are way overkill and are too bright, IMO
I don't really have a problem with the 10watt LED getting drowned out, other than on shallow daytime dives where you can't really see it in the sunlight. The 21 definitely has a little more reach, but it's not that big of a deal. I prefer the slightly wider hot spot on the LED than what a 10watt HID gives. It's wider than the laser beamed adjustable focus, but narrower than the fixed focus 10 watt HID. Still works for signaling, but it's wide enough and uniform enough that I can use it for additional picture lighting. I also prefer the warmer light given off by the LED, but that's just personal preference.
"Screw "annual" service,... I get them serviced when they break." - CaptnJack (paraphrased)
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? " - Spatman
I was reading this same thing over on the Deco Stop this morning. Basically the same info: If new get the 21w nothing more nothing less. But you can get a 10w for a good price used.
sheahanmcculla wrote:I was reading this same thing over on the Deco Stop this morning. Basically the same info: If new get the 21w nothing more nothing less. But you can get a 10w for a good price used.
Does the Salvo lights have focusable lenses?
I am still considering making my own.
Salvo has a 10watt and 21 watt focusable.
"Screw "annual" service,... I get them serviced when they break." - CaptnJack (paraphrased)
"you do realize you're supposed to mix the with water and drink it, not snort the powder directly from the packet, right? " - Spatman
sheahanmcculla wrote:I was reading this same thing over on the Deco Stop this morning. Basically the same info: If new get the 21w nothing more nothing less. But you can get a 10w for a good price used.
Does the Salvo lights have focusable lenses?
I am still considering making my own.
DIY only if you like that kinda stuff. At least for an HID you won't save much given the cost of ballasts and bulbs. Not sure about LED costs although its hard to get suitable multi-LED focused.
Used 10W HIDs are great starter lights and for ~$350 about the same price as a bunch of new parts for DIY.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
CaptnJack wrote:Used 10W HIDs are great starter lights and for ~$350 about the same price as a bunch of new parts for DIY.
$350.00 is pretty good, haven’t seen one on craigslist ever, any recommendations on where to look?
Scubaboard and the Deco Stop both have well used classified sections. If you post in the "Want to Buy" section of TDS you might find a handful of folks who want to get rid of their HID light.
-Eric
"I used to do this for fun, but now, I do it for nothing" -Not Joshua Smith
$300-400 for a decent working used 10W is roughly the going rate on TDS. You might need to get a 2nd battery for ~$65 on battery space. Avoid niteriders they don't have a great beam focus. Avoid terkels since he doesn't make lights anymore (although Salvo will work on them). Salvo, Diverite, or Halycon can all be had for this price range although for some reason Halycons are on the higher end.
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
I got a Halcyon 10W HID for $200 off Craigs List in January.
Don't spend $60 on a sealed lead acid battery if you or your friends are the least bit handy. Allied Battery in Seattle sold me what I needed to make a new battery for around $30. I could have probably gotten it cheaper if I included it in one of my larger orders of other industrial batterys. Take a look at the chart of powersonic battery sizes at http://www.batterysystems.net/powersonic.htm to find the size you need.
"Just to be clear, doing the Diamond Knot requires at the minimum double IPAs to be DIR." - MattleyCrue
"Mmmm....... Oreos!
They didn't look too good when I was spitting in my mask for dive #2!" - cardiver
