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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------5C2FB01C026B40D1F5C8E30E Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit --------------5C2FB01C026B40D1F5C8E30E Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 Message-ID: <379D1A82.DAECA3B3@al*.ne*> Date: Mon, 26 Jul 1999 22:33:39 -0400 From: Lee Gibson and Lucy Bonilla <lonestar@al*.ne*> X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.5 [en] (Win95; U) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: "cavers@geek.com" <cavers@geek.com> Subject: [Fwd: HID Lights] Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="------------0ACC798D854384D708D61A8A" This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------0ACC798D854384D708D61A8A Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit --------------0ACC798D854384D708D61A8A Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 Message-ID: <379A48D8.60C29427@al*.ne*> Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1999 19:14:32 -0400 From: Lee Gibson and Lucy Bonilla <lonestar@al*.ne*> X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.5 [en] (Win95; U) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Maggie Owens <mmowens@pa*.co*> Subject: Re: HID Lights References: <4.2.0.58.19990723163259.01fa3610@po*.pa*.co*> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Maggie, I have one of the 17w Dive Rite HID lights. It is much brighter than the 50w halogen and gives a 3 hour burn on a "single" pack. Both of these features are big improvements over the halogen bulb. Now the down side... the bulbs are expensive, $100-150 each. In order for an HID to work, it has to have a ballast to "jump" the voltage to initiate the arc at start up. The ballast is BULB SPECIFIC. Once you pick the bulb wattage you are going to use, you must stick with it unless you change the ballast too. As the bulb wattage goes up the ballast increase in size. So, with the Dive Rite light only the 17w and the 24w are availible because larger wattage ballast won't fit inside the canister. The 17w is perfered over the 24w as it has a longer burn time and has a higher "temperature" light...6700K vs 4200k but both of these are double to triple the halogen bulb values. Now to the cord itself. It is limited to 27" in length to prevent too much voltage drop between the ballast and the bulb. That is why on some of the competitors HID lights the ballast is mounted on the light handle...no voltage drop or ballast size limits, some even use a 50w bulb. But then, you have to carry the "brick" in your hand the whole dive. Lastly a trait common to all HID lights is reset time. Once an HID light is turned on to full brightness and then gets turned off, it takes 3-5 minutes for the ballast to reset for another start up to occur. That means that if on a dive your light accidentally gets turned off you will need a handy alternate source for the next 5 minutes. Only you can decide if this tool is right for the dives you have planned. Lee Gibson Maggie Owens wrote: > Dear List, > > I am considering upgrading one of my two Dive Rite MLS lights to the new > Dive Rite HID light. Let me say first that I KNOW that an EE light is > preferable (and I plan to get one at some point in the future), but I am > seduced by the idea of using a light that is as small as the one I have > now, but has a longer burn time with a brighter bulb. Let me also say that > I don't know much at all (that would be, I really know nothing) about this > technology, which is why I'm posting this question. (So please be gentle!) > > What I am wondering is > (1) are HID lights really all they are cracked up to be? and > (2) Is there something about them that makes them *NOT* DIR, and if so, > what is it and why? > > Thanks in advance. > > ---------- > Maggie, who seems to be a northeast-wreck-diving-geek and boat monkee > mmowens@pa*.co* > http://www.panix.com/~mmowens --------------0ACC798D854384D708D61A8A-- --------------5C2FB01C026B40D1F5C8E30E--
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