Mailing List Archive

Mailing List: cavers

Message Display

Bill and Maggie,

I have used the Dive Rite HID and it is excellent.  The start up time is only a
second or two.  The light is amazingly bright and very white in color.  The
cost is high but the technology that Dive Rite uses is good.  If you look at
the light head it appears to be a H1 with a built in Goodman Handle.  With a
single section battery it has a very long burn time.  I would recommend this
light if you can afford it.

Nelson Johnson

Bill Wolk wrote:

> On7/23/99 4:59 PM, Maggie Owens wrote:
>
> >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 -
>
> My understanding is that the HID lights are arc lights like most stadium
> and street lights.  That means they don't use a filament that can break
> -- but it also means they take a comparatively long time to heat up and
> start arcing.  (Anyone who's seen street lights or turned on the lights
> at a night ball field or tennis court knows what I mean -- first they
> start humming and light with a very dim glow, then they get a little
> brighter/hotter, then they arc to full intensity.)
>
> You can see the obvious downside: as long as you never turn your canister
> off underwater, you have a bright, electrically efficient light that's
> more shock resistant than filament bulbs.  If you do switch it off --
> either by accident or on purpose -- you can't switch it back on quickly.
> Obviously, with this characteristic, they're not appropriate for
> instructing and this could be a problem in an emergency.
>
> That's all I can think of off the top of my head.  I'm curious to see how
> they fare in real world use.
>
> Best regards --
>
> Bill

Navigate by Author: [Previous] [Next] [Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject: [Previous] [Next] [Subject Search Index]

[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]

[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]