Naturally, the more survey responses the better, so if you would like to add your experiences, please copy the template, add your own comments and then email it to:
| Name: | Pete
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| Brand: | Underwater Kinetics
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| Model: | C8 eLED
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| Price: | Paid US $75 on Leisure Pro on 2005, now it's US $99 at same store ;-)
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| Primary or backup: | Primary
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| Battery Type: | C cells
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| Number of Batteries: | 8
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| Dives used: | ~100
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| Pros: | Bright, batteries last very long, have to get used to pistol type torch handle
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| Cons: | Not bright next to Chris' Alpha ;-(
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| Would you buy another one: | Yes
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| Weblink: | http://www.uwkinetics.com/products/detail.php?ProductID=82&cat=6
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| Other comment: | Replaced strap with a clip for easier attachment to BCD D-rings.
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| Name: | Pete
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| Brand: | Princeton Tec
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| Model: | Impact XL
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| Price: | US $28 at Leisure Pro
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| Primary or backup: | Backup
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| Battery Type: | AA
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| Number of Batteries: | 4
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| Dives used: | ~20 (?)
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| Pros: | Bright, tough, very long lasting batteries.
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| Cons: | None yet.
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| Would you buy another one: | Yes
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| Weblink: | http://www.princetontec.com/products/index.php?id=21&type=0&use=2
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| Other comment: | Was a replacement for my old backup which was a Princeton Tex Impact (not LED) I had for 5 years and used extensively.
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| Name: | Alison and Chris
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| Brand: | Pelican Products
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| Model: | Super Sabrelite
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| Price: | Not sure, bought about 10 years ago
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| Primary or backup: | Backup, but have used as a primary on night shore dives under jetties!
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| Battery Type: | C
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| Number of Batteries: | 3
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| Dives used: | 50 odd? Usually lives in my pocket.
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| Pros: | Good price at the time, never flooded and dropped plenty of times, fits in my side pocket okay and easy to grab onto with gloves.
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| Cons: | Outdated chunky halogen, some corroding despite never flooding
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| Would you buy another one: | No - would rather have a newer model LED
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| Weblink: | http://pelican.divemar.com/docs/sabrelite.html
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| Other comment: |
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| Name: | Arwen
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| Brand: | Oceanic
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| Model: | Princeton LED
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| Price: | $99
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| Primary or backup: | Backup
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| Battery Type: | AA
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| Number of Batteries: | 4
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| Dives used: | 20
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| Pros: | Very good back up torch and great for looking in those nooks and crannies. Gives a good white light. Light weight and very sturdy.
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| Cons: | The beam is a bit narrow.
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| Would you buy another one: | Absolutely!
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| Weblink: | http://www.oceanicworldwide.com/indexmain.cfm
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| Other comment: |
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| Name: | Chris
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| Brand: | Alpha
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| Model: | 2000
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| Price: | Around $450 RSP, $200 off EBay
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| Primary or backup: | Primary - Canister style.
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| Battery Type: | Rechargeable, originally lead acid, then LI-PO, then back to lead acid
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| Number of Batteries: | 1
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| Dives used: | Around 100
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| Pros: | Very good light output. Never flooded. Original battery gives about 1 hour good light with standard lamp. Canister style means you mount the torch on your waistbelt or tank, and just carry the light head. I fiddled too much with mine, and put a fancy battery pack and HID head in it. Cried when I flooded it. Back to standard now!
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| Cons: | Heavy. Need to watch wear and tear on o-ring - no problems so far, but it looks a bit iffy.
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| Would you buy another one: | Yes.
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| Weblink: | http://www.alphadiving.com/lights.html
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| Other comment: |
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| Name: | Tom
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| Brand: | Technisub
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| Model: | Lumen 6
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| Price: | Around $100 RRP from memory
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| Primary or backup: | Primary.
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| Battery Type: | C cells
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| Number of Batteries: | 6
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| Dives used: | About 80
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| Pros: | Good grip, and lanyard, excellent weight (for my taste). Fits into BCD pocket. Never flooded
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| Cons: | Nil.
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| Would you buy another one: |
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| Weblink: | http://www.technisub.com/eng/lampade/lumenx4x6.htm
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| Other comment: |
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| Name: | Anita
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| Brand: | Underwater Kinetics
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| Model: | SL4
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| Price: | $99 RSP
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| Primary or backup: | Primary
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| Battery Type: | C Cell
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| Number of Batteries: | 4
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| Dives used: | around 50
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| Pros: | Compact, never flooded. Yellow.
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| Cons: | Not a huge amount of light, but adequate
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| Would you buy another one: | Yes.
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| Weblink: | http://www.uwkinetics.com/products/detail.php?ProductID=8&cat=6
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| Other comment: | Excellent compact torch
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| Name: | Chris
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| Brand: | Underwater Kinetics
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| Model: | Sunlight SL4
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| Price: | Around $99 RRP, won one as a prize, various freebies.
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| Primary or backup: | Back-up, but have used as a primary.
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| Battery Type: | C cells
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| Number of Batteries: | 4
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| Dives used: | ~100
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| Pros: | I like this torch. It is small and rugged, with reasonable light output. Flooded it when getting grit into the O-ring on Musgrave
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| Cons: | Tight beam - good for backup, bad for primary.
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| Would you buy another one: | Yes, but I think I have about three of them lying around.
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| Weblink: | http://www.uwkinetics.com/products/detail.php?ProductID=8&cat=6
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| Other comment: |
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| Name: | Jen
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| Brand: | Technisub
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| Model: | Lumen 4
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| Price: | ~$80
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| Primary or backup: | Primary
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| Battery Type: | C size
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| Number of Batteries: | 4
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| Dives used: | 300 (night dives, caves etc. as well as every dive I go on to check out the colour of nudis!).
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| Pros: | Lots! so here we go....never flooded, beam is not as narrow as the SL4, strap doesn't have any corrosive parts- all plastic and doesn't even look like its fading etc, lockable switch- prevents you from turning it on accidentally, comfortable grip shape- means you can grip it easily and turn it on and off with just your thumb (even with small hands).
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| Cons: | It may be difficult to operate the switch if you wear gloves
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| Would you buy another one: | Yup but I probably won't need to for a long time yet :)
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| Weblink: | No longer made? Replaced by the Lumen X4
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| Other comment: |
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| Name: | Chris
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| Brand: | Underwater Kinetics
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| Model: | UK Q40
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| Price: | Around $80 RRP, got mine thrown in with some other purchase.
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| Primary or backup: | Back-up, but have used as a primary.
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| Battery Type: | AA cells
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| Number of Batteries: | 4
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| Dives used: | ~250
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| Pros: | I like this torch. It is small and rugged, with reasonable light output. Have had mine flooded by other people, but not myself. Be careful with the contacts - has a tendency to turn itself on when at depth.
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| Cons: | Tight beam - good for backup, bad for primary.
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| Would you buy another one: | Yes, but I think I have about two of them lying around.
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| Weblink: | http://www.uwkinetics.com/products/detail.php?ProductID=3&cat=6
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| Other comment: |
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| Name: | Charlie
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| Brand: | Underwater Kinetics
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| Model: | Sunlight SL4
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| Price: | Around $99 RSP, $50 of Ebay
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| Primary or backup: | Back-up, but have used as a primary.
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| Battery Type: | C cells
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| Number of Batteries: | 4
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| Dives used: | Around 200
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| Pros: | I like this torch. It is small and rugged, with reasonable light output. Never flooded.
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| Cons: | Bit of a too tight beam. Contacts corroded although it never flooded!? Need to watch wear and tear on lanyard provided
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| Would you buy another one: | Yes, I am now on my second one now.
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| Weblink: | http://www.uwkinetics.com/products/detail.php?ProductID=8&cat=6
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| Other comment: |
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| Name: | Charlie
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| Brand: | Underwater Kinetics
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| Model: | UKD8
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| Price: | Around $300 RSP
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| Primary or backup: | Primary - hand held.
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| Battery Type: | D cells
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| Number of Batteries: | 8
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| Dives used: | Around 50
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| Pros: | Good light output. Never flooded.
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| Cons: | Heavy. Replacing 8 D cells is expensive - Better to buy rechargeable batteries for this beast. Pretty solid construction, but will crack if you drop on a concrete footpath. Need to watch wear and tear on lanyard provided.
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| Would you buy another one: | I bought a second one (cheap in Hong Kong) after my footpath episode, but I would not buy a third - with hindsight, it is too heavy and too expensive to operate.
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| Weblink: | http://www.uwkinetics.com/products/detail.php?ProductID=28&cat=6
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| Other comment: |
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| Name: | Charlie
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| Brand: | Alpha
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| Model: | 2000
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| Price: | Around $450 RSP, $250 off Ebay
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| Primary or backup: | Primary - Canister style.
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| Battery Type: | Rechargeable
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| Number of Batteries: | One very heavy battery
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| Dives used: | Around 50
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| Pros: | Very good light output. Never flooded. Recharges overnight, then gives 1 hour battery life. Canister style means you mount the torch on your waistbelt or tank, and just carry the light head.
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| Cons: | Heavy. Need to watch wear and tear on o-ring - no problems so far, but I it looks a bit iffy.
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| Would you buy another one: | Yes.
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| Weblink: | http://www.alphadiving.com/lights.html
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| Other comment: |
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| Name: | Charlie
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| Brand: | Fantasea
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| Model: | Frogman LED
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| Price: | Around $79 RSP, $50 second-hand
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| Primary or backup: | Back-up
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| Battery Type: | AA cells
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| Number of Batteries: | 4
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| Dives used: | Around 50
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| Pros: | I like this torch. It is small and rugged, with reasonable light output. Never flooded. LED gives 'white' light which is perfect for correctly identifying the real colours of nudis.
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| Cons: | None.
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| Would you buy another one: | Yes.
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| Weblink: | http://www.fantasea.com/product_details.asp?id=86
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| Other comment: |
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| Name: | Kim
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| Brand: | Underwater Kinetics
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| Model: | Sunlight SL4
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| Price: | $100
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| Primary or backup: | primary (for me)
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| Battery Type: | C Cell
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| Number of Batteries: | 4
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| Dives used: | ~300
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| Pros: | reliable, compact enough to fit in a BC pocket, solid switch mechanism that doesn't turn on accidentally, never flooded
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| Cons: | lanyard eventually gets tatty/frayed, spring in plastic toggle on lanyard eventually corroded through, batteries can be a bit fiddly to install
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| Would you buy another one: | Yes
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| Weblink: | http://www.uwkinetics.com/products/detail.php?ProductID=8&cat=6
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| Other comment: |
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| Name: | Bill
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| Brand: | Ikelite
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| Model: | PC Light
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| Price: | One of the cheaper torches
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| Primary or backup: | Primary
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| Battery Type: | C cells
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| Number of Batteries: | 4
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| Dives used: | Lots of caves and a few night dives
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| Pros: | Good tough torch - good on/off switch - no dynamic o-ring!
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| Cons: | I don't have c-cell recharger. Torches that take AAs would be better for recharging
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| Would you buy another one: | Yes - definitely
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| Weblink: | http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/3pc_all.html
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| Other comment: | Get one. Get one now. You can get them at the Scuba store I think.
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