LED torches
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DinghyMan
Well-Known Member
The light output will be nothing like 1600 lumen from a single LED, probably nearer half that and beware of the heat output from the cheaper overdriven lights, some chinese "diving" torches will overheat and burn out when used above water, others will just get very very hot.
I have built a few cheap umbilical dive torches and the light output claims for some of the led modules are just plain silly - I recently built a 5 led head from a module where the manufacturers quote 3600 lumen but you can see others selling exactly the same module in a torch claiming anything up to 7000 lumens. My rule of thumb for chinese kit is to reckon on half to a third of the claimed output but for above water use an 800 - 1000 lumen torch is probably powerful enough, for below water use 1000 - 1800 is plenty but perceived brightness/power depends on beam spread more than anything; my dive torches all have very narrow beam spread as I aim for a tight narrow beam which is required for signalling use rather than a wide floodlight which lights everything up but is useless for signalling. I am currently building a 3 led umbilical with a module that has a manufacturers claimed output of 3600 lumens and with a nice tight beam it looks like a light sabre when its on full power.
A lot of the chinese "diving" torches are barely waterproof and they have a very poor reputation for leaking and failing even when used for shallow less than 30m diving, a proper recreational dive torch is something like a Tektite Expedition LS5 http://www.lumb-bros-das.co.uk/acatalog/Tektite_Range_Of_Torches_And_Strobe_s.html I've used mine on most of my dives for the last 5 years before changing to my umbilical torch and now always carry it as my back up torch.
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