Dive Rite 21 HID vs Halcyon 18 HID

[Richard]

Anyone with experience with the new Dive Rite 21 watt HID? Are there any significant benefits of either light over the other?

[Jordan]

Price. Retail for a 21W replacement bulb is $168.

[Rich]

Anyone with experience with the new Dive Rite 21 watt HID? Are there any significant benefits of either light over the other?

Yeah, I just picked one up and I can tell ya that the 21W is a friggin' light saber underwater... while it's a tad on the bulky side (still less bulky than the Halcyon), I love it !!

As a point of reference coming out of the White Room, I pointed it up the Bone Room line and was able to make out the double arrows pointing out the jump to the back of the expressway, now that 's impressive :-D

Anyways, just my O2...

Safe diving,

Rich

[MikeH]

I was told that Welch Allen stopped making the 18w bulbs. I think that's why Dive Rite changed to the 21w. Supposedly Halcon will be doing the same when the 18w bulb supply dries up.

The real question is....are you going to be able to find 18w bulbs in the future? If not, will there be an upgrade for existing Halcyon 18w lights? I've heard that Dive Rite upgrades any 18w to a 21w now if it comes in for service. Maybe somebody from DR will read and confirm or deny this.

Mike

[Al]

Price. Retail for a 21W replacement bulb is $168.

I believe they both use the same bulb.

[Caver95]

Price. Retail for a 21W replacement bulb is $168.

I believe they both use the same bulb.
you gotta watch out for misinformation on these boards. That guy Carrive! doesnt know what he is talking about.

[Jordan]

I was told that Welch Allen stopped making the 18w bulbs. I think that's why Dive Rite changed to the 21w. Supposedly Halcon will be doing the same when the 18w bulb supply dries up.

The real question is....are you going to be able to find 18w bulbs in the future? If not, will there be an upgrade for existing Halcyon 18w lights? I've heard that Dive Rite upgrades any 18w to a 21w now if it comes in for service. Maybe somebody from DR will read and confirm or deny this.

Mike

That is right Mike - Dive Rite doesn't work on 18's anymore - you've got to do the upgrade.

[Jordan]

Price. Retail for a 21W replacement bulb is $168.

I believe they both use the same bulb.
you gotta watch out for misinformation on these boards. That guy Carrive! doesnt know what he is talking about.

A) They are not the same bulbs

B) Nick, You be careful. I could post a dive report for you

[Caver95]

Price. Retail for a 21W replacement bulb is $168.

I believe they both use the same bulb.
you gotta watch out for misinformation on these boards. That guy Carrive! doesnt know what he is talking about.

A) They are not the same bulbs

B) Nick, You be careful. I could post a dive report for you
Would that be my world record setting Threesome at 250ft?

[lonestarfl]

The WA 18w and 21w bulbs are the same, just the ballast is different for the different outputs. DR original 18w was a WA assembly. They have now gone to a 21w bulb and ballast from a different manufacturer which has a different design than the WA...not interrchangable. I had a DR 18w light head, but the ballast went out and I did an exchage for an H1 10w. But I also have a custom made 21w from head from Germany. This head uses a WA assembly and will accept the DR "18w" WA bulbs. I am not sure what Halcion is using for their 18w and 21w heads.
Lee

[DeWayne]

The WA 18w and 21w bulbs are the same, just the ballast is different for the different outputs. DR original 18w was a WA assembly. They have now gone to a 21w bulb and ballast from a different manufacturer which has a different design than the WA...not interrchangable. I had a DR 18w light head, but the ballast went out and I did an exchage for an H1 10w. But I also have a custom made 21w from head from Germany. This head uses a WA assembly and will accept the DR "18w" WA bulbs. I am not sure what Halcion is using for their 18w and 21w heads.
Lee

Thanks for answering my question before I asked it Lee. I understood previously that the WA bulbs were in fact the same with different ballasts, so I was curious if DR had changed suppliers. Do you know who is making the new bulbs and ballasts for them?

[Genesis]

My understanding is that the new DR head components come from the far east (e.g. China) - I do not know the name of the company.

[Al]

The WA 18w and 21w bulbs are the same, just the ballast is different for the different outputs. DR original 18w was a WA assembly. They have now gone to a 21w bulb and ballast from a different manufacturer which has a different design than the WA...not interrchangable.

Thanks Lee, I was not aware of the change in manufacturer.