This was my first rechargeable torch. I wanted something with good output that would run for about an hour. This is a dive torch and is therefore built like a pressure vessel.

Features

Light is supplied fitted with its rechargeable battery pack. This is a 7.2V 3800 mAh unit with NiMh cells. These are supposed to resist the problems with battery memory effect that NiCd cells can sometimes suffer from. The pack is supplied as a sealed module and I would think that replacement would have to be from the manufacturer.

The light is supplied in a lightweight black plastic box along with its charger and a lanyard.

Before first use the light must be charged fully. The supplied charger is a fully automatic delta peak detection unit that will fast charge the cells in about 4 Hours. It has a Yellow LED that comes on when you connect the light and this goes out when the torch is fully charged. A small maintenance charge (70 mAh) will then flow until the light is disconnected. In case of an over discharged battery (<0.4V/Cell) the battery charger will supply a moderate leveling charge, when the voltage reaches 0.6V/Cell then the real recharge will begin (800 mA). After charging it is recommended that the light is left open for a further hour. Not sure for the reason for this, perhaps its to let the battery cool down? Strange as Fa&Mi make an optional accessory that replaces the tailcap with a version that allows the torch to be charged without opening the light.

New info 27-07-2003 Thanks Tom for the following:-

When the open-to-charge unit is charged the interior of the light gets quite warm, and the air inside is expanded. If the cap is put on at that time, then as the light interior cools the interior pressure of the light will be a negative pressure (slight vacuum) do to the air contracting. This will reduce the external pressure the light the can withstand before it leaks.

With the charge-with-cap-on option, the same quantity of air is maintained inside and when warm is under pressure and cold it is (probably) neutral. This maintains the water integrity of the light better.

So, it is probably nothing to do with heating/cooling of the light's innards, but more with not closing it hot and creating a vacuum as it cools.

Sounds good to me.

To access the charging connector the rear of the light must be unscrewed. A simple gold plated phono connector is used to connect the charger.

The light is operated from the rear mounted activation ring. The ring is first pulled down on the body of the light to unlock it. Then it is rotated anti clockwise to activate the light. The locking ring is an important safety feature. This is a dive light and as such is supposed to be operated underwater. This gives far better cooling to the light than it will ever get in the normal out of water operation. Thus out of water the light gets hot. It is still perfectly useable but it could start a fire if say it got switched on in your bag.

The switch mechanism is different to most lights as it does not puncture the case of the light in anyway. The rotating ring contains a magnet that activates a reed switch inside the sealed light body. This reed switch is not rated high enough to handle the power for the main bulb of the light, so it in turn switches on a small relay in the head of the light that provides the power to the bulb. So turning on the light results in a small click sound as the relay energizes.

The light output from this torch is simply stunning. A very high colour temperature is given off from the 20Watt bulb. These bulbs were originally developed for use in photographic projectors so hence the very white light (for an incandescent). I think the bulb is slightly overdriven at 6V with a 7.2V battery. But the voltage will drop under load. Must get the multimeter out! Difficult to get to the wires to measure current as its all sealed in the light and battery pack.

The beam is very wide angle and the throw is not that great. This is due to the supplied wide angle reflector. I am trying to obtain the narrower reflector for the light and this will hopefully improve the throw. The light output is reasonably smooth with a pronounced central hotspot. This would probably make it a very good handheld worklight for area illumination.

The light is extremely well made with each part CNC machined from sold
aluminum bar or tube. Each part is then anodized. The writing on the body of the case is laser etched into the anodized finish. As it's a dive light I would hope that the finish is very durable as it has to resist salt water.

OK, now hopefully your interested where can you get one?

UK Dealers

Denney Diving

www.divingdirectshop.co.uk