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Rob Dobson · 23rd March 2008, 14:17

I currently have 4 good backups and a "cupboard of shame" where a bunch of others are collecting dust.

The most expensive backup I have is a Hesser LED (3C). It is very well made and performs brilliantly but at £110 + p&p I couldn't bring myself to buy another one. It is one of the two back/ups I always have with me.

The other backup I don't jump in without is the Salvo 3C Rat. It has slightly different beam characteristics to the Hesser. It has a distinct focused spot (much like the Hesser) but in addition is has a separate cone spilling out from the central spot. I like using the Rat for things like wreck exit drills where you need to maintain light contact with the diver in front whilst still reading your wrist instruments.

The Hesser goes marginally further than the Rat but I find you have to divert the the whole beam to read your gauges etc.

I also have a Salvo Rat Jnr. which is a brilliant little light and fits easily in my drysuit pocket. It lacks the punch of the other two but puts out a lot of light over a broad area. It's great for reading instruments but not so good for telling the diver in front that you've a problem.

The other backup torch I have but never use these days is the Photon Torpedo LED (1st gen). It's OK but behind the other 3 in terms of performance. It was cheaper than the Hesser and 3C Salvo Rat but more than the Rat Jnr. The newer 2nd Gen LED heads focus better but I have never bothered replacing mine.

The new Frogman lights are supposed to be better but the one I had was pants and fell apart. I think they have fixed the main issues on the new version.

23rd March 2008, 14:17	#10 (permalink)
Rob Dobson New Member Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Oxford Posts: 87	Re: Back Up Torch I currently have 4 good backups and a "cupboard of shame" where a bunch of others are collecting dust. The most expensive backup I have is a Hesser LED (3C). It is very well made and performs brilliantly but at £110 + p&p I couldn't bring myself to buy another one. It is one of the two back/ups I always have with me. The other backup I don't jump in without is the Salvo 3C Rat. It has slightly different beam characteristics to the Hesser. It has a distinct focused spot (much like the Hesser) but in addition is has a separate cone spilling out from the central spot. I like using the Rat for things like wreck exit drills where you need to maintain light contact with the diver in front whilst still reading your wrist instruments. The Hesser goes marginally further than the Rat but I find you have to divert the the whole beam to read your gauges etc. I also have a Salvo Rat Jnr. which is a brilliant little light and fits easily in my drysuit pocket. It lacks the punch of the other two but puts out a lot of light over a broad area. It's great for reading instruments but not so good for telling the diver in front that you've a problem. The other backup torch I have but never use these days is the Photon Torpedo LED (1st gen). It's OK but behind the other 3 in terms of performance. It was cheaper than the Hesser and 3C Salvo Rat but more than the Rat Jnr. The newer 2nd Gen LED heads focus better but I have never bothered replacing mine. The new Frogman lights are supposed to be better but the one I had was pants and fell apart. I think they have fixed the main issues on the new version.
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