The DIY LED diving lamps
My DIY projects
My first diving light is now accompanied by some new diving lamps that are based on more modern LED emitters, that are developing very quickly at the moment. Here are increases achieved in light efficiency of amazing 100-200%! That means more energy in form of electricity is converted into light instead of warmth. This develovment has not ended yet - moreover there are more increases in efficiency coming soon and till now all other bulb typs are left behind - more or less. That becomes clear with a look at the bulb techniques specified futher down. Even the neon tube with its high 70-90 lumes per watt lightoutput is now overhauled.
Because of this reason I builded a new tank LED light and a small backup lamp (project 3). The tank divelight is documentated as project 2 and it is much more complex in comparison to the first nine K2 Luxeon based project 1. But it gives much, much more light out of a smaller form factor and it plays thereby in the upper HID >30W league. It is a diving light for people who are seeking for a lamp without compromises - more than enough light without the HID disadvantages like a fragile bulb and its short lifetime. Having a look at the LED diving light market you can think it is impossible to build something with more than 4 x 3W and LED is only suitable for night dives - this lamp proves the opposite with 4 x 15W = 60W real LED power with over 3.200-4.000 lumen lightoutput! It´s like night and day.
What does this technology step mean for diving lights? Well, efficiency is desirable but it´s not all that counts. The most important thing is what comes out of a lamp in front of it and what I want from my diving light. Therefore surely all other bulb typs have their right for existence...still.
Further on you can read details of my lamp projects and general information & tips for dive lamp builders:
project 1
9 emitter Luxeon K2 main divinglamp with 10Ah / 5-7h burntime (german)
project 2
4 emitter OSRAM OSTAR main divinglamp with 20Ah accutank/ 5h burntime
project 3
Cree backup with 3 to over 30 hours burntime ((german)
project 4 
Fenix P1D as instrument light (german)
General tips for bulding diving lamps (with led in particular)
Perhaps you´re already builing your own diving lamp or just looking for some tips to do so. The following links are dealing with DIY diving lamps in generaly and give you some tips regarding bulb technic and working with leds. For futher questions there is my little forum online where you can ask questions or diskuss DIY issues with other lamp buliders.
Bulb technic (german)
Lux, Lumen & Candela (german)
Building diving lamps with LEDs - tips & tricks (german)
The new OSTAR 1000 lumen from OSRAM (german)
My articles for the german Dive-Inside online magazine
The article is in PDF format cause its a cut off from the DIVE INSIDE 01/2008 of the taucher.net, where it was published. It is written from me and Harald Apelt (german only).
article about (OSTAR) LED and accu thechnologie
In the DIVE-INSIDE 5/2008 there was a bigger article about testing LED diving lamps. You can download it in german
lamptest backuplamps 5/2008
lamptest Mainlamps 5/2008
lamptest highend-lamps 5/2008
Any futher question regarding DIY lamps or my projects ? Go to my forum (english, too): >click me<
