Green Force Lights

JS1scuba · January 3rd, 2006, 07:45 AM

Greetings,

I've been using the GF Flex II with 10watt HID for about 6 mos now. I find it indestructable for hard core wreck diving etc. We sell Green Force lights but not a lot of them and I wanted to get some input from some folks here as to what they think of them if they are current users of them. If you are not a current user but looked at them and chose another light I would like to hear those comments as well.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Cheers

davy · January 3rd, 2006, 10:28 AM

I used one when they first came out with the HID lighthead.

First I got an arrow 12 with 10W HID.
The provided goodmann handle is way to bulky and defeats it's purpose.
But luckily, the diameter of the 10W HID lighthead is approx. the same as a European tank neck, so you can easily fit a "tank carrier" handle on the lighthead which works extremely well and is dirt cheap. :D

The NiMH charger was very good.

Back then (3 years ago?) my light had startup problems in cold weather

When my arrow 12 leaked at the canister's OPV I bought a Flexi 2 (4.5Ah) which was great to mount DIR style and a big improvement.
Unfortunately that one also leaked through the OPV within a year, and because you don't open the battery pack to charge it you don't notice the oxidation until it spills through the charge plug... (however you can unscrew the canister to get to the battery pack, but who does that when it's not routine or necessary?)
That's when I got rid of it.

The 10W HID was also pretty fragile. especially to lateral impact... a short drop of 10cm. could break the bulb.

Lately the also provide a 6 degree 10W HID bulb which seems very nice.

What I like about them:

- general build quality is good
- no switch (it's twist on like a BU light) so GUE instructors don't turn your light of :p
- good charger
- modular system
- good customer service

what I didn't like about them:

- to many connection points (O-rings)
- enclosed battery pack with to many O-rings (OPV, lid, cable connection)
- price is up to par with halcyon/salvo (Over here that is)
- too complex, you can't really field service it... although you could buy spare parts and just swap out the bad modular parts.

just my 2 cents...

Rob Dobson · January 3rd, 2006, 01:07 PM

When I was looking for a cannister torch I had a long hard look at Greenforce, Custom Divers and OMS. The modular nature of the Greenforce and the price meant that it was easily the best of the 3.

The reason I didn't go for one in the end was I dived alongside a couple of Salvo's and that changed everything. I now own an 18W Salvo and I'm *very* happy with it.

However if Salvo's didn't exist I'd want a Greenforce - something along the lines of a D12 with a Impact 100 (30W HiD) & Tristar 15 (LED) heads.

vid · January 3rd, 2006, 01:58 PM

i have a tristar 15 plus, but also had a tristar 15 head for the first six months of last year - with F2 and F3 battery packs
found the build quality very good - none of the problems suggested above
the 15 plus is brighter than the 15, although you lose beam width- but this does make a good UK wreck torch

vid

**godivingbelgium** · January 3rd, 2006, 06:49 PM

I used to have one too: first a AA12 (the short thick one) and later, a F-II with a 50w HID.
Agreeing with david on the strengths & weaknesses, I only want to add that I really didn't like the fixed focus of 12° (I think it was), which was too wide for efficient light communications.

Today I use a Salvo light, which meets up to most of the weak points of the Greenforce.

Danny · January 3rd, 2006, 07:26 PM

My first light was an Arrow A12 with the std 12 lighthead.
Now I'm diving with the Flexi II and the HID 50 pro ,The lighthead is super !!
The HID 50 has a nice white focused beam.
But I'm going to sell everything and buy me a Salvo light .

JS1scuba · January 3rd, 2006, 07:28 PM

Quote: (Originally Posted by Danny)

My first light was an Arrow A12 with the std 12 lighthead.
Now I'm diving with the Flexi II and the HID 50 pro ,The lighthead is super !!
The HID 50 has a nice white focused beam.
But I'm going to sell everything and buy me a Salvo light .

Out of curiosity ... why ?

JDS

Danny · January 3rd, 2006, 07:51 PM

With the battery I'm now using I've got 3 hours of Light but I'm starting this year with cave diving so I like to have more than 3 hours of light.
And I like to buy new stuff :D

davy · January 4th, 2006, 10:45 AM

Danny, It's worth mentioning you have the 6 degree beam on your light head which is indeed very nice...
The older 12 degree was OK in bad viz, but was not enough in very good viz or during the day in the shallows

January 3rd, 2006, 07:45 AM	#1 (permalink)
JS1scuba(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Arizona, USA Posts: 82	Green Force Lights Greetings, I've been using the GF Flex II with 10watt HID for about 6 mos now. I find it indestructable for hard core wreck diving etc. We sell Green Force lights but not a lot of them and I wanted to get some input from some folks here as to what they think of them if they are current users of them. If you are not a current user but looked at them and chose another light I would like to hear those comments as well. Thanks in advance for your help. Cheers __________________ Joel Silverstein, VP, COO www.techdivinglimited.com a division of Scuba Training and Technology Inc. NAUTILUS DIVE PLANNER CYLINDER SPEC CHART

January 3rd, 2006, 06:49 PM	#5 (permalink)
godivingbelgium(Offline) Supporting Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Erpe, Belgium Posts: 25	I used to have one too: first a AA12 (the short thick one) and later, a F-II with a 50w HID. Agreeing with david on the strengths & weaknesses, I only want to add that I really didn't like the fixed focus of 12° (I think it was), which was too wide for efficient light communications. Today I use a Salvo light, which meets up to most of the weak points of the Greenforce. __________________ Winnie DIR-equipment in Belgium: Halcyon, Salvo Diving, Dir-Zone Info & webshop: www.godivingbelgium.be

January 3rd, 2006, 07:26 PM	#6 (permalink)
Danny(Offline) New Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Belgium Posts: 77	My first light was an Arrow A12 with the std 12 lighthead. Now I'm diving with the Flexi II and the HID 50 pro ,The lighthead is super !! The HID 50 has a nice white focused beam. But I'm going to sell everything and buy me a Salvo light . __________________ There's more to life than scuba diving ,let me know when you find it !!!

January 3rd, 2006, 07:28 PM	#7 (permalink)
JS1scuba(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Arizona, USA Posts: 82	Quote: (Originally Posted by Danny) My first light was an Arrow A12 with the std 12 lighthead. Now I'm diving with the Flexi II and the HID 50 pro ,The lighthead is super !! The HID 50 has a nice white focused beam. But I'm going to sell everything and buy me a Salvo light . Out of curiosity ... why ? JDS __________________ Joel Silverstein, VP, COO www.techdivinglimited.com a division of Scuba Training and Technology Inc. NAUTILUS DIVE PLANNER CYLINDER SPEC CHART

January 3rd, 2006, 07:51 PM	#8 (permalink)
Danny(Offline) New Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Belgium Posts: 77	With the battery I'm now using I've got 3 hours of Light but I'm starting this year with cave diving so I like to have more than 3 hours of light. And I like to buy new stuff :D __________________ There's more to life than scuba diving ,let me know when you find it !!!

January 3rd, 2006, 10:28 AM	#2 (permalink)
davy(Offline) DIveR Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Belgium Posts: 275	I used one when they first came out with the HID lighthead. First I got an arrow 12 with 10W HID. The provided goodmann handle is way to bulky and defeats it's purpose. But luckily, the diameter of the 10W HID lighthead is approx. the same as a European tank neck, so you can easily fit a "tank carrier" handle on the lighthead which works extremely well and is dirt cheap. :D The NiMH charger was very good. Back then (3 years ago?) my light had startup problems in cold weather When my arrow 12 leaked at the canister's OPV I bought a Flexi 2 (4.5Ah) which was great to mount DIR style and a big improvement. Unfortunately that one also leaked through the OPV within a year, and because you don't open the battery pack to charge it you don't notice the oxidation until it spills through the charge plug... (however you can unscrew the canister to get to the battery pack, but who does that when it's not routine or necessary?) That's when I got rid of it. The 10W HID was also pretty fragile. especially to lateral impact... a short drop of 10cm. could break the bulb. Lately the also provide a 6 degree 10W HID bulb which seems very nice. What I like about them: - general build quality is good - no switch (it's twist on like a BU light) so GUE instructors don't turn your light of :p - good charger - modular system - good customer service what I didn't like about them: - to many connection points (O-rings) - enclosed battery pack with to many O-rings (OPV, lid, cable connection) - price is up to par with halcyon/salvo (Over here that is) - too complex, you can't really field service it... although you could buy spare parts and just swap out the bad modular parts. just my 2 cents...

January 3rd, 2006, 01:07 PM	#3 (permalink)
Rob Dobson(Offline) Chillin' with the ninjas Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Oxford Posts: 536	When I was looking for a cannister torch I had a long hard look at Greenforce, Custom Divers and OMS. The modular nature of the Greenforce and the price meant that it was easily the best of the 3. The reason I didn't go for one in the end was I dived alongside a couple of Salvo's and that changed everything. I now own an 18W Salvo and I'm very happy with it. However if Salvo's didn't exist I'd want a Greenforce - something along the lines of a D12 with a Impact 100 (30W HiD) & Tristar 15 (LED) heads.

January 3rd, 2006, 01:58 PM	#4 (permalink)
vid(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: london/surrey border, UK Posts: 353	i have a tristar 15 plus, but also had a tristar 15 head for the first six months of last year - with F2 and F3 battery packs found the build quality very good - none of the problems suggested above the 15 plus is brighter than the 15, although you lose beam width- but this does make a good UK wreck torch vid

January 4th, 2006, 10:45 AM	#9 (permalink)
davy(Offline) DIveR Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Belgium Posts: 275	Danny, It's worth mentioning you have the 6 degree beam on your light head which is indeed very nice... The older 12 degree was OK in bad viz, but was not enough in very good viz or during the day in the shallows