The Oceanex Secret: LEDs and Test Tube
LED and test tube design are the future standard for technical diving lamps.
Superior performance for cave and wreck divers.
In recent decades, various lighting devices have been in competition with each other in the diving scene.
Halogen bulbs, although dim, were popular due to their robustness, while HID gas discharge lamps were used due to their brightness but were prone to failure.
LED technology has gradually become established and is now the first choice of lighting.
At Oceanex we are convinced that modern LED systems combined with the proven test tube design represent the future of diving lights, especially for technical divers.
Advantages of the test tube design
The test tube design not only enables precise focusing and defocusing, but also offers many other advantages:
The Oceanex burner in test tube design impresses with
outstanding light output.
Higher light output
Thanks to the hemispherical and barrel-shaped construction, the wall thicknesses can be made significantly thinner, which extremely minimizes power losses.
At Oceanex we use test tubes made of shatter-proof borosilicate glass , the same type of glass that will be used as heat protection on the space shuttle, with a wall thickness of less than 3 mm. A comparable flat windshield with a reflector diameter of 75 mm would require a glass thickness of 15-18 mm.
The light loss with flat panes is up to 20% or more. If these panes are made of plastic, such as polycarbonate, the loss is even greater, and they also become heavily scratched over time. Extreme performance losses are the result.
This is one of the reasons why Oceanex systems have one of the highest light outputs for main lamps worldwide, with up to 125,000 lux, and why competitor dive lamps perform comparatively poorly, even with nominally similar LED outputs.
Reduced sealing surfaces:
Compared to designs with front windows, the test tube design significantly reduces the number of sealing surfaces and the pressurized space in the lamp head. This is particularly advantageous given the high demands placed on technical divers, especially cave and wreck divers.
Redundancy and flexibility:
The test tube design makes it possible to carry a redundant burner. If a burner fails, it can be easily replaced underwater in a few seconds without interrupting the dive. This offers a decisive advantage over completely closed lamp heads, especially on demanding dives in caves and wrecks, where reliability and flexibility are essential. This technology also allows the Oceanex lamps to be easily updated should even more powerful LEDs be developed in the future. An upgrade is then comparatively quick and easy to carry out.
Fig.: electric diving lamp from Encyclopædia Britannica 1911 .
Left with reflector, right without.
Robustness and Tradition
Test tubes are a proven technology that was first used around 1900 and later by pioneers such as Jean-Jacques Cousteau and Hans Hass .
When developing Oceanex products, we attach great importance to using these proven methods as inspiration and combining them with modern manufacturing techniques. The idea of the pioneers in diving lamp construction was as simple as it was ingenious; we have translated the principle into the present day and developed it further.
An open system is a little more maintenance-intensive because the reflector is exposed, but at OCEANEX we have used this potential shortcoming to our advantage through precise manufacturing and high-quality materials, because the reflector can be replaced underwater with just one move, for example with another reflector with completely different light characteristics. And if the reflector has scratches after a few years, we can provide it as a cheap spare part and you can replace it yourself in seconds.
Why LED technology is already unrivaled.
LED technology has made breathtaking progress in recent years and is now the lighting of choice for technical divers.
The previous challenges, such as the power limit in lumens/watt, the amount of light emitted per mm², the heat generation and the spectral composition, have been successfully overcome.
Although the range of LEDs in the required performance class is still manageable, there are developers who build outstanding LEDs.
The development is not yet complete here, which is why we at Oceanex are working closely with probably the best LED developer in the world: CREE LED from the USA, who develop industry-leading technologies and groundbreaking solutions for our diving lamps . This means that in the future we will also be among the first to be able to offer even more powerful LEDs as an update to existing Oceanex lamp systems.
performance
Modern LEDs now achieve high light output while generating less heat. This was a decisive factor in establishing LEDs as the main light source for diving lamps, especially for dives in challenging environments such as caves and wrecks or under extreme pressure conditions.
Focusing and light quality
Thanks to newer LED generations and Oceanex's special technical solutions, it is now possible to create a focused light beam with a narrow beam angle of 4-6 degrees. This was not possible with previous LED technologies and represents a decisive advance.
durability and stability
High-performance LEDs have a lifespan of up to 50,000 hours and offer high electronic stability. Efficiencies of 97-98% are standard today, matching and even exceeding the efficiency of HID lamps.
spectral composition
Special LEDs now offer an improved spectral distribution that ensures excellent light quality even in clear, dark water. The development towards LEDs with a balanced ratio of cool white light and a sufficient presence in the green-yellow-red range has eliminated the previous advantage of HID lamps.
The Oceanex Morph lighting system operates at 5,500 Kelvin and a balanced and optimized spectral distribution for underwater use.
tl;dr
LED technology has established itself as the lighting source of choice for the future. At Oceanex, we are convinced that within the next five years, all other lighting sources will be replaced by LEDs.
In combination with the test tube design, Oceanex is already developing the lighting systems that set the standard for the future.
The Oceanex team of experts will be happy to assist you with any further information or enquiries.
