Bonnie J. Cardone

You've heard of a pocket full of miracleswell, how about a pocket full of light? That's what you get when you buy an Ikelite PC or PCa Lite. The "P" stands for Pocket and both lights will fit easily into most BC pockets. The PC is six inches long, two and a half inches in diameter and weighs 1.1 pounds in air with batteries; the PCa is four inches long, two and half inches in diameter and weighs .6 pounds in air with batteries.

Both lights have high intensity, concentrated spot beams. The PC is powered by four alkaline C cells and has a burn time of three to four hours with fresh batteries; its five volt halogen bulb has a ten hour life and a beam intensity of 7.5 watts.

The PCa is powered by six alkaline AA cells and has a burn time of one and a half to two hours with fresh batteries; its 7.2 volt halogen bulb has a 20 hour life and a beam intensity of 7.2 watts.

Besides being compact and bright, the PC Lites have an unusual design, as you can see from the photo. The lens assembly separates from the battery compartment for easy access to the batteries. Simply unlock and slide the black snap ring up and the lens assembly will come off. Replace the batteries and the light goes back together as easily as it came apart.

Have you ever gotten to your dive destination and then discovered your light had been turned on accidentally and its batteries were completely dead? To eliminate accidental turn-ons that run down batteries, Ikelite added a lock to the PC Lites' on/off switch two years ago.

According to Ikelite literature, the PC Lites' spot beams are ideal for day use in clear water (you'll be able to see into all the nooks and crannies and see the true colours of everything) and for checking gauges and camera settings in any conditions.

As accessories, Ikelite offers a 5.2 volt low intensity halogen bulb for the PC Lite, which provides a six hour burn time with fresh batteries and has a 20 hour life. This bulb should be substituted for the high heat, high intensity five volt bulb if you intend to use your PC Lite topside for more than a few minutes. Also available for both the PC and the PCa Lites is a breakaway wrist lanyard.

The PC Lites are slightly negative underwater so they won't float if you drop them or set them down. They are depth rated to 300 feet and their high impact polymer housings are available in black, blue, clear, lime green, pink and yellow. The lights come with batteries, so they are ready to use when you buy them.

For more information contact Ikelite Underwater Systems, 50 West 33rd Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46208; (317) 923-4523. You can also visit the web site at www.ikelite.com.