<?xml version="1.0"?> <img src="http://www.mby.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2013/08/searchlights_gallery_nordhaven.jpg"><h2>Searchlights gallery</h2><strong>Searchlights - September 2013 issue of Motor Boats Monthly</strong><br>If you cruise after dark there is one item you shouldn't go to sea without - a powerful searchlight. We tested seven to see which one fared best.<br><img src="http://www.mby.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2013/08/unilite47.jpg"><h2>Searchlights gallery</h2><strong>Unilite UK47 Blazer 150m</strong><br>Our bargain basement light is a moulded co-polymer plastic shell that houses a 6V 4R25 battery (from around £2.50, not included), powering a 4.8V replaceable krypton bulb. It can be converted to use a rechargeable battery. <br><br>It has neither non-slip nor a lanyard (the latter an optional extra) but it claims impact resistance to 1m and floats beam-up, weighing in at 704g, including battery.<br><strong>£12</strong><br><br><img src="http://www.mby.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2013/08/unilite47range.jpg"><h2>Searchlights gallery</h2><strong>Unilite UK47 Blazer 150m</strong><br>With a very traditional style, you can hold the handle and operate the on/off switch with your thumb. At 12m the lit diameter was 1.5m, with a beam width of 7.2°, and the exposure time was 10 second the joint lowest on test. <br><br>The narrow beam width helped focus a fairly weak beam to show some illumination on the nearest boat.<br><img src="http://www.mby.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2013/08/seaworld.jpg"><h2>Searchlights gallery</h2><strong>Seaworld</strong><br>This Taiwanese model comes with a cigarette lighter plug on a coiled flex but, as it stretches only 2m, you would need a waterproof 12V outlet at the helm or the bow to use it.<br><strong>£50</strong><br><img src="http://www.mby.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2013/08/seaworldrange.jpg"><h2>Searchlights gallery</h2><strong>Seaworld</strong><br>The 55W H3 halogen bulb is replaceable by releasing the clip and hauling the one-piece rubber moulding down so the reflector comes out. Its operable with one hand but the short flex makes it much less mobile. Its chunky rubber casing means its heavy, at just over 1kg. <br><br>Its disc of light was 2.3m across, so gave a beam width of around 11°, and the exposure time was 3.2 seconds, so it was much brighter than the Unilite. That stronger beam illuminated the nearest boat much more clearly but touched no others.<br><img src="http://www.mby.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2013/08/princetonminiwave.jpg"><h2>Searchlights gallery</h2><strong>Princeton Tec Miniwave II</strong><br>This is a dive light so possibly over-engineered for the job, although there is nothing wrong with durability. It weighs 683g, and comes with a lanyard. It has two power settings; click the rocker switch once for low (10 hours max battery life) and twice for high (four hours max).<br><strong>£71</strong><br><img src="http://www.mby.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2013/08/princetonminiwaverange.jpg"><h2>Searchlights gallery</h2><strong>Princeton Tec Miniwave II</strong><br>Unscrew the lens to remove the reflector and Xenon bulb, pop in four 1.5V LR14 batteries and reassemble, but dont overtighten the O-ring. At 12m its full beam was 2.5m, equating to a beam width of 21.2°, and the exposure time was 10 seconds, suggesting quite a diffused, unfocused beam. <br><br>At range, it softly lit a few boats. Ergonomic but not designed to work at long range.<img src="http://www.mby.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2013/08/aquasignal.jpg"><h2>Searchlights gallery</h2><strong>Aqua Signal Bremen</strong><br>This German searchlight, another 12V-powered unit, is SOLAS wheelmarked for use by lifeboats. It has a 3m coiled flex, longer than the Seaworld but you still probably need a 12V socket at the helm or bow (waterproof plug and socket around £30, not included) to power the 50w halogen bulb. <br><br>Its submersible, rated at IP68, 910g, and has a really grippy rubber casing with the thumb-operated switch above the grip.<br><strong>£123</strong><br><br><img src="http://www.mby.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2013/08/aqyasignalrange.jpg"><h2>Searchlights gallery</h2><strong>Aqua Signal Bremen</strong><br>In our beam width test its lit disc was 2.2m across with a beam width of 10.4° with an exposure time of four seconds, signifying mid-range brightness. The narrower, more concentrated beam with decent power pierced the gloom to illuminate the first boat clearly and two behind it.<img src="http://www.mby.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2013/08/princetonLED.jpg"><h2>Searchlights gallery</h2><strong>Princeton Tec Miniwave LED</strong><br>This LED version of the Miniwave II (another dive light with a lanyard) has three Maxbright LEDs instead of the single Xenon bulb. Insert the same four 1.5V LR14 batteries in the same way, slide back the safety catch, click the trigger once or twice to the right and youll get two power outputs with similar battery lives of four hours (high power) and 10 hours (low power). <br><strong>£149</strong><br><img src="http://www.mby.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2013/08/princetonLEDrange.jpg"><h2>Searchlights gallery</h2><strong>Princeton Tec Miniwave LED</strong><br>A shade lighter than its conventional stablemate, its beam was wider at 5.3m, with a beam width of 24.9°. The light was brighter, with a mid-range exposure time of four seconds. In the range test, theres a cold blue wash just visible on the nearest boat and the two behind but it wasnt a well-lit scene. <br><br><img src="http://www.mby.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2013/08/exposure.jpg"><h2>Searchlights gallery</h2><strong>Exposure Marine X2</strong><br>The X2s 124g anodised aluminium IP67-rated body conceals a fast recharging 12V lithium-ion battery that powers white or red LEDs on three power levels, lasting between one to 13 hours on white, and 3.5-70 hours on red. It comes with a lanyard, magnetic-connection charging holster and nightlight to help you find it. <br><strong>£200</strong><br><img src="http://www.mby.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2013/08/exposurerange.jpg"><h2>Searchlights gallery</h2><strong>Exposure Marine X2</strong><br>In our beam width test, we measured a light disc of 5.3m across, a 24.9° beam, which was the same as the Princeton Tec LED torch, but a shorter exposure time at 2.5 seconds, so the beam is brighter. In the range test, the beam clearly lights the first three boats with a similar arc to the Princeton Tec LED but the X2 is discernably brighter. <br><br>It is worth noting that there will be a new brighter version of this torch released shortly. <br><img src="http://www.mby.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2013/08/tinymonster.jpg"><h2>Searchlights gallery</h2><strong>Nitecore Tiny Monster TM26 Quadray</strong><br>This expensive little monster weighs 605g with four 18650 lithium-ion 3.7V rechargeable batteries or eight CR123 3V disposable batteries (not included in the price). Its anodised aluminium body is rated IPX8, so submersible to 2m. <br><br>Press the two-stage switch to get the first of five output levels from low, like a reading light, to turbo. On full power it burns though the batteries in just 45 minutes. A LED dot matrix screen shows you output mode, brightness, battery voltage, battery life and light temperature.<br><strong>£299</strong><br><img src="http://www.mby.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2013/08/monsterrange.jpg"><h2>Searchlights gallery</h2><strong>Nitecore Tiny Monster TM26 Quadray</strong><br>In our beam width test, we noted a dazzling inner disc (4m diameter) and dimmer outer disc (12m), giving beam widths of 18.8° and 90°. This torch had the shortest exposure time of one second. When it came to the range test, this super torch illuminated several boats across a wide arc.<br><br><img src="http://www.mby.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2013/08/searchlights_greg_on_the_broads.jpg"><h2>Searchlights gallery</h2>Our results clearly favoured the searchlights with their own power source. Those that run off 12v will last all night, but unless you have a socket nearby, they are pointless. The exposure Marine X2 is unbelievably lightweight and floats, but at £200 it isn't cheap. But why go for second best when you could have the ultimate torch, the TinyMonster 26 for £300?<br><br>At the other end of the scale is the Unilite, which at £12 is so cheap that it is something you really should have in a locker.<br> <br><strong>Read the full review in the </strong><a href="http://www.motorboatsmonthly.co.uk/magazine/50194/september-2013">September 2013 issue of Motor Boats Monthly</a>
