Though the unit is Italian-made, Effesub tends to out-source its production, which is why I call it a manu-packer rather than a manufacturer.
The lamp is so neat and compact that its anodised aluminium body, 5cm in diameter by 10cm long, fits easily into almost any BC pocket.
You won't get it tangled by its handle, either, because it doesn't have one. The slightly 'waisted' contour reminded me of a little pepper mill. A lanyard is provided.
Don't mistake this for a mere back-up light. I used it as a primary diving light on night dives, and its comfortable, warm-colour beam proved more than adequate.
It's very solidly constructed, too, the sort of lamp you will take pride in owning. It has beautifully machined end closures, and the rear part has a large nut-like design, though no wrench is needed to get it apart.
The high-intensity 3W LED lamps, each with their own built-in reflector, combine to give a very usable beam of light, equivalent to a 30w conventional tungsten bulb.
LED lights offer the advantage of exceedingly long burntimes from one set of batteries.
The rear part unscrews to reveal four AA batteries, mounted in the same chassis that bears the light source at one end and the switch at the other. Double O-rings ensure that only the most careless diver will flood the unit.
The spec sheet told me that an over-pressure valve was fitted to eliminate problems caused by any gas given off by the batteries during continuous use, but I couldn't recognise it.
An oversized capstan-style switch at the rear is easily grabbed hold of, yet by being recessed it is protected from being knocked inadvertently. If you can remember righty-tighty for 'on' and 'lefty-loosey' for 'off', you won't get it wrong.
In case you can't remember, the words'on' and 'off' are inscribed next to it!
The Pharo 330 LED lamp gave a comfortably even beam of light. Its warm colour temperature makes it rather like a lamp with a conventional tungsten bulb. This means that it doesn't penetrate as far through water as some other lamps that provide a distinctly blueish light, but altogether it does a very workmanlike job.
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PRICE £199
BURN-TIME 4.5 hours
EXTRAS None
WEIGHT 0.5kg
DEPTH-RATING 100m
CONTACT www.blandfordsubaqua.co.uk
DIVER GUIDE  
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