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TillyTec W40 - backup (?) dive torch (!)

TillyTec is based in Rastow, Germany and was started by Tilly Thomas according to what I could find. It is one of those small companies who specialize on one thing, and on doing that one thing better than most. TillyTec produces leading technology dive lamps based on modern LED technology.

Amongst the wide selection of models available, my first TillyTec lamp purchased is the TillyTec W40 - it is being marked as a "backup lamp" - the only reason being, I suspect , is because every other model is even more powerful. The W40 is the follow-up model to the W30 launched in 2007*, which featured approx. 11,200 Lux light output, which again was a follow-up to the earlier W20 outputting around 5,000-8,000 Lux back in the old days. Tilly has been doing dive lamps for a while.

A funny episode (and a clever marketing counter!) happened with the earlier W30 model: A Chinese made copy of the W30 hit the markets and was discussed on a German dive forum site. Instead of Tilly trying to denounce this in any way, he went ahead and reportedly bought 200 units to test them for himself and then replied in the same well-known German divers forum, offering anyone who wanted to buy a flickering Chinese copy light with lower output first, that he/she could upgrade to a "real" TillyTec W30 by paying the difference :-)

That's how you effectively take the wind out of your competitors sails - well done Tilly!

In any case, this company is serious about quality, and personally I'd never compromise on an item like a backup torch. Today, I therefore purchased a W40 (without even looking around if the Chinese copycats had gotten around to faking this one already or not).

By the way - there are two small companies in Germany which are "friendly competitors" (I say, without knowing either of them personally), and both deliver absolutely amazing quality products when it comes to dive torches - mbSub and TillyTec. As I said, I just got my first TillyTec (the W40), and after playing with it on land, I am already blown away by the amount of light that can be produced by three AA batteries (Mignon) and one LED these days. Check out the images after the technical details, comparing a slightly older Seac Sub X-LED (3-LED) lamp with the new TillyTec W40 for 160 Euros. Better comparison and "action shots" (underwater) to follow after the weekend!

Backup light - TillyTec LED W40
Length	185 mm
Light output	comparable to 40 Watt Halogen
Light output in lux	15,000
Burn time  (with Alkaline batteries)	ca. 5 hours full light, another 5 hours sufficient to read instruments
Burn time  (with NiMH batteries)	approx. 3 hours
Max. depth	200m
LED life expectancy	approx. 50,000 hours

Comes with a functional cordura pouch:

Single-page instructions (and all you need - how hard can it be: a) put in batteries, b) turn lamp head = light!))

Mine came with a clip and cord - which I will replace by the standard cave line and boltsnap combo pronto:

Perfect, functional attachment for caveline/boltsnap combo or anything else you prefer:

Front showing the led lens:

Same, light switched on (camera on auto-adjust, hence darker all-round picture):

TillyTec W40 from 5 meters away onto a white wall, a pretty flower, Swedish Glass sculpture (from Målerås), and a Genelec 6010A speaker ;-) - all your answers here to avoid non-topic comment-questions ;-)

Same setup - different torch - the Seac Sub X-LED (a great torch as well, see SEAC SUB X-LED - Dive torch review):

Both at the same time - by itself, the Seac Sub is great... once the TillyTec W40 is switched on too, it kinda steals the show: 

Proper comparison shots with Seac Sub X-LED below.

Note: The camera (Nikon D300 with 14mm lens) is tripod mounted and set to manual (same aperture + same exposure time)!

First image -  no lamps switched are on. You can see that the further away brick building is lit up by its own lamps, so any torch making a visible difference on that wall from close to 50 meters away is going to be rather good. Distances measured by laser distance measuring devices. Note how dark the windows left of the little arrow are... 

Seac Sub X-LED switched on:
There is a faint light beam on the building wall 48 meters away (the lighter blueish kind) - not perfectly viewable in this picture is the fact that the Seac Sub also put some more light onto the roof/ridge - see the larger image in the gallery below for clearer shots!)

TillyTec W40 switched on:
Besides the obvious brightness (I hope you just said "wow!"), note how you can also distinguish items INSIDE the brick building - especially in the larger image (see gallery below), this becomes evident.

Both lamps switched on:
It's not just in the picture - with both switched on, the Seac Sub is no longer distinguishable as a separate light source...

And here I am, still driving around with a 3D cell Maglite in my car... why?
I could just get a second W40 and use them as fog lights! Blimey!

NOTE: More pictures - especially underwater - coming soon! We're off to the Bodensee on the weekend... a good, dark, deep lake!

Contact details:

Bahnhofstr. 28a
D-19077 Rastow

Tel.:    (0049)3868 / 303947
Fax:    (0049)3868 / 303952

Mobil-Tel: (0049)171 / 742 52 21

Email:   info@tillytec.de