Due to this thread https://waterpixels.net/forums/topic/2349-aoi-uis-p1-strobe/#comment-20074

I finally bought a pair of these strobes and i would like to write here my firsts impressions, before go into the water, what will be next week.

Before anything here you can see the size of the strobe in compare with other well known strobes, from top to bottom, a Sea&Sea D1, a Sea&Sea YS120, a Retra Pro X s, a Subtronic 160 pro Alpha, and the AOI.

The first impression is that is a heavy and well made strobe, I do like the batteries, I would prefer the 18650 instead of the 21700 but this 21700 is not hard to find either in amazon, aliexpress or any good electronics store. I do really like the screen showing how many shoots you can take with the selected power. I do like the location of the optical connector next to the 1" ball and the type of it, with no threads. I DON't like to press two buttons at the same time to switch it on, I don't like the size of the selector dial, it's to small and in fact there is already in the box an extension knob, which will have to be glued to the dial in order not to lose it.

It comes with a diffuser which I had to use in the water first, to decide if I like its fitting or not and there is also in the box a neopren bag to transport it which instead of it I would prefer a neopren protection cover for the water, anyway its not difficult to make it myself or customize this bag to convert it in a cover.

Next week I write here my first impression once in the water. I will also test them properly in my next trip to Similan island, the plan is 40 dives in the trip, so i think is a good test.

4 hours ago, atus said:

t.

Thank you for this picture.

It is the confirmation that the choice of buying the new retra max II was to good choice... the other strobe are so huge in compareason of the retra..

Well, after the first dive with them I have found that they don't feel that big and the light is great, but the fires left counter is not trustworthy. I charged the batteries on thursday and I went diving this morning, apparently the batteries were totally charged, and after some checks with the pilot light etc both screen showed 250 fires at full power. One of the strobes only fired 10 times at 1/2 power, it switched off itself, I tried to switch it on underwater and the screen was on for only 2 seconds. When I left the water I swapped the batteries between strobes just to make sure it was an issue with the batteries and was that, so I'm relieved. Once the batteries on the charger one of them shows only 2,90 volts. I'll have to check if it's a faulty battery or there was an issue with the charger. All four batteries are brand new Supe 21700, 5000 mah. The charger is a brand new Sumlytour for batteries from AA to 21700 which I got from Amazon.

While I'm writing this I went to check the chargers brand and I found out that the failing battery was almost charged what can't be right as long as it's been charging for only 20 minutes, so I put my hand on it and it changed for almost empty. So I guess it was an issue with the charger.

Better the charger than the battery.

Bill

I am also a happy owner of the latest AOI P1s. I used them on my last two trips, one month in Papua New Guinea for wide-angle photos and in Lembeh in black water.

I immediately found them very good, with excellent light coverage, uniform light, and exceptional battery life.

In black water, I really appreciated the low-power burst mode.

The batteries you need to use with this strobe must have a 25A discharge (I am using 21700 Xtar 25A batteries). You can use other batteries, but the performance will be different.

I also used TTL and HSS mode and was impressed. I used their trigger on my Sony. I've always been skeptical of TTL mode with fiber optics, but AOI has done an incredible job; it works very well.

18 hours ago, bvanant said:

Better the charger than the battery.

Bill

I didn't see it before, but these batteries have an integrated usb port C with an colored led light so I can charge them directly with my phone charger. I´ve bought a 4 usb port charger so I can charge all of them easily.

9 hours ago, Giancarlo M. said:

I am also a happy owner of the latest AOI P1s. I used them on my last two trips, one month in Papua New Guinea for wide-angle photos and in Lembeh in black water.

I immediately found them very good, with excellent light coverage, uniform light, and exceptional battery life.

In black water, I really appreciated the low-power burst mode.

The batteries you need to use with this strobe must have a 25A discharge (I am using 21700 Xtar 25A batteries). You can use other batteries, but the performance will be different.

I also used TTL and HSS mode and was impressed. I used their trigger on my Sony. I've always been skeptical of TTL mode with fiber optics, but AOI has done an incredible job; it works very well.

Next weekend I'm planning 3 dives to test a lot of new equipment before a trip to Similan islands where we go on a 10 days dive cruise, so I can deeply test these strobes, I'm pretty sure i will fall in love with them but I didn't expect that lack of accuracy in the number of shots remaining. If that was accurate I would know before enter the water that the battery wasn't charged.

And about the batteries, well, when I bought the strobes I bought the batteries to the same seller, he offered me that SUPE batteries and as long as SUPE is also an underwater strobe manufacturer I thought they were the right ones. I soon will see its performance. and if it's not right I'll buy new ones

Well, I'm finally at home after the 10 days trip in Similan islands and Richelieu Rock, where I have only used this AOI strobes and I have a clear opinion of them based on the experience of intensive diving, 35 dives in 9 days.

I like these strobes, I like the light even I find it a few cold, I like the power, most of time I have been using it in 1/2 power even in pictures against the sun. Or even 1/4 power.

I inserted full charged batteries in the first dive in the morning and they last until the night dive, four dives with a pair of batteries, not bad at all. It helped a lot to have the confidence of no changing batteries the counter of remaining shots in the strobe screen. I don't feel the strobes big, to travel with them is pretty much the same than to do so with the Subtronic.

What I don't like, I don't like the 2 button system for switch it on, i don't like it at all, its a pain in the ass that when you have started your descent and i'm starting to put all the rig on its place, placing the strobes, tighteen the clamps you have to release the rig because you need both hands to switch the strobes on.

I don't like the rubber extra knob for set the power, I sticked it with glue during the second day because during the first day I found it in the dingy floor, even this I lost one of the knobs during the trip.

3 hours ago, atus said:

I don't like the 2 button system for switch it on, i don't like it at all, its a pain in the ass that when you have started your descent and i'm starting to put all the rig on its place, placing the strobes, tighteen the clamps you have to release the rig because you need both hands to switch the strobes on.

Nowadays this two-button solution, or even the single button to hold down for X seconds to turn on the gadget, is used also in lights and it is something that I hate to death. I have two small RGBlue that I use for macro and I am forced to hold them with two hands to turn them on. A curse!

I love knobs and the unbeatable magnetic switches 😍