Looking for a stainless steel / titanium carbide generator + burner recommendations (Petzl Aceto etc.)

[CavAnne]

Hi all – new to the forum, though not new to caving. I've been caving and exploring underground spaces (natural caves, old mines, military bunkers, catacombs) for over 20 years, across caves and systems in Czech Republic, France, Belgium, Germany and Slovakia.

I've always had a soft spot for carbide – I still own an old mining lamp – and I've recently come across a decent supply of carbide, which feels like a good excuse to expand beyond the old cap lamp and get a proper generator setup. Partly nostalgia, partly a very practical desire to actually use up the carbide before I'm too old to carry it underground!

So – I'm looking for:

1. A quality generator – ideally stainless steel, titanium or duralumin. Fisma, Petzl Ariane/Malham waist generators, Meander Alustar – are any of these still obtainable?

2. Burner/jet recommendations – particularly interested in the Petzl Aceto headset and any recommended alternatives for use with a separate generator.

Zdař bůh!

 

[Wolfo]

I'm off to the Alps next week.
But I could sent you one from Germany, I have some spare Generators and Headsets.

 

[Gwyn]

I have a Fisma generator and (I think) an Aceto headset that you can have. I haven't used them in a long time, based near to Milton Keynes if you can collect on your way past.

 

[CavAnne]

I have a Fisma generator and (I think) an Aceto headset that you can have. I haven't used them in a long time, based near to Milton Keynes if you can collect on your way past.

Thank you for your kind offer, but Englad is not in a route plan for the forseable future. But if you are willing to send it, PM me please.
My brother has a nice setup with the russian style titanium one - which was accually made in ukraine. I havent seen one in picture anywhere, so here is it for the reference and this comunity. The photo is form a trip we made several weeks ago, maybe someone can recognize the place.

 

[Cantclimbtom]

... maybe someone can recognize the place.

Carbide must give a nice colour of light for cataphiles?

 

[CavAnne]

It certainly does! There's something special about setting the headlamp aside, sitting down in a room and just chatting with others in the warm glow of a carbide flame. It creates a completely different atmosphere underground.
That said, for long marches through passages or squeezing through tight crawls, a headlamp is simply more practical.

 

[paul]

That said, for long marches through passages or squeezing through tight crawls, a headlamp is simply more practical.

Before the switch to LEDs, there was plenty of usage of carbide lights in caving!