[RIKSTR]

neofitou wrote:

how about LED headlights?

I have just grabbed some to stick in a comp truck that will just be going slow so there is no need for long range light. They seem OK at the moment however there is no highbeam.

I have these and LED under body lights and I think I will try and go with LED light bar for a longer light. The idea is to run as little wattage as possible so there will be more for the winch if its needed.

[squizzytaylor]

shep wrote:

squizzytaylor wrote:

royce wrote:

stop thinking along the lines of different light types do different things and concentrate on the tech behind them

LED - Halogen - HID, lowest to highest lumen output per unit (in our case) hence why LED lights are made up of a whole heap of em

lumen for lumen bigger reflectors or lenses will focus the light better, so spit more of it down the road vs spill it all over the place. This is why LED bars are so poor at long range, its jsut not possible to harness the light effectively in the room given, if you were to build a big array with even 50mm dia reflectors for each LED or some how set them up pointing into a big parabolic reflector they could well out do HID in lumen per watt

LED is all over halogen and hid, Ive seen demo's of both 50watt and 100 watt LED's and they are fucking amazing (without the need for reflectors), the only issue is the cost to produce them, however, just as 10watt LED's were available yet unaffordable 5 years ago in the next few years big watt led's will become the norm. Currently the issue with "harnessing" the light is 99% because of their surface mount design, this will be a thing of the past shortly. HID's have the same problem with their element usually running parallel to the ground which is why they normally have a reflector shield in front of the globe which reflects back onto the light.
The other thing that gets me is the fascination with long penetrating light, its not the roo 1km down the road that youre going to hit, its the one 50 metres down the road thats 45 degrees to the car. I used to do 1500-2500 k's a week for an auto elec wholesaler anywhere from Newcastle-lightning ridge-grafton-dubbo and had hid headlights, 2 x rallye 4000's (halogen) and a 36" light bar (combo pattern) on the bumper and by far the most useful was the light bar, still had a reflective range well over 300metres.

GT

up here we have big slow moving animals as well, roos are no worries to mow down but
horses, donkeys, cattle and camels are a different story.

Good point Shep, not too many camels down this way though, just the jockeys.

GT

[ajsr]

the trick to HID spotlights is NOT to have the spot version, you want the combo or spread beams. they thow so much light out you dont need the spot versions
my 100 watt hids both spreads shoot well over the 1km mark of usable light but shoot about 40 metres wide super usable light at say 50metres in front of you

lights that shoot much more than 600 -800 metres are just stupid , it would still take you 20 seconds or so to hit something you see at 6-700m

[DMAC]

Sorry not 4wd but I have used all for Mountian bike riding at night.

This is my experience.

Halogen. Cheap but heavy on amps which is an issue on a bike. I had a light force 140 with a 30w bulb and 12v 7 amphr gel cell.

HID a clear and piercing light. 13W better than the 30w halogen.

LED 2X3W Cree a much softer light.

Halogen heaps better in the dust when following someone.

HID and LED blinding reflection in dust and shadows seemed to be washed out.

I used yellow tint glassess. I found out that with the blue tint of HID or LEDs produces a greyness which caused less clarity of the ground compared to the the clarity of Halogen and yellow glasses.

I have now changed to clear glasses. HID has a greater clarity than the LEDs.
My setup now is HID on the handlebars and always on. LED mounted on the helmet and used for tight twisty tracks.

Now for 4WD application I have stuck with Halogens because of price and the amount of light is adequate as I can't out drive the throw of light in the zook.

LEDs would be my pick for low speed night runs. Would be interesting to play with some filters on the LEDs to see if it would add clarity.

[Che]

AJSR - this is what I was thinking of trying to. Been on the case for some Hellas (Rallye FF 4000 Metals) in a flood/wide option, but not turning up too much.

If anyone can track them down for a dece price post up a link so I can chase it up - gotta be the flood version. Halogen at this stage - i'll convert them to HID only if they disappoint me.

Also - can anyone explain what a cornering light is? I know euro = combo, but never heard an Aussie use the term 'cornering light'.

[atari4x4]

lights that turn with the wheel, to see around corners.

[Che]

Different regions call the beam patterns by different names, so here's a list that points out the less obvious:

[Che]

OK, I found the lights i'm after - 2 x cornering beams: http://www.quadratec.com/products/97008_06.htm Waiting for a shipping quote, if it's not too exxy i'll snap them up.


I don't plan on going the HID route straight away, but I got a Q on HID kits - if I stick with 35W and 6000K bulbs, what's the difference between a $40 and a $300 HID kit?

[royce]

I am not entirely sure what it is you are trying to achieve here?

lighting up the side of the road close by you is useless for seeing animals if its not sufficiently far enough to see the animal, acknowledge it, react and actually stop or move, work out distance covered through the usual 2 second reaction rule and stopping distance

for the money there youll buy a set of lightforce 170's and a spread filter, assuming your headlights (remember them, they can be made to do good things too) its going to be doing a lot better all round job that a vast array of specific purpose lights

[royce]

you could even grab a pair of hid lights from twinstick for a bit more, they produce a really nice beam pattern, enough light down the middle and a nice flat beam to to either side

[Che]

Here's a pic of the cornering light beam pattern - it's just a flood.



Even as halogens they still throw good light 150m up the road, but the wide flood on offer is as good as it gets from what i've seen. Add HID and I should get all the distance I need - but i'll go for a spin to Esperance and see if HID is called for.

I had a few close calls on my trip over to Perth, mainly small roos jumping out from the side at close quarters - if I had a good penetrating flood light I feel I could've spotted earlier and gained a bit of reaction time.

I'm pretty happy with my headlights - they've got a good reflector design and i'm running 55w 50+ Philips something-or-others with an upgraded loom. That said, I remember this driving to the Grampians after nightfall and seeing roos scatter everywhere - it just wasn't enough light to make good judgements.

Seeing it's almost mission time again I want to be more prepared this time around... bar and lights and i'm good to go.

[royce]

I think you will be disappointed in the result of those, thats a similar beam pattern to the Hella work lights and even factory hid they are no good at driving on the road speed

[ajsr]

royce wrote:

I think you will be disappointed in the result of those, thats a similar beam pattern to the Hella work lights and even factory hid they are no good at driving on the road speed

X2 particularly in halogen.
one of those and a spot might be good though

[Che]

This is the other option - a euro beam... definitely not interested in the pencil.



I'm not set in stone - I just know I need at least one ripper wide flood to keep me happy The euro beam and a cornering beams makes for quite a good combo (theres a vid of this on youtube). I'm guessing my shipping quote will be the same either way.

No doubt i'll put some HID kits through them, but that can wait for a test run. Speaking of which - how to spot a good HID kit from an el crappo?

[fordem]

che_guitarra wrote:

This is the other option - a euro beam... definitely not interested in the pencil.



I'm not set in stone - I just know I need at least one ripper wide flood to keep me happy The euro beam and a cornering beams makes for quite a good combo (theres a vid of this on youtube). I'm guessing my shipping quote will be the same either way.

No doubt i'll put some HID kits through them, but that can wait for a test run. Speaking of which - how to spot a good HID kit from an el crappo?

Don't expect the beam pattern to remain the same with an HID kit fitted - a gas discharge source requires different optics to a filament source - either buy an HID lamp in the beam pattern of your choice or stick with the halogen in the beam pattern of your choice.

[MacDaddy]

che_guitarra wrote:

This is the other option - a euro beam... definitely not interested in the pencil.



I'm not set in stone - I just know I need at least one ripper wide flood to keep me happy The euro beam and a cornering beams makes for quite a good combo (theres a vid of this on youtube). I'm guessing my shipping quote will be the same either way.

No doubt i'll put some HID kits through them, but that can wait for a test run. Speaking of which - how to spot a good HID kit from an el crappo?

Going on what i have read in AZ, a HID Headlight conversion is illegal in OZ !

After seeing the LED's in action in the pics Bakerboy put up, i think you would be better off with 2 x 12in LED Bars for Flood/Close to medium range wide beam, then 2 x Spots/Pencil beams for long distance, and with your current Phillips bulbs in your headlights now, i think you will have a good combo, and see everything from close/sides, medium range, and long range... imo...

[atari4x4]

MacBear wrote:

Going on what i have read in AZ, a HID headlight conversion is illegal in OZ !

fixed

[atari4x4]

you're going to burn holes in skippy. LOL

[monley]

atari4x4 wrote:

8O you're going to burn holes in skippy. LOL

he's got a bunny burner switch to

[shep]

atari4x4 wrote:

MacBear wrote:

Going on what i have read in AZ, a HID headlight low beam conversion is illegal in OZ !

fixed

fixed for accuracy

[royce]

shep wrote:

atari4x4 wrote:

MacBear wrote:

Going on what i have read in AZ, a HID headlight low beam conversion is illegal in OZ !

fixed

fixed for accuracy

Interesting theory there, I dont think I have seen anything either way.

In QLD lights are more controlled on usage rather than type and location, so you can blaze heaps of photon lasers down the road provided there isnt oncoming traffic and you arent in a built up area (no street lights, higher than 60km/hr speed limit)

However high beams are still controlled by the ADR's governing headlights, I dont know if there are beam pattern and distance rules for them.

Otherwise everyone fit HID, but drive around with your high beam on, you might get away with jsut a fine, not a defect

[ajsr]

I'm pretty sure high beams are covered under the same adr regs as low beam in relation to hid inserts

[Che]

[joeblow]

[smiffkid]

after seeing the different aray of light bars spot lights and head lights that every body was using in the mud run friday night, and seeing them all coming towards me

a set of hid head light and good quality hid spotties with pencil beams
and a small led light bar would work well for multi purpose driving
its amazing the different when sitting in a car with halogen head lights and flicking a light bar on

if your into slower driving then even just a set of +80 headlights and a light bar would be sufficent IMO

[monley]

OK got the LED light bar of bakerboy here's some pics!

Just the LED light bar! Still needs to come up another 70-100mm





All lights, minus the light bar...



All the light's!





Once i put HIDs in the spotties i think that will be a pretty good lighting setup....