Led headlamps

[chessie4905]

Here Richard:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1615667231991773/permalink/2956116707946812/

[richard5933]

Great find. I like that they are DOT approved and will fit into the stock headlight buckets. Everything on my list.

Now I just have to find the money - budget for 'optional' improvements was wiped out with the power steering repairs this summer so it may be a bit till this gets done.

[Jim Blackwood]

Those do look like good headlights (and I'm very particular about them). They are "E Code" spec which as a practical matter means they meet the European specs for headlights and that is a good thing as they can be expected to have a sharp cutoff between low and high beam. They don't meet the DOT spec but neither does any other aftermarket headlight that isn't a sealed beam. The optics should be pretty good, but I don't see any element in the lens to create a left hand drop in the cutoff like the very best lenses have. Rather expensive, but the lenses are glass and glass molds are not cheap.

LED headlights are beginning to mature. It still will be another 5 years or so before prices for some of the best quality lights move into the reasonable category but this is a definite step in that direction. I will continue to await further developments.

Jim

[richard5933]

Where are you seeing that the are E-code and not DOT?

The photos on the company's site show DOT molded into the lenses.

[chessie4905]

He said he received new bulbs from the company. They look to have a shield to control cutoff.

[DoubleEagle]

Where are you seeing that the are E-code and not DOT?

They state in the FAQ's that they are not DOT approved, so don't blind somebody and cause an accident that will cause some sharp lawyer to check your bulbs. They are too expensive anyway. 

[buswarrior]

Please use rated lighting!!

E-code, SAE, DOT,

Yes, lots of these internet available lights make the road ahead bright as day... great, if you are alone on the planet...

There's standards for a reason, to protect oncoming drivers.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[luvrbus]

It's funny and not so funny I had to get a truck driver out of jail last week someone pulled behind him with LED's on bright at a stop light in Ft Mohave about 10 PM,he causally  got out of the truck and took his tire hammer and knocked both head lights out of a pickup and polity told the driver now they dim lol he out is on $500.00 bail  8).I have LED's in my Humvee the city of Scottsdale made be install a shield on the upper half even playing with the Humvee in the desert

[richard5933]

I'm 100% in agreement that lights used on the roads need to be up to code and adjusted so they don't blind oncoming drivers.

But, the photo clearly shows a glass lens with "DOT" written on it, and the description clearly says that the housings are DOT approved.

Must be that the housing are approved but the LED lamps are not. Too bad, as they were a viable option but using an unapproved lamp in an approved housing still makes the whole thing unapproved.

I know - someone is going to say that the E-Code is just as good, yada yada yada. But it's not approved without the DOT approval on the lamp. Each gets to make his/her own choices and I'm waiting for the lamps to have the DOT stamp on them like the housings do.

[RichardEntrekin]

Forgive me for weighing in here, but I also am blinded by folks who are using "led" or HID unapproved setups. As an engineer who worked for 15 yrs in the business of making optical lenses, I understand the flaw in the setup.

It is very possible for a vendor to use a DOT or ECE approved lamp housing, and fit an LED or HID bulb into that housing. It makes it appear to the uninformed that the setup is approved. The problem is focus. The shape of the reflector is very carefully designed so that the light emitted from the bulb is focused in the correct pattern as it leaves the lens. When a different style bulb is fitted into the reflector, the focus points change. Or it doesn't focus at all.

If you look at the picture on the FB page, this is clearly evident. On the before page, the pattern is dim, but focused. On the after page, it appears the entire area is flooded with light. Imagine what that looks like to an oncoming driver, or to a car you are following.

The point being that the housing and the lamp have to be qualified as a unit for approval. There are two ways I know of to protect yourself against this mismatch. One, buy a sealed beam unit with DOT or ECE markings. Or buy a unit from a reputable manufacturer like Hella or Cibie.

But before you spend any money on lighting upgrades, perform a simple test. With the engine running and the lights on, measure the voltage at the light. If is isn't 13.5 or greater, then install relays with heavier wiring to get full voltage to the existing light. The incandescent bulbs do not produce light linearly with voltage. The light output of a 12V halogen bulb is reduced almost 40% at 12.5 volts. The bulb is designed to operate at 13.7.

My moral support goes to Clifford's truck driver buddy!!!!!

[Jim Blackwood]

Finally, somebody who knows what's going on here. Thanks for your input.

There's still a lot of garbage out there, and just because it's expensive doesn't mean it isn't garbage. Until I see the light pattern on the seller's page, I ain't buying it.

BTW, DOT approval may be less stringent than E-code. The standards are different, but both address the blinding issue. I like the E-code lights because they have a sharper cut off which allows you to run higher wattage bulbs without blinding other drivers.

Jim

[Iceni John]

Is it even possible at all to focus a headlight using LED lamps?   Because there are multiple emitters in a typical LED headlight lamp, that means that most of the emitters are therefore unfocussed and just spewing their output all over the place.   I absolutely sympathize with Clifford's trucker friend  -  I've been tempted to do that myself to the idiots here who use LEDs or who have "converted" their headlamps to HID.

When I set up my headlights and foglights to Daniel Stern's recommendations, I also double-checked their vertical cutoff by crouching down in front of them and seeing exactly how high their cutoff was.   This will quickly tell you if there's any risk of light scatter blinding oncoming drivers.   As Richard says, use relays, and if you're using halogen incandescent lamps just plan on routinely changing them out every few years when they begin to darken. 

John

[richard5933]

Like Richard said, having the proper voltage is key to getting adequate output. Installing the 13.8v output converters made a huge difference in the light from my incandescent lamps.

Once the LEDs come of age I'll probably upgrade, but for now the incandescent lamps will do.

[luvrbus]

 

But before you spend any money on lighting upgrades, perform a simple test. With the engine running and the lights on, measure the voltage at the light. If is isn't 13.5 or greater, then install relays with heavier wiring to get full voltage to the existing light. The incandescent bulbs do not produce light linearly with voltage. The light output of a 12V halogen bulb is reduced almost 40% at 12.5 volts. The bulb is designed to operate at 13.7.

My moral support goes to Clifford's truck driver buddy!!!!!
[/quote]

I am with Richard we been adding relays to the Eagles for years no step up or anything fancy just cube relays and wiring and setting the voltage regulators with the lights on and engine running making sure it producing 13.8V

[buswarrior]

Regarding bulbs.

I am unaware of any LED bulbs that place the illumination in the correct place for the reflector to behave properly.

Or, in other words, DOT approved.

The only ones so far are complete assemblies, designed around the current limitations of white LED output, which have been widely embraced by the heavy manufacturers, Kenworth, Nova Bus, etc. The old rectangular sealed beam, and the 7" round are available from the big boys, trucklite, grote, Peterson lighting and competitors.

Mixing and matching in the driveway with internet sourced equipment will be a problem for as long as law enforcement continues to ignore the obviously illegal set-ups.

I like the tire thumper solution, not senile enough yet to actually do it... In time...

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior