The LED SAE J583 Fog Pod & Fog Light Review

Interesting video, but one has to remember that the winner and the company putting on the video are in the same business family. Strange how their own product won. Just saying ...

 

What was the ambient air temperature and at what humidity level? I believe that is relevant test product information for the application? Maybe I don't understand the science.

 

I knew that video make it to here in no time,, since I am with 4 Banger pod itself information, and this community has higher optical comprehension, I will add some comments before arguments run of main topics outside of objective observation.

1. There is no winner, it's always marketing try to rank using most appealing number, when it comes to this particular SAE compliant fog subject, to me, brightest has zero value to quality fog lamp. Brightest does not mean WINNER, I think this is one common mistaken argument in many lighting community.
2. 4 Banger HXB has highest Cd number, this is simply because I made it that way, so people can brag about I have highest number, but do not make mistake this as BEST brightest fog lamp. As fog lamp, anything over 8000Cd is just overkill. Pointless if someone truly want to have fog lamp as fog light function.
3. Lux number in video seems to be NOT calibrated, do not refer as concrete solid numbers, less than lab grade equipment has larger tolerance and measurement condition largely affect lux numbers, let alone, no exact measurement condition, distance is specified, relative reference is at the best usage.

Temp related output drop relative scale is correct.

For objective measured data, look for photometry test report from CalCoast they posted ( earlier on this thread)
4. Within tested models, only SAE compliant model were Rigid D and 4B NCS and HXB( but HXB was barely qualified, gradient was at the borderline, and simple this kind of brightness shall not be used as fog light, is my professional opinion)
5. SS3 Max is better performance compare to SS3 Max with back light, back light model bump up power largely but failed to gain output level due to heatsink capacity limit bottlenecked.
6. SSS3 Pro, Baja should not be even SAE F function topic, gradient is out of question
7. SS3 Sport, I have not corrected data, but has better chance of SAE F function, best to request photometric data from manufacture. Estimated aiming requirement should be around 4 degree down I think.
8. SS3 max did not pass SAE F function test, but can be satisfy photometric table requirement itself by aiming at least 4.5 degree down = beam center shall be 23.6' down at 25' this makes glare limit/cutoff line equivalent 4" below lamp height. If bracket won't allow this aim, do NOT use as on road fog lamp.
9. 4B HXB also require 4.5 degree downward adjust, bracket is given up to 5D aim range, so pretty much all the way down aim, that is what SAE F fog means. And this is the reason I don't recommend this as FOG lamp, aiming this bright lamp so low, just won't make sense.
10. 4B NCS require 3.5 degree downward aim, this allows better beam coverage than HXB with less harsh intensity, better choice as fog lamp than HXB. I still think too bright as fog lamp.

After all, LED pods are NOT fog lamp, some just capable of pass as SAE FOG, but only half of them. Photometric table shall aid understand what is required quality as SAE fog, ask me if anyone has questions.

In off road usage (outside of SAE J583),
Enjoy whichever you like in however you want to use.
Rigid D, good for on road fog ( it was most FOG like beam), intensity is good, but not much coverage as off road lamp
Baja, no comments, weak, if you like, use the way you want
SS3 Sport wide, tighter beam, energy consumption economical
SS3 Pro, full volume wide beam lamp for off road use. can be mounted higher at a-pillar or lower, covers great area volume and less harsh eye fatigue
SS3 Max, tighter, may not be great at higher mount position, but will shoot strong and very wide beam. Probably bumper mount offroad wide beam usage is best for this
4B HXB, tall beam allows higher mounting height and cover large mid to foreground coverage seamlessly, width is moderate, less than SS3's ( can be used as SAE F fog)
4B NCS, similar tall, handles higher mounting position as offroad pod lamp as well ( Can be used as very strong SAE F fog)

Other feature like Color, snow melting capability, ask Crash advise.

 

Yoshi do you work for Calcoast?

 

No I do not work for calcoast

 

Thought he works for Morimoto.

 

Correct, I am lead engineer at Morimoto I design most of priority newer products.

 

Not a fog related question, but is there any chance of a 4000k version of the Morimoto M-LED projector?

 

MLED2? ,, Short answer is no, not available. **Emitter selection is HML3, but unfortunately, LED manufacture don't carry 4000K ( even though manufacture shows they have, but they actually don't), unless order 15,000 LED every month. Not economical..


Long answer, is there way to modify it? it's difficult, but not impossible. You basically have to be your own phosphor blender lol.

Foe this reply, allow me to take off "engineer badge" and reply as "DIY hobbiest"
As this is solid warranty void risky work. And I am not suggesting this from engineer stand point, just fun information, play at your own risk kind, and I am not gonna be responsible for any!!!


Read below

basically, you add green and red phosphor layer, this will reduce output volume for unknown amount, Because hand guestimate mix.
And I never can replicate exact same recipe, but here is my experimental notes I played.

A actually added very very slight amount of red excitation phosphor.

Before apply, extremely carefully sand of surface of emitter ( if you aren't careful, you already kill LED here. If you don't sand even, color will be messed up=not consistent)
Then, experiment mixture balance
Apply thin masking tapes around to control layer thickness, drop mixture, level it, take masking tape off, hope you mixed it right. Kind of risky play here.

Quality of optical silicon is unknown to me, I just did this for experiment, so I didn't put in long term reliability test, don't know how quick it degrade.
And no, I didn't put this modified lamp in my own car, just not having enough time to open and swap.



To moderator, move this reply anywhere applicable, this isn't J583 and highly hobby based response.

 

I like it. Certainly significant risk involved. Closest color temp I’ve seen for LED headlights is JW Speaker’s offerings around 4500k, though they only make replacement assemblies for sealed beam type interchangeable housings, not modern ones.

I think mild deviations from the core topic is fine and normal for conversation as long as the threads don’t completely derail down a side tangent.

 

While that low of a color may be impractical given the quantities of chips required to buy or the use of home brew solutions (very cool by the way) a lower less blue color option or even a selective yellow option would be awesome.

 

HML3 does have selective yellow range 3000K emitter

If you can buy it, and if you are comfortable, reflow it. Same solder pad pattern. Shouldn’t be too hard

I don’t know if you can find single quantities tho. But at least it’s commercially available color choice.

4000K was color had to be custom made. That’s why very high MOQ

 

Note that selective yellow is not a legal headlight color, only white. Interestingly the 4Runner has 5000k LED headlights, and very good ones at that. Only vehicle I’ve seen that has a lower OEM LED color temp than the industry standard 6000k.

 

Maybe not but as part of a quad bi led set up i think it would be pretty optimized for all weather conditions, snow melting abilities aside.

 

As part of a multi-projector low beam setup, that would be pretty sweet in poor weather conditions. As a single low beam projector, I was just pointing out you could get unwanted attention.

 

Yes as a single setup it could be bad news, although it makes me wonder how people get away with pink, blue and purple headlights

 

Which is kinda interesting because I've compared the new LED headlights (5000K) to my DD 30 inch bar (5700K) and the bar has a distinctly warmer or flatter white tone. I know Kelvin scale doesn't tell the whole story, and it's possible that the edges of the headlight beam pattern are the ones that make the pattern seem blue. I'll try to get a picture.

 

Recall that shorter wavelength light (bluer color) is easier to change light direction than longer wavelength light (yellow color). In a TIR optic this can result in the shorter wavelength light bending with/following the optic more to the outer edges of the pattern, whereas the longer wavelength light will not bend to those extremities. This results in minor color separation where the very edges are cooler, and the center may be slightly warmer. This is easily viewable in an SS3 white pod where the outermost edges are blue. The pod is all fed with the same color temp, but if the cool blue light is pulled to the edges more, then that light is removed from the main pattern thereby making it slightly warmer. In the big picture it is pretty minor, but that is the best explanation I have. I’ve tested the DD amber bars, but not the white ones.

 

This is relevant to the thread.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TDM8Eco041E

 

I fully expect it to be more impressive than Baja’s laser, which is pretty underwhelming. I think a shootout is in order if offered beam patterns are the same.