The LED SAE J583 Fog Pod & Fog Light Review

Can you get some shots on dark roads to help distinguish the lights?

 

Video looks pretty compelling, although based on the video it looks like the fogs are aimed too high as they area appearing up in the headlight pattern area rather than down below it. The Philips H9 swap does double the headlight output, so you have significantly brighter headlights than stock. The Max cut offs are certainly not as sharp as a projector based fog, but they are much sharper than the SS3 Pros. The lenses are a plastic which is an insulator, so the clear lenses will not rapidly heat up, they will require the pod body to get hot and radiate heat into the lens which will take time. My measurements were taken after 15 minutes of runtime. Selective yellow on the other hand filters light and therefore generates heat, they will get hotter and do so more rapidly than clear, but may take more than a couple minute to get up to temp.

 

Yep, I was thinking the yellow would get hotter. Just wanted to dispel the theory that we might need oven mitts (for clears at least). I touched both lens and black outer ring which I think is metal and connected to the body.

It may simply be that the brackets provided aren’t workable on a 2018 Odyssey. DD states they are compatible with 2019+ but the model year redesign was 2018 and I found another person who had done the same thing so it seemed possible. Indeed the mounting holes line up perfectly so they are securely mounted. The brackets permit some level of adjustment but I had to push the pods as far back in the bracket as possible to clear the obstructions in front since the OEM fog lights are a little smaller. As a result, pivoting up/down is limited.

With all that said, and noting this location has a slight incline, I can't help but be surprised at how the light spill extends all the way to the roofline. It’s not excessive in volume but it’s noticeable. I really wish I had a shot without the headlights on. I might just go back tonight or somewhere safe and unplug the halogens to get some photos with just the fog lights.

@Diode Dynamics out of curiosity, is there any possibility of a modified bracket with another few mm of depth for fog placement? That could be a longer arm with same size slot or a larger slot. There is plenty of room behind the light inside the bumper. I might be able to accomplish this myself with a dremel.

I’ll see if I can get a few more pictures tonight. Perhaps I’ll back both vehicles up and get a side by side on my garage doors. I intended to do that last night but the install took longer than I had budgeted and I was zzzzz

 

KC HILITES | Gravity® LED G4 Toyota LED Fog Light Pair Pack System Amber $263.49

VS.

SS3 LED Fog Light Kit in yellow, pro level $272.00

What do you think? KC is less expensive and seems more powerful.

 

They are less expensive, but they're about a quarter of the intensity of the SS3 pros. And they have a smaller pattern.

 

I had the KC's. Nice lights, but I now have the SS3 Pros. No comparison.

 

Bed time story about Alien Space craft would just dovetail right in there.

 

Interesting. I wonder if the glare you are speaking of at the roof line is just from reflection off the ground or reflective curb paint? I am leaning towards the PRO selective yellow for our Subaru Ascent. The factory LED fog lights have good distribution but in poor weather they don't seem to help much because of the color.

 

I’ll do my best to get more photos soon. No guarantees though as I am on a tear of mods this week. Clazzio w heaters almost done, progressing on Switch-Pros, bedside molle, custom puppypunter harnesses, switch illumination, firewall boots and car audio amp prep.

Another point worth mentioning is that the Honda sits way lower than the Tacoma. So the lighting is just different.

 

Looks like the selective yellow is set to be released/shipping on Dec 15th. DD is accepting backorders on the yellow Max but they haven't updated the specs page since its not even on there. Anyway, I ordered a set of the yellow Max with their 15% BF discount, they didn't charge me any tax and I'm in CA. I'll post them up here once they come in and how they compared to my White Rigid fogs with yellow covers.

 

I see what you are looking at, the white G4 spec of 15,000 candela vs the Pros 11,900 candela. That is strange isn't it. If you look at the charts in the original post when this thread was created, I have the G4 at 296 lux at 18'. Based on a lux to candela conversion that puts my tested candela at about 8900 Cd. A fair amount less than the 15,000 Cd in the spec. This gave me the thought of comparing my numbers with what Diode Dynamics has in their output charts posted in their fog comparison videos on youtube, their numbers show 8500 Cd for the G4. So our intensity numbers differ by 4.7%. I'm using an $800 Asensetek digital spectrometer, they appear to be using a high end Everfine GO-HD5 Goniometer (middle of the page), the same unit as used by Osram Automotive. Needless to say their equipment is likely just a little more accurate.




In the case of the KC Ambers, you can see the review post here: KC Amber. The specs on KCs page were never updated to include output specs on the amber lights, it only lists white. You can see in that comparison, that the amber output intensity is only 43% as intense as the white. That is a pretty major drop. In addition amber is technically a signal color and does not make for a very good foglight color. The output intensity is low, the light is very monochromatic and does not offer very good contrast. Selective yellow lights on the other hand offer the same long wavelength light benefits as amber but at higher output intensity with better color visibility and contrast. Selective yellow is the appropriate choice for a fog to perform well in poor weather.

 

I have seen reflected glare from the pro SS3s, it is definitely more noticeable when the ground is wet. But it may not account for all of the light above the cutoff. There is an acceptable amount of spill on the F/F3 spec, and I know the pro approaches that limit. I wonder how much is allowed for the Max on the F3 spec.

 

I have a pair of DD SS3 pro’s in yellow. I’d like to buy a pair of sports in clear and do a lens swap. Any reason why this wouldn’t work? I would be using the sports with the yellow lens with low beam and have the pro’s with clear lenses available with high beams. I thought I read the led’s are different color temps between the two.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...og-light-review.554813/page-137#post-22622437

The emitters are 4000k in the yellow and 6000k in the clear.

 

Your sport lights (with the swapped yellow lens) will be a bit green in color because of the 6000K white LED. Also I'm not sure what pattern you plan on using- the only street legal pattern to use with your low beams will be the fog pattern. If you do use them as fogs, be aware that the greener color will not technically be a "legal" chromacity, but I'd be surprised if an LEO noticed it.

 

IDK if I’m interpreting the word “contrast” right,Crash. Just how much contrast you get in the middle of a WhiteOut snowstorm kinda escapes me. It’s a matter of seen or be seen then. Lower colour temps like the KC’s do that just fine.

 

Foggy night a few days ago. H9 low beams and SS3 pro fogs, plus 4000K pro driving lights. Love that color... Not sure I'll like the Max yellow as much, trying to resist spending more money!

 

I’ve got a set ordered so we shall have to wait and see. Stopped by Crash’s place and man the MAX’s output difference compared to the PRO’s is silly.

 

The monochromatic lights do work, but the yellow is easier to process. KC does to a better job in light spectrum distribution than the amber Morimotos. But in a snowstorm the highly efficient G4s would likely ice over anyway, mine did.

 

More photos of the DD SS3 MAX in a 2018 Odyssey. I disconnected the low beams for these.

NOTE: my driveway slopes significantly in both planes. Sorry.

From the front:

From headlight height:

From standing:

With low beams reconnected: