The LED SAE J583 Fog Pod & Fog Light Review

Will someone please link to the original DD Max review? Am having trouble locating it. Found the other DD review, but not the MAX.

Other than wanting to read the review itself, I have concerns with how hot they might get when used in non- snow cold applications.

I definitely need hot, being in Duluth, but what about when they are needed, say... when fog rolls in from the lakes and its NOT sub freezing out? Will the lenses hold up to what I believe is 100* over ambient?

 

Link in post #1.

 

All linked at the very top of the 1st post.
Diode DynamicsSS3 Max

The lenses should hold up fine. The fogs are tested typically in the mid-60s ambient. LED lamps have thermal rollback, so the hotter the lamp gets the more power is reduced. So even operating at high ambient temps the lamp will scale power according to its ability to cool. They won’t overheat.

 

Diode Dynamics SSC2s



Like the SS3s these lights are available in 6000k white, and selective yellow and 4000k warm white by using yellow lamps with a clear lens swap. These lights are half the size of the SS3s in a 1x2 emitter configuration vs the SS3s 2x2 emitter configuration. I only have the 6000k SSC2s, so this review is only going to cover 6000k white. Per the testing in the SS3 post, DD Sport/Pro selective yellow incur an impressively low ~9% output loss for selective yellow. That can be used to approximate the selective yellow output based on the 6000k numbers.



SSC2 Sport


Vs SSC2 Pro


Like the SS3s, the SSC2 Pros have a larger vertical pattern and softer cut offs, which isn't best captured in these images.

Sport top vs Pro bottom


Sport top vs Pro bottom


SSC2 Pro initial power, 23w at 67 degrees F ambient. Spec is 25w.


SSC2 Pro stabilized power after 40 min run time, 21.7w at 67 degrees F ambient


SSC2 Sport initial power, 7.5w at 67 degrees F ambient. Spec is 7.7w.


SSC2 Sport stable power after 40 min runtime, 7.2w at 67 degrees F ambient


The SSC2 Pros incur about a loss of ~1.4w or about 6% from start to stable vs the Sports loss of ~0.3w or about 4%. Not surprising given the Pros higher power.

Output intensity, SSC2 Sport vs SSC2 Pro


The Pros are about 88% higher in output intensity than the Sports while also having a larger pattern but softer cut offs with more light spill.

SSC2 Pro vs the larger SS3 Sport


The 4 emitter SS3 Sports have about 42% higher output intensity than the SSC2 Pros, while having sharper cut offs.

SSC2 Sport thermals in 67 degrees F ambient


Ideally I run the thermal tests on the yellow lenses, which do run warmer on the lens than the clears. On the Sports even the front aluminum bezel is only +39 degrees F over ambient. These lamps will have insufficient heat to combat snow conditions.

SSC2 Pro thermals in 67 degrees F ambient


Again ideally the lens would be yellow for better heat performance, but even so the lenses are running 85 degrees over ambient with the bezel at 96 over ambient. These should do decent in snow conditions, and better with yellow lenses, though not as hot as the recommended Max lamps for snow.

Sport Top vs Pro bottom


Note that back light emitters around the perimeter in the Sport. Like the SS3 the Sports use smaller emitters for better focus over the Pros larger emitters.



Interestingly the SSC2s have notches in the body and corresponding tabs in the TIR optic. On an optic that can be rotated 90 degrees this makes sense, to prevent someone installing their fog pattern facing vertically for example. But in the 1x2 optic configuration that isn't possible. Only thing you can do is install upside-down. For the patterns currently offered upside-down doesn't make a difference either. However, on the TIRs I have the tabs don't seem to protrude enough prevent reverse installation.

On the SSC2 and SSC1 the breathers have been moved to the bottom vs back of the lamp.


In supporting a backlight, the connectors have changed from 2 pins as found on the original SS3s to 4 pins


Great to have additional compact fog options. Predictably the smaller lamps are lower performing that the larger and more powerful SS3 fogs. I do like the low profile form factor of the SSC2s for A-pillar/ditch lights over larger lamps and their compact size gives them many other versatile uses with the other optics available.

 

SSC1 fog lamps upcoming?

 

Diode Dynamics SSC1s



The SSC1s are based on the same platform as the SS3 Max using Osram HX Boost emitters, which are only available in 6000k. As such there is no 4000k option unlike the other SSC1s or SSC2s and the selective yellow optic uses a darker amber optic like the SS3 Max fogs, vs the yellow optic found on the sports and Pros.

SS3 Sport vs the SSC1 (Max) fog


SSC1 fog top vs SS3 Sport bottom
SSC1 spec 98* x 9* vs SS3 Sport spec 81* x 8*


Surprisingly the SSC1 has a slightly taller and wider beam than the SS3 Sports. The beam isn't quite as green as the pictures make it appear.

SSC1 pattern is ~1.3 panels high. Better cut offs than the Pros like the SS3s.


Initial power, white left vs yellow right


Power stable ~40 min in 66 degrees F ambient, white left vs yellow right


The SSC1 lamps took a pretty significant power loss from initial to stable of nearly 20%. The SSC2s were only 4-6%. I have the white SSC1s pulling 15.9w and the yellow pulling 14.9w. The specs just state using an Osram Boost 20w LED but do not commit to an actual lamp draw. What was really interesting here to me though is the white vs yellow power discrepancy. I've tested a lot of lights, and lights of the same architecture do not usually deviate by a full watt. So I ran a second test with the other paired lights in each of the packages. Same result. So I swapped the optics between the white and yellow lamps and re-ran the test a 3rd time. The white lamps that previously ran at 1.15A with the now swapped yellow optic now ran at 1.08A, and the yellow lamps that ran at 1.08A with the now swapped white optic now ran at 1.15A. Filtration yellow optics run hotter than clear, and 6000k filtering amber runs hotter than 4000k filtering yellow. With the darker amber optic in the smaller body SSC1 it would appear that causes the overall lamp to run even hotter to where greater thermal rollback is employed vs the white lamps, losing an additional 1w of power.

Thermals on selective yellow SSC1 in 66 degrees F ambient


With the lens at lens at +87 degrees F over ambient and the bezel at +101 degrees F over ambient, these should do reasonably well preventing freezing over in snow conditions.

SSC1 CIE plot


SSC1 selective yellow chromaticity window plot.


The SSC1s fall in the SAE chromaticity compliance window.

SSC1 (Max) vs SS3 Sport


With the greater filtration losses using a 6000k light source, greater thermal roll back due to heat, having a wider and taller beam pattern and using 1 emitter vs the 4, the SSC1 comes in at about 41% of the output intensity of the SS3 Sports.

White


Wall shot


SSC2 Pros vs SSC1 (Max) in white


The SSC2 Pros are higher in output intensity than the SSC1 (Max), but the Pros do have the compromise of softer cut offs with more light spill than the more disciplined SSC1 (Max).

SSC2 Sport vs SSC1 (Max) fog


The SSC1 does outperform the SSC2 Sports.

Just for good comparative measure, the SSC1 vs the SS3 Sports


The SSC1s are about 1/2 the output intensity of the SS3 Sports. Easy to get hug up on the numbers, but the SSC1s are substantially smaller than the SS3s, roughly 1/4 the size but 1/2 the output.

The SSC1s use a bottom cross mount with a bottom breather.


The SSC1s have flat spots on the top and bottom of the optic, so it can only be rotated in 180 degree increments, not 90 degrees. You can see the backlight LEDs around the perimeter on the board.


The SSC1 (Max) HXB emitters appear to be installed in a different orientation than the SS3 Max. While the Max uses a horizontal layout which makes sense for a fog (as shown below) the SSC1 orients the emitters vertically, giving a narrower and taller pattern, seemingly not ideal orientation for a fog.

Max vs Pro vs Sport


Backlight


I was looking to understand the backlight optics, because it was pretty obvious the light doesn't actually shine forward. Note how the emitters are at 12, 4, and 8 o'clock.

In pointing the lamp at the ground with backlight only, the backlight shines at the inverted 10, 5 and 6 o'clock, exactly inverted from the emitter location but most noticeably no light to the center of the pattern. This has nothing to do with the performance characteristics of the backlight, just interesting observations on how the optics interact.



Impressive performance for such a small lamp. Hard to ignore the SSC2 Pros have higher output intensity, and the yellow SSC1s will incur higher losses than the SSC2s in yellow, favoring the SSC2 Pros even more in peak intensity for yellow. However the SSC1s have a sharper pattern cut off with less light spill than the SSC2 Pros.

 

Crash, these (SSC1) look to be the best option so far for my crazy turning light idea. Any chance you still have them and can provide some physical measurements? They have a flush mount option, but the bezel is pretty wide compared to the free mount version. For the free mount, are there any options or places that could be tapped from the front for a custom bezel? Or is the design such that they could be ‘captured’ between a cutout in the bumper fascia and custom bezel? I can print prototypes for bezels and work up a system if it seems possible. If so, I might bite the bullet and buy a pair. Maybe a single to hedge my bets. Lol.

 

I can provide measurements if you have specific requests. I do have the flush mount as SSC1s well if you need measurements on those too.

There really isn't anything on the face to hold for the free mount style. If trying to go in that ribbed area on the 3rd Gen bumper, you could possibly trim the flush mount to fit. Bolt holes are on center on the side, so that will still work. Grind/file and the cut lines and respray the flush mount afterward and the ribbed will hide some of the modified face. The least invasive option I'd consider, would possibly be to mount in the lower grill opening on 3rd Gen. If you mount one on the passenger side of the lower grill, pointing very heavily to the driver side, and one on the driver side pointing very heavily to the passenger side, you may be able to get most of what you are looking for with minimal permanet modification.

 

I’ve considered that option too. Buying the DD grille mount kit and working up some sort of t-track or other adjustable bar. At that point, I’d just dive in and get the bigger pods and do 3 of them: center, left, right. The other option is in the crash bumper cover. But I’d need to do a custom 3D bezel to angle the pods and then they’d look a bit weird out front. The best functional location is that ribbed area below the headlights. The easiest area is in the bumper. The compromise is behind the grille. I may need to look at that space again and measure some angles to see how far forward they’d need to be to get the side shoot I’m looking for.

For the SSC1 regular, is there a robust cover/collar with a flat backside that I could use to seat against a cutout surround? Then I’d print a bezel to compress it in the cutout and bolt the bezel.

 

I had actually originally wrote something similar in my response but then deleted it. The area to work with is only at the corners and quite small. For that arrangement the lower mounting point could also provide an additional challenge in getting it through a tightly fit cut out.

 

Hmmm, looking at the backside here, it looks like I could print a collar that gets anchored by the outer four security bolts. That collar could then be used to sit flush against a cutout. Then, a second bezel from the front could sandwich the collar against the cutout.

I could prototype all this with my 3D printer, but I’d be a little nervous about the material being a permanent solution and might have to source a final print from online.

I appreciate the photos, the backside is a view DD doesn’t have in their website drawings.

 

I'm just getting into updating the lighting for my truck. Went with OEM LED headlights (plus the adapter harness), and now I need to choose a fog replacement. I've jumped around this thread a bit. I was leaning towards the rigid SAE fog pods as they seem to offer a good light output. But I also see people raving about the diode dynamics SS3 max. Main concern about those for me is the running Temps. Do they gethot enough to cause any problems for any of the nearby truck parts?

 

these aren’t Chinese made Amazon lights, brother

 

They will not harm any surrounding truck parts. Rigid lights have good cut offs and are a quality product, but are vastly surpassed in output intensity and pattern width by any of the SS3s. You can look at the output numbers in the reviews to compare. The Sports or Elites will also exceed the performance of the Rigid fogs, you don't have to step up to the Max. Being up north, I would consider the Max if snow is a concern. The Sports or Elites will not have sufficient heat to melt snow. The Morimoto 4banger HXB will also melt snow, though their pattern is not as wide as the Max.

 

Pardon me for chuckling about the "up north" reference to someone in Victoria, though maybe he travels.

 

I suppose Victoria is more south than most of Canada....

 

It is North to all us in the US. Yes Victoria is at sea level like Seattle but roughly 200 miles further North. Snow in the immediate Seattle area region isn't bad at all, but if I travel a few hours East over the passes it can be pretty bad. Assuming you travel outside the city, it wouldn't seem unreasonable that those in Canada may face worse winter conditions than those in the Seattle area. But yes, there are certainly colder/worse weather areas further into Canada.

 

I've lived in Victoria and now I'm within a couple of kilometres of the border in the Kootenays. Pre COVID, I drove to Spokane and back three nights a week. It is just over a hundred miles as the crow flies. It always makes me laugh when my friends there so how cold it is and how much snow we have here.

 

Fun story. This is my old 88 Toyota pickup with Hella H4 E-code conversions using a 12 AWG HD relayed headlight harness running the highly exotic 85/80w Osram Hyper bulbs. And despite running one of the most extreme halogen setups possible, the headlights were still attempting to freeze over in crossing the Cascade passes at night in a bad snow storm. Never underestimate the mountains.

 

This is an interesting idea, I still have lower bumper brackets in the garage.

Would SSC2’s fit or just SSC1’s?