LP9 vs SS5 - How do the two flagship pods compare?

I want to get a single LP9 for my (future) quad. I imagine it would be all the auxiliary lighting I would ever need. The side to side spread would be perfect for up close, and I believe it still has some pretty good punch when the high beam is turned on. I just hope it doesn't draw so much power that it'll kill the battery and leave me stranded. (If it's borderline too much, I could always go with the LP6 instead. But I hope the LP9 will work because why not go for the biggest and best option they have )

Thanks for the heads up. I don't know anything about them. I just saw the video and got excited. But I did notice the output they show for the LP9 looked funny. It almost looked less bright/less good than the LP6 they showed, which wouldn't make sense. It must have been how they were filming it or something. But yeah, what they showed for the SS5 is worlds different than how yours look. However, I believe they were only using one and you have two, no? (They said they went with the Sport because it was "brighter" than the Pro. I have no idea if that's true or not but I don't see how it could be)

 

Would you also be able to do one on the Onx6+ bar? That's another one I'm interested in. Not necessarily for the quad (as I feel anything above the 10" might be too much of a draw; 20" is probably the absolute max, and would likely be borderline too much. I can't imagine it would handled a 30"). But I could see doing something with an Onx6+ for my future Tacoma. I just haven't really found any good videos of it yet. (I'm interested in the 10, 20, and 30)

 

To be perfectly fair, my picture uses two SS5 Pro Spot pattern lights plus my high beams. That said, the pics that HL used just don't add up. Oh, and then there's the different beam patterns they kind of throw in there and the fact that the LP9 is - by design - way more powerful than anything else they "tested." Laughable science at best.

 

They’re blurry but you get the idea. I wasn’t yearning for more light. I’m shooting wider because it’s two LP6s, but one LP9 should be more than enough for a quad or buggy.

 

Looks like you went with Amber LP6. I think I'll stick with white, whichever way I go. If the dust/rain/fog becomes too much I'd just rely on my stock headlight low beams. But I like what I see in your pics. It looks like that kind of light would be super useful out on the trails. I just need to figure out exactly what the quad can handle. If it ends up that the LP9 is ok.... man, I'm gonna be doing A LOT of night driving.

 

That’s why I went with amber, to contrast my headlights. The amber running light on them looked great, too.

 

When we engineer our lights, we engineer our lights to be used as an off-road light, not as a stationary light. Our light will go on “Thermal Management” if it's not able to cool properly which leads to a decrease. The light will adjust to the % to run properly. If you allow the light to properly cool you will not have an issue. You mentioned once “stabilized” the output decreased by 50% but can clearly see the video was done while stationary and after sitting for a long period of time. I can guarantee we would have a different outcome if the vehicle was actually on the move.

Best,

Bill Sonevongxay | Forum Sales & Support 
Email: Bill@bajadesigns.com Phone: (760)560-2252

 

In order to avoid your light going into thermal management all it needs is 3 mph of wind in order to provide the proper cooling. You are 100% right this is a preventative feature to protect the light and keep it running properly. In a real-world scenario as long as you are running your light as supposed to you won't ever encounter an issue. The primary use for our light is for off-roading, NOT while the vehicle is stationary. I just wanted to go ahead and shine some light on our “Thermal Management” as you don't need “ Cold Environment or High Speeds” in order for the lights to run at 100%. As I mentioned, just driving the vehicle or the slightest gust of wind will allow them to cool properly and avoid going into thermal management. If you are interested in more information on thermal management, I would strongly suggest checking out https://www.bajadesigns.com/copperdrive/.

Best,

Bill Sonevongxay | Forum Sales & Support 
Email: Bill@bajadesigns.com Phone: (760)560-2252

 

The reason why we have so many people who support us is because our lights are able to perform in real-world scenarios. Our lights are some of the most reliable lights and are preferred by Top Tier race teams due to the performance when it matters. While we believe that output is important, we also believe that it's not the only factor that goes into an off-road light. We believe in these 4 key factors :

• Blend Angle
  
  
• Blendability
  
  
• Distance
  
  
• Light output

We used these key factors as a recipe for our lights. We believe these are the key factors when creating a real off-road light. We also believe people should go based on “DATA” on true apple-to-apples comparisons in a real off-road setting. Interested in looking deeper into our Key factors? I would recommend checking out ELS on our website which goes deeper into the reason “why”.
https://www.bajadesigns.com/els/

Best,
Bill

Bill Sonevongxay | Forum Sales & Support 
Email: Bill@bajadesigns.com Phone: (760)560-2252

 

Hey Primo 95,

Even though these lighting solutions may work, our experience with Amazon/eBay products is that they use misleading specifications, counterfeit components, and oftentimes blatant copies. If enthusiasts knew how unethical these businesses were, the transparency would result in far less demand. When purchasing from a company like Baja Designs you get superior performance, quality, customer service, warranty, and support from a business that continues developing unique lighting solutions.

Best,
Bill


Bill Sonevongxay | Forum Sales & Support 
Email: Bill@bajadesigns.com Phone: (760)560-2252

 

3mph is all it takes? That's fantastic. Means I can add the LP6 or (hopefully) LP9 to my quad and not have to go all that fast to keep it working properly.

Curious though, say it happens to go into thermal management mode because I was stationary for too long and didn't turn it off.... how long after I get going again until it returns to full power?

And 50%.... is that noticeable to the naked eye? (I don't plan on using it while stationary, but just in case.... curious how it looks)

 

How do you activate the amber running light? And does it stay on when the main light is activated?

I was thinking of using a 3 way rocker switch: High-Off-Low. How would I activate the backlight in that case?

Is the amber backlight bright enough to be used as a sort of fog light, if need be? I will surely get mine in white, and if it has the amber backlight, seems like it could come in handy in certain situations if it's bright enough.

 

Hey @Mix 99.3,

Great questions, Since the LP6/LP9 have a larger surface area it will take a little longer to hit thermal management mode compared to let's say our S1. Depending on what type of environment you are in, it should be fairly quick once you gain some airflow.

You will notice the intensity will start to dim slowly if the lights are on stationary for a long period of time. Again it will depend on the environment you are in if there is some mild wind that will be in effect and help cool down the lights as well.

Best,
Bill

Bill Sonevongxay | Forum Sales & Support 
Email: Bill@bajadesigns.com Phone: (760)560-2252

 

I purchased their upfitter harness that has the connection for your running lights to turn them on with them, or wherever you choose. If you have the tools to make your own harness, you can also use their pinout guide.