LED Light Bars

FYI, any of the RIGID new stuff, SR2 E2 are the 5w LEDs

 

http://www.visionxusa.com/index.html

 

really lacking in this field with people and testing.

 

Well I think I really am gonna get a vision x 43" xmitter prime extreme bar. Just because I feel the need to show off.Ha. And when I do I'll be sure to let y'all know how it produces. At 38,454 lumens, along with my 21" evo prime, and x2 8" evo prime AND projectors, I'll be pushing out the sun! Total of 61,854 lumens! Fucking nuts! Can't wait.. gonna be insane. After I save up $2,079 for the 43"... that, is what's really insane, but screw it. Ima do it.

 

Wow. I paid 1/10th of that for my China 41.5 3w double row rated at 24,000 lumens.

 

Yeah everyone always says they can't justify the cost. I can't either, but I really really want to see how it produces. I'll have to find a friend locally here with something in the same length range and meet up and compare. Because I don't think anyone here has ever purchased anything line this from vision x. And see if it really lives up to its name and rated lumens. Or see if the competition even cones close. Wondering if the lumens are really what they say they are in the cheaper ones. Vision x says their stuff is used in NASA and other companies like mining industries, and those have got to be a better quality product than others since I've never heard of rigid or others that have that kind of reputation. So, I'll be the one to bite the bullet and do some testing. I suppose I could always return it if I'm unsatisfied eh?

 

Gonna have to agree with others. I couldn't justify that cost just out of curiosity. I'll just have to trust this video and buy the bars that cost 1/10th of the vision x.

http://youtu.be/IXw-8Ad1sm0

 

Don't do it! Rigid Ind. and Visionx will call in a drone strike to any Aurora product found on US soil!!!

 

Aurora is the manufacturer that resells the CLONES right?>

 

Yes that's right.

 

And they are overpriced as well!!!!

 

Just installed my light bar today, along with Halo headlights && a bull bar. I am in love.

 

Here it is not lit up.

 

The bars/ LED's are pricy because of the expected life span of an LED. Companys know that they could sell these inexpensive, (look at china), but they are shooting themselves in the foot by doing so.*****

The actual R$D is normally computer models and then making of the optics.

Right now, there are some 100W, 50W, 10W, 5W, 3W, etc. on ebay http://www.ebay.com/bhp/5-watt-led

They are very inexpensive. Even for ebay pricing. (EBAY pricing being high)

A matched 'Driver'/ power supply, is in the ~$1-$4 range.

Specially designed extruded housing with heat sinks in them. Well, you could probably get those made in bulk for a buck a foot in whatever color you chose.

Wire, solder, screws, nuts, bolts, cheap...

PCB's - Once you design one on the computer, you PRINT it and can make them by hand. Or send off the design to a printing company that makes PCB's. They you are charged ~$1-$15 depending on the size.


All in after paying someone to assemble a 50" bar, you might be in the ~$150 range at max for cost.

If your a HUGE company, in say China. That has the whole system either automated, or super low wages. You can crank out this type of item for way under the ~$75 mark.

 

i am 100% certain that it will be better than my china bar. Don't get me wrong, this thing is bright - it emits a ton of light, but it doesn't totally drown out my 35w HID headlights. I don't think it is actually 24k lumens, but that's what they say and I paid like 250 for it so I can't complain. I'll see how it compares to my 55w HID pencil beams that I'll be mounting later this week (hopefully) and I have a 30" 5w spot pattern (8*) totron bar that's going to go behind the grille or the lower valence. In theory I could be pushing 50k LM facing front.

 

Look great!!!

 

*****What I mean by this is this/. On HID or Halogen systems, there are consumables. Replacement bulbs, replacement lenses, gaskets, seals, ballasts, and similar. That is where these company's make additional income off their products. Selling you back the part that went bad or blew.

On an LED system, they might get a bracket or a different color lense or cover purchase from you. Then thats it. Done, over, on to the next guy.


All the abuse testing? What for? If you design the item to have the PCB set far enough away from the inner walls, and screw it down. No normal amount of shaking or banging around will have any effect on it.

Water testing, this is important to an extent. Are we driving a submarine? If you build a product and then screw in the appropriate gasket. You should never have moisture issues. In reality, there are PCB boards that are, or sealants that can be applied to the actual boards to make them WATER PROOF. If water gets in, they did something wrong and it is their fault. (manufacturer) -- -- -- - If our vehicles were submerged long enough for water to have a real impact on the light. Our vehicles would be a total loss at that point. Interior, engine, electronics.

Drop test, unless it is rocks and pebbles being shot at the light at 50-100mph, the 'OPTICS' (acrylic, or glass) should not be effected in any way. If we fell off a mountain, cliff, or a building, lets all face the facts. Our vehicles would most likely be totaled and we would be lucky to be alive. At that point, all I would want to do is either rebuild or start unbolting things to sell. If the light was the only thing that survived at that point? GREAT! I just got enough to cover my Insurance deductible.

FIRE - again, if we are in fire hot enough to melt wire, or the actual bar. We would be lucky to be alive. The vehicle would be toast. Charred and nasty. I can't see selling a burnt up LED bar to someone. "But it still works!" ummmm go kick rocks. Might be a cool survival story to mount it on the next rig. But at that point, are you really going to go through the trouble of trying to recover parts from an vehicle that was just on fire.

HCL - well, in real life, unless you are in a lab or a car battery explodes, not likely to come into contact with acid. Acid rain even... Aluminum, coated properly, should never have issues with acid. HCL on bare aluminum would take over a minute for it to actually start to break down the oxidation layer. Thats sitting on or in HCL unmolested. Then the HCL could only do so much even in a large quantity. Eventually, if the bar was in a tub of HCL it would 'eat' the bar after a significant amount of time/

Smash test - really. I have seen people hit rocks with their roof in some recent videos. Even heard of a guy rolling his jeep onto a 50" bar and it surviving. When you are using strong lightweight components like PLASTIC/ ACRYLIC and ALUMINUM. There should not be a failure. IED's and armored vehicles are the obvious exception to this. However, if you survive an explosion, you are highly unlikely to be using that vehicle again. Or salvaging many useful components off of it.

Freezing - This is a reasonable test. But again. This is something that is meant to be in the HOT and COLD. Able to accept the wind chill of the artic and heat of the desert. ALl the components are SOLID STATE internally and thus NO REASON why they wouldn't "fire up". The housing would not have issues and neither should the lense. It is normal weather that a person properly dressed should be able to bear with some complaining.

My 40" was frozen solid the other night. Front was caked with snow. Had about 2 inches solid all the way around it. Lit up just fine. Guess what, SO DID MY FACTORY HEADLIGHTS!

 

I want to see actual head to head beam pattern and light output tests. That is where I stand. My Rigids are great so far to me. But I have no reference to compare them against besides my headlights and ARB Fogs.

 

I agree. I have a 20" that is not a RI. But to me it looks close. I want to see the difference of the same bar.

 

Maybe at Overland Expo 2014 I can muster together enough people with a variety of lights to play around with. Hopefully enough vendors will be there that they would be willing to participate too. That is 5 months away though.