why LED?

You did say Jeep. Darn it! I may just wait for someone to come out with a 4" LED light with the reverse light concept. Makes soooo much sense.

 

It's all about getting the light source at the focal point of the parabolic reflector. Think about how a solar cooker works, it concentrates the sun's rays at a single focal point. A light reflector works in the same way, just opposite.

 

Did you look at the cannons? The LED and it's projection is still pointed forward so the theory you post an example of, albeit true, doesn't seem to work in this case and I don't know why. If you point the LED back at the reflector it works as you describe. I'm just wondering why more manufacturers don't do it? Reliability? There are a couple manufacturers who do it for headlights and have great downrange distance. Just wondering why more don't do it for distance.

 

You are right, they are sticking an LED in a reflector designed for a bulb. However, they still do work because any light inside of the parabola will be directed straight out. It just means not all of it is focused to be projected downrange.

 

Off topic, but I wish a lot of people realized this and took the time to do research and ask questions like what you're doing before installing plug-and-play HIDs in their vehicles.

 

Thanks for noticing that. I think I said it somewhere here. I've been building lighting systems for my vehicles for probably 40 years. Not my first rodeo. I'm just trying to figure out how to build a system looking at all my options to get the maximum "distance" out of the light used. I find it odd that you can buy a 27w LED "spot" (not really a spot) for about $15 and also the same thing for "$75 with all the same ratings. The materials can not be that much different. And then we go to the Light Cannons with only one light source and a reflector and they cost $225ea. I think this market needs to settle down a little before I jump in. I'm not sure it's found it's "level" yet.

 

There really is a big difference in quality. Like you've seen, the cheaper leds don't last as long. The higher quality more expensive will give you a long trouble free life.

As for the price, you are correct. The technology is still relatively new. As it gets older the price will be comparable to today's high quality halogens. Look at the home led products and what they cost 2 or 3 years ago. Theyre almost half the price now.

 

All good points. I AM going to replace my halogen, flood, tractor lights with a pair of cheap 27w 4" LED's to test that quality issue. I know that I am a custom boat builder for the fly fishing industry and have been for over 20 years. Pretty much all my basic fabrics (I have some custom woven for me in the US) come from China. I have to say that when you put the same fabric, side by side against it's US counterpart there is no comparison. The quality, consistency and price of the Chinese fabrics are all better. Hate to say it. And yes, I have seen the cost of LED in home come down over the last couple of years. Hope it equates to the auto market and some true innovators come up to the top of the heap.

 

I was really impressed with these cubes. My buddy has them on his air boat.
http://www.light-headed.net/55-90w-led-cubes.html?m

 

I don't question what youve witnessed with your fabrics. There's many things built overseas that are just as good or better. With the leds, it's more of how they're built as opposed to where. LEDs have quite a bit going on inside. There's electronics and and connections that need to be made well. They need to be tolerant to vehicle vibrations, extreme heat and cold differences, expansion and contraction. All of these things can cause all the connections to become loose are cause the electronics to break down. The actual LED (light emitting diode) most likely isn't what fails when they stopped working. It'll be a connection or the electronics that has failed.

For example, vehicle ECU components have to be made more durable than a typical computer board for the same reasons. If someone just built a computer board using normal parts and used it in a vehicle, it wouldn't last long at all. It wouldnt be able to handle the extreme temperatures. Home computers have fans to keep them cool in relatively cool temperatures. A vehicle ECU just sits in a metal box in a vehicle interior that gets to upwards of 130° or as low as -20° or -30° without ever failing.

Unfortunately, the more complicated things become, the more fragile they become. Causing manufacturers to come up with more expensive ways to make the product more resilient.

 

Thanks for the idea. I'm looking for maximum distance and as we have discussed just throwing more wattage at something doesn't increase the distance just the amount of light being thrown. That and trying to fit a square light in a round opening.

 

All points VERY well taken. Electronics are a different animal all together when it comes to weather. It would be nice to have someone define all the differences between bulbs, manufacturers, etc. That too may clear up a lot of things for those who see all the choices but don't understand the reasons for all the choices. I subscribe to the Keep It Simple Stupid method of building so I get your thought about fragility of electronics.

 

Here is an example of a single 3W LED turned into a super thrower only using optics. http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Huygens-Ultimate-1.800.000-candela-Led-light
It has only 200 lumens but projects all of those lumens very far away. Obviously that thing is not small, but you can see the impact a proper set up system has on the throw of light.

 

I agree completely. There's been many times I've been searching for LEDs and simply passed up buying them because there is so many choices but no way to know if they're any good or even if they are on the right color (kelvin) scale for what I want.

That's even a challenge when buying for home use. You can't go by the old knowledge of 75 watts or 100 watts. You have to go by equivalent wattage and watch what kelvin color you're getting. If you don't, you'll end up with a minature sun for a light in your kitchen.

 

I have to say upfront that this is one of the most enlightening, civil conversations I've had on here. I research the hell out of a subject I'm interested in and ask question "I think" others would have as well.

Fluorescent bulbs went through the same thing with what type of light they were emitting years ago and I don't think the industry did a very good job in defining the differences. Lumens, watts, Kelvin...........it's all Greek to most people. I've actually tried to equate one to another and you really can't! I think the simplest question you could ask seemingly can't be answered. Whe you pit "x" halogen spot light against "y" LED spot light which one goes further? Sounds like a simple question? The only answer I have ever gotten is when I walked into Central 4wd in Spokane and the guy behind the counter said, "great question. I don't know but I have a really big, dark warehouse. Come on." He proceeded to pack up a display with power to it and we grabbed a few lights and went back and played with lights, both size, shape, beam pattern and wattage, lumens, whatever. Interesting test. What it taught me was the the increased Lumen (light color) made lights "appear" to be shooting further which they weren't. Lots of light to the side in either a spot or flood with LED's and the halogens just shot a beam of light that was very focused and accurate downrange. So, it just seems so simple to just change the bulb to an LED, use a focused, targeted reflector and get somewhat the same results. Like I said, it "sounds" so simple. I really hope someone who knows lights far better than I can come up with a light to "go the distance" They would have a money maker on their hands!!!!!

 

Might want to take a look at the KC Gravity LED it matches your description of the diode facing the mirror. Best of luck

 

Looks good and for the fogs anyway the price is right. I just sent an email to see if there are any plans for a 4" back window melter.

 

It's good to see KC also list all the specs of the LEDs they chose to put in the lights,
A pair of Cree XM-L2 T6s with a color temp of 5000K is well suited for a fog/driving light.
It seems they aren't cheap at over 400/pair retail but look closely at the reflector design,
They seem to have them mounted at about 90' of so from each other firing sideways into the reflector to cast the light outward. Neat design...

 

I liked the design as well. They're cheaper than the VisionX Light Cannons which I refuse to pay that much for a light. I have 4 openings. A thousand dollars for lights? Nope. You would think that more manufacturers would do something like that as I think all the holes in aftermarket bumpers are 4", or many of them.

 

I have modded some handheld Spotlights into 5000K HIDs,

I would honestly personally just to challenge myself mod a set of old daylighters into
HID, Lol...

But I'd want a set of floods and a set of spots.

But then your playing with Ballasts and Converters and such, your right, LEDs and the ease of plug and play electronics...